T206 checklist by Frank Nagy -- 19 backs??

[trdcrdkid]

OK, I've done a little research, and I think I see where Nagy's dates come from. According to Scott A. Reader's "Inside T206", February 17, 1909 (the date given by Nagy for the launch of the 150 Series) is when Wid Conroy was purchased by the Washington Senators from the New York Highlanders, so the 150/350 Series T206 of him with Washington must have been designed after that date. However, that doesn't mean the series was issued ON that date, and anyway the evidence (much of it described by Reader) indicates that this series was not actually distributed until the early summer of 1909.

Reader also notes that Neal Ball was purchased by Cleveland from New York on May 18, 1909 (Nagy's second date), so the 150/350 Series card of Ball with New York must have been designed before that date. But this doesn't say anything about when that series was launched.

I'm not sure where Nagy's April 1910 date for the end of the 350 Series comes from, but Reader argues that the 350 and 350/460 Series cards were launched in the first few months of 1910, based on artwork that had started to be created in August 1909 (based on the movement of players from team to team). Some backs came later; there is documentary evidence that the American Beauty 350 and Cycle 350 backs were launched in July 1910.

I'm not sure where Nagy's December 16, 1909 date for the launch of the 350/460 Series came from, but my best guess is the fact, noted by Reader, that Kid Elberfield was purchased by Washington from New York on December 14, 1909, and his 350 Series card depicts him with Washington. But that just means that the Elberfield card was designed/printed after that date, and is consistent with the above argument that the 350 and 350/460 Series were launched in early 1910.

Reader argues that the 460-only Series was launched in the fall of 1910 and that distribution ceased in the spring of 1911, ahead of the launch of T205. Packaging of Tolstoi T206s stopped on March 14, 1911, and distribution of Uzit T206s began four days later on March 18; however, it must have stopped after only a few weeks, which is why Uzits are so rare.