Where have all the Cobb HINDU's gone.....?

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by tedzan

Dave

Sounds like you agree with my T206 "6-card" basic denominator theory. Anyhow, let's further consider the Sweet Cap 150,
Factory 649 sub-set. I think this was initially a 36-card design and ALC removed a subject (perhaps, either Cobb or Plank).
Whatever, that's besides the point here. Check-out this comparison of 1st series Detroit players......

Sweet Cap 150 (factory 649)................Brown HINDU

.................................................. Donovan (portrait)
Killian (pitching)..............................Killian (pitching)
O'Leary (portrait)............................O'Leary (portrait)
Schmidt (throwing).........................Schmidt (throwing)

Continuing.........

Sweet Cap 150 (factory 649)................Brown HINDU

Jim Delehanty....traded to Detroit 8/09.......DITTO

Tom Jones....traded to Detroit 8/09...........DITTO


I think the above data illustrates that there was not a "diabolical scheme" NOT to print Detroit players with HINDU or SWEET
CAP 150 (f649) backs.

So then, why did ALC not print Cobb with these T-brands ?

The "Factory #649 factor" mystery thickens ? ?


TED Z

Ted:

The 6 denominator looks like a winner to me. Now, as for Detroit players, the fact there are that many Detroiters on Brown Hindu in series 1 helps solidify my Detroit distribution theory from the Rochester factory #649 I think.

I still wonder if Cobb had an exclusive local or regional promotional or services deal in Detroit that prohibited his appearance on cards destined for that city and environs. And don't forget that newpaper article (at work and can't search for the link right now) previously posted here from 1909 that mentions Cobb and Wagner being in short supply, seemingly therefore in the 150 series cards. I can't recall the town from the article so let's call it East Apple.

Wagner is once thing but Cobb being mentioned in the same breath but obviously not being as rare could be the result of inadvertent selective marketing. Suppose a run of cards was made and obviously a finite number of backs could result, so let's say the Brown Hindu run is done being printed and it has no Green Cobbs on it. That same sheet or run of 35 subjects is then printed for the East Apple market with a more common back but still minus the Green Cobb even though there was no reason to exclude him except in Detroit, it's just there are fronts printed that need to be used, or backs that need fronts that are already composed.

Sweet Caps with Wagner then arrive in East Apple and then they run some other sheets in the 150/350 series for this particular market that have the Green Cobb and we get to the 150/350 portion of things and the Green Cobb is finally hitting the streets down there as well, resulting in the newsman's observation Cobb and Wagner have finally been spotted.

Hope that makes some sense, I am going from memory at the moment but there had to be some geographical distribution arrangement for each run of cards and in some cases specific players and of course, whether a 150 or 350 series marketing plan made sense. Pulling Cobb from the Detroit packs makes little sense unless he was prohibited from appearing or they deliberately held back to sell more cigs but I think we have seen evidence elsewhere they overprinted cards to sell product and did not shortprint them for the same purpose.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong as Dennis Miller used to say.