Old Tobacco Cards

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Posted By: Jon Morgan

Whoever,
When I was younger my father purchased for me a number of old tabacco cards. I am curious on their price. I will try to explain in as much detail as possible one of the cards:

Front:
Dimension: 4 in tall, 2 in wide
Title: Owen, Chicago Amer.

Back:
There is a label in the center, which reads: Piedmont
Above the label: Base Ball Series
150
Subjects
Below the label: The
Cigarette
Of
Quality
Bottom: Factory No. 25. 24 Dist. Va.

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Posted By: David

The world's largest 1909 T206. Though story has it that at least a couple of similar mammoths used to roam the prehistoric hobby. I hear that their bones still exist and are displayed from time to time.

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Posted By: David

I recommend that you buy from amazon or your local bookstore a copy of SCD's Standard Catalog of Baseball cards (Krause Publications). This is particularly true if you have a collection of cards.

Excepts for that the size you stated size is goofy, it sounds as if you have a c. 1909 T206 'White Borders.' The value is dependant on condition, so the information you provided is incomplete. I can, however, tell you that a common T206 card, like yours, won't make you rich, but will be worth a few bucks at least (again, depending on condition) and, more important than monetary value, is a from a famous and popular set.

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Posted By: David

Not wishing to offend and as Beckett people lurke & participate here, I note to the young lurkers of the world that the Beckett annual is also a fine guide. I own elderly copies of both SCD & Beckett, and you can stub your toe just as painfully on either version.

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Posted By: Todd (nolemmings)

Two weeks ago I bought my first Beckett annual in 15 years, mostly as an impulse buy because the SCD was out of stock at the local Barnes & Noble. I'm glad I bought it for comparison purposes, but wondered what others felt. For those of you who don't own one, it only has two columns for vintage price, the "top" being ex-mt. I think I like that, since that grade seems far more often encountered than true Nm, but I'm still not used to it.

The pricing info is handy, again as a comparison, especially since I believe there are a large number of collectors (even vintage) who use this book as their major source when bidding on auctions. Still, the print and pictures are extremely small- the pics are almost too small to be of any use. Anybody else care tho chime in about this book?
Todd

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Posted By: Andy Baran

I bought the Beckett book last year, and I haven't seen this year's addition yet. I thought that the information was good, but I did not care for the lay-out, as Vintage and Non-Vintage were mixed together. I prefer the way that SCD has divided the sections, and would enjoy it even more if they would get rid of the Non-Vintage crap all together.

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

That's Standard Catalogue of Baseball Cards, 12th edition. You better get a ruler to measure your card, because besides the funny dimentions, it does indeed sound liike a T206 common (depicting a player not in the Hall of Fame, no special back, and no rare variation).

There are zillions of T206s, but they're also very popular, so it's a match of supply and demand.

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Posted By: TBob

SCD published a book called the "1887-1947 Baseball Card Price Guide" back in 1993. It had a short life but was the best and most useful vintage book I have ever seen. Not as voluminous as the regular SCD price guide but it was the best. I wish Bob would consider putting it out again with updated prices. There were some printing and page compilation problems with my book, anyone else have that problem? Still, a great book.

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Posted By: Brian Weisner

Hi TBOB
I was wondering if anyone else had this book. It's so much easier to carry than the Phone book size price guides of today. I don't collect Old Judges, but If memory serves, There is a great checklist in the middle of the book. I've been looking for a backup copy for year with no luck. Maybe Bob knows were a few copies are hiding. later brian

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Posted By: Jay Miller

Brian--I have a copy of that book. The Old Judge section is basically an abbreviated version of the British Cartophilic Society listing (with I believe some updates).

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

some sets discovered since then: Alleghenies, and Alphas, just to name 2. Also, I think there was only one kind of Peck and Snyder catalogued at that time, and there's no picture of the GREATEST CARTOON of All Time on the back.

Yes, I really think so!

There would only be a few Obak T4s...no Weaver.

One of my middle aged price guides has the Old Judge checklist....'95 Catalogue of Baseball cards?

The SIZE is a great selling point. Remember when we all brought price guides to conventions? Ha, ha, with today's, how long do do want to be out of commission?

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Posted By: brian parker

I ordered one of these back in 1993 and actually was so disappointed I returned it with a note listing all the errors and ommissions when comparing it to their vintage listings in their 1993 Standard catalog. They actually only added a handful of set listings, and I felt at the time it was a big rip-off, because it failed to add much coverage on the unusual issues from the time span it was supposed to cover.

Admittedly it would be nice to have this same narrow focus concept now with all the new information they have added to their Standard Catalog in the years since (and not have to lug around all the additional weight of the new issues).

Brian

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Posted By: jeff s

why not just tear off the front part of the book? then you have a handy pre-1980 book to carry to shows. has worked for me...

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Posted By: Bob Lemke

Thanks for the comments and kind words about the Standard Catalog. Because the vast majority of buyers for this volume come from the book trade (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.) and don't seem to represent vintage-only specialists, management has thus far not seriously considered breaking the book into chronological volumes. I saw Alan Rosen at the Pittsburgh show this weekend and he had a nice solution. He took his book to a local Staples, had them cut off the spine and then comb-bind the vintage pages. I think he said it cost him $4.

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Posted By: runscott

worked like a charm.

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Posted By: Jaime Leiderman

Bob, did Alan Rosen remove his mugshot from page 1?

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Posted By: David

I keep it in. Good when dieting.

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Posted By: Bob Lemke

. . . he put it on the cover.

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Posted By: David

For Holloween I'm dressing up my Standard Catalog and Beckett Annual as dueling Sumo wrestlers. My neighbor down the street lent me her mumus.

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Posted By: dan mckee

The post war part of the book makes great firewood.

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Posted By: runscott

I DID tear that page out. I also kept the post-war section and ripped out some of the minor league pages, sticking them in the pre-war part of the book. On rare occasions I have to refer to the big rejected hunk of the book, so I would also love to see a pre-war version which includes minor league issues.