Sport Images before 1942

Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
In addition to T206 Wagner and Babe Ruth cards.
See also : Lou Gehrig  Photos 1900s 1910s

Special Report
Baseball Cards

The history of vintage baseball cards spans more than 130 years, beginning as promotional inserts in tobacco products and evolving into a cornerstone of sports collecting. "Vintage" typically refers to pre-1980s cards (before the overproduction "junk wax" era of the mid-1980s–1990s), divided into the pre-war era (roughly pre-1942) and post-war era (1940s–1970s/early 1980s). These cards are prized for their scarcity, historical ties to legends, and condition challenges (e.g., tobacco stains, handling wear).
Tobacco Era / Pre-War (Late 1800s–1941)
Cards started as marketing tools for cigarette and tobacco companies, inserted to stiffen packs and promote brands. Early examples were colorful chromolithographs or cabinet photos, often featuring multi-sport or non-sport subjects alongside baseball.
Key early milestones:
  • 1887: Allen & Ginter World's Champions (N28) — One of the first significant tobacco sets with baseball players (e.g., Cap Anson).
  • 1887–1890: Old Judge (N172) — Cabinet-style photos from Goodwin & Co., showing posed players; considered among the earliest dedicated baseball cards.
  • 1909–1911: T206 White Border set by the American Tobacco Company — Known as "The Monster" for its size (over 520 subjects, multiple backs like Piedmont, Sweet Caporal) and variations. Features stars like Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Walter Johnson. The ultra-rare T206 Honus Wagner (only ~60 known examples, due to Wagner's objection to tobacco promotion) is the hobby's holy grail.
Pre-war cards are extremely rare due to low survival rates—many were discarded, played with, or damaged by tobacco exposure. Production slowed during the Depression and WWII.
​Other notables: 1933 Goudey (colorful, high-quality set with multiple Babe Ruth cards, including his iconic #53 and #149).

​​1904-1942 The Conlon Archive
​2016 SOLD for $ 1.8M by Heritage

The practice of photography captivated many amateurs in the early 20th century. In 1904, Charles M. Conlon (born November 28, 1868, in Albany, New York, and raised in nearby Troy) was working as a proofreader for the New York Evening Telegram. His editor, John B. Foster—who also edited the prestigious annual Spalding Base Ball Guide—learned of Conlon's hobby of taking landscape photographs. Foster invited him to apply his skills to capturing images of baseball players for the guide, offering a welcome side income and a productive use of his days off.
From 1904 until 1942, Conlon became the anonymous yet definitive photographer of baseball's golden age. His images were widely published and republished in major outlets, including the Spalding Guides, Baseball Magazine (where he served as a key contributor for player portraits on front and back covers), The Sporting News, and countless trading cards and newspapers. He photographed virtually all the era's top Major League stars, from Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio, along with managers, umpires, and game scenes.
Conlon worked almost exclusively on the field, often getting remarkably close to the action. He meticulously observed and captured the unique styles of individual players—their distinctive grips on the ball or bat, their stances, and their movements. His earliest work used 5x7-inch glass plate negatives. As technology advanced, he transitioned to 4x5-inch glass plates and later to more portable acetate (safety film) negatives.
Improvements in film sensitivity and camera equipment—particularly the Graflex plate camera—enabled him to freeze fast motion in sharp detail. One of his most celebrated achievements is the iconic action shot of Ty Cobb sliding into third base at Hilltop Park (home of the New York Highlanders/Yankees) on July 23, 1910. In this visceral masterpiece of early sports photography, Cobb upends infielder Jimmy Austin in a dramatic cloud of dust, widely regarded as one of the most powerful and influential images in sports history.
Over his 38-year career, Conlon produced an estimated 30,000 baseball negatives in total, though the core surviving archive consists of 7,462 original negatives. These are preserved in 85 shoebox-sized boxes. This extraordinary, irreplaceable collection—documenting nearly four decades of the sport's most transformative era—was sold as a single lot (lot 80082) by Heritage Auctions on August 27, 2016, for $1,792,500.
​The archive is unique in its completeness and historical significance, offering an unparalleled visual record of baseball from the dead-ball era through the rise of the live-ball period. The sale included only the physical negatives and prints; no intellectual property or reproduction rights were transferred.For a closer look at this remarkable collection, check out the auction preview video and images shared by Heritage Auctions.

T206 WAGNER
See dedicated page :

1909-1911 T206
​Intro

From 1909 to 1911 the American Tobacco Company published the most important series of baseball cards of its period, successively announcing 150, 350 and 460 "subjects" on the back. The player's name and city are written on the front side under the portrait, without biographical details. The most popular players are Ty Cobb, John McGraw and Joe Tinker with four different subjects each. This series is known in the hobby as T206.

The company was operating 16 tobacco brands. The cards were inserted inside the packets of cigarettes and of tobacco. The backs are advertisings for one or another brand : 14 for cigarettes and one for scrap tobacco. 80% of the T206 cards have Piedmont or Sweet Caporal backs. The impression is also referring to a factory number of the tobacco company. Blank backs are rare, probably printing errors. 

The 1909-11 T206 White Border set (often called the "Monster" due to its size and variations) features many iconic and valuable cards beyond the legendary Honus Wagner. While Wagner dominates headlines for its extreme rarity and multi-million-dollar prices, several other cards stand out for their scarcity, errors, high-grade appeal, or historical significance. These are frequently grouped as the "Big Four" rarities (excluding Wagner in some contexts) or highlighted for their premium value.
The "Big Four" Rarities (Most Famous Scarce Cards in the Set)
These are the toughest to obtain, often commanding six- or seven-figure prices depending on grade and back variation:
  1. Eddie Plank (Philadelphia Athletics portrait)
    • One of the set's true "Holy Grails" after Wagner, with roughly 100 known examples (PSA + SGC combined).
    • No clear reason for its rarity—unlike Wagner's production halt—though theories include Plank's possible objection to tobacco promotion or a printing anomaly.
    • Values: High-grade examples (PSA 5-7) fetch $100,000–$690,000+; even VG/EX levels sell for tens of thousands. A PSA 7 sold for $690,000 in 2018, and it's considered the second-most desirable T206 overall.
  2. Sherry Magee (error spelled "Magie") (Philadelphia Phillies portrait)
    • A famous printing error where Magee's last name was misspelled "Magie" on the front caption; it was quickly corrected to "Magee" in later printings.
    • One of the classic T206 errors, with far fewer "Magie" versions surviving than the corrected ones.
    • Highly sought-after for error collectors; values range from tens of thousands in lower grades to six figures in better condition. It's more attainable price-wise than Wagner or Plank but still a major key.
  3. Joe Doyle "N.Y. Nat'l" (Hands Above Head error)
    • An ultra-rare variation where Doyle (a pitcher) is incorrectly captioned "N.Y. Nat'l" (New York Nationals) instead of his actual team (New York Highlanders/American League).
    • Believed to be the rarest non-Wagner card in the set—only about 10 examples known.
    • A recently discovered one sold for over $1.3 million; it's prized for its extreme scarcity over player fame.
  4. Other notable scarce variations (sometimes included in expanded "Big Four" discussions):
    • Bill O'Hara St. Louis (minor leaguer variation).
    • Ray Demmitt St. Louis (another minor league team error/variation).
      These St. Louis team switches are tough and add to the set's complexity.
High-Value Hall of Famers and Stars
Beyond the rarities, T206 cards of superstar players are famous for their condition sensitivity and appeal:
  • Ty Cobb (multiple poses, e.g., Bat Off Shoulder, Bat On Shoulder, Portrait)
    • Cobb appears in several iconic poses; high-grade examples (PSA 7+) are blue-chip vintage cards, often selling for hundreds of thousands.
    • A special ultra-rare "Ty Cobb King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back variation (not a standard T206 back) is even scarcer (~25 known total), with sales up to $876,000.
  • Christy Mathewson (multiple poses, e.g., Portrait, White Cap)
    • One of the set's premier pitchers; high-grade versions are highly collectible.
  • Cy Young (multiple poses)
    • The legendary pitcher's cards are staples in any serious T206 collection.
  • Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, and other Hall of Famers round out the elite tier.
Rare Backs and Variations
​The T206 set has 16+ different advertiser backs (e.g., Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, Old Mill), with some extremely scarce ones multiplying value dramatically:
  • Uzit, Drum, Lenox (Brown), Broadleaf 460 — These "rare backs" can increase a card's value 10x–50x over common backs like Piedmont.
    • Even on common players, a Drum or Uzit back turns a $100 card into thousands.
The T206 remains one of the most collected vintage sets, with its mix of stars, errors, and back variations creating endless chase potential. High-grade examples of any key card are exceptionally rare due to age and handling. 

1
​Ty Cobb regular issue
2024 SOLD for $ 870K by Heritage

The four Ty Cobb variants in the regular T206 come from three images : with bat on or off shoulder, and the portrait on green or red background. The bat off shoulder is the most dynamic, displaying the famous challenging gaze of the terrible champion.

The T206 is an early series, of which very few examples have been preserved in mint condition. A Ty Cobb with bat off shoulder graded Mint 9 by PSA was sold for $ 870K by Heritage on August 23, 2024, lot 80004. The back is a Piedmont 350 Factory 25. The centering matches the high grade expectations and the cleanliness is perfect.

​2
​Eddie Plank regular issue
2018 SOLD for $ 690K by Heritage

On September 20, 2018, Heritage dedicated an entire auction to the dispersion of a remarkable collection of T206 in NM7 or better condition. The cards will be sold individually. Wagner is not there. The sale includes no less than 9 of the 13 cards graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA out of a total population of 225,000 T206 certified by this organization.

Lot 50292 is a Magie, Phila. Nat'l, with a back of the first issue at 150 subjects. It is the best card of this variant, graded NM-MT8 by PSA and the only one in this rank. Its rarity is due to a spelling mistake in the name of Sherry Magee, corrected for subsequent impressions. This Major League player owes his posthumous fame to a typographical error. It was sold for $ 660K.

The, lot 50391, sold for $ 690K, was a Plank, Phila. Amer. graded NM7 by PSA, with a back of the second issue at 350 subjects. Eddie Plank was a good Major League player, still recognized today as one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball history. His card is known to PSA in 72 copies, including 1 NM-MT8 and 3 NM7. The reason for this rarity is not known, maybe the breakage of its printing plate.
The 1909-11 T206 White Border Eddie Plank (Philadelphia Athletics portrait pose) is one of the hobby's premier rarities, often ranked as the second-most desirable and valuable card in the iconic T206 set behind only the Honus Wagner. It's frequently called a "Holy Grail" alongside Wagner, with its scarcity driving values into the hundreds of thousands (and occasionally higher) at auction.
Production and Survival Estimates
  • Unlike the Wagner (production halted due to Wagner's objection), the reason for Plank's extreme scarcity remains a mystery over 115 years later.
  • Leading theories include:
    • A broken or defective printing plate leading to many cards being destroyed during quality control (common issue with poor top-to-bottom centering that cuts into the bottom text/caption).
    • Possible objection by Plank to tobacco promotion (similar to Wagner, though less documented).
    • Other printing anomalies or limited distribution.
  • Experts estimate only 75 to 120 surviving authentic examples exist today (some sources cite ~90–100 as a common figure, with slight variations depending on inclusion of raw/ungraded pieces).
This makes it exponentially rarer than standard T206 Hall of Famers (e.g., Ty Cobb or Christy Mathewson cards exist in the thousands).
​Graded Population (as of early 2026)Combined PSA and SGC censuses (the primary authenticators for T206s) show roughly 90–120 encapsulated examples total, with numbers fluctuating slightly over time due to new submissions or crossovers:
  • PSA: Around 70–80 graded (recent reports note ~79 in some contexts, though older figures were lower like ~21–46 for specific subsets; the population has grown modestly).
  • SGC: Around 20–40 graded (e.g., ~27–39 reported in various 2023–2025 sources).
  • Combined: Typically cited as ~90–120 authenticated (e.g., a 2025 Heritage Auctions post referenced ~90 in combined populations; a 2024 sale noted <120).
  • Condition breakdown heavily skews low: Most survivors are Poor to Very Good due to age, handling, and centering issues. High-grade examples are extraordinarily scarce:
    • No PSA 9 or 10 exist.
    • PSA 8: 1 known (the condition census leader).
    • PSA 7: ~3 known.
    • PSA 6: ~3–4.
    • Higher grades (EX-MT and above) are true rarities, with only a handful ever reaching the market.
Many examples show severe centering problems (top-to-bottom bias cutting into borders/text), surface wear, or creases—making even mid-grade survivors premium.
Back Variations and Additional Rarity
​Plank appears with various T206 advertiser backs (e.g., Sweet Caporal, Piedmont), but some are ultra-rare:
  • Sweet Caporal (most common for Plank, e.g., 150/25, 150/30, 350/30 subtypes) dominates surviving examples.
  • Piedmont 150 Subjects back is exceptionally scarce—only ~3–4 known examples (some hand-cut from sheets, one notable factory-cut/machine-cut specimen graded SGC 5.5 in past auctions).
  • Rare backs like Piedmont amplify value significantly (e.g., a Piedmont Plank can command premiums over standard Sweet Caporal versions).
Market Implications and Values
  • The card's tiny population and Hall of Fame status (Plank: 326 career wins, elite lefty pitcher) make it a blue-chip vintage piece.
  • Recent auction highlights (as of 2026):
    • PSA 7 (highest grade to sell publicly): $690,000 (2018 record for the issue).
    • PSA 4 (VG-EX): $318,997 (2024 record for the grade at Mile High Card Co.).
    • PSA 5: ~$102,000 (recent Goldin sale).
    • Lower grades (VG 3 or Authentic): Often $70,000–$250,000+ depending on eye appeal and back.
  • Values are sensitive to grade, back, and centering—higher technical condition commands exponential premiums due to the population cliff above VG-EX.
In summary, the T206 Eddie Plank's rarity (~75–120 known, heavily low-grade) cements its status as the set's #2 key (after Wagner), a perennial chase for serious T206 or pre-war collectors. New high-grade discoveries are virtually nonexistent, keeping demand intense.

3
​Joe Doyle VG+ 3.5 by SGC
2023 SOLD for $ 1.32M by Robert Edward

The rarest T206 variation is an error card. It features Joe Doyle with hands up. The heading N.Y. Nat'l in the front side is wrong after a confusion with Larry Doyle. Joe was playing in the New York's American League.

The error was discovered during an early stage of production and corrected so that very few examples of the error card have survived. It was identified in the 1970s by a dealer. PSA is only recording 10 graded units, 4 of which carrying the Piedmont 350 reverse. 

The mis-spelling error of Magie instead of Magee in the original 150 Subjects series left more escapes. The finest known example was sold for $ 660K by Heritage on September 20, 2018, lot 50292.

A Joe Doyle error card with a Piedmont back announcing 350 Subjects and Factory 25 was discovered in 2022 by a man in the forgotten scrapbooks of his great-grandfather. Incredibly the man's father was a descendent of the founding family of the American Tobacco Company, which produced that series of baseball cards later identified as T206.

After a professional removal from the book, the card has been graded VG+ 3.5 by SGC. It will be sold by Robert Edward on August 13, 2023, lot 1.

PSA has graded another example at VG+ 3.5 and two at VG3, and BVG one at VG-EX 4.
The 1909-11 T206 White Border Joe Doyle "N.Y. Nat'l" (Hands Above Head error), often called the "Slow Joe" Doyle error card, is one of the absolute rarest and most desirable variations in the entire T206 set. It's frequently cited as the rarest card in the set—even surpassing the Honus Wagner in terms of known surviving examples—despite featuring a relatively obscure player.
​Player and Card Details
  • Player: Joseph "Slow Joe" Doyle, a right-handed pitcher who played five MLB seasons (1906-1910) primarily with the New York Highlanders (later Yankees) of the American League. He compiled a 22-21 record with a 2.85 ERA but had limited fame.
  • Pose: "Hands Above Head" (windup pitching pose, arms raised overhead).
  • Error: The caption reads "DOYLE, N.Y. NAT'L" (indicating New York Nationals, i.e., National League/New York Giants). This was a mix-up with Larry Doyle (a second baseman for the Giants). Joe Doyle played for the AL Highlanders.
  • Correction: The error was caught early in production. The "NAT'L" was removed from the printing plate, resulting in most surviving Joe Doyle "Hands Above Head" cards simply reading "N.Y." (no league designation). The uncorrected "N.Y. Nat'l" version is the extreme rarity.
Rarity and Population
  • Experts and auction houses (e.g., Robert Edward Auctions, PSA, SGC) consistently estimate only about 10 authentic examples known to exist as of recent years (2023-2026 reports).
    • This makes it more than 5-10 times rarer than the T206 Honus Wagner (~50-60 known).
    • The card was completely unknown until the 1970s, when dealer Larry Fritsch discovered one while sorting T206s. It remained obscure for decades due to its scarcity—no one noticed the error earlier because so few existed.
  • Graded population (PSA + SGC combined, per auction and census reports):
    • PSA: Around 5-7 graded (e.g., one VG+ 3.5, two VG 3, two GOOD 2; PSA reports ~7 total in some contexts).
    • SGC: A handful (e.g., the notable VG+ 3.5 newly discovered in 2023).
    • Others: A few ungraded (presumed authentic), one in a historical collection (e.g., Senator Richard B. Russell at University of Georgia), and occasional BVG/SGC crossovers.
    • Total authentic: ~10 (some population reports show slight inflation from grading errors/duplicates, but consensus holds at 10 or fewer verified).
  • Condition skews low: Most are VG or below due to age, handling, and the thin stock. Higher grades (VG+ or better) are exceptional and near the top of the census.
Back Variations
  • Almost all known examples feature a Piedmont back (e.g., Piedmont 350 Subjects), as that's the dominant back associated with the early print run where the error occurred. No major rare-back premiums apply here beyond the error itself.
Market Implications and Values
  • The card's extreme scarcity drives massive demand among T206 completists and error/variation collectors.
  • Recent auction highlights (as of 2026):
    • SGC VG+ 3.5 (newly discovered, 2023 REA Summer Auction): Sold for $1,323,000 (record for the issue at public auction).
    • PSA 2 (2022 sale): $1,030,047.
    • PSA VG 3: Around $550,000 in past sales.
    • Older highs: PSA VG-EX 4 or equivalent around $300,000–$400,000+.
  • Values are highly sensitive to grade and eye appeal—mid-grade examples command seven figures due to the tiny population. It's often grouped in the "Big Four" T206 rarities (with Wagner, Plank, and Magee error), but many consider it the toughest to acquire.
In summary, the T206 Joe Doyle "N.Y. Nat'l" error is a true pinnacle rarity: fewer than 10 known, discovered late in hobby history, and more elusive than even the Wagner. Its value stems purely from scarcity rather than player stardom, making it one of the most challenging chases in pre-war collecting. New discoveries are headline events, as the population barely grows.

4
​Joe Doyle Good 2 by PSA
2022 SOLD for $ 1.06M by Mile High Card

A Joe Doyle error card with Piedmont back announcing 350 Subjects and Factory 25 was sold for $ 1.06M by Mile High Card on March 31, 2022, lot 2. The image is bright but the card could not be attributed a higher grade than Good 2 by PSA due to a very poor centering.

​1910 Ty Cobb King of the Smoking Tobacco World
2020 SOLD for $ 900K by Mile High Card

In the field Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb are arch-rivals. Their attitudes towards the American Tobacco appear to be opposite although the details of their business are not known. Wagner withdraws early his permission to publish his only portrait that becomes the rarest image of the series.

If we consider the combinations of front and back, the Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back is the rarest and the only back bearing the name of a player, in an obvious promotional intention.

The back does not address one of the 16 brands. It displays in large capital letters "Ty Cobb" King of the Smoking Tobacco World and in tiny letters the address of the plant in North Carolina. No other player has been the subject of a specific T206 edition. This back was used exclusively on the verso of the image of Ty Cobb's portrait on a red background. No other card is known with this back, not even the other three Ty Cobb subjects from the same series.

This edition is considered regular but it is indeed mysterious. Compared to the other T206s the cardboard is tougher and the image on front side has remained in bright colors as if it had been protected by a coating. Free from tobacco stains, they have not been packaged unlike the other combinations in the series.

About 22 cards are known. The grouped conditions of the major discoveries in the southern United States, 5 together in 1997 in Georgia and 7 together in 2016, may suggest that the Ty Cobb back has never been available to the public.

Ty Cobb, nicknamed The Georgia Peach, had tried to market a brand of pipe and rolling tobacco under his own name. On September 19, 2019, Heritage sold for $ 144K a tobacco tin box inscribed on front side as Ty Cobb Granulated Cut Plug along with a stylized image of Cobb with bat on shoulder inspired from another T206 variant of this player.

The assumption that the Cobb-Cobb card is a later plagiarism for a commercial operation that was ephemeral or failed would explain all the peculiarities of the material and of the editing as well as its rarity.

The 2016 surfacing event is named the Lucky 7 Find. They were graded by PSA FR 1.5 (one card), Good+ 2.5 (four cards), VG+ 3.5 (one card) and VG-EX+ 4.5 (one card). The two best units have the highest grades awarded for this variety. 

From the Lucky 7, the best card, graded VG/EX+ 4.5  with a glossy surface, was sold for $ 900K at lot 3  by Mile High Card Company on September 3, 2020. The VG+ 3.5  was sold for $ 410K by Heritage on February 24, 2018, lot 80006. One of the 2.5 with perfect color was sold for $ 240K on February 25, 2017. The lower grades attributed by PSA are related to wear and not to print weakness.
The "Ty Cobb — King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back variation is one of the most coveted and ultra-rare anomalies in the entire 1909-11 T206 White Border set. This isn't a standard T206 advertiser back (like Piedmont or Sweet Caporal); instead, it's a unique promotional advertisement exclusive to one specific card front: the red-background portrait of Ty Cobb.
​Key Details and Features
  • Front: Features the iconic Ty Cobb portrait with a red background (one of four Cobb poses in the T206 set: Green Portrait, Red Portrait, Bat Off Shoulder, Bat On Shoulder). The red portrait is the most common Cobb front overall, but the special back makes this combination extraordinarily scarce.
  • Back: Printed in green ink, it reads "TY COBB — KING OF THE SMOKING TOBACCO WORLD" (sometimes stylized with a dash or slight variations in phrasing). This promotes a short-lived "Ty Cobb" brand of loose tobacco (produced around 1910 by F.R. Penn Tobacco Company, packaged in tins featuring Cobb's image and slogan). The cards were inserts in these tins, printed at Factory 33 (Reidsville, NC), and have a noticeable gloss/luster not found on standard T206s.
  • Uniqueness: This is the only player in the T206 set to receive their own dedicated back advertisement. Cobb was the sole subject for this promo, making it a true one-of-a-kind variation in the 16-back T206 landscape.
Rarity and Population
  • Experts consider this rarer than the famous T206 Honus Wagner (estimated 50-60 known total).
  • Combined PSA + SGC population: Approximately 30 known encapsulated examples (as of recent 2024-2026 reports; some sources note ~24-30, with minor fluctuations from new submissions or crossovers). This is roughly half the estimated Wagner survivors.
    • Before 2016: Only ~15 known examples.
    • In 2016: A famous "Lucky 7 Find" discovery added seven identical examples (from a family cache in a paper bag), dramatically increasing the known population and valued collectively in the millions.
    • In 2018: An eighth card from the same family was discovered and graded PSA Good 2.
  • Condition skews low (like most pre-war cards): Most are Poor to Good due to age, handling, and gloss-related wear. Higher grades (e.g., VG-EX or above) are exceptionally scarce—only a handful (e.g., 4-5 known higher than certain low-mid grades in recent sales data).
Why So Rare?
  • Extremely limited production tied to the niche "Ty Cobb" tobacco tins (far fewer than mass-market brands like Piedmont).
  • Short distribution window and low survival rate over 115+ years.
  • Not part of the standard T206 tobacco insert runs, so it avoided wider circulation.
Market and Values
This variation commands strong premiums due to its scarcity and Cobb's superstar status (Hall of Famer, .366 lifetime average, etc.). Recent auction highlights (as of 2026):
  • SGC 2.5: $432,000 (Heritage Auctions, March 2024; fresh-to-hobby example).
  • Another SGC 2.5: $337,704 (REA Auctions, recent sale).
  • PSA PR 1: $124,440 (Goldin Auctions, October 2024).
  • Lower grades/Authentic: Often $85,000–$200,000+ depending on eye appeal.
  • The 2016 Lucky 7 group sold privately/direct for around $3 million total (grades FR 1.5 to VG-EX+ 4.5).
In short, the T206 Ty Cobb with the "King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back is a pinnacle chase for T206 collectors—rarer than Wagner by population count, with massive historical appeal as a player-specific promo. It's tougher and more exclusive than even the set's other big rarities like Plank or the errors.
The 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb with the "Ty Cobb — King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back (often called the "Cobb/Cobb" or "Ty Cobb back") shares the exact same front design as the standard T206 red-background portrait of Ty Cobb (one of four Cobb poses in the set: white borders, identical layout, font, and photo). However, it features several technical and production differences from regular T206 issues, supporting the view that it was likely not produced by the same printer or under the same full production run as the core American Tobacco Company (ATC) T206 cards.
Key Technical Differences
  • Front Surface/Finish
    Most examples exhibit a noticeable glossy or semi-glossy coating on the front (red portrait area), unlike the standard matte finish on typical T206 cards. This gloss is thought to have been applied intentionally as a "premium" feature—possibly to protect the card when inserted into tobacco tins (rather than cigarette packs) or to distinguish it as a special promotional item. Some sources note this gloss resembles later issues like T213 Type Two cards more than standard T206s. (A few rare proofs or outliers lack this gloss and appear hand-cut, but the vast majority of authenticated examples show it.)
  • Back Design and Ink
    • Standard T206 backs advertise one of ~15 ATC-controlled tobacco brands (e.g., Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, Old Mill) in black or brown ink, with "Factory No." designations (commonly 25, 30, etc.) and production details.
    • The Cobb back uses green ink exclusively for the text: "TY COBB — KING OF THE SMOKING TOBACCO WORLD" (sometimes with slight phrasing variations like a dash or quotes). No standard brand logo, no "Factory No." in the usual sense for ATC brands, though some examples note Factory 33, 4th Dist. NC (Reidsville or Durham, North Carolina area). This factory is unique—no other T206 brand was distributed from Factory 33, which raises questions about shared production facilities.
  • Production and Distribution
    • Regular T206s were mass-produced inserts in cigarette packs/cigarettes by ATC (a tobacco trust controlling multiple brands), with wide distribution across the U.S.
    • The Cobb back cards were tied to a short-lived, niche "Ty Cobb" brand loose smoking tobacco (produced around 1910 by F.R. Penn Tobacco Company, possibly under ATC influence or separately). These were packaged in tins (bearing Cobb's image and slogan), not standard cigarette packs. This limited run explains the extreme rarity (~25-30 known encapsulated today, post-Lucky 7/8 finds).
    • Debate exists on whether these qualify as "true" T206s: Proponents cite the identical front, size (1-7/16" x 2-5/8"), and Burdick's American Card Catalog listing; opponents argue the unique back, tin distribution, gloss, and Factory 33 point to a separate promotional printing (possibly as stand-alone inserts or premiums rather than routine package stuffers).
Photo Reuse Across "Editors"/Publishers
​Your point about re-use of the original photo by several editors is accurate and central here. The red portrait image of Ty Cobb was not exclusive to the T206 set:
  • It originated from the same photographic source used for standard T206 red-portrait Cobbs (and appeared with 15+ regular backs like Piedmont or Sweet Caporal).
  • The same photo was repurposed for the Ty Cobb brand promo cards, likely because it was a popular, recognizable image of the era's biggest star (Cobb's .366 average, aggressive style, etc., made him ideal for marketing tobacco).
  • This reuse was common in the era's tobacco card world—publishers/companies (often under ATC's umbrella) shared plates/images across brands for cost efficiency. However, the Cobb back's alterations (gloss, green ink, unique ad) indicate it was a distinct printing run, possibly by a different facility or subcontractor tied to F.R. Penn, even if leveraging the same front artwork.
In essence, while the front is indistinguishable from a standard T206 red-portrait Cobb (confirming photo reuse), the glossy front, green-ink custom back, Factory 33 origin, and tin-based distribution strongly suggest a separate, limited promotional production—not the mainstream ATC printer setup for regular T206s. This hybrid status (T206-like but technically distinct) is why it's often debated as the set's "16th back" or a standalone rarity.
The "Lucky 7 Find" (also known as "The Lucky 7 Find") refers to one of the most significant and dramatic discoveries in modern sports card history: a cache of seven ultra-rare 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb cards with the exclusive "Ty Cobb — King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back variation.
Discovery Details
  • Date: February 2016 (exact early February).
  • Location: A rural/southeastern United States home (described in sources as a rundown or dilapidated old house in the deep South/southeastern region).
  • Circumstances: A non-collecting family was sorting through possessions of their deceased great-grandfather (or relatives' belongings). While clearing out the home, they found old postcards, tobacco tins, and a torn paper bag on the floor. Inside the bag were seven T206 Ty Cobb red portrait cards, all face down, featuring the rare promotional back advertising Ty Cobb's own short-lived tobacco brand.
  • Before the Find: Only about 10-15 examples of the T206 Ty Cobb with this special back were known to exist (making it rarer than the T206 Honus Wagner at the time, with estimates of ~15 or fewer authenticated).
  • Impact: The discovery instantly increased the known population by nearly 50%, adding seven fresh-to-market examples. All seven were submitted to PSA for grading, where they received the special pedigree label "The Lucky 7 Find" on their holders—a rare honor for a group discovery.
Grades and Composition
​The seven cards ranged in condition from low to relatively strong for this scarce variation (which often shows gloss-related micro-cracking, wear, and age toning due to their tin-inserted origins):
  • FR 1.5 (one card)
  • Good+ 2.5 (four cards)
  • VG+ 3.5 (one card)
  • VG-EX+ 4.5 (one card; this became the highest-graded example of the entire variety across all known copies at the time, and it remains among the condition leaders)
Two of the cards ranked as the #1 and #2 finest known overall for the Ty Cobb back.Subsequent Developments
  • In 2018, the family discovered an eighth card from the same source (sandwiched between two books during further cleaning), turning it into the "Lucky 7 Legacy" or "Elite 8." This additional card graded PSA 2 (on the lower end).
  • The original moniker stuck as "Lucky 7 Find," but the group is now recognized as contributing eight examples.
Sales and Market Impact
  • The seven original cards were sold privately shortly after grading in 2016, realizing a total of approximately $3 million (confidential individual prices, but a staggering sum for the group).
  • Many entered public auctions later:
    • One from the find (PSA 4.5, the finest): Sold for $876,000 in 2020 (a record for any T206 Ty Cobb back).
    • Others: e.g., PSA Good+ 2.5 sold for $240,000 (Heritage, 2017); various examples fetched $138,000–$432,000 in REA, Heritage, and other sales.
    • Even lower-grade ones from the pedigree command premiums due to the historic story.
  • The find boosted attention to the Ty Cobb back variation, increasing its stature and values despite growing the population (now ~23-30 encapsulated total across PSA/SGC as of recent years).
This "attic find" (or more accurately, paper-bag discovery) is hailed as one of the hobby's greatest modern unearthed treasures—comparable to the 2012 Black Swamp Find for impact—highlighting how fresh, family-held examples of pre-war rarities can still surface after over a century. It dramatically shifted perceptions of the card's scarcity and remains a benchmark for T206 collectors.
The Black Swamp Find (2012) and the Lucky 7 Find (2016, later expanded to include an eighth card) are two of the most celebrated "attic discoveries" in modern sports card history, both involving pre-war baseball cards from the early 20th century. They are frequently compared as landmark fresh-to-market hauls that shocked the hobby, dramatically increased known populations for their respective issues, and generated millions in value. However, they differ significantly in scale, set rarity, card condition, and overall impact.
​Discovery Details: Black Swamp Find (2012)
  • Date and Location: 2012, in the attic of a 19th-century home on Perry Street in Defiance, Ohio (in the Black Swamp region—hence the name). A family (led by Karl Kissner) was cleaning out their late aunt/grandmother's belongings when they found approximately 700 cards tied with twine and hidden beneath a dollhouse.
  • Set: 1910 E98 "Set of 30" (caramel cards issued by a candy company, featuring color portraits on thick stock with checklist backs).
  • Key Cards: Included high-grade examples of stars like Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Eddie Collins, Chief Bender, and others. The find produced many of the finest known E98 examples (e.g., PSA/SGC 9s and even a PSA 10 Wagner).
  • Condition: Remarkably pristine for 100+ year-old caramel cards—most were near-mint to gem-mint, with minimal wear due to protected storage. This was extraordinary for a set prone to chipping, staining, and centering issues.
  • Impact on Population: Before the find, PSA had graded only about 600 E98 cards total across the entire set. The discovery roughly doubled the graded population, flooding the market with high-grade copies and making previously ultra-rare gems more attainable (though still premium).
  • Market Value: The hoard was valued at around $3 million total at the time. Individual highlights included a PSA 10 Honus Wagner selling for nearly $240,000 (a record for the issue) and PSA 9 Ty Cobb for ~$40,000. Cards were auctioned through houses like Heritage, with many achieving strong prices due to their condition pedigree ("Black Swamp Find" label on slabs).
  • Legacy: Often called the "greatest attic find of vintage baseball cards ever" for its sheer volume of high-grade rarities from a tough caramel set. It was featured on shows like Fox Business's Strange Inheritance and remains a benchmark for pre-war discoveries.
Comparison to the Lucky 7 Find (2016)
  • Scale and Quantity — Black Swamp was massive (~700 cards from a common set structure but rare overall), while Lucky 7 was tiny (7 initial + 1 later = 8 cards total, all the same ultra-rare variation: T206 Ty Cobb red portrait with the "King of the Smoking Tobacco World" back).
  • Rarity of the Issue — E98 is scarce (1,200-1,500 total known pre-find, now doubled), but the T206 Cobb back is exponentially rarer (15 known pre-find, increased ~50% by Lucky 7 to ~23-30 today). Lucky 7 had greater per-card scarcity and "shock value" for boosting an already tiny population.
  • Condition — Black Swamp excelled here: near-mint/gem-mint hoard that produced condition census leaders (e.g., PSA 10s). Lucky 7 cards were lower-grade (mostly FR-GD to VG-EX, with one standout VG-EX+ 4.5 as the finest known for the variety), reflecting typical T206 wear but still fresh and eye-appealing.
  • Value and Sales — Both realized ~$3 million total (Lucky 7 group sold privately for ~$3M shortly after grading; Black Swamp dispersed over auctions for similar aggregate). However, Lucky 7's individual premiums were higher due to extreme rarity (e.g., one PSA 4.5 hit $876,000 in 2020, a record for any T206 Cobb back). Black Swamp cards sold for strong but more "reasonable" sums given the sudden supply increase.
  • Historical Significance — Black Swamp is often ranked as the bigger overall discovery for volume and condition impact on a caramel set. Lucky 7 is hailed for targeting one of the hobby's most exclusive variations (rarer than Wagner by population at the time) and its dramatic story (crumpled paper bag in a dilapidated home). PSA explicitly compared Lucky 7 to Black Swamp (and the 1986 1952 Topps find) as one of the era's top unearthed treasures.
  • Market Effect — Black Swamp temporarily softened E98 values for some cards due to increased supply of high grades. Lucky 7 boosted demand and prices for the Cobb back variation, as it highlighted its scarcity without oversupplying.
In summary, the Black Swamp Find stands out for its epic scale, pristine condition, and transformative effect on the E98 set's availability—making it arguably the "greatest" pre-war attic haul in terms of sheer volume and quality. The Lucky 7 Find wins for intensity and exclusivity, dramatically elevating one of the rarest T206 anomalies and creating instant million-dollar pieces. Both remain iconic, with Black Swamp often cited as the gold standard for quantity/condition and Lucky 7 for rarity/shock factor in the T206 world.

​1911 Autographed Photo of Joe Jackson
​2021 SOLD for $ 1.47M by Christie's and Hunt

At all times up to current day sport brings a hope of social ascension. The risk of falling remains indeed considerable even for the best athletes. The story of Joe Jackson is pathetic.

Joe is the son of a peasant from South Carolina. The family is poor. Joe appreciates that he is gifted for baseball and begins playing to win some money. He is so strong that he breaks the arm of a fellow by pitching a ball and his playmates will no longer dare to face him. He will become a hitter.

He was nicknamed Shoeless Joe before his debut in the Leagues when someone noticed that he was playing in his socks. He had taken off his shoes just on that day because of a painful blister. Added to the fact that he was illiterate, this idea of a ​​barefoot champion certainly contributed to his immense popularity. He was one of the best two hitters of his time, almost equal to Ty Cobb.

Joe was prohibited from baseball in 1920 with seven other players in the Black Sox scandal for a fix in Major League. He is the only one among the eight indicted whose guilt was later questioned but his case had served as an example of bad practice and from all his glory he was only left with the shame.

An album of 60 autographed baseball photos emerged as a time capsule at auction by Heritage in 2015. It had been prepared in 1911 by a photo dealer in Cleveland named Frank W. Smith.

Smith was indeed a fan of the local MLB club, the Cleveland Naps. He joined the Naps in March 1911 in Alexandria, Virginia, where they had some training. The album was featuring the players and managers of the Naps during that session and was completed later in that year by similar views of the New York Giants taken in Chicago. The format was mostly 8 x 10 inches in size for the Naps and 5 x 8 inches for the rest of it.

Three stars of the baseball were included. Nap Lajoie was the Cleveland team's namesake since 1903 and Joe Jackson had just been hired by them. Christy Mathewson was with the Giants. Their photos were offered as separate lots and the rest of it was sold for $ 13K. Christy fetched $ 93K and Nap $ 16.7K.

The athletic prodigy Shoeless Joe, aged 24, was the highlight of the collection. He was reputed to be an illiterate and indeed his writing is clumsy. I guess that he would not refuse an autograph to Smith while the rest of the team was doing it. It is the only known photo autographed by Joe Jackson in his 13 year MLB career. It has been authenticated by PSA/DNA. The location and date have been added by Smith below the signature of the illiterate.

This photo was sold for $ 180K by Heritage on February 21, 2015, lot 80051 and for $ 1.47M by Christie's and Hunt on October 7, 2021, lot 58. In the same 2021 sale, Christy's 5 " x 8 " photo from the Smith album was sold for $ 138K, lot 55.

1914-1933 Babe RUTH Cards
​See dedicated page :

1925 ESCO Lou Gehrig

1
​2021 SOLD for $ 1.03M by Memory Lane

ESCO (Exhibit Supply Company), established in 1901, provided images in amusement parks with slot machines for their viewing. The range was vast : personalities, fantasy, jokes. The risque photos were often stereoscopic. In the 1920s, the company adds movie stars as well as sports, starting with boxing and baseball.

The images were issued in black and white by halftone prints in postcard size, 3-3/8" x 5-3/8" (8.5 x 13.5 cm). They were often reused from year to year. The publisher is not identified and the back is blank, which is consistent with the fact that the sale to the public was not planned. The views are not numbered.

In 1925, Exhibit publish the portraits in action of 128 baseball players, most often in a vertical format. The player's name and position, along with his city and league, are grouped in a box at the bottom left.

This series includes a rookie card which is outstanding in the history of baseball images : Henry L. Gehrig, Infield, New York, A.L. (American League). Lou Gehrig, 22, holds up his bat for hitting. He already has that look of a quiet colossus which will please the public so much.

The Gehrig rookie card from the Newman collection is graded EX 5 by PSA, it is one of 4 in that grade with 3 higher. It was sold for $ 1.03M by Memory Lane on July 10, 2021, lot 4.

An autographed example graded by PSA VG-EX 4 (MK) with a signature graded 8 was listed for a two run private auction by BWIC n February 2023, lot 4. The MK refers to graphite notations on the reverse. Signed cards that are clean enough for being graded are of the utmost rarity for the 1925 Exhibits Gehrig rookie.
​
This image is of course not the earliest from Gehrig's career. A print of a press photo taken in 1923 featuring him with the Yankees uniform was sold for $ 22.7K by Heritage on August 14, 2015, lot 81004.

​2
​2021 SOLD for $ 800K by Goldin

A Lou Gehrig rookie card graded EX-MT 6 (MK) by PSA was sold for $ 102K by Heritage on February 26, 2017, lot 80029 and for $ 800K by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 16.

​The mark (MK) observed by PSA is on the back, almost completely erased, and does not affect the image. With such a qualifier, it is indeed less desirable than the card from the Newman collection, graded EX 5.

​A 1925 Exhibit card autographed by Lou Gehrig was sold for $ 690K by Christie's and Hunt on October 7, 2021, lot 198. It is certified as Authentic by PSA/DNA with a rating at 9 for the signature in black fountain pen. The blank back has been inscribed "Saw him play" by its first owner with the batting average score of the player in two World Series events.

​1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
2020 SOLD for $ 750K by Heritage

Joe DiMaggio is reaching a level of popularity unprecedented  in baseball. He is proud to have made his entire career with the prestigious New York Yankees, before and after his active commitment in the Second World War.

In 1941 he achieves his greatest sporting feat, unequaled to date : 56 successive games with at least one safe hitting, from May 15 to June 17. This record is accompanied by a song by Les Brown and His Band of Renown, recreating the passion of the stadium and of the girls : "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, We want you on our side".

Of course Joe is the star of the baseball cards of that time. In 1940 he is awarded the # 1 in the series of 240 Play Ball cards published by Gum Inc, with a photo on which he is ready to hit. He is the best hitter in MLB with an average of .381 in the previous season. The back considers him as the best fly-chaser, deserving his new nickname of Yankee Clipper and implicitly making him the successor of the Sultan of Swat.

In 1941 his Play Ball card is numbered 71 in a series limited to 72 which also includes his two brothers, Vince and Dom. The image is the same as in the previous year except that it has been colored. To explain this apparent decline in the list, we may assume that the Play Ball 1940-1 was not sold out when the prints 1941-1 to 1941-48 were prepared. The text on the back is updated.

About 800 1941-71 cards have been graded by PSA but only one is certified at the highest level of their scale, Gem Mint 10. It was sold for $ 750K by Heritage on February 22, 2020, lot 50014.