Complete Guide To Tobacco Baseball Cards: T206, T205, Turkey Red & More
Tobacco Baseball Card Guide
Discover what Tobacco cards are, why they are important, which years are the most rare, and what players are the most valuable
What Are Tobacco Baseball Cards?
The term "Tobacco Card" primarily refers to cards distributed within packs of tobacco in the late 1800s to mid 1910s. Cards were included in packs to help stiffen the packaging and for promotional purposes. There were dozens of sets released during this time period, and many were printed on very fragile card stock. The majority of cards from the 1800s contain black and white prints, while many sets in the 1900s contain bright colors and beautiful lithography.
Why Are Tobacco Cards Important?
Tobacco cards are important to collectors for many reasons. First are foremost, tobacco cards were the first mainstream set of cards which were available across the United States. Prior to them being released, only a few regional or novelty baseball cards existed. When cigarette brands began including player cards in their packs (around 1886–1916), it suddenly made baseball players like Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner household names. Many tobacco sets featured beautiful artwork, with images being colorful, hand-drawn portraits with lots of detail. Some of the best looking sets ever released came out during this era.
Why Are Tobacco Cards Valuable?
Tobacco cards from the turn of the century contain some of the most valuable and desirable cards known to exist. Their popularity is due to 2 factors. The first factor is the rarity associated with them. Cards from this era are over 100 years old and were printed on thin paper stock. Cards were placed in packs for packaging and promotion, and most adults who purchased tobacco had no interest in the paper cards. As a result millions were likely thrown away or destroyed with time. The second factor is the specific players included in these sets. Some of the games greatest player of all time played during this "Dead Ball Era", including legends such as Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Cy Young. Many of these players have cards with just a handful known to exist, and examples in high grade are virtually impossible to find. The combination of these factors make some of these cards extremely valuable. The T206 Honus Wagner is one of the most valuable cards ever sold at auction, with an SGC 2 examples selling for $7.25 million in 2022.
1909-11 White Border T206
T206 tobacco cards are a legendary baseball card set issued from 1909 to 1911 by the American Tobacco Company. Inserted into cigarette packs, they feature 524 different players across 16 tobacco brands, including Hall of Famers like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson. The set is best known for the T206 Honus Wagner card, considered the most famous and valuable baseball card in history due to its rarity and Wagner’s objection to being included. Printed using colorful lithographic artwork, T206 cards are prized for their beauty, historical significance, and connection to the early days of baseball. Today, they are regarded as the cornerstone of vintage card collecting.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Eddie Plank,
1909 T204 Ramly
In 1909, Ramly and T.T.T. Turkish tobacco cigarettes released 121 of the most ornate cards ever produced. The front of the cards present the player in a black and white portrait. The image is framed by a gold embossed frame. The players last name, position, and team appear below the image. Backs of the cards contain an advertisement for either Ramly or T.T.T., though the Ramly brand is far more common. The set is not numbered so the checklist is listed alphabetically. Cards from the set are extremely rare and valuable, with Walter Johnson being the most desired.
Key Players: Walter Johnson, Eddie Plank, Eddie Collins, Frank Chance, Johnny Evers
1910 T3 Turkey Red Premuim
Turkey Red Cabinets are true works of art. The jumbo sized cabinets feature striking full color illustrations. Each piece truly looks like it was hand painted. These cabinets were obtained by sending in coupons from Turkey Red, Fez, and Old Mill brand cigarettes, making the issue a "premium". Collectors were required to send in 10 coupons of Turkey Red or 25 coupons for the other 2 brands. The player vibrant image on the front is framed by a grayish border. A gold banner below the image lists the players last name and city they played for. The backs have one of 3 different designs: checklist with no ordering information, checklist with ordering information, or a Turkey Red advertisement. Series 1 (card # 1-50) contain all baseball players, whereas series 2 (51-126) contained 50 cards of baseball players and 26 cards of boxers. The set is loaded with Hall of Famers, headlined by Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, and Nap Lajoie. Due to the size of the card, many children pinned the cabinets up to display them. For this reason it is not uncommon to find small pin holes in many of the surviving copies of Turkey Reds.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajoie
1910-19 T213 Coupons
At first glance these cards appear to be carbon copies of the T206 set. The first difference is the advertisement on the back; in this case, a Coupon Brand Tobacco ad is present. T213 Coupons were released in 3 different series (1st series 1910, 2nd series 1914-1916, 3rd series 1919), and each series exhibits slight differences. Series 1 looks identical to T206s, with the only main difference being the Coupon ad on the back. For series 2 & 3, the players name on the front contains blue ink. The ad of series 2 cards state "Made in New Orleans", while series 3 states We have in this Baseball Series pictures of 70 leading players". This set is generally rarer than T206s and carry a premium.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Frank Cahnce
1911 T205 Gold Border
The T205 set stands out in part for its gold flaked borders placed around the card. There are 208 different cards in a complete set. Card design is based on the league the player was in. For National League teams, a lithograph featuring the player from the shoulders up appears on a plain background with a facsimile signature. For American League team, the lithograph appeared with a baseball diamond. Bats, mitts, and baseballs were added below the image, along with a banner containing the players last name and team. Backs contained one of 11 possible advertising brands. The set is known for containing many errors and variations. One of the most valuable variation cards, Hoblitzel (no stats), appears in this set. The T205 set is also heavy on Hall of Famers, with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Cy Young all being featured. The gold borders are highly susceptible to cracking and wear. High grade examples are tough to come by for this reason.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Hoblitzel (no stats)
1911 T201 Mecca Double Folders
The T201 Mecca Double Folders have a very unique and distinct design. Each card features 2 different players. The front of the card features a full length player. The back contains the top half of another player, which can be flipped over to match up with the bottom half of the front player. Because cards were meant to be folded, it is tough to find them in high grade. The set features some unique player combinations, such as Cobb/Crawford and Evers/Chance
Key Players: Cobb/Crawford, Mathewson/Bridwell, Johnson/Steet, Evers/Chance, Collins/Baker
1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders
1912 Hassan Triple folders are also quite unique in terms of their design. They feature a black and white action pose in the middle of two full color baseball cards. The outside cards closely resemble T205 cards. Each of the smaller baseball cards contain either the players name written in cursive (National League) or a baseball bat and ball with the player name/team in a banner (American League). The backs of the cards have a biography about the player, while the middle panel describes the scene occurring on the front. The small cards can be folded in to form a booklet. Many surviving triple folders will have creases between the small card and middle panel since kids folded them. High grade examples are tough to come by. There are 76 different middles panels. Panels can have different combinations of players around them, leading to a total of 132 different cards. The set includes many Hall of Famers, including Ty Cobb, Cy Young, and Christy Mathewson. One of the more interesting middle panels feature Ty Cobb stealing third. The image itself is classic photo, with Ty sliding spikes up in a cloud of dust.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, Tris Speaker
1912 T227 Series of Champions
The 1912 T227 multi-sport set features 25 different cards, 4 of which are baseball players. Fronts of each card contain a brightly colored lithograph and a thin white border. Backs contain advertisements for Honest Long Cut or Miners Extra brand tobacco. The set features a baseball lineup of Ty Cobb, Chief Bender, Home Run Baker, and Rube Marquard.
Key Players: Ty Cobb, Chief Bender, Home Run Baker, Rube Marquard
1913 T200 Fatima Team Cards
Smokers in 1913 could obtain T200 team cards in tins of Fatima cigarettes. These team cards were different from other cards, as they were actually glossy photographs printed on thin stock. Brown borders surround the team photograph. Below the team photo is the Fatima logo and and team name. The backs of the cards have a large advertisement for Fatima. The set consists of 8 teams from the National League and 8 teams from the American League. These cards are an affordable way for collectors to obtain playing day cards of some of the legends of the time. Included with their teams are Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. Jim Thorpe is also included on the New York team.
Key Players: Detroit Team (Ty Cobb), Pittsburgh Team (Honus Wagner), Cleveland Team (Joe Jackson), New York Team (Jim Thorpe, Christy Mathewson), Washington Team (Walter Johnson)
