The hits just keep coming from Just Collect, Inc. located in Somerset, NJ, where only a few short days after breaking up our purchase of a T206 near set, we have pushed Pre-War card collectors further into a bidding frenzy with the news of our most recent early 1900’s baseball card purchase. And how exactly do they follow up an absolute show stopper like "The Monster" T206 Set, you ask? Easy, just like the The American Tobacco Company did just over a century ago . . . follow up the T206 Set with a complete 1912 T207 tobacco card set! Known for their distinctive and name inspiring chocolate brown backgrounds, the T207 Brown Background 200-card set has been gaining momentum in recent years thanks to its pedigree. However, unlike the "flash" that the boldly colored T206 Set exhibits, these cards pull you in with portraits and backgrounds that are far more subdued, with a smoky, sepia-like characteristic to them that plays perfectly off the products they were packaged to promote. Their backs featured the advertisements of four different American Tobacco Company tobacco brands along with an additional pair of anonymous backs identified only by the location of the printing district on reverse. Several of these advertising backs can be found in this T207 set including Recruit Cigarettes, Napoleon Cigarettes, the elusive Broadleaf and Cycle and the anonymous Louisiana and Virginia district examples. And, while its good looks alone would be enough for most, the T207 Set also boasts a bit of history being the final baseball issue ever produced by The American Tobacco Company before their monopoly on the tobacco business was broken by the U.S. government. Enough about the history, let's talk about this particular collection of cards. It’s a complete set and near “master” set of T207 tobacco cards. That means it contains all 200 cards in the checklist PLUS 4 of the 5 possible card variations – missing only the uber-rare Irving Lewis "No Emblem on Sleeve," variation. The absence of this card can be overlooked considering every other tough to get T207 is included like Irving Lewis “Emblem on Sleeve,”Louis Lowdermilk and Ward Miller! There are Hall of Famers like Chief Bender, Frank Chance, Walter Johnson, Rube Marquard, and John McGraw. For those that make high-grade high priority; Dell Gainor (SGC 55), William Gardner (PSA 5), Jack Lively (SGC 55), Paddy Livingston with "A" on shirt (SGC 50), George Paskert (SGC 60), JB Ryan (SGC 55), and Arthur Wilson (SGC 55). And if that hasn't piqued your interest, yet then there can be only one reason, you must be a glutton for punishment and get excited about hunting down the tough cards and variations. Get your bidding finger ready for the coming weeks then as www.justcollect.com will bring you the chance to own seldom seen faces such as Mike Donlin, Bill McKechnie, Barney Pelty, Victor Saier, George Tyler, "Smokey" Joe Wood, Ward Miller, 1919 Black Sox teammates Buck Weaver and Eddie Cicotte and of course, the man with one of baseball's all-time names, Louis Lowdermilk. Bidding on the first group of ninety cards ended this past Sunday, June 16th. The next group of nearly 100 cards will end this Sunday, June 23rd. Good luck to all who bid!
