Many collectors organize their T206s alphabetically by the player’s last name. Others group them by teams. I tend to think about the set and organize my cards according to print group. When you look at the set in this way, some patterns emerge. Throughout the set, the portraits have varying degrees of background shading. The 150-350 series has the highest percentage of portraits with shading in the background, but there are still plenty that have a single color background. Most of the portraits in the 350 series utilize only a single, solid color, but there are some with a more nuanced, shaded background. Because each Print Group includes multiple examples of portrait cards with solid backgrounds, I will not focus on portrait for this article.
In the 150-350 series (Print Group 1), every color imaginable was used. The action shots all have some variety to the backgrounds, and are often quite stunning. There is a feeling of cohesiveness throughout. Print Group 1 clearly exhibits more attention to detail than than the 350 series (Print Group 2). Print Groups 1, 3, and 4 are quite similar in style and appearance. Many cards in Print Group 2 have a single, solid color as the background. Print Group 1 only has a single card like that (Donlin seated). The Conroy below comes close, but the artist took a little extra time to add texture so you know he is fielding a ball on the grass. The solid backgrounds of the 350 series always made me feel like they rushed the artistic process, and maybe they did. The solid backgrounds still make for some beautiful cards, but I prefer a little more detail.
My theory is the American Tobacco Company was surprised by the success of their baseball card promotion (they weren’t referred to as T206 back then). I think they decided to keep it going, and needed a large number of cards, quickly. The 350 series consists of 208 cards, more than any other series. It stands to reason that the artwork was put together in a short period of time. Whereas the 150-350 series has one card with a solid color background, there are dozens in the 350 series. These cards still look great, but it’s also clear that they took less time to create than a similar card with a more nuanced background. Although many cards in the 350 series have plain backgrounds, there are also some of the most beautiful cards in the set in this series. Donovan, Campbell, and Dinneen all come to mind as some of the most visually appealing cards in the set. It’s possible some cards didn’t make the 150-350 series cut but were ready to be included when ATC decided to expand the set. It’s also possible certain artists just used the same style and attention to detail in all their work, and others may have cut some corners to churn out the pieces needed for the 350 series.
The 350-460 series (Print Group 3), which consists of only 63 cards, was a return to the attention to detail of Print Group 1. There are four cards in the series that have a solid color background: Joe Doyle, Kleinow catching, Wagner bat on right shoulder, and White pitching. However, the first three have blue backgrounds which look like the sky. White, which has a yellow background, is the only card in the 350-460 series that resembles the solid backgrounds of the 350 series.
The 460 series (Print Group 4) was smaller still than Print Group 3, clocking in at just 46 cards. The artwork has a similar look and feel to Print Groups 1 and 3. Howell hand at waist is the only non-portrait with a solid color background.
