T202 baseball card

The T202 Baseball card, also known as the Hassan Triple Folder was manufactured and distributed in the year 1912. The card was inserted into packs of "Hassan Cork Tip Cigarettes".[1] Several characteristics make this vintage Baseball card a standout amongst other forms of tobacco advertising of the time and lend to its value as a highly sought-after collectible.

T202 card: H. Chase. H. Wolter - Scrambling Back to First.

First and foremost the cards are quite large in comparison to the T205 (1911) and T206 (1909 to 1911) cards from the same time period. The T202 was designed as a triptych or as it is referred to in the baseball card collecting hobby a triple folder. Each of the end panels displayed an individual player in color, while the center panel contained a black-and-white photo of "live action" baseball players.[2] To insert the card into packs of cigarettes the two end panels were folded over the center panel. When the card is fully extended it measures 5​1⁄4" wide by 2​1⁄4" high.[3]

The T202 set consisted of 132 total cards with numerous combinations of end panels and center panels. Prominent players of the time who appear on the most end and center panel combinations are Christy Mathewson, who appears on ten different cards all on end panels, and Ty Cobb, who appears on a combination of over six different cards including end and center panels.

According to several recent sales on Ebay, the common T202 that is rated a PSA 5 or better will cost at least $100. Cards that have at least one Hall of Fame player highlighted in any of the three pictures, that are rated a PSA 5 or better will cost at least $150. Some Hall of Famers command higher prices than others, but Ty Cobb generally commands the most money. A Cobb in PSA 5 condition will cost at least $1500 as of 2019. There is an unusual rarity in this set, however. The Lord Catches His Man card, previously considered a common card worth around $100, has dramatically increased in price, due to the speculation that the center picture of the card may be Shoeless Joe Jackson. The theory seems to be backed up by a photo taken in a newspaper from the same year the card came out. The photo and the card appear to match. If the center panel is, in fact, Shoeless Joe Jackson, it will most likely easily be the most valuable card in the set, as he does not appear in any other card.

References
  1. "Collector's Notebook". San Antonio Express-News. 1997-07-05. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  2. Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The guide to United States popular culture. Popular Press. p. 776. ISBN 0-87972-821-3. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  3. "TRIPLE-FOLD CARD DESIGN FOR NINETIES". The Record. 1993-11-13. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
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