The year 1907, often abbreviated as ’07, was a pivotal time for the emerging sport of professional baseball in America. It was the year after the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, but the national pastime provided a welcome distraction and sense of normalcy for many. Behind the scenes, the business of baseball was rapidly evolving as well. The year 1907 saw the introduction of what is considered the first modern baseball card set – the famous T206 White Border set produced by the American Tobacco Company.
Containing over 500 unique cardboard cards, the T206 set captured photos and stats of players from all 16 major and minor league teams at the time. Each card measured approximately 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and featured a color portrait photo of the player on the front against a white border, with player stats and team information printed on the back. Cigarettes or tobacco products from brands like Sweet Caporal, Piedmont, Old Mill, and Mecca were randomly inserted into packs along with the baseball cards as incentives to buy the tobacco products, which was a common marketing practice at the time.
The T206 set is considered the most valuable and collectible set of baseball cards ever produced due to its historical significance, rarity, and the iconic photos of early 20th century baseball legends it contains. Another 1907 set produced by the Continental Tobacco Company is often overlooked but still highly coveted by vintage baseball card collectors – the Continental 707 set. While not as large in scope as the T206 set, the Continental 707 cards capture a fascinating snapshot of the game during that same 1907 season and contain their own share of rare and valuable cards today.
Like the T206s, the Continental 707 cards were included as incentives in packs of various tobacco products from brands manufactured by the Continental Tobacco Company. The cards measured approximately 2.25 inches by 3 inches each and featured color portrait photos of players on the front against a blue border. Stats and team information were printed on the back. A total of 104 unique cards were produced in the 707 set, featuring players from all the major leagues of that time – the National League, American League, Pacific Coast League, American Association, and Eastern League.
Some of the biggest stars of 1907 featured in the 707 set included future Hall of Famers like Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, Cy Young, and Walter Johnson. The set is also notable for featuring many players who are now relatively obscure but were stars of their respective minor or independent leagues at the time. Examples include PCL stars like Lefty O’Doul and Lefty Sullivan, or Eastern League standouts like Charlie Starr and Jack Ryan. For vintage card collectors, these lesser known ’07 players make for some of the most interesting chase cards in the set today.
While not quite as large in scope as the mammoth T206 set, the Continental 707 set still captured over 100 unique early 20th century baseball players and provides a fascinating snapshot of the game at both the major and minor league levels during that season. Production numbers for the 707 set were much lower than the mass produced T206s. As a result, surviving examples of high quality, well-centered 707 cards in collectors’ hands today are exceedingly rare.
Graded examples of common 707 players like Nap Lajoie or Eddie Plank in high grades of PSA 8 or above can fetch thousands of dollars. But the true blue chip gems of the set are the unique single or double known population cards that have survived in pristine condition. Examples include stars like Wagner, Johnson, or Lajoie, or obscure players like Jack Ryan, whose PSA 8 is one of just two known to exist. In top grades, rare 707 singles can rival or surpass even the price of a comparable graded T206 card.
While overshadowed in history by the larger and more famous T206 set, the Continental 707 set deserves recognition as an important early 20th century baseball card issue in its own right. Like the T206s, the 707s provide a portal into the past, capturing the likenesses and statistics of ballplayers from over a century ago during a seminal season in baseball’s development. With such a small surviving population, high grade 707 cards remain a truly elite rarity for dedicated vintage baseball card collectors. Though small in size compared to giants like the T206s, the Continental 707 set rightfully earns its place in the exclusive pantheon of early 20th century tobacco era baseball card sets.
