Baseball cards first started appearing in the late 1800s as promotional inserts included with products like tobacco. The tobacco era is regarded as the true beginning of organized baseball card collection and trading among fans. In the early 1900s, the hobby started gaining more widespread popularity coinciding with baseball itself rising to become America’s pastime.

The 1906 T206 set is widely considered the high water mark of tobacco era issues and one of the most iconic in the entire history of baseball cards. Produced by the American Tobacco Company, these colorful and graphically artistic cards featured photos of players from both the American and National Leagues. Given their great scarcity and condition rarity over 100 years later, valuations for T206 cards in top grades now routinely climb into the six figure range and beyond for the most desired stars of that time like Honus Wagner.

For collectors building sets or acquiring singles in the early 1910s, tobacco packages were still the primary means of obtaining new T206 cards. The secondary market of trading with other collectors was starting to emerge as an important aspect too. Regional sports card and collectibles stores began opening their doors catering to this growing niche interest. Publications like Jefferson Burdick’s American Card Catalog also helped spread pricing guidelines within the then infantile hobby.

While very low population gem mint examples could be acquired for just a few dollars, common cards even in poor condition generally fell in the 25 cent to $1 range according to guides from that period. Star players in decent shape might reach $5. According to a 1913 issue of Burdick’s guide, a tobacco store in St. Louis was advertisement Edgeworth tobacco plug for 10 cents each along with choice T206 cards thrown in free as an added bonus. This gives collectors some perspective on retail pricing at the time compared to today.

For the highest graded specimens approaching true gem mint that survive over a century later, all guidance goes out the window. At a January 2013 Heritage Auctions sale, a PSA NM-MT 8 T206 Honus Wagner went for $2.8 million shattering all prior records. To properly understand the rarity of high grade T206 specimens, some key context is required. Through the early 1900s, these cards faced immense obstacles simply to survive even a few years in good condition.

Back when these cards were first issued and collected, proper long-term storage and preservation methods did not exist. Most found their way directly into the hands of young children or were left to the elements like extreme heat, humidity, and dirt. Chewing and smoking were also daily activities closely tied with baseball. Decks of cards were often left outside of flimsy paper protective sleeves. So the odds of any one T206 surviving pristine for over a century were astronomically low from the start.

For the average early 1900s collector, a solid very fine or fine example of a common player was still a prized possession. While $1 may have seemed like a hefty sum 100 years ago, it’s important to remember the much lower wages, purchasing power, and standard of living compared to today. A 1906 tobacco guide lists all but the most scarce T206 commons between 10 and 50 cents each. More coveted stars potentially reached the $1-2 range depending on condition for the time.

So in summary, 1906-1910s price guides provide collectors with useful historical context on rookie cards values when the sets were fresh. While an exceedingly rare gem T206 Wagner would be worth a small fortune today, the guidelines show fans enjoyed and traded these early cards at affordable levels relative to the early 20th century economy. Condition was still king even back then determining a card’s worth within the formats established by early hobby leaders like Burdick who helped foster baseball’s oldest and most revered collectibles market.