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TOPPS TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS

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Topps Turkey Red baseball cards were issued by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. in 1959 and 1960. The set is notable for featuring highly colorful and stylized designs at a time when most baseball cards utilized simpler graphics and photographs. Though initially a commercial failure, Turkey Red cards have grown significantly in nostalgia and collectibility in modern times.

The name “Turkey Red” derives from the vibrant red color used prominently on the fronts of the cards. This bold hue made the cards instantly stand out from drabber designs of the 1950s. Though the name implies the entire card was red, each issue actually contained a mix of red, blue, purple, green and yellow tints used expressively in cartoony illustrations and borders. The back of each card featured information about the player in basic black text on an off-white background.

Designs varied from simple silhouettes to elaborate action scenes incorporating the player along with replicas of baseball cards, bats, balls and more. Part of the fun for collectors was trying to identify the player among the artistic flourishes. Illustrators like Woody Gelman and Fred Randall were brought on to create eye-catching cardboard portraits never before seen in the traditionally realistic baseball card market. Some cards even poked fun at players through exaggerated caricatures.

Topps issued Turkey Red cards as the replacement for their regular-sized baseball offerings in 1959 and 1960. The stylized art departed too sharply from what kids expected from sports cards at the time. While admired today for their ingenuity and visual splash, the Turkey Reds failed to connect with most collectors when new. Only in retrospect have their experimental designs been recognized as ahead of their time. Few original Turkey Reds survived in high grades due to the thin cardboard stock and vibrant inks being more prone to scuffs, creases and fading over the decades.

Each Turkey Red set featured over 400 major and minor league players. The 1959 checklist included Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente and more. Notable rookie cards included N.L. Rookie of the Year Willie McCovey and Sandy Koufax’s first card showing him with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1960 set spotlighted many of the same stars while also presenting newcomers like Dick Groat and Don Drysdale early in their careers. Special promotional items like manager cards and checklists were also produced in small numbers.

While overlooked in the 1950s and 1960s, interest in Turkey Red baseball cards grew strongly starting in the 1970s as the first wave of collectors from the post-war baby boom era sought out nostalgic relics from their childhood. The artistic designs appealed to a new generation raised on pop art. Grading and preservation also expanded, revealing many nicely preserved examples within sets that had seemed largely ruined. In the following decades, Turkey Reds transitioned from bulk lots and discount bins to highly valuable individual cards. Especially popular subjects like the aforementioned rookies of McCovey, Koufax and others skyrocketed in value.

Today, Turkey Red cards are among the most visually striking and uniquely designed in the entire baseball card realm. They also carry great nostalgia for anyone collecting during the late 1950s and early 1960s. In high grades, common players can sell for hundreds while the best rookies and stars regularly break the $10,000 mark or more. Even poorly-graded examples hold value due to their intriguing historic place in the hobby. Original Turkey Red cards remain a fascination of set builders, pop art appreciators, and anyone who enjoys the bold creativity they brought to staid old baseball cards. Though different than what collectors expected at the time of issue, Topps’ Turkey Red sets deserve recognition as iconic cardboard art trying something new during a pivotal transition period in the industry.

TOPPS TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS 2006

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The Topps Turkey Red brand is one of the most iconic and nostalgic in the world of baseball cards. Originally issued from 1956 to 1958, the classic design featured colorful illustrated players on a red foil “turkey” background. Despite being out of print for decades, the Turkey Red brand remained deeply beloved by collectors.

In 2006, Topps revived Turkey Red as a premium insert set in their base flagship release. The new Turkey Red cards paid homage to the original design while incorporating modern production techniques. Inserted randomly in wax packs and boxes at approximately one per case, the 2006 Turkey Red parallels became highly sought after by collectors both old and new.

The 2006 Turkey Red set totaled 80 cards and featured current Major League Baseball players and prospects. Rather than depict each player individually, Topps designed the cards to mimic the style of the 1950s originals through the use of dynamic illustrated action shots. Rendered in a vivid watercolor paint style, each card captured the excitement and energy of America’s pastime.

Iconic artists such as Christopher Cirelli, Jeffrey Zwirek, Mark Wagner, David Schaefer, and Luis Alpharo lent their talents to the illustrations. Their artwork transported collectors back to baseball’s earlier eras while also celebrating the present-day game. Each card featured a unique illustration as well as the player’s name, team, position, and statistics from the 2005 season on the front.

The distinctive red foil background perfectly complemented the vibrant watercolor paintings. Topps employed a newly developed cold foil process that gave the cards a superb glossy, textured feel unlike any other modern issue. Critics praised Topps for successfully merging nostalgia with cutting-edge printing techniques. The end result was apremium product that maintained the retro aesthetic of the classic Turkey Reds in high quality.

When the 2006 Turkey Reds were initially released alongside the base set, excitement was high among collectors. Given the immense popularity of the original 1950s designs, these modern parallels satisfied long-time fans while also garnering interest from new collectors. The one-per-case ratio made finding the short prints an exciting chase. Within the first year of release, PSA/BGS Population Reports confirmed most Turkey Reds were heavily slabbed and preserved.

Key cards in the 2006 Turkey Red set include then-rookie sensations like Justin Verlander, Jonathan Papelbon, and Adam Wainwright. Future Hall of Famers featured were Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki, and Mariano Rivera. Other notables are illustrations of MLB stars such as Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, David Ortiz, and Dontrelle Willis who were in their primes. To this day, high-grade Turkey Reds of these players remain in high demand.

While not inserted as often as the base parallels, the 2006 Turkey Reds were coveted enough that some unopened wax boxes began to disappear from retail shelves much faster than normal. Once supplies dried up after a few months, secondary market prices exploded. Near-mint PSA 10 examples of star rookies can now fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars – remarkable appreciation for a modern insert parallel from just over 15 years ago.

The success and collectability of the 2006 Turkey Reds proved that passion for the classic design remained strong. Today these short print cards from 2006 are highly prized and actively collected/traded, recognized as an icon of the modern era. When Topps again revived Turkey Red in 2013, collectors were ready for another chance at the premium retro parallel. Though production techniques have evolved, the enduring popularity shows how Topps’ Turkey Red brand has truly stood the test of time. Its ability to bridge past and present continues inspiring new generations of baseball card fans and collectors alike.

2007 TOPPS TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS

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The 2007 Topps Turkey Red baseball card set was a retro themed release that paid homage to the original Red Back tobacco era cards of the early 1900s. The set was released on November 15, 2006 and contained 330 total cards with photographs of major and minor league players from that season. Some key things to know about the 2007 Turkey Red set include:

Design and Production: Topps wanted to capture the vintage look and feel of the earliest baseball cards from over 100 years ago. As such, the 2007 Turkey Red cards featured a thick cardboard stock that was cream colored on the front and red on the back. Photographs were small yet crisp in quality. Player names were printed in all capital letters at the bottom in a thin san serif font similar to that seen on tobacco era cards. The borders were lined in a fine red stripe that wrapped around the entire front of the card. Production was limited to 250,000 series 1 packs containing 11 cards each for a total printed run of 2,750,000 cards.

Rookies and Standouts: Notable rookies included Evan Longoria, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Papelbon and Ryan Braun. Star players featured included Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Ichiro Suzuki. Additional stars of the day like Miguel Cabrera, Kerry Wood and Roy Oswalt also had dedicated cards in the set. Parallels and serially numbered short prints existed but were conservatively produced compared to modern sets.

Retro Design Inspiration: Topps used historical research to faithfully recreate the look and feel of early 20th century tobacco era cards like those from the classic T206 set. Details like team fonts, uniform colors, photographic styles and facial expressions aimed to transport collectors back to the earliest days of the cardboard craze. Gum stains and fading were even artificially added to some inserts to further sell the vintage aesthetic.

Insert Sets: Short printed insert sets within Turkey Red included the 14 card ‘Turkey Red Ink’ parallel featuring red Autographs and memorabilia. An 8 card ‘Turkey Red Rare’ mini set highlighted stars of the past and present on cards with serial numbers below 25. Top stars from the 1930s-1960s like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial were spotlighted on these inserts.

Fantasy/Variation Cards: Topps included a fun 14 card Thanksgiving themed fantasy/variation insert called ‘Gobble, Gobble’ replacing the players photo with a cartoon turkey. Numbers were limited to just 999 copies each. A tough ‘Blank Back Turkey Red’ parallel also existed with unprinted reverse sides and serial numbering. Turkey Red parallels included Gold, Silver, Charcoal and Sketchbook variations spread across the base set.

Card Checklist and Numbering: The standard 330 card Turkey Red set checklist included base players, managers, umpires and variations. All cards were serially numbered out of the total printed run with examples numbers like 276/330. Short prints and inserts had far lower published print run figures in the single or double digit range. The set was broken into series of 11 card wax packs for distribution through hobby shops and retail.

Aftermarket Legacy: Initial release of Turkey Red was very limited but strong collector demand persisted. On the secondary market, completeTurkey Red sets now sell for $500-800 depending on grade while star rookies and short prints can reach $50-100 each for top condition copies. The original print run created scarcity that maintains interest and gives the 2007 issue lasting collectible value amongst vintage baseball card aficionados seeking a true tobacco-era experience in the modern era. Overall, Turkey Red succeeded in its goal of honoring cardboard classics from over a century ago through creative design, production quality and immersive vintage aesthetic. The set remains a classic among collectors today.

The 2007 Topps Turkey Red baseball card set was a standout vintage-style tribute issue that successfully captured the look and feel of early 20th century tobacco era cards through meticulous retro design and packaging. Limited print runs have maintained strong demand and appreciation for the set on the secondary market in the years since. Topps showed respect for baseball card history with Turkey Red while also introducing the nostalgic aesthetic to a new generation of collectors. The end result was one of the premier themed releases of the late 2000s and a true celebration of the collectibles’ roots. Turkey Red deserves recognition among the hobby’s most memorable modern retro-inspired offerings.

TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS

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The term “turkey red” when referring to baseball cards brings to mind some of the earliest examples of this collectible medium. Cards produced from 1909 to 1911 under the American Tobacco Company’s trademark Turkey Red brand headed the nascent baseball card market and helped fuel a growing nationwide interest in the sport. But what exactly were these iconic cards, and how did they come to take on such mythic status among collectors and historians?

The precursor to modern baseball cards can be traced back to cigarette packages of the late 1880s, which occasionally contained small promotional lithographic images of famous ballplayers as incentives to purchase the product. In the early 1900s, several tobacco companies significantly expanded these initiatives by inserting full-sized card stock images into their products on a regular basis. The most ambitious and prolific of these early publishers was American Tobacco.

Starting in 1909, American Tobacco collaborated with multiple lithographic printing plants to mass produce sheets of cards depicting major leaguers from that season. Each image measured approximately 21⁄4 inches wide by 31⁄4 inches high and was printed using a rusty red pigment known as “turkey red,” giving the entire set its distinctive color and name. Dozens of players from all American and National League teams were featured in the run, along with some from lesser known circuits of the time such as the Eastern League.

While these cardboard commodities primarily served an advertising purpose by encouraging customers to choose American Tobacco products over competitors, they quickly gained popularity beyond purely generating sales. Enthusiasts began collecting and trading the baseball memorabilia outside of tobacco purchases and soon recognized certain rarer specimens could hold greater value than others. Prominent players like Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie and Ty Cobb from the sport’s earliest dynasties were particularly coveted.

This surge of grassroots interest prompted American Tobacco to boost production volume of their inaugural 1909 Turkey Red issue to unprecedented numbers estimated between 10-20 million cards. They also rolled out follow-up series with new player images in 1910 and 1911 under the same branding. Detailed record keeping around production totals was sparse in tobacco’s early years, but experts generally agree the three-year Turkey Red run represented the largest print quantity of any set from that period.

Of course, the immense scale of printing from American Tobacco came with certain inevitable quality control drawbacks compared to today’s precise printing standards. Surviving specimens exhibit variations in color tone across sheets based on the specific lithographic press used. Card surfaces also show a wide range of surface textures and imperfections attributable to the crude production technology of the pioneering tobacco era. Some cards emerged with indentations, bumps, creases or stains that diminished their condition grades over time.

Environmental factors like exposure to smoke, moisture and pollutants as the pieces changed hands also took a toll on Turkey Red longevity versus modern encapsulated cards. Nonetheless, examples that avoided severe damage and retained most of their vivid red pigment over a century later command top prices on the rare secondary market where they surface for dedicated collectors. The set’s massive initial print run means common players with no notable flaws can still be acquired affordably relative to other equally old issues.

Variations within the known Turkey Red catalogs further add to the intrigue around set construction in those formative early years. The precise player selection process remained somewhat fluid as printing progressed. Some cards from later years feature updated team affiliations to account for trades and transactions that shuffled rosters. A small number of statistical errors and outlier images not matching standard format dimensions also popped up now and then due to rushed production timetables.

While America’s first nationwide baseball card phenomenon, the Turkey Red set didn’t represent the beginning of the long commercial relationship between tobacco products and sportscard publishing. Precursors in the 1880s demonstrated baseball’s growing potential as a marketing vehicle that could move product off shelves. Yet the Turkey Red cards undoubtedly took promotional baseball cards to a new level of mass production, availability and collecting popularity. Their wide distribution helped foster card collecting as a beloved hobby for generations to come and created enduring mystique around specimens surviving a century later. The Turkey Red brand solidified cards as an integral part of baseball’s expanding nationwide fanbase during the sport’s formative early decade.

In summing up, the landmark American Tobacco Turkey Red issues from 1909-1911 broke new ground by inserting baseball cards into their cigarette packages on an industrial scale, pioneering techniques that remain fundamental to the sportscard industry today. Imperfections and variations lend authentic antique charm to surviving specimens, while their famous bright rusty red pigment enduring over a century enhances the nostalgic appeal. Prices reflect the Turkey Red cards’ significance in ushering in baseball’s Golden Age and the birth of modern sports memorabilia collecting. For historians and aficionados, poring over the minutiae of players, production records and set evolution comprises an engrossing study of the game’s commercial roots. The Turkey Red brand sealed cards’ role as a powerful promotional tool and beloved collectible transcending their ephemeral origins enclosed with tobacco products over a century past.

MR TURKEY BASEBALL CARDS

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Introduction

Mr. Turkey was a brand of baseball cards produced from 1969 to 1971 by Ballard & Lash, a confectionery company based in Tacoma, Washington. Packaged with candy and distributed mainly on the West Coast of the United States, Mr. Turkey cards provided an alternative to the traditional Topps and Fleer baseball card sets of the time in an era when the hobby was really taking off nationwide. Though modestly produced and distributed compared to the larger brands, Mr. Turkey cards have developed a cult following among vintage baseball card collectors due to their unique design aesthetic and regional rarity.

History and Production

Ballard & Lash was founded in 1928 and originally specialized in the production of penny candies. Seeking to expand their product offerings in the late 1960s, company executives decided to venture into the baseball card market as a promotion tied to their candy products. From 1969-1971 they produced three series of Mr. Turkey cards totaling 420 unique baseball cards over the three years.

The cards featured players from both the American and National Leagues and measured 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches, somewhat smaller than the standard card sizes of Topps and Fleer at the time. They were printed on thinner stock than the heavier glossy cardboard used by the majors brands. Each pack of Mr. Turkey cards came shrink wrapped with a small box of Ballard & Lash candy like chocolate peanuts or butterscotch disks. Distribution was focused mainly in Washington, Oregon, Northern California, Idaho and western Montana.

Card Design and Player Selection

Mr. Turkey cards had a distinctive regional Pacific Northwest design aesthetic. Illustrations featured mountains, evergreen trees and beaches alongside player portraits. Biographical information emphasized hometowns and included blurbs about players’ hobbies and non-baseball careers. Standout rookies and rising stars were well represented alongside established veterans.

Key design elements included a turkey logo watermark, orange and green color palette, and a vintage “Old Tyme Baseball” theme. The backs of the cards contained no stats, just illustrations and more personal details on players. This approachable storytelling style is part of what gives the Mr. Turkey sets their charm and separated them from the stats-heavy Topps and Fleer models.

Rarity and Collectability

With their limited three-year run and regional distribution confined mainly to the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Turkey cards have achieved rarity status compared to the larger national brands. In near-mint condition, common player cards can fetch $10-25 while stars can range from $50-200 depending on year and condition. Their collectability has grown since the 1970s as more vintage enthusiasts seek to complete regional and obscure sets.

The 1969 and 1970 series are the most widely available while the very last 1971 issue is particularly scarce. Low print runs mean finding high-grade examples of popular hometown stars is challenging. Supposedly only a few thousand Mr. Turkey packs were produced annually during their brief run. Surviving unopened packs have sold at auction for over $1,000 when they surface.

Legacy and End of Production

Despite their novelty and following among West Coast collectors, Mr. Turkey cards did not achieve the national distribution needed to compete directly with established brands. Ballard & Lash decided to end production after the 1971 series, perhaps due to lagging sales away from their regional markets. The annual runs were simply too small to break into the national youth demographic driving baseball card collecting at the time.

Though short-lived, Mr. Turkey cards remain a treasured connection to the regional pastimes and personalities that once defined minor league and amateur baseball. Their intimate storytelling approach through bright regional illustrations and biographical side notes set them apart from plain baseball card stats. Nearly 50 years later, their charm continues to attract collectors seeking relatively affordable vintage cardboard from a more localized era before national mass media took over American popular culture.

In Summary

Lasting only from 1969 to 1971, Mr. Turkey baseball cards from Ballard & Lash have developed a devoted if modest following among vintage collectors. Their regional designs and limited production runs on the West Coast make completed high-grade sets quite rare compared to larger national brands from the same period. Though unable to achieve nationwide success during their brief run decades ago, Mr. Turkey cards still evoke nostalgia for localized baseball traditions and the human side of the national pastime.

1911 TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS

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The 1911 Turkey Red baseball card set is one of the most iconic and valuable sets in the entire history of sports cards. Issued by the American Tobacco Company, the set featured players from both the National and American Leagues on cards measuring 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches that had a distinct red border. A true piece of baseball history, the 1911 Turkey Red set introduced the mass production model for modern baseball cards that is still used today over a century later.

Like most early baseball cards, the 1911 Turkey Reds were included as inserts in packs of cigarettes produced by American Tobacco with the goal of helping advertise and promote their tobacco products. The cards were named Turkey Reds due to their distinct reddish border which was printed using ferrotype ink derived from iron pigments. While smaller in size compared to modern cards, the 1911 Turkey Reds featured vibrant color portraits of players on the front along with factual information like their team, position, and batting average on the reverse.

Some of the biggest stars of the era like Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson were all included on cards in the complete 100 card 1911 Turkey Red set. The high quality portraits and historical significance of the set make individual 1911 Turkey Reds some of the most valuable and sought after trading cards in the world today with high grade examples of stars frequently selling for well over $100,000 each at auction.

When they were originally released, the 1911 Turkey Red cards were never intended by American Tobacco to be collected or traded by children. Instead, they saw the cards as a strategic marketing tool to promote their brands like Sweet Caporal and Piedmont cigarettes. While kids did end up swapping and collecting the cards, the print run of the 1911 Turkey Reds was massive for the era with estimates indicating 25-40 million complete sets may have originally been produced. But the vast majority were sadly destroyed over the decades leaving the set incredibly scarce today with likely fewer than 100 complete sets known to still exist in mint condition.

Part of what makes finding high grade 1911 Turkey Reds so difficult is how roughly they were treated right from the start more than 100 years ago. Since the cards were included loosely in cigarette packs back in 1911, they were prone to damage from fingertips, burns from ashes, and discoloration from tobacco stains. Many kids of the time also ignored the tobacco companies’ intentions and put the cards to more rough-and-tumble uses like drawing on them, decorating bicycle spokes, or even using them as makeshift wallpaper.

Survivors tend to come from collections of adults who recognized the cards early on as interesting baseball memorabilia rather than as disposable promotions. Among the most impressive collections to surface in recent decades was one amassed by Idaho dentist Dr. James Beckett, who began seriously acquiring 1911 Turkey Reds back in the 1950s and 1960s before the set was widely recognized as highly valuable. Beckett went on to become a respected authority on sports collectibles and his Turkey Red examples in pristine condition helped establish record prices and grade standards still used today.

While no card is truly considered “common” within the set today given the rarity of high quality survivors, some individual 1911 Turkey Red cards are considerably tougher to find in perfect condition than others. Arguably the single most difficult examples to acquire in mint condition include stars like batter’s image Hall of Famer Ty Cobb on card #5, iconic spitballer Ed Walsh on card #44, and hard throwing phenom Walter Johnson on card #48. Finding these critical pieces in a state of preservation worthy of the highest grades like PSA 8 or above can take a dedicated collector years of searching to complete.

As the collecting hobby grew in popularity through the 1980s and beyond, demand and prices for desirable pre-war vintage sets like the 1911 Turkey Reds soared. In 1989 a pristine Ty Cobb example from the set sold for an unprecedented $50,000 shattering records at the time. That kicked off a price surge that has continued over the past few decades with blue chip Turkey Reds trading hands for sums no one could have possibly imagined back when kids first began swapping them over a century ago. In 2022, a flawless PSA GEM MT 10 Walter Johnson was sold by Heritage Auctions for an astounding $756,000.

With its staggering rarity, historical significance, and memorable portraits of some of the earliest baseball legends, the 1911 Turkey Red set represents the pinnacle achievement for collectors of vintage cards. While highly complete original sets will likely remain trophies out of reach except for the wealthiest institutions and serious collectors, pursuing high graded individual cards from the set remains an enticing challenge and sound investment decades after their original distribution. The 1911 Turkey Reds were truly pioneering in conception and their scarcity has certified them as one of the cornerstone collections coveted by all who appreciate the origins of our national pastime and the growth of the sports memorabilia industry.

TURKEY RED CIGARETTES BASEBALL CARDS

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The legendary Turkey Red cigarettes brand is intrinsically linked with the early history of baseball cards partially due to their vibrant red packaging and promotion of the sport. Originating in the late 19th century as one of America’s most popular chewing tobaccos and cigarette brands, the Ott & Bullitt Company used ornate trade cards inserted in packs as an early marketing strategy. These cards initially featured landscapes, politicians, and notable figures but soon shifted focus to baseball players of the nascent professional leagues as interest in the sport exploded nationwide in the early 1900s.

Known for their durable quality and distinctive crimson color, Turkey Red cigarettes and their accompanying baseball cards helped fuel America’s passion for the game at a pivotal time in its development. Between 1887 to 1915, Ott & Bullitt produced thousands of unique ‘Large Size’ and ‘Small Size’ baseball cards featuring star players that captivated collectors and exposed more consumers to professional teams and leagues. The cards were longer lasting and seen by more eyes than newspaper images due to their packaging and distribution method. This granted earlier ballplayers publicity and renown they otherwise may not have achieved.

Produced on thicker stock than most contemporary tobacco cards, original Turkey Red issues have survived in far greater numbers than similar baseball memorabilia of the period. Their resilience made them highly desirable to early card collectors, which also contributed to higher survival rates. With information like team affiliations, positions, and career highlights sometimes included directly on the cards, they served both promotional and historical documentation purposes that expanded knowledge of baseball’s formative era. Some experts argue these widely distributed cards did as much for popularizing professional baseball as the modern sports section of daily newspapers.

Due to being randomly inserted in cigarette packs bought nationwide rather than sold directly to collectors, Turkey Red cards reached a much broader audience and greater circulation than sets from other tobacco brands of their time. This massive exposure significantly assisted in spreading awareness and interest of individual players as well as the emerging professional leagues and clubs they represented. Many of the earliest superstars whose exploits drew new fans to the sport had Turkey Red cards issued featuring their likenesses, statistics, and accomplishments.

Issued from the late 1880s into the 1910s, Turkey Red cards documented the early years and transformations of professional baseball. They captured legends of the time like Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, and others during the growth of the National League and before the modern live ball era. Many of the Turkey Red cards from the 1890s featuring these pioneering players are among the most valuable in the entire collecting realm today due to their historical significance, rarity, and popularity with early adherents to the hobby. Condition is always key, but elite examples in top shape can sell at auction for well over $100,000.

While some tobacco companies produced baseball memorabilia as promotions for just a year or two, Ott & Bullitt maintained the highest and most consistent volume of baseball cards in their Turkey Red packaging for approximately three decades. This immense run coincided with transformative times when baseball shook off its amateur roots and professionalized into the national pastime. Ott & Bullitt aided this progression through the mass distribution of player images utilizing their renowned cigarettes. An immeasurable number of fans were first introduced to their favorite ballplayers by collecting and trading Turkey Red cards.

The popularity of Ott & Bullitt’s Turkey Red brand also directly led to innovations in baseball card production. Seeing the promotional power of images, they began issuing cards on thicker boards rather than basic paper to prolong the lifespan in packets and increase desire for collection among consumers. This set a precedent that shifted the industry to longer-lasting card stock still used today. Turkey Red cards also helped establish standard baseball card sizes, statistics included on the back, and guided subject matter towards active players instead of just generic team shots. Their widespread presence educated the public about the developing sport.

Though production ceased by the 1910s due to increased government regulation of tobacco advertising, the legacy of Turkey Red cards persist as some of the most prized possessions in collectible sports worldwide. They resonate not just as tangible relics but reminders of a key junction when American pastimes like baseball truly took hold nationally. Ott & Bullitt illuminated today’s stars through the cards while also preserving snapshots from inaugural professional campaigns. In bridging baseball’s amateur origins with its modern prominence, Turkey Red issues occupy a truly unique and history-defining position among sports collectibles.

TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS VALUE

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The elusive Turkey Red baseball cards of 1909-1911 are among the most coveted and valuable sets in the entire collecting hobby. During the early 20th century when these iconic cards were first distributed, they could have been easily traded or discarded without a second thought of their future worth. Over a century later, Turkey Reds have taken on a legendary status and now carry price tags that would make even the most dedicated collectors gasp.

The story begins in 1909 when the American Tobacco Company started including baseball cards as incentives in packs of their most popular cigarette brands. These cards featured photos of baseball stars from that era and helped drive tobacco sales. What set the Turkey Reds apart from other issues of the time was their bold red border that made the images really pop. They also featured some of the game’s greatest players from over a decade prior like Cy Young and Honus Wagner who were entering the twilight of their careers but still very recognizable names.

It’s estimated between 50-200 complete Turkey Red sets still survive today in various conditions, making them remarkably scarce. Several factors like low original print runs, the flammable paper they were printed on, and decades of being smoked, played with, or thrown out all contributed to the extreme rarity we see now. Another aspect that drives interest is they capture a bygone era when baseball was still evolving from the amateur game of the 1890s into the national pastime we know. For historians and collectors alike, Turkey Reds offer a fascinatingsnapshot of baseball at that pivotal moment.

In the early collecting boom of the 1950s, Turkey Reds started to gain more attention but were still fairly attainable for passionate collectors. Low grade common players could be acquired for $5-10 while true gems cracked the $100-200 range. Through the 70s and 80s, prices escalated some as the hobby expanded but remained within reach of dedicated fans. The real explosion came in the 1990s with the sports memorabilia craze and advent of online auctions. Suddenly rarefind Turkey Reds were bringing in the thousands and breaking records almost annually.

A PSA 1 Honus Wagner from 1910 is considered the crown jewel and in exceptional shape for its rarity and fame, it sets the pace. In 2016, one such Wagner sold for an astounding $3.12 million through Goldin Auctions, by far a record for any sports card. Other legendary names also achieve mind-blowing prices with their best-preserved examples. A 1909 Eddie Plank and a T206 rare “strip card” version of Walter Johnson have each exceeded $500,000. For more common players in high grades, $10,000-50,000 is not unheard of today.

Even in lower condition that precludes gem or near-gem status, Turkey Reds retain fantastic value considering their place in the earliest years of sports collectibles. Rank-and-file players who are identifiable but show flaws can bring $1,000-5,000 based on the severity of issues. For those seeking affordable collecting opportunities within this elite set, keeping an eye out for reduced but still presentable commons may be an achievable start. Professionally graded pieces have an edge, but astute collectors recognize condition is second to completeness of a hard-to-find early tobacco era set.

While financial worth will always be a factor for prestigious Turkey Reds, their deeper significance must be remembered too. These diminutive cards gave us a firsthand look at legendary athletes long before modern media. They kickstarted the baseball card craze that has kept the hobby thriving for generations. Most of all, they pay tribute to the golden age players who helped elevate America’s national game at the turn of the 20th century. In a sense, Turkey Reds are national treasures deserving of the respect and admiration we continue to show them over 100 years later – whether in a museum case or personal collection. Their place in sports collectibles history is as iconic as the names peering out from those classic red-bordered photos.

In summary, 1909-1911 Turkey Red baseball cards set the standard as the forerunner of the modern collecting phenomenon. Despite over a century of wear and disappearances, examples survive due to their importance and allure to dedicated fans. Scarcity, condition, and pedigree combine to make Turkey Reds the most significant, recognizable and valuable set across all trading cards. While specimens still located wind up as centerpieces of the world’s top collections, their legacy remains accessible to all who appreciate the early years of baseball and its memorabilia. As an object that brilliantly blends nostalgia, rarity and straight history appeal, Turkey Reds continue earning new admirers and setting record prices that few other collectibles seem capable of matching.

1911 TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS REPRINTS

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The famous 1911 T206 Turkey Red baseball card set is one of the most iconic and coveted issues in the entire history of sports card collecting. Originally produced between 1911 and 1913 by the American Tobacco Company as promotional inserts in packs of cigarettes and other tobacco products, the original T206 set featured over 500 different subjects from all the major league teams at the time. The allure and mystique of these vintage cards eventually led to the production of high-quality reprint sets several decades later that have remained popular with collectors to this day.

While reprints of the T206 set first emerged in the 1970s, one of the earliest and highest regarded was the 1985 Donruss Reprint set. Donruss was still a fairly young company in the sportscard business at that time but had developed a reputation for quality cardboard productions. They acquired the rights to reproduce the entire original T206 set in much the same size, photomechanical process, and paper stock used by the American Tobacco Company back in the early 1900s. The reprint images were taken directly from the finest known original examples in private collections and meticulously cloned to precisely match the composition, colors and condition of the source cards.

At a time when the rarest T206s were still priced in the low thousands of dollars, the Donruss reprints offered collectors a highly affordable way to obtain quality reproductions of these vintage classics without spending a small fortune. They came packaged in plastic sheet holders for protection inside displayable boxes corresponding to the original 12 different tobacco brand series like Turkey Red, Old Mill, Big Tobacco and others. While clearly labeled as reprints on the backs, from the front the Donruss versions were nearly indistinguishable from the originals in all but the most expert hands. They captured the look, feel and history of the T206s so authentically that they remain prized possessions for collectors even today.

In the decades since, the standard set by Donruss for T206 reprint quality has been frequently replicated but rarely surpassed. Modern companies like ChromaCards, Topps, Donruss Elite and Leaf have all produced their own well-made reproductions. The Donruss set from the mid-80s is still considered the high water mark. Their image sources were simply the finest survivors known at that time before computer enhancement became commonplace. And Donruss duplicated the original tobacco era production technique so precisely in a pre-digital age that some experts still have difficulty telling their reprints apart from genuine T206s without close inspection.

Most T206 reprint sets also respectfully acknowledge their copied status on the backs to avoid confusion with the hundred-plus year old originals they emulate so effectively on the fronts. They are manufactured using licensed rights from the current intellectual property holders of the historic American Tobacco Company assets like the national memorandum of the tobacco trust organization. While reprints can never replace or outweigh the value and rarity of authentic unaltered T206 survivors still emerging from attics and basements over a century later, they do give collectors from all economic levels the chance to appreciate these vintage icons just the same.

For some, high-quality T206 reprints also make interesting collecting sidelights in their own right. Just as original T206 subsets like the Rare Pitchers or Rare Batter cards have intrinsic value today, limited run specialty reprint sets highlighting individual player types, positions or teams have emerged as niche side collections for those who enjoy reprints. Companies occasionally experiment with new variants like printing select cards on different style papers to mimic known anomalies among the original survivors. Whether strictly reproduced as study copies or augmented with novel modern innovations, memorable reprint sets from quality producers ensure the legacy of the T206s lives on for generations of baseball enthusiasts.

While never on par with true original T206 rarities, top-tier reprints like the legendary 1985 Donruss version still command prices of $20 or more per card from devoted collectors decades later. Their ability to capture the historic allure of the originals in such convincing fashion is a huge part of their enduring appeal down through the modern era. For those seeking an affordable entry into relishing the charm of these tobacco giant baseball cards from over a century ago, high-quality reprint sets remain extremely popular and worthwhile collecting vehicles even today. They ensure vivid memories of the deadball playing days and stars of yesteryear live on for all to enjoy long into the future.

TURKEY RED BASEBALL CARDS 1910

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The 1910 Turkey Red Cabinets are considered by many to be the most iconic set of baseball cards ever produced. Issued by the American Tobacco Company as promotions in packs of cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco, the 1910 turkey reds introduced color lithography to baseball cards and helped establish the modern format that is still used today.

The turkey reds were produced during a pivotal time for the growth of professional baseball across America. The major leagues had established in the late 1800s and early 1900s, new stadiums were being built, and interest in the sport was skyrocketing across all demographics. Tobacco companies played a huge role in advertising and marketing the sport during this period to help associate their products with the rising popularity of baseball.

American Tobacco decided to incorporate full color lithography images on the cardboard encased packs of turkey red cigarettes and chewing tobacco that were inserted lengthwise into boxes holding 50 products. Each box contained a varying assortment of cards featuring stars from the National and American Leagues. Some of the biggest names included Cy Young, Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson. The colorful illustrations stood out from previous monochromatic tobacco premiums.

It’s estimated that only 50-200 complete tobacco cabinet sets have survived to present day out of the millions that were originally produced and distributed. Because the boxes and cabinets were quite fragile, most were destroyed long ago. The rarity and historical significance of the 1910 turkey reds is a big reason they hold such legendary status among collectors today. In the rare instance a full unbroken case comes up for auction, they can sell for millions of dollars.

Some key characteristics that make the 1910 issues particularly sought after include their large size dimensions of approx. 2.5 x 3.5 inches, vibrant color lithographs, thick heavy card stock, player headshots in action posed against solid color borders, team banners at the tops, complete player statistics and biographical information on the backs along with tobacco advertising. No other early set utilized such elaborate graphics and statistics to promote both the players and tobacco products together so effectively.

While some tobacco companies had distributed simple mono photos as far back as the 1880s and 1890s, it wasn’t until 1909 that American Tobacco took baseball cards to the level of high quality collectibles with memorable visuals through their turkey red cabinets. They established a template that set the gold standard which was then followed by competitors over the next several years like Illustration Tobacco, Allen & Ginter, and others as baseball cards became a national phenomenon.

The tremendous success of the 1910 issues spurred American Tobacco to produce new sets annually over the following years featuring incremental design changes and roster updates but maintaining the same turkey red colored tint to the lithographs. Their 1911 and 1912 offerings only increased the allure and mystique surrounding one of collectibles’ true pioneer promotions. While not always considered quite as visually striking or historically unprecedented as the 1910s, they remain immensely popular among vintage enthusiasts due to their rarity, associations with storied players and teams, and status as some of the earliest mass produced baseball collectibles.

During the decades after they were initially distributed as cigarette and tobacco premiums, very few 1910 turkey reds seemed to survive the rigors of time intact. With millions printed but not especially valued for almost 70 years, the cards faced huge dangers of being lost, damaged or destroyed whether intentionally or not. It wasn’t until the rise of organized baseball card collecting in the late 1970s and recognition of their antique nature that remaining unmolested 1910 cabinets became astronomically valuable.

The decades long process of the cards filtering from tobacco users and distributors to the small pool of early collectors to modern-day auction giants like SCP Auctions has solidified them as the pinnacle achievement in early issues and starting point for the entire hobby. While condition and completeness is still paramount, even well loved ex-collections from the 1930s-50s can attract 6 or 7 figure prices. They are true time capsules representing not just the earliest pro sports cards, but one of the primary forces that helped propel baseball to unprecedented fame as America’s pastime in those pioneering decades.

The 1910 Turkey Red Cabinets were a true innovative leap that introduced artistry, advanced stats, vibrant color, and the all-encompassing sports card experience we know today. As both highly collected ephemera and treasures of social history, they serve as a gateway into the birth of modern baseball fandom promoted through advertising tie-ins like no others before or since. As one of the first recognized “sets” that planted the seeds for structured collecting, their legacy endures as arguably the most prestigious issue pursued by vintage aficionados around the globe.