Topps Tribute to T206

Beckett.com (November 26, 2001)

While vintage-themed baseball sets have fared well in the secondary market, Topps is going way back in time -- back to the turn of the 20th Century -- for a set that pays tribute to the early tobacco cards.

Topps T206, the second set under the umbrella Topps Tribute name, includes 180 regular-sized base cards of today's players, 540 parallel cards in T206 sized-cards complete with three different advertising backs used on the original T206 cards, repurchased original T206 cards (more than 4,400 cards), Autographs and Relic Cards.

The parallel cards (seeded 1:1 pack) include three different card backs: Tolstoi (common, 180 players), Cycle (uncommon, 180 players) and Polar Bear (rare, 180 players).

Topps also is inserting T206 Reprint Relics in T206 size, including a bat chip on the famous Honus Wagner card. Other Reprint Relics include Tris Speaker, Sam Crawford, John McGraw and Johnny Evers.

Topps reports that the combined insertion rate for any autographjed, Relic or T206 original Buyback card is 1:10 packs. Packs carry a $4 SRP.

Topps has also created 10 T206 "reprint cards as part of the regular set, only the reprints are in the standard card size of today. Those cards include Ty Cobb, Frank Chance, Sam Crawford, Johnny Evers, John McGraw, Eddie Plank, Tris Speaker, Joe Tinker, Cy Young and Honus Wagner.

Among the base cards in the set are 15 2002 Rookie Cards. The Hobby Exclusive Topps 206 set is scheduled to release in late February.