Old Baseball Card Photographs - Gold Borders (T205) Series - Super High Resolution (2-DVD Set)

This thrilling 2-DVD set offers a rare opportunity to examine in detail, 400+ scans of original T-205 Gold Borders baseball cards produced in 1911. It wasn’t until 1845 that baseball took the definitive form that we recognize today. The credit for this formalizing goes to Alexander Cartwright, who, while looking for a suitable recreation with friends ended up playing "rounders" - an early and disorganized version of baseball, which had few, if any written rules. Cartwright decided that a few changes were necessary and laid down ground rules, many of which are followed even today.

It was Cartwright who decided that the bases should be set at 90 feet apart and that they should be in a diamond formation. He also decided that there should be 9 players on each team and devised the positioning that is still used today. He decided that each team would get three outs and then switch sides. He also decided that a 90-degree angle should be used to determine if a ball was playable or a foul ball.

The first organized baseball game between two rival clubs took place on June 19, 1846 at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey. The game took place between the Knickerbockers Club from New York City, which was under the direction of Alexander Cartwright, and the New York Nine. This first game with the rules Cartwright had established was played for four innings. At the end of the game, the New York Nine had beaten the Knickerbockers by a score of 23-1. The game was officiated by Alexander Cartwright himself.

There was no looking back after this. While the game witnessed many setbacks and was repeatedly threatened with closure due to dearth of funds, it not only endured but went on to become one of America’s favorite sports. Baseball came into its own at the turn of the 20th century. Attendance at major league games climbed from 4.7 million in 1903 to 10 million in 1911. From 1909 -1911, during the construction boom, many stadiums made of concrete and steel replaced the old wooden stadiums. The average salary of a major leaguer was $900-12,000 per year (We are talking about early 20th century when the dollar went much further than it does today.)

One factor that helped baseball survive those turbulent years was the issuance of fabulously crafted advertising cards by cigarette companies that carried pictures and trivia of baseball legends and champion teams. This not only boosted the sales of cigarettes, but also gave baseball a much-needed shot in the arm. Some of the best baseball cards were issued after 1909 when the dissolution of the American Tobacco Company motivated several cigarette manufacturers to reissue baseball cards. Not many baseball cards survived the early years. The handful that did are in the hands of private collectors.

This DVD features 400 scans of the original Gold Border, T205 cards which include both the front and reverse sides.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection.

CONTENTS:

The latter half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th witnessed an intense rivalry among cigarette manufacturers. In the face of growing competition and a finite number of buyers, tobacco companies struck on an innovative idea - to cash in on the ever-growing popularity of baseball among Americans. Flashy and colorful cards featuring popular baseball stars were included in each cigarette pack as bait for smokers. Nicknamed from their border color, the Gold Borders were issued in a number of different cigarette brands. Card backs of the major leaguers carry the player´s full name and statistics along with relevant statistics. This 2-DVD set presents an opportunity to examine 400 Gold Borders that were sponsored by the Sweet Corporal, Hassan, Cycle, Polar Bear, Sovereign, Piedmont, American Beauty and Honest Long Cut brands of cigarettes in 1911.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

From the earliest times, mankind has recorded history for posterity. At times, his intention was merely to create a work of art, which was passed down the ages and eventually labeled as an artifact. In more recent times, we have a classic example of history repeating itself - of a work of exquisite art turning into an historical record, though this was not the purpose for which it was designed.

We are talking of course about the fabulously crafted baseball cards that cigarette manufacturers produced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These cards, which featured legendry ball players, were meant to boost the sales of cigarettes, which they did, much to the delight of the sponsors. Fortunately for history and baseball buffs, the story of these cards did not end there. Instead these baseball memorabilia have lived on to become a colorful reminder of the history of cigarettes, printing and above all, baseball.

Now pricey collectibles, these cards are not only difficult to find but also to preserve, with the characteristic gold border peeling off easily while handling.

If you are a baseball card enthusiast and are hard pressed trying to locate cards from the T-205 Gold Border Series, try this set of DVDs.

CUSTOMER´S REVIEWS:

"I ordered this set of DVDs out of sheer curiosity and have found it to be quite entertaining. Yes, I do follow baseball a bit but not seriously enough to be labeled a fan. After examining these cards I realized that there is a lot more to the game than just batting and fielding averages. The images are surprisingly clear and the text, though faded, is still quite legible. I was thrilled by the detailed stats of each player on the reverse side of each picture."

Customer´s Name: Reginald Brown (Nashville, Tennessee)