Tobacco Cards, designated as "t-cards" by Jefferson Burdick in the American Card Catalog, were most often distributed by tobacco companies in order to promote their various products.  The T206 set is often considered to be the most noteworthy & most recognizable pre-war set in existence. It was produced over a three-year period (1909 to 1911) by the American Tobacco Company. These tiny cards were included in packs of cigarettes or loose tobacco as an incentive to purchase the tobacco. Fifteen (or sixteen depending on who you ask) different brands of ATC tobacco included the white border cards in their packs. Because of the different series that were produced, and the variety of factories that produced cards, there are 42 different backs available. Not included in these numbers is the elusive Ty Cobb brand. This brand is somewhat controversial and not always considered to be part of the set.

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T206 Southern Leaguers

   Because of the sheer size of the T206 set, many people choose to collect a portion of the set with a theme. Some popular themes include Hall of Famers, Portrait cards, and cards for a specific franchise or team. Another popular theme is to collect the cards for the forty-eight players depicted in the set who played for teams in the 'Southern Leagues'. The four leagues were: the South Atlantic League, the Southern League, the Texas League, and the Virginia League.

T206 Hall of Famer Pitchers