1909-11 T206 Ed Willetts
1909–11 T206 Ed Willetts
Detroit Tigers · American League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Ed Willetts is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Ed Willetts, a member of the historic Detroit Tigers (American League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 12 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 826 examples have been graded, with only 13 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Ed Willetts
Robert Edgar "Farmer" Willett was a right-handed pitcher who anchored the Detroit Tigers rotation through the franchise's greatest Deadball-era run. A Norfolk, Virginia native (born March 7, 1884), he broke into pro ball with the Class-C Wichita Jobbers of the Western Association in 1905, and Detroit purchased his contract in 1906. Willett pitched for the Tigers from 1906 to 1913, working as a durable workhorse who averaged roughly 245 innings a season at his peak. His finest year was 1909, when he went 21-10 with a 2.34 ERA, ranking third in the American League in wins, as Detroit captured its third straight AL pennant (1907-1909); the Tigers, however, lost all three World Series (to the Cubs in 1907-08 and the Pirates in 1909). Nicknamed "Farmer" for his rural Virginia farming roots, he finished with a career 102-100 record, 3.08 ERA, and 600 strikeouts over ten big-league seasons. In 1914 he jumped to the Federal League's St. Louis Terriers, closing out his major-league career in 1915. He died May 10, 1934. On the T206 set his surname is famously misspelled "Willetts."
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (12)
Chip colour marks each back's rarity tier. See the full T206 back rarity ranking →
Population (PSA · SGC)
| Grader | Total | NM 7+ | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 & Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 476 | 8 | 43 | 70 | 98 | 89 | 99 | 69 |
| SGC | 350 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 57 | 86 | 72 | 84 |
NM 7+ bundles grades 7–10; 1 & Auth bundles grade 1, 1.5 & Authentic. Totals are subject-level (summed across all backs). Population as of 2026-06.
PSA by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Piedmont 1910 | 77 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 66 |
| Sweet Caporal | 52 |
| Polar Bear | 40 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 31 |
| Old Mill | 19 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 16 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 14 |
| Tolstoi | 13 |
| El Principe de Gales | 13 |
| American Beauty | 8 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 8 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 4 |
| Uzit | 3 |
| Lenox | 3 |
| Drum | 1 |
| Unknown back | 103 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 12 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 10 |
| Cycle 1910 | 1 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 10 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 3 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 23 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 78 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 44 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 41 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 81 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 15 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 12 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 3 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Ed Willetts card?
The Ed Willetts is one of 524 subjects in the T206 "White Border" tobacco set issued 1909-1911, the hobby's most iconic vintage set (nicknamed "The Monster"). It pictures the Detroit Tigers player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 12 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 826 examples of the Ed Willetts have been graded, with only 13 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Ed Willetts come with?
The Ed Willetts is confirmed with 12 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, Drum, El Principe de Gales, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Uzit. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Ed Willetts valuable?
Value depends heavily on the back brand and the card's grade: common backs in low grade trade modestly, while scarce backs and high grades command strong premiums. Check the current T206 Cards listings and eBay options above for live pricing.
More Detroit Tigers cards
- Donnie Bush
- Ty Cobb (Portrait - Green)
- Ty Cobb (Portrait - Red)
- Ty Cobb (Bat Off Shoulder)
- Ty Cobb (Bat On Shoulder)
- Sam Crawford (Throwing)
- Sam Crawford (With Bat)
- Wild Bill Donovan (Portrait)
- Wild Bill Donovan (Throwing)
- Hughie Jennings (One Hand Showing)
- Hughie Jennings (Two Hands Showing)
- Hughie Jennings (Portrait)
Sources: t206resource.com, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Inside T206 by Scot Reader. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.