1909-11 T206 Ollie Pickering
1909–11 T206 Ollie Pickering
Minneapolis Millers · American Association · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Ollie Pickering is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Ollie Pickering, a member of the historic Minneapolis Millers (American Association), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 9 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 796 examples have been graded, with only 12 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Ollie Pickering
Ollie Pickering broke into pro ball in colorful fashion, hopping a freight train to Texas in 1892 and impressing manager John McCloskey in a tryout with the Houston club. It was there, on May 21, 1892, that he reportedly rapped seven consecutive singles, each a soft looping fly falling between infield and outfield — the performance long credited with inspiring the baseball term "Texas Leaguer" for a bloop hit. A center fielder, he reached the majors with Louisville in 1896 and played for Louisville, the Cleveland Spiders, Cleveland Blues/Bronchos, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Washington across 1896-1908, batting .272 (910-for-3,352) with 194 stolen bases in 886 games. His enduring claim to fame: on April 24, 1901, leading off for Cleveland, he became the first batter in American League history, flying out to Dummy Hoy. He stole 40 bases in 1903 and remained a player-manager into his 50s. By the T206 era he was in the minors with Minneapolis of the American Association, the team shown on this card. He died in 1952; he was not a Hall of Famer.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (9)
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 | 482 | 9 | 21 | 49 | 109 | 104 | 106 | 84 |
| SGC | 314 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 50 | 69 | 74 | 88 |
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 | 268 |
| Polar Bear | 46 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 37 |
| Sweet Caporal | 29 |
| Cycle 1910 | 9 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 8 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 5 |
| Carolina Brights | 3 |
| Unknown back | 77 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 6 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 1 |
| Carolina Brights 1909-11 | 1 |
| Cycle 1910 | 3 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 203 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 25 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 12 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 63 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Ollie Pickering card?
The Ollie Pickering 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 Minneapolis Millers player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 9 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 796 examples of the Ollie Pickering have been graded, with only 12 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Ollie Pickering come with?
The Ollie Pickering is confirmed with 9 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, Drum, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Ollie Pickering 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 Minneapolis Millers cards
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.