1909-11 T206 Oscar Stanage
1909–11 T206 Oscar Stanage
Detroit Tigers · American League · 350 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Oscar Stanage is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Oscar Stanage, a member of the historic Detroit Tigers (American League), and was printed in the 350 Only series, known with 11 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1098 examples have been graded, with only 32 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Oscar Stanage
Oscar Harland Stanage was a durable deadball-era catcher, born March 17, 1883 in Tulare, California. He starred in football and baseball at Stockton High and played California League ball before signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906; he was soon passed to Cincinnati and then Newark of the Eastern League, where three seasons of defensive praise earned him a purchase by the Detroit Tigers in August 1908. Stanage appeared in 77 games as a rookie in 1909 and caught two games in Detroit's 1909 World Series loss to Pittsburgh. By 1911 he was the Tigers' regular backstop, catching a Deadball Era AL-high 141 games and recording 212 assists — an American League single-season record for a catcher that still stands. Known as "Big O," a play on his first name, he was the AL's most durable catcher from 1911 to 1915 (560 games behind the plate). A career .234 hitter over 13 big-league seasons, all with Detroit through 1920, he served as the Tigers' de facto pitching coach and later coached under Ty Cobb and for the Pirates. He died in 1964.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (11)
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 | 688 | 26 | 51 | 96 | 186 | 114 | 110 | 105 |
| SGC | 410 | 6 | 7 | 48 | 80 | 92 | 72 | 105 |
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 | 317 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 70 |
| Sweet Caporal | 56 |
| Polar Bear | 45 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 26 |
| Old Mill | 21 |
| Carolina Brights | 10 |
| El Principe de Gales | 8 |
| American Beauty 1910 | 7 |
| Tolstoi | 3 |
| Cycle 1910 | 3 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 2 |
| Unknown back | 120 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1910 | 4 |
| Broad Leaf 1910 | 2 |
| Carolina Brights 1909-11 | 4 |
| Cycle 1910 | 2 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 5 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 17 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 227 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 28 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 21 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 93 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 7 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Oscar Stanage card?
The Oscar Stanage 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 11 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1098 examples of the Oscar Stanage have been graded, with only 32 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Oscar Stanage come with?
The Oscar Stanage is confirmed with 11 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Broad Leaf, Carolina Brights, Cycle, El Principe de Gales, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Oscar Stanage 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.