1909-11 T206 Ray Ryan
1909–11 T206 Ray Ryan
Roanoke Tigers · Virginia State League · Southern Leaguer print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Ray Ryan is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Ray Ryan, a member of the historic Roanoke Tigers (Virginia State League), and was printed in the Southern Leaguer series, known with 3 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 517 examples have been graded, with only 14 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Ray Ryan
Raymond Joseph "Ray" Ryan Sr. (born February 18, 1883, in Ohio; died 1958 in Miami) was a catcher who spent his career in the minor leagues. He broke into the Virginia League with Danville in 1907-1908, then caught for the pennant-winning Roanoke Tigers in 1909 — reportedly working all but two of the team's games that championship season, the achievement that earned him a place in the T206 set. In 1910 Ryan was carried on the Chicago White Sox roster but never appeared in a major-league game, making him a career minor-leaguer who never reached the big-league diamond. His playing time as a catcher spanned 1906-1910, 1912-1916, and 1922, totaling roughly 684 games. Ryan went on to a long life in the game as a manager (leading about ten clubs between 1912 and 1948, and guiding the Rocky Mount Carolinians to the 1915 Virginia League title) and as a league executive who at one point served as president of three leagues simultaneously. He was posthumously inducted into the Salem-Roanoke VA Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Ryan appears in T206 as one of the set's Southern Leaguer (minor-league) subjects, a scarcer regional group prized by collectors.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference
Confirmed backs (3)
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 | 303 | 11 | 26 | 34 | 63 | 53 | 59 | 57 |
| SGC | 214 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 48 | 39 | 79 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Old Mill | 123 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 109 |
| Hindu | 18 |
| Unknown back | 53 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 19 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 97 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 98 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Ray Ryan card?
The Ray Ryan 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 Roanoke Tigers player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 3 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 517 examples of the Ray Ryan have been graded, with only 14 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Ray Ryan come with?
The Ray Ryan is confirmed with 3 tobacco-brand backs: Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Ray Ryan 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 Roanoke Tigers 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.