1909-11 T206 Tom Needham
1909–11 T206 Tom Needham
Chicago Cubs · National League · 460 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Tom Needham is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Tom Needham, a member of the historic Chicago Cubs (National League), and was printed in the 460 Only series, known with 10 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 856 examples have been graded, with only 10 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Tom Needham
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Needham was a light-hitting catcher and one of the relatively few Irish-born subjects in the T206 set, born April 17, 1879 in Ireland and raised from his teenage years in Steubenville, Ohio. He reached the majors with the Boston Beaneaters/Doves, debuting May 12, 1904, and posted his best season that year at .260 with 70 hits in 84 games. He caught for the 1908 New York Giants before joining the Chicago Cubs in 1909, the team he is pictured with on this card. Needham spent 1909-1914 as a reserve backstop behind Jimmy Archer and Johnny Kling on those pennant-caliber Cubs, appearing in one game of the 1910 World Series (0-for-1). A career reserve, he hit only .209 over 11 seasons with 8 home runs and 117 RBIs, batting below .200 in eight of those years. After retiring he managed the Newark Bears and coached pitchers for the Chicago White Sox. He died at 47 following a stroke on December 14, 1926. No colorful nickname is documented, and his SABR biography remains unwritten.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (10)
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 | 484 | 6 | 33 | 59 | 128 | 93 | 89 | 76 |
| SGC | 372 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 51 | 92 | 64 | 113 |
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 1911 | 164 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 92 |
| Sweet Caporal | 64 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 22 |
| Old Mill | 21 |
| Polar Bear | 21 |
| Tolstoi | 13 |
| El Principe de Gales | 9 |
| Lenox | 6 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 5 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| Unknown back | 62 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1911 | 5 |
| Cycle 1911 | 4 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 9 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 4 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 20 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 149 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 16 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 21 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 132 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 12 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Tom Needham card?
The Tom Needham 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 Chicago Cubs player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 10 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 856 examples of the Tom Needham have been graded, with only 10 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Tom Needham come with?
The Tom Needham is confirmed with 10 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, El Principe de Gales, Lenox, 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 Tom Needham 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 Chicago Cubs cards
- George Brown (Chicago)
- Mordecai Brown (Chicago On Shirt)
- Mordecai Brown (Cubs On Shirt)
- Mordecai Brown (Portrait)
- Frank Chance (Batting)
- Frank Chance (Portrait - Red)
- Frank Chance (Portrait - Yellow)
- Johnny Evers (Portrait)
- Johnny Evers (Chicago On Shirt - Yellow Sky)
- Johnny Evers (Cubs On Shirt - Blue Sky)
- Solly Hofman
- Del Howard
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.