1909-11 T206 Vive Lindaman
1909–11 T206 Vive Lindaman
Boston Doves · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Vive Lindaman is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Vive Lindaman, a member of the historic Boston Doves (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 5 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 765 examples have been graded, with only 17 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Vive Lindaman
Vivan Alexander Lindaman was a right-handed pitcher who left his job as a Charles City, Iowa, mail carrier in the spring of 1904 to chase baseball, signing with the Sioux City Soos of the Western League after starring for semipro clubs while attending Upper Iowa College. A dominant 24-7 season for the Jersey City Skeeters in 1905 earned him a big-league trial, and he spent his entire major-league career (1906-1909) with the Boston National League club, known as the Beaneaters and then the Doves. As a rookie in 1906 he went 12-23, becoming one of four 20-game losers on the same hapless Boston staff — a dubious rarity. His finest year was 1908 (12-16, 2.36 ERA), highlighted by a 5-0 shutout of Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown's Cubs. He finished 36-60 with a solid 2.92 ERA over 904 innings and 286 strikeouts. Nicknamed "Vive" — an old Scotch first name (rhyming with "Ivy") that so puzzled the press they sometimes called him "Victor" — he later became a successful Iowa hog and dairy farmer. A common but genuine deadball-era subject in the T206 set, he was not elected to the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (5)
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 | 470 | 16 | 24 | 44 | 100 | 104 | 101 | 81 |
| SGC | 295 | 1 | 4 | 36 | 44 | 54 | 51 | 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 1909 | 139 |
| Piedmont | 94 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 70 |
| Sweet Caporal | 34 |
| El Principe de Gales | 19 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 16 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 14 |
| Hindu | 12 |
| Unknown back | 72 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 17 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 10 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 173 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 9 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 11 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 75 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Vive Lindaman card?
The Vive Lindaman 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 Boston Doves player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 5 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 765 examples of the Vive Lindaman have been graded, with only 17 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Vive Lindaman come with?
The Vive Lindaman is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: El Principe de Gales, Hindu, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Vive Lindaman 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 Boston Doves 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.