1909-11 T206 Wildfire Schulte (Front View)
1909–11 T206 Wildfire Schulte
Chicago Cubs · National League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Wildfire Schulte (“Front View” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Wildfire Schulte, a member of the historic Chicago Cubs (National League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 4 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 738 examples have been graded, with only 9 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Wildfire Schulte
Frank "Wildfire" Schulte was the slugging right fielder for the great Chicago Cubs dynasty of the early 1900s. He signed with the Syracuse Stars of the New York State League in 1902, and the Cubs purchased his contract in 1904, when he debuted that September. Schulte spent most of his career in Chicago (1904-1916) before brief stops with the Pirates (1916), Phillies (1917), and Senators (1918), retiring with a .270 average, 1,992 hits, 147 home runs, 1,048 RBIs, and 286 steals. He starred on Chicago's back-to-back World Series champions of 1907 and 1908 and appeared in four Fall Classics, batting .309 in the postseason. His finest year was 1911, when he won the National League's Chalmers Award (a forerunner of the MVP) with 21 homers, 121 RBIs, and a .534 slugging mark, and became the first player to top 20 in home runs, triples (21), doubles (30), and stolen bases (23) in one season. His nickname reportedly came from a racehorse he named after the play "Wildfire," which Chicago sportswriters adopted for him. Though a genuine deadball star, he is a common, affordable subject in the T206 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (4)
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 | 422 | 7 | 12 | 38 | 103 | 88 | 88 | 86 |
| SGC | 316 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 41 | 67 | 66 | 109 |
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 | 131 |
| Piedmont | 86 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 70 |
| Sweet Caporal | 52 |
| Hindu | 11 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 10 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 1 |
| Unknown back | 61 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 17 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 180 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 12 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 107 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Wildfire Schulte card?
The Wildfire Schulte (Front View) 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 4 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 738 examples of the Wildfire Schulte have been graded, with only 9 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Wildfire Schulte come with?
The Wildfire Schulte is confirmed with 4 tobacco-brand backs: Hindu, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Wildfire Schulte 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.
Other poses of Wildfire Schulte
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.