1909-11 T206 Woodie Thornton
1909–11 T206 Woodie Thornton
Mobile Sea Gulls · Southern Association · Southern Leaguer print series · also a T213-1 Coupon back
The 1909–1911 T206 Woodie Thornton is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Woodie Thornton, a member of the historic Mobile Sea Gulls (Southern Association), 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 10 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Woodie Thornton
Woodie Thornton (listed as Woody Thornton on Baseball-Reference) was a career minor-league outfielder who never reached the major leagues. An outfielder who played mostly center field, he broke into pro ball around 1902 with Newark of the Eastern League and bounced through the South Atlantic and Cotton States circuits before settling with the Mobile Sea Gulls, first in the Cotton States League (1906-07) and then in the higher-classification Southern Association (1908-09) — the Mobile club that his 1909-11 T206 card depicts. His best documented seasons came at Mobile: he batted .279 with 150 hits in 1907 and .266 with 144 hits in 1908, then hit .241 in 1909. In 1910 he became player-manager of the new Greenwood (Mississippi) club and led it to the Cotton States League pennant (71-36, a half-game ahead of Jackson); in 1911 he was the loop's leading hitter at .316 and tied for the league lead with ten triples. Thornton is one of the set's scarcer "Southern Leaguers," the minor-league subgroup collected mainly for the T206 issue rather than for his on-field fame.
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 | 312 | 9 | 24 | 46 | 73 | 58 | 58 | 44 |
| SGC | 205 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 25 | 39 | 40 | 73 |
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 | 143 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 97 |
| Hindu | 11 |
| Unknown back | 61 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 8 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 114 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 83 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Woodie Thornton card?
The Woodie Thornton 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 Mobile Sea Gulls 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 Woodie Thornton 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 Woodie Thornton come with?
The Woodie Thornton 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 Woodie Thornton 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 Mobile Sea Gulls 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.