E101 and E102

Hi,
Does anybody have some background info on the anonymous sets. Who were they made for? What year? Thanks.


-Randy

Both sets are pretty mysterious. We know they were from 1909, but beyond that, there haven't been any clues leading the sets back to their original product or packaging. Maybe the two sets were created without ads so the stores had space to stamp their own advertising on the back? But if that were the case, we'd probably see more back stamps on the e101/e102's.

Whatever the case may be, they seem to me like very close relatives to the e92 set with their similar design and identical player poses. E101 especially, considering how closely the E101 back resembles the E92 Dockman back (minus the advertising):



It's all speculation though. Would be interested in hearing what others think.

fisherboy7 wrote: Maybe the two sets were created without ads so the stores had space to stamp their own advertising on the back? But if that were the case, we'd probably see more back stamps on the e101/e102's.

We do see one place where there is a stamp from a private business on these cards...



The Niagra Baking Co. (image from Oldcardboard.com) stamped them long ago. And they were even given their own Catalog number, D355.

Thanks,

AndyH

i believe the e92/e101/e102s were all printed at the same place & same time...with the varying backs...along with those fishes and flags etc.

Point well taken, Andy. The Niagra back stamp is a good example of why E101's might have been designed without advertising (extra space for stores to put their own stamp).

About the Niagra Baking cards though - do they really deserve the distinct D355 designation when, besides the stamp, they are identical to e101's? The Niagra ad was not part of the original printing process. I see them along the same lines as a W575 with a Henry Johnson Confectionary stamp on the back. What's the difference there? They sure sell for a whole lot more.

I question the D355 designation also. Is there any difference to the checklist between the known stamped cards and the E101's?

You made a good point though, Ben, if they were made specifically to be printed by the individual business owners, shouldn't we see a whole lot more of the stamps?

Maybe they were part of a program the printers had for local businesses to print on, and it just never caught on. So what we are left with today is a bunch of the blanks were never bought by business owners. I doubt it though.

Thanks,

AndyH

imo the insane money being paid for these obscure stamps (that have nothing to do with the issue) is nutty...it's like any mom&pop store could've made up a stamp and stamp a few of these. does anyone have any info on this obscure niagara baking brand? the fact that so few exists means it wasn't a widespread thing and it may've come from just one source over a short period of time...and it's worth 20-30x the price of an e101?

cccc wrote:it's like any mom&pop store could've made up a stamp and stamp a few of these. and it's worth 20-30x the price of an e101?

Rman needs to find the Niagara Baking stamp and then he is set!

If a company like PSA or SGC grades an E101 with a stamp, will that lower the grade and will it recieve the "Mark" designation?


-Randy

I think SGC will identify the card is a E101 with a Niagara Baking stamp, while PSA will grade the card at its technical level and add a MK qualifier.

Could you call this a variation back?

-Randy

Some people consider the Niagara Baking to be separate issue, but I see it as merely a E101 with a rubber stamping added after the actual production process. This is similar to the Old Put stamp on the E98s and the various stamps on the E94s. There is an article in this month's Old Cardboard magazine about the discovery of a Toy Town stamp. Personally I am not a big fan of any these aftermarket overprints. They just seem way too easy to duplicate.

That has always been my contention about these stamps/overprints. They way to easy to duplicate. I don't think there is really any way to test the ink that is cost effective for the slabbers. Why no one has bothered to make these fakes is beyond me. There is huge money to be made. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd get an Old Put or some other simple font stamp made to see how the fakes would look.

Jay

Here is another Niagara baking stamp

Wow, who wrote that article on the Toy Town stamp?

I've always thought the same thing about the overprints...who's to say there couldn't be a find of a new overprint if you found an old stamp and ink?

Sean

pro9 wrote:Wow, who wrote that article on the Toy Town stamp?

I don't know. I have not received my issue yet.

How do we know that these niagra e101's are for real? Any proof? Someone could have made these also.