210. (B359) Trade Cards Set and Checklist
‘It’s In The Details’
Title | 210. (B359) Trade Cards |
Year | Unknown |
Size | 4 5/16″ x 6 1/2″ |
Images | Color |
Type | Trade |
Number in Set |
Unknown |
210. (B359) Trade Cards Overview
These trade cards served as an advertisement for all sorts of products and included a color lithographic picture. The key one in the set shows a young boy holding a baseball bat. A ball is making its way to him as he readies for it.
The theme for the boy’s outfit is generally one of red and yellow. He’s wearing a red and yellow striped hat along with yellow boots and red socks.
Advertisers printed their information at the bottom of the fronts as seen here or elsewhere on it. Some cards have stamped advertisements on the back with no identifying sponsor marks on the front.
The cards have no formal title but are identifiable by the small ‘B359’ printed on them in the lower left corner. Collectors should note that because that is printed at the bottom, trimmed cards may not appear to have it.
This baseball card was numbered separately by noted trade card collector Frank Keetz in his book, “Baseball Advertising Trade Cards, 3rd Edition.” It was a trade card he identified but did not have a printed title on it. Because of that, he catalogued it with a number instead, which is the number in the title shown here.
More than Baseball
While the baseball card is often believed by sports card collectors to be the only card in the set, it is not.
Other cards with the same layout and the same ‘B359’ are known, indicating they are part of a set. Another popular issue is one featuring a girl playing tennis. Further linking the baseball and tennis cards is that the girl is also wearing a red and yellow themed outfit just as the boy with the baseball bat is.
The card is not quite as desirable as the baseball card, obviously, but it is pursued by collectors.
In addition, at least three other non-sports trade cards are known in the full checklist, including a boy fishing, a girl playing the banjo, and a girl on a swing. It is quite possible that others exist as well. The girl playing the banjo is the only card in the set depicting a black child that I have seen thus far.
210. B359 Trade Cards Checklist
Five known cards are in this set but there could quite easily be others. These are merely ones I have spotted thus far.
- Banjo player
- Baseball player
- Fisherman
- Girl on swing
- Tennis player
Follow Pre-War Cards on Twitter and also be sure to like our page on Facebook.