The 1911 T205 gold border set is one of the most iconic pre-war sets of all time. A year later, the set lived on through the T202 Hassan Triple Folders issue.
T202 Hassan Triple Folders Overview
The T202 Hassan Triple Folders set was one of the more unique early card releases ever produced. The cards consisted of three separate panels – two individual players on the ends and a black and white action shot in the middle.
The interesting part of the cards is that they are a flashback to those in the T205 set produced a year earlier. While the black and white action shots were different, the two card panels on the edges were the same pictures and players from the T205 issue. The primary difference between those panels is that they had white borders instead of the gold ones used in the T205 release.
The cards are referred to as the Triple Folders because the panels on the ends had factory-created folds in them so that they could fold open or closed. Measuring 2 1/4″ tall x 5 1/4″ fully opened, there are 132 cards in the set. Unlike the T205 cards which have a variety of backs, the T202 issues have only Hassan advertisements on the reverse.
Unfortunately, many of the cards suffered the same fate as the 1980-81 Topps basketball cards, which were often separated by collectors. Because of that, you will sometimes find individual panels that have been detached from the rest of the original card. Sometimes, these will even be pawned off as T205 cards by sellers. Buyers can easily tell the difference, however, by the white borders.
T202 Hassan Triple Folders Stars
Like the T205 set, plenty of stars are found in the T202 Hassan Triple Folders set. Leading the way in terms of the end panels in the issue is Ty Cobb and numerous other Hall of Famers are included, such as Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Home Run Baker, Eddie Collins, Zack Wheat, Joe Tinker, John McGraw, Johnny Evers, Hughie Jennings, Rube Marquard, Bobby Wallace, Chief Bender, Frank Chance, Fred Clarke, Roger Bresnahan, and other big names.
One of the difficulties in completing this set is that several of the stars are repeated as panels on more than one card. For example, Cobb is featured on a whopping five cards. Mathewson is on eight cards. Several others are also included more than once, which helps make completing a set a somewhat expensive proposition.
New Additions
While the set is largely a repeat of the T205 set, there are a few new players in the issue. First, two new panel cards are found in the set that were not in the T205 set in Smoky Joe Wood and Walter Blair. Wood’s inclusion was important since he didn’t appear in some of the other popular T-card sets, such as T205 and T206.
An even more key addition is featured in the set in the legendary Joe Jackson. Jackson isn’t included by name but has largely been accepted as a sliding baserunner in one of the action shots in the middle. While it is one of the more affordable Jackson cards, it is still one of the more expensive cards in the set.
T202 Hassan Triple Folders Prices
The T202 Hassan Triple Folders cards are surprisingly affordable given their age and uniqueness. Decent mid-grade commons start at around $50.
Stars are, of course, more with lesser Hall of Famers starting around $125. Expect to pay close to $1,000 for the Cobb cards in decent shape. A PSA 3.5 sold recently on eBay for more than $800.
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