T205 Bender

 EDIT: As was pointed out in the comments the T205 set was issued circa 1911, not 1905. Not the first time I've screwed up something obvious by 'distracted posting'.


When I was a 12-year old I hung out at the corner store, drank RCs, talked about girls and bought baseball cards. In 1905 1911 12-year-olds hung out at the corner store, drank RCs (new that year), talked about girls and begged the grown-ups for the baseball cards that came in their cigarette packs.

One of those cards was this beauty...a T205 of Charles Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was just coming into his prime in 1905. He was a full blown star in 1911 and helped his team win the second of three championships they accrued between 1910 to 1913. He had emerged as a rookie in 1903 and was on his way to a Hall of Fame career as well as a life in baseball that lasted for decades. His SABR bio is well worth the read.

My collection of Bender cards is growing slowly but steadily. This is the latest. As cool as the iconic  T206 set is, I'm just as big a fan of the T205s. The colors, gold accents, secondary illustrations and the portraits themselves are terrific.

I hope I'm never so jaded that I lose the thrill I feel to hold a card that made some 12-year-old happy 113 107 years ago.