Southern Stars on the Rise: 1910 T210 Old Mill Cigarettes

Card Specs: 1.5" × 2.63" | 640 Cards; 8 Series | Sepia Photos with Red Borders | Classification: Tobacco | T210

While most tobacco-era baseball card sets focused on major leaguers, the 1910 T210 Old Mill release features players from the minor leagues across the southern US. The complete set contains 640 cards divided into eight league-specific series, creating one of the most expansive prewar sets in existence.

Grail of Grails: T210 Old Mill Cigarettes "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

Despite including only minor-leaguers, the T210 issue boasts one of the most coveted baseball cards in existence from any era - the T210 Old Mill "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (Series 8), which shows Jackson with the Southern Association's New Orleans Pelicans. Fewer than 20 examples are known to exist, making it one of the rarest and most valuable baseball cards of all time, reaching six-figure value in virtually any condition, and into the millions at mid-grade.

The T210 set also includes one of the earliest cards of future Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel, appearing in the Blue Grass League series, from his time playing for the Maysville Rivermen.

1910 T210 Old Mill Casey Stengel

Red Bordered Rarities: Card Specs & Design

T210 cards measure approximately 1½ inches by 2⅝ inches, and are easily recognizable by their striking red borders framing a sepia-toned photographic image of the player. Beneath the image, the player’s surname and city/location are printed in small black type.

Naturally, an Old Mill Cigarette advertisement appears on the card backs, along with the series number. Similar to its contemporary tobacco set, the 1909-1911 T206 White Border, the backs don’t provide any reference to the player on the front.

T210 Old Mill Horace Brown front & back

While red borders define the set, some existing examples have orange or yellow-toned borders. Most collectors believe these variations stem from differences in ink levels during the printing process, though debate remains about whether the changes were accidental or intentional. These variations are most commonly associated with cards from Series 3 and can carry a value premium in today's hobby.

T210 Old Mill Orange Border variations

The cards were distributed, riding along with Old Mill cigarettes, throughout the southern United States aligning with the territory of the featured leagues. Due to their delivery method, tobacco staining is a common condition challenge among today's examples, along with the prominent chipping of the red borders. Only 11% of examples evaluated by PSA have graded 5 or better, with only one reaching a grade of 7.

1910 T210 Old Mill Cigarettes REA Auction Sales

1910 T210 Old Mill Casey Stengel SGC 1.5 - $11,700 - 2021 Fall Auction

1910 T210 Old Mill Earl Fleharty SGC 2 - $3,120 - 2023 March Auction

1910 T210 Old Mill Lave Cross BVG 4 - $1,380 - 2024 November Auction

1910 T210 Old Mill Ralph McLaurin - $1,260 - 2023 January Auction

1910 T210 Old Mill Series 6 Near Set (63/66) - $7,200 - 2025 Spring Auction

FOR MORE AUCTION SALES, SEARCH "T210" IN THE REA AUCTION ARCHIVE

Selling T210 Old Mill Cards

The T210 Old Mill set is a favorite among passionate prewar collectors. We have many of them in our bidding audience, and are happy to help you connect with them via our auctions. Reach out today to connect with a specialist to learn more about the consignment process.

T210 Old Mill Series Reference

The leagues represented in the set include:

Series 1: South Atlantic League

Series 2: Virginia League

Series 3: Texas League

Series 4: Virginia Valley League

Series 5: Carolina Association

Series 6: Blue Grass League

Series 7: East Carolina League

Series 8: Southern Association