The Nelson Tisdel Gallery
Fellow collector Frank Burkett has done a little research regarding the previous collector of one of his cards. The card in Frank's collection is a Rube Waddell portrait and the back of this card is the second image in the Gallery below. It is signed by both Nelson and another collector, Gordon Soutter. The following is what Frank has written up regarding Mr. Tisdel and his Waddell.
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Nelson Tisdel stamps have been seen on more than a few T206 cards. Nelson was born around the turn of the century growing up in Missouri and was a young teenager when the T206 cards were produced. Other examples of Tisdel stamped T206 cards exist and some of them have been signed by him as well. I was unable to determine whether he was smoking in 1910 or whether he got the cards from his father, probably the latter as he was quite bright.
In 1920 he is pictured on the Phi Beta Kappa page of the University of Missouri yearbook, where he received an AB degree. In 1922 he earned a MBA from Harvard and has a thesis recorded on “Capitalization” in the Harvard archives. In 1925 he was married and in 1933 he fathered a son, Donald.
Donald Tisdel was a boyhood friend of Gordon Soutter and before 1945 Donald had received some of his father Nelson’s T206 cards including the Waddell card. A trade was made between the boys and the new owner thought it appropriate to sign the card as well to document the transfer of ownership. This trade was completed before Waddell’s election to the Hall of Fame in 1946, a good deal for Gordon one would think.
Donald passed away in 1981, but Gordon is still living with his wife, who recently listed the card on Ebay. I was curious to know if the seller was or knew Gordon Soutter. Mrs. Soutter was kind enough to confirm that Gordon was her husband and he confirmed the trading of cards with Donald.
I feel confident with this information and the fact that I am the first person to actually purchase this 100 + year old card, apart from the original cigarette purchase by young Nelson or his father. This card will occupy a special place in my collection with this provenance. What is the card worth? I have no idea, as I bought it with my heart and not my brain. I only regret that I will not be able to keep it for 67 years like the prior owner, unless I find the Fountain of Youth. Perhaps someone will be able to purchase it in the future from one of my sons, who currently could care less about my collection.
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I'd like to thank Frank Burkett for his special contribution to the Project and for the scans he provided for it.