The nuances of the T206 set are so wide-ranging and fascinating that they have spawned a myriad of collector types: while some are purely set completists others choose to segment their collection by restricting their T206 pursuit to Hall of Famers members of a given team cards with a certain back advertisement (or the corollary all the available back varieties of a single player) types of player pose or any number of other possibilities. One of the most popular T206 pursuits is to assemble a collection of each of the 38-40 different back varieties produced in the issue. As the subtleties and complexities of the T206 issue become more closely studied by hobby scholars back collecting continues to grow in popularity which has resulted in an explosion in values among T206s with difficult back varieties. One of the most difficult - and least understood - varieties is the simple blank back. Unmarked with the traditional back advertisement for an ATC tobacco brand "authentic" blank backs are typically hand cut and not factory cut. These cards are thought by most to be a form of printer's scrap cards which were not completed and discarded for whatever reason only later to be hand cut. How these cards survived is a mystery that is likely lost to history. What we do know however is that the T206 scholars at T206Resources.com estimate that the blank back is the ninth most scarce back variety of all - more difficult even than the highly sought after Carolina Brights Brown Hindu or Piedmont Factory 42 back. Presented here is an example of a tough Southern Leaguer with a blank back - James Lafitte. Lafitte was a journeyman minor leaguer who never made the majors; his .241 batting average keeping him among the lower ranks of the minors. Pictured here at the beginning of his career with the Macon Brigands of the South Atlantic League the card is graded Authentic by SGC due to being hand cut. The card exhibits considerable wear notably at the corners and edges but also significantly on the surface in the form of creasing. The back devoid of printing is certainly worn with some minor staining. Still the card is an outstanding example of a highly sought after printing anomaly a T206 Southern Leaguer with a blank back.