The first series of cards in the T206 set were issued beginning in 1909 in cigarette and loose tobacco packs through 16 different brands owned by the American Tobacco Company. It is a landmark set in the history of baseball card collecting due to its size and rarity, with cards of over 500 major and minor-league players issued in the set through 1911. It is known informally as the "White Border" set due to the distinctive white borders surrounding the quality color lithographs on each card.

San Antonio's Dolly Stark stands with his bat at the ready in front of a fiery sky and a green grass background in this gorgeously colorful installment. Something about his pose and the way he holds his bat, leaning forward toward the camera, makes this image appear almost 3-D. Centering is just slightly south on the canvas, with soft corners and edges consistent with the grade. A crease in the top left and bottom right corner keep this card from grading higher, but it still has tremendous eye appeal. The Old Mill (SL) back is bright and clean, with only some faint soiling appearing in a vertically streaked pattern toward the bottom. Another entry in the file of "buy the card, not the grade."

Among the more popular subsets in the T206 issue, Southern League (SL) cards are lauded for their scarcity. The cards of 48 players from the Southern Association, the South Atlantic League, the Texas League, and the Virginia State League were printed in total. These cards were printed separately from the rest of the T206 cards, resulting in a shorter supply than other T206s, and creating a high demand among collectors.