Now we know the rest of the story...B18s
 

Christie's had an important group of documents in a lot that ended today, which reveals that Mercantile Novelty Co., Inc. made the B18s for American Tobacco Company.

Here's the link to the auction lot:

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/g...tract-23/54391

Don't recall ever seeing this information previously with regards to the B18s.

Patrick

Is it possible to track down info or other documents knowing the names of people involved with selections? Would be neat to find more documents linked to T cards.

Still some mystery
 

Thanks for sharing. Some questions remain, and the documentation is incomplete. It does list the rosters of two teams--Reds and Red Sox-- that apparently were intended for inclusion in the set, but which were nonetheless never printed. The letter also mentions that these blankets were packed "with several brands of cigarettes", but I believe the only confirmed brand is Egyptienne Straights. Finally, the letter references that "consents" were obtained from nine players on all teams except Philadelphia, and that these were turned over to the ATC. This further deepens the mystery as to why the other clubs, including both Chicago teams, were never printed. It also makes one wonder if this treasure trove of "consents" is still out there. Interesting stuff though.

I'm not sure why B18's don't get more love?

They are ugly;)

I wonder if this consent form was equivalent to today's endorsements. Did the ATC pay for players likeness?

Their size is a turn-off to some, from what I’ve seen.

There are also those whose definition of a “card”’ does not include these blankets. So, that segment of the community won’t collect them.

Additionally, the images aren’t for everyone.

While I personally think they’re really cool, I’ve often gotten the feeling that I’m in the minority.

I think they're very cool too, at least when found in good shape with decent borders. However, I must admit that it was a real downer to have so many of the teams unrepresented.
https://photos.imageevent.com/imover...18_Bassler.jpg

I have always steered clear of the B18 blankets with yellow staining.

Brian

Had to get funny response out first. Great posts by Patrick and Todd...it is always nice to broaden the knowledge and increase the mystery of an issue at the same time.

Brian

+1 I too (as well as many or most members) love learning more about our cards, felts, stamps etc....Very cool!!

I wish the auction house had better pictures instead of that scanning magnifier stuff.

I save pics of things like this that I can't afford, and the scanning thing makes it nearly impossible.