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Posted By: Julie

The further back you go (say, pre-thirties, or even moreso, pre-20s, and even moreso JUST TOBACCO)) the fewer kids collected. A Man of cigarette or cigar or pipe smoking age was much less likely to put a rubber band around his cards than a kid. Of course it HAPPENED that grown men would buy the product, and give the card to a boy; but compare the number of times this was likely to happen to the number of BOYS who bought PACKS of cards with bubble gum, or boxes of Cracker Jacks, or other candy and gum products that came with cards. And even if Dad was buying, son would likely take over the box (still full!)

What made me think of this was the premium on Cracker Jacks, and the no=premium on T206s, T207s, T202s, T204s, T3s, etc.

And of course it was in the '30s that gum came into its own with cards...