Ideal Tobacco Baseball Cards

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Posted By: ty_cobb

Have seen a few auctions for some Ideal Cut Plug
Tobacco card baseball series. Can anyone tell me
the date of issue. The illustrations look far-fetched
to me but perhaps they are lithos of some all gal
team? How many cards in the set?


http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1068927546

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Posted By: leon

is either 1887 or 1888 from what little I know.....best regards....

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Posted By: brian parker

This card has an ACC classification of N360. It was issued by S.W. Venable Tobacco Co. The reference book I have does not list a date, but looking at the style I would say it was from around the early 1890's. The N360 set is a series of 9 cards that show women in baseball poses. It seems like almost half the tobacco cards of this era depict pretty women, either actresses or within the context of some fanciful setting, such as these baseball scenes. Which makes sense, since the overwhelming majority of smokers would have been men, who probably didn't mind seeing a bit of leg in their pack of tobacco. This series was issued with several brand names on the back of the card, including Ideal Cut Plug, and, most interestingly for baseball collectors, some included a baseball schedule. The fact that both Louisville and Baltimore are listed, along with other National League teams, would also indicate an issue date of sometime in the 1890's. Hope this helps,

Brian