How were Anonymous cards distributed ???

[mybuddyinc]

This topic may have already been addressed, or maybe some find it uninteresting, but here goes ----


With my new adventure into T207, Anonymous backs have re-caught my interest. Of course you also have the E101 and E102 (probably others).

I have always found them interesting. My theory being that a salesman just couldn't find a sponsor for them. Other theories ??

My main question is: How were they distributed ??? As, of course, they were.

Where they distributed with a "known" brand ??? Maybe saying, the heck with it, we don't need our name on the card. Or just thrown into a known tobacco/candy pack as a "extra." ???

Any known packs exist that were known to have Anonymous cards in them ??

Oh, the old, every thread needs a card theory ......

jsg04.jpg
[Factory 25]

As an aside: Why can't T207 Anonymous (factory 3 vs. 25) have "nice noticeable" font differences (like T206 Pied 350/460, Factory 25 vs. 42) that one can see a mile away ........... ?? >>>>>>>>>

Fun, fun, Scott

[Casey2296]

I find the anonymous e-card backs interesting also. With all of the research and history out there one would think there is a trail or tidbit of info to help identify the origin of some of these sets.

E98 is another example, while considered an e-card set which it certainly is, the only branding we've seen is a very small amount of cards with the "Old Put" tobacco stamp.

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[CobbSpikedMe]

Of course I thought of the E98 anonymous set as well Phil. I've never considered the Old Put an actual sponsor of the set though. I've always just considered them a back stamp similar to a collector of T206 stamping the back of their cards. Old Put just happens to be a brand of cigars. But I've seen T206 back stamps from businesses as well.




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[G1911]

For the T207's, I doubt it was a salesman unable to find a sponsor. These sets were done in concert with the ATC, with the lithographers apparently calling the shots and picking the advertising as effectively an outsourced marketing department (they don't only do the design, they even name the brands for the ATC). I think what we have found suggests there wasn't really a salesman in this sense of the word in this process. Those paid sales commission don't seem to have sold the cards to the ATC like this, but selected what to make for them and operated more as what we would call a program manager today rather than a real salesman shopping around wares.

The anonymous caramels I would assume were sold more in a conventional way, to outside customers.

I don't know why T29 and T207 have anonymous factories versions, I would suspect they were used as filler for last minute brand changes or new brands that hadn't been named or had their marketing aesthetic chosen yet, but that is purely a guess.

[rhettyeakley]

They could be used by any ATC brand that was using that factory listed. Similar to the T113 Types of Nations that had 13 or 9 different brands listed on back as opposed to ones specific to a brand like Recruit or Sweet Caporal.

The Factory 3 cards were likely Inserted with Coupon Cigarettes among other possible brands.

[Leon]

Nice discussion.
Shown many times before but pertinent to the topic. Blank back W575's, such as these, can rarely be identified. This pack was picked up on the bay, quite a few years back.

[kmac32]

Of the T207 cards and anonymous backs, I have in my collection the 4 variants of the Vic Saier cards. I have cycle, Broadleaf, anonymous 3 and Anonymous 25. I have the same cards for Ward Miller minus the Anonymous Factory 25 card.. have never seen the Anonymous Factory 25 card but many examples of the factory 3 card. Does this mean that Ward Miller T207 card factory 3 is rarer than the factory 25 anonymous card or does the Anonymous Factory 25 of Ward Miller even exist?

[mybuddyinc]

Originally Posted by kmac32

Of the T207 cards and anonymous backs, I have in my collection the 4 variants of the Vic Saier cards. I have cycle, Broadleaf, anonymous 3 and Anonymous 25. I have the same cards for Ward Miller minus the Anonymous Factory 25 card.. have never seen the Anonymous Factory 25 card but many examples of the factory 3 card. Does this mean that Ward Miller T207 card factory 3 is rarer than the factory 25 anonymous card or does the Anonymous Factory 25 of Ward Miller even exist?

Ken,

Looking at Mike F.'s Great T207 site he does NOT have a Anon. 25 shown. Not saying it doesn't exist, but if Mike doesn't have it, I have to assume odds are that it does not exist.

Of the 51 BL series, it looks like he has missing 12 Anon. 25s. A nice round number, if that means anything ............

Fun, fun, Scott

[kmac32]

Originally Posted by mybuddyinc

Ken,

Looking at Mike F.'s Great T207 site he does NOT have a Anon. 25 shown. Not saying it doesn't exist, but if Mike doesn't have it, I have to assume odds are that it does not exist.

Of the 51 BL series, it looks like he has missing 12 Anon. 25s. A nice round number, if that means anything ............

Fun, fun, Scott

Scott,

Would love to see his website. Do you know the website address?

Ken

[frohme]

Originally Posted by mybuddyinc

[...]

As an aside: Why can't T207 Anonymous (factory 3 vs. 25) have "nice noticeable" font differences (like T206 Pied 350/460, Factory 25 vs. 42) that one can see a mile away ........... ?? >>>>>>>>>

Fun, fun, Scott

Well, maybe not from a mile away, but the difference in the length of the 'factory' line is noticeable enough to be able to tell at a quick glance even from fairly low quality scans, similar to T206 Piedmont 25 vs 42.



--
Mike

[frohme]

Originally Posted by kmac32

Scott,

Would love to see his website. Do you know the website address?

Ken

Thanks, for the plug Scott. Its images only at this point, Ken: https://imageevent.com/gspinf/t207brownbackground

Also, Ken, on our previous discussion about Mr Miller's lack of an Anon 25 back, I've looked back through some of the auction sites, and where they had a back image, I did not find one. That said, I suspect its just a matter of time - there isn't really much reason for him to have been dropped from specific back only. He's also not the only one I don't have an image with that back for, but there are only a handful.

--
Mike