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brian parkerThe best readily available book that covers the range of American non-sport tobacco cards (it sounds like your friend has tobacco issue cards) is the American Tobacco Cards book by Robert Forbes and Terence Mitchell, issued by Tuff Stuff Books in 1999. It is a price guide and checklist for both 19th and 20th century non-sport tobacco cards, providing front and back pictures for almost all of the issues. Because of these pictures it is probably the most helpful guide in identifying cards. The American Card Catalog, which was last published in the early sixties, has a few more issues listed, but almost no pictures and scant description of the cards, so it is hard to use. A reprinted version is available from Larry Fritsch Cards.
Brian