Tobacco Card Stories

[John V]

Would love to hear some stories about actually finding a baseball tobacco card in an unopened cig pack. What was found, condition, scans, etc.

[tedzan]

A long time friend of mine, who lives in the Smoky Mountain region of North Carolina, while in College at Davidson (NC)
in 1959, found an unopened Piedmont pack in a small Antique shop.

He pulled a Mathewson (dark cap) from it....lucky guy.

He put the pack and the card in the glove compartment of his Ford truck and forgot about it. Traded in the truck that
year, and left the card and Piedmont pack in it. He regretted this for many years, so when he returned to BB card col-
lecting in 1973, one of the first cards he acquired was a T206 Matty.

He is one of the many "unknown" veteran hobbyists that have huge BB card collections (all ungraded), that prefer to
remain anonymous.


TED Z

[John V]

Nowadays a card would probably be wrapped in cellophane, like a cereal or crackerjack prize. What about tobacco cards, were they tucked in the pack right up against the cigarettes?

[tedzan]

In the late 19th Century, cardboard premiums (BB cards, etc.) were originally inserted into cigarette packs as "stiffeners".
The "slide and shell" cigarette pack contains 10 cigarettes in the "shell" and the card was inserted between the shell and the
inside wall of the pack. Many early 20th Century packs contained 2 cards. In the Spring of 1911, TOLSTOI (or LENOX, UZIT)
packs contained a T206 and a T80 (Military Series) cards.

Perhaps this picture helps to illustrate what I'm saying......





TED Z

[canjond]

This is an Obak pack in my collection with its original card.

[canjond]

John - to answer some of your questions, most cards were tucked against the cigarettes however not all where - it really was dependant upon the brand.

In terms of other stories, one of the more famous stories was the man who pulled an Old Judge card from an unopened pack of Old Judge cigarettes at the east cost national (I think) a few years back. SGC graded the card on the spot as a 98. I believe someone has a scan of the card and the flip makes mention to it being pulled from the pack.

[pow323]

I think I am going to invent a time machine and go back in time and collect all the packs I can get my hands on! Anyone want to go with me?

[hank_jp]

Mark P.

Don't waste your time inventing a time machine ... when you can buy one. Just render payment to my associates at Dewey, Cheatum & Howe and we'll send you on your way.
Happy trails to you, pilgrim.

Hank

[cdn_collector]

Originally Posted by canjond

John - to answer some of your questions, most cards were tucked against the cigarettes however not all where - it really was dependant upon the brand.

In terms of other stories, one of the more famous stories was the man who pulled an Old Judge card from an unopened pack of Old Judge cigarettes at the east cost national (I think) a few years back. SGC graded the card on the spot as a 98. I believe someone has a scan of the card and the flip makes mention to it being pulled from the pack.

Coincidentally, about two days ago I was wandering around the Internet and found this exact card on BMWCards.com. Here's a link to the image of the card -- if you go to the 'Graded Cards' section of BMW's website there is a small write-up of the (now sold) card.



Regards,

Richard.

[barrysloate]

I know the collector who owns that Alcott. He's very low key and not in the hobby mainstream.

[packs]

Why did SGC put that label on? Weren't they all pulled from cigarette packs?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by packs

Why did SGC put that label on? Weren't they all pulled from cigarette packs?

They were all pulled from packs but SGC didn't see all of them originally being pulled. Big difference....at least imo...

[canjond]

I agree - I like the fact that SGC put the info on the card. I doubt there is another pack in existence that stills holds an N172.

In terms of other stories, I know a few board members had a small find of Honest Long Cut tobacco packs in the early 1980s. All were opened and I believe many T205s were pulled.

[rc4157]

Thanks for posting the pictures of the cards with their packs, much appreciated on this end.

RC

[bbcard1]

20 or more years ago, I was introduced to an old guy (probably in his 90s) who talked about hanging around outside of the pool halls and the duckpin bowling alleys in downtown Roanoke waiting for the men to come out. He said they would throw their cigarette packs in the gutter and he would fish them out...he probably had a couple hundred t206s and t205s. He told me a story about how all the boys had heard of Honus Wagner and never could get a card of him so he cut a picture out of a magazine and pasted it on a t206 and traded it to one of the other boys for like 20 t206s. A few years later, I helped broker some cards for a collector in Lynchburg...did great by him considering the time...but among his cards were a t205 with a picture of Honus Wagner pasted on the front. Lynchburg is about 50 miles from Roanoke so I concocted a fantasy in my head of farm boys trading the card and it making it's way across the tobacco fields from Roanoke through Bedford to Lynchburg. I got the card (the guy gave it to me for my troubles...) and I still have it to this day...grateful for the opportunity to share the story with some fellows who might have similar tales.