B18 Blankets Packaging

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

I have a question about how the B18 blankets were packaged. I had heard that there was a band around the felt in the package. I also have one that appears to have remenants of a paper band. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Lee

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I will in a few minutes...

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Got him! Here's the back of a Chief Myers B-18. You can see that blue and white paper. If you go to page 2 of Mr. Lipset's Encyclopedia, volume 3, he has a picture of a B-18 still wrapped up. That blue and white piece of paper had "An attractive Novelty Attached to this Package" on it. Mr. Lipset says that the printing on the box in which a bunch of these were found had "Egyptienne Straights Cigarettes" on it. And that is why these B-18s are listed in the 20th century tobacco volume of his Encyclopedia.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Here is what I have:



Lee

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Posted By: Andrew S.

I bet there would be one heck of a premium to be realized if someone found a Cobb or Jackson in the original mint packaging and auctioned it on eBay? I have dreams about finding old wooden crates covered with cobwebs in old store basements and prying them open to find "holy grail" sports collectibles like that.

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

Andrew I think if you found just one, B18 still in the original package you would make a pretty dime. I believe their have been very few found, is there more than the one?

Lee

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Posted By: CN

I think this is a great post something I remember from when I started lurking 4 years ago. I do like some o/t posts but I mainly log on to learn more about the hobby I love and a post like this educates someone like me. CN

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

The mention in Mr. Lipset's Encyclopedia says a box of B-18s were found by a Cleveland collector. It does not say how many were in the box. Anyone interested in this really should get Mr. Lipset's fine work.

When I received the Myers, New York blanket above, I was annoyed with the blue paper piece pasted to the back. I thought about peeling it away, but left it alone at the time. Some time later I bought volume 3 of the Encyclopedia from Mr. Lipset, then read it cover to cover. And that is when I realized what that blue strip of paper was. I was glad I'd left it on there.

I don't doubt that there are other B-18s out there with remnants, and even big pieces. And I believe that a lot of those remnants have been peeled off over the past 93 years.

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Posted By: ErlandStevens

Many years ago I bought a Wheat B18 out of SCD that had the sticker (partial) on it. The seller touted it as the tax sticker. I didn't know any better and believed him.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Erland, did you peel it off, or is it still there?

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Posted By: ErlandStevens

Still there. I'm way too chicken to try to peel it off.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I believe I once peeled one off, and some threads from the blanket adhered to it, so I would be careful.

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Posted By: Mike

b18 Packagehttp://www.network54.com/Realm/tmp/1193247986.JPG

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Posted By: 1880nonsports

I wndered into an antique mall. In a drawer there were 40+ empty packages with all the accoutrements (package/adv/strip). There were many seperate FLAG felts and I was already aware of their "common" status. It was early in my collecting days and blankets/felts were out of my zone. I regret it still as I think they wanted 5.00 for one....... Nice post of the package. Just as I remember them.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Beautiful package, Mike. That should well answer Lee's inquiry.

And I'd think that anyone with a B-18 that has a bit of the blue paper tape on it should rejoice, and leave it on there!

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Are these blankets capable of being graded?

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Posted By: leon

I have never seen one graded, though I am not saying one hasn't been, but have not seen one myself. Of course the holder would have to fit it at about 5 1/4" x 5 1/4"....which I think most companies can do now....I don't know what the criteria would be in order determine the grade though. Would have to study that a bit...

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

For preservation purposes, I think this could look pretty cool in an oversized black bordered holder.

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Posted By: Patrick McMenemy

I have seen and owned quite a few B18s with partial blue strips, and I carefully removed them.

I also made custom frames to hang B18s, when I first started to collect them as well.





Patrick

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Posted By: Steve

GAI slabs 'em in a Walmart flexi-type holder.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Steve, GAI really went to the drawing board on that one, huh? Damn.

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Posted By: Jim Harkins

Lee

Great post. This type of question makes you think. I have a complete set of B18 blankets. A few have remnants of tape. Some still have the faint creases where the blanket was folded. I believe that the blanket was folded over and then again folded over. This was then taped to the cigarette pack by circling the pack with the tape with the beginning contacting the end. Some remnants show the overlap. if this is correct, no envelope could have been used in the packaging. Another possibility is that some were packaged with an envelope, possibly because of difficulty in removing the tape and/or complaints about soiling of the blanket. I have a number of blankets that show soiling and dirt or tabacco stains on one quarter of the back. my guess they were subject to soiling during packaging. The envelope would prevent this.

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I think an envelope was used, but that the blanket wasn't in the envelope.

I think the blanket was folded down to a certain size, then the small manila envelope was placed atop it, then the gummed paper tape was wrapped around the two, to fasten the two together.

Look at the photo above, and the photo and description in Mr. Lipset's Encyclopedia.

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Posted By: Jim Harkins

Frank,

Thanks for referring me to Lew Lipsets Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards. It's been 20 years since I've read it, and it truly is a great reference book. I spent about 4 hours last night (while watching the world series) reading the section on B18's, over and over. I wish he was just a little clearer. Here is my interpretation of what he writes.
A collector found a box containing a number of B18s. On the outside of the box was written the brand name, Egyptienne Straights Cigarettes. Inside the box each B18 was folded in a small manila envelope. The adhesive strip was intact.
Definitely this was a great find. Something we all Dream about.
My guess, 90 some years ago a guy liked this brand of cigarettes and had no interest in baseball. Or maybe he was the store owner. The cigarettes got sold and the blankets went into the box. The adhesive strip had to wrap around the pack of cigarettes. Possibly a second strip went around the blanket? I don't know. Lew Lipset, if your out there, I would love to here more about this find.