SF Hess Creole Cigarette Packs & Cards

[Joe_G.]

With the support of Dick Elliott, editor of Brandstand newsletter, I'm posting a recent submission of mine to share with my card collecting friends. Dick Elliott's Brandstand newsletter has been serving the cigarette pack collecting community since 1976.

https://cigpack.webs.com/

I welcome feedback on the packs, cards, and research in general.

[RCMcKenzie]

Great article, Joe. I enjoyed reading it. The art series cards are neat. I'll have to look for those now.

[Casey2296]

Great research Joe, thank you. N321's are some of my favorites.
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[insidethewrapper]

The article stated 83 subjects in the N321 set. How many have been checklisted so far ? The only reference I have seen is 40.

[Joe_G.]

Hey Rob, the N331 Art Series cards are interesting. Some of the art work is well known, other pieces seem to be lost to time. These cards were being distributed at a time when many in the general public felt showing an ankle was over the line. Some of the Art Series cards can also be found with the more generic and common SF Hess advert at bottom such as the following Lady Godiva (less scandalous than many of the others).



Phil & Mike, the N321s are sweet. They are the most common SF Hess baseball issue but still represent a challenge to collect in quantity. I'm aware of two complete sets and a third collector one card short. The checklist is considered complete at 40, not sure why SF Hess was advertising 83 (this number is reported in multiple papers over period of couple months). Mark Macrae has previously shared details on paper variations but I don't believe SF Hess would count double based on these minor variations (plus doesn't get you to 83). Maybe they accidently shared a number that accounted for both the color cards (N321) and photographic cards (N338-1) although only about half of those additional 43 cards have been checklisted as N338-1 (very rare card issue, could be 43 subjects with many lost to time). Maybe SF Hess simply made an advertising error or they wanted everyone to smoke endlessly to reach 83

Welcome sharing other theories or just copies of your favorite SF Hess cards.

[rhettyeakley]

Joe, great thread with a lot of amazing new info, I always learn so much from your posts. I'll have to go back through my Hess cards.

[oaks1912]

Joe,
Very nice article on this elusive, 130 + year old set. Great to see more info, particularly from the period. I don't know where the 83 count leaves us. I agree that the paper / print variations would likely not be factored by the company. I guess we'll have to keep our eyes open for the other 43