Redeemed E106s ?

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Posted By: Mark Macrae

While I can't say definitively on this particular E-106, I can state that many cards (including Zeenuts) have been found in original collections which contain similar types of "redemption marks". In more than a handfull of collections that I have bought over the last 35 years, I have encountered cards with unique markings on them, and have been fortunate to talk to the original buyer, who in most cases hadn't done any "collecting" since the cards were first pulled from the candy boxes decades earlier. Independantly, the information they shared with me suggests that many "mom & pop" stores offered a premium above and beyond what the manufacturer offered. A common trait is that these stores seemed to be in densely populated parts of cities , in the case of Zeenuts, primarily Oakland and San Francisco, where households each contained several children. (Yes I asked where they lived, including the street intersections !) Essentially, what I have felt, is that a competition for young customers was waged amongst store owners. In the 1910's and 1920's, a nickel or dime product had a lot more clout than it does today. In the case of Zeenuts (& related Collins issued 5 cent products that contained the cards), which were packaged 100 boxes of candy to a case, store owners in the right neighborhoods could sell dozens of cases per week. Some original collectors remembered their "bonus" premium was a free box of candy with every 50 cards they brought back. The cards found have been defaced with punch holes (mostly), or marked on the reverse in some fashion. While some modern collectors will designate such cards as "Poor" condition, others will understand this trait & decide whether or not to include such an item in their collection. In today's economy, a comparable offer might be one of the neighborhood gas stations offering $50 rebate off every 100 gallons of gas purchased at their station. I'd probably drive an extra mile to be a part of that offer too !