T220 Silver - Uncut Edition

[G1911]

Back to the research front, I think I have found some more relating to T220 here while digging through old copies of the United States Tobacco Journal.

J.B. Bevill is listed in the January 5, 1910 issue as the man "who will have charge of the Moguls and Helmars, and will have as assistants S.R. Calish... G.C. McConnell, J.E White and J. Higgins. This article also notes some other job switches in the ATC and department pairings.

The June 8th issue has Bevill being sent to New York. Bevill "who had charge of the cigarette department of the 'A. T.' Co. in Boston is now in New York and has been succeeded by Mr. Gay". A transfer to New York almost always means a promotion within the ATC.

J.B. Bevill is listed as being in Boston "visiting the jobbers" in the July 2, 1910 issue. This phrase seems to be used to mean the low-level employees of the ATC, but at others times is used to also denote small store buyers.

Bevill is listed in the September 24, 1910 edition as the "manager of the Mecca and Tolstoi cigarette department of the American Tobacco Co." and coming to Chicago on the way home from a "western trip". So Mecca and Tolstoi were a singular department, which is new information. They issued T218 and T220 together, and more sets singly without both brands being involved. The date on the back of the T220 sheet is September 13, 1910, just days before this issue. Bevill is probably the person at the ATC who would have given final sign off to actually issue the cards with these brands (Hassan was not issued at the same time as Mecca) and send to the factories for packing; the man who Fullgraff probably passed overall responsibility too after the lithographers had printed the cards.

The November 19, 1910 issue has Bevill temporarily in Chicago now, "devoting his time and active services to a two weeks selling campaign in the interest of the Lenox brand, which he hopes to popularize in the local market.... the sale in the past has been confined to a very limited territory in this city." Possibly interesting to T206 guys, not sure if Chicago localization is new. ATC jobs seem to have been more like guidelines than how we think of job responsibilities today usually, employees seem to switch positions and go off on side projects all the time and it is treated as normal.

Bevill stayed with the ATC after the feds busted up their operation. In 1919 he was still an employee and visitng Boston worksites according to the March 5, 1919 edition of the Tobacco Record. He was still there as a sales manager in 1921, according to some FTC documents. In 1926 a J.B. Bevill of Boston (which seems to have been the tobacco Bevill's original home) a corn and eczema lotion company. In 1914 a J.B. Bevill in New York, where we last know he was living, is identified as having "plumbing and gas works" installed in his "handsome new residence and garage" at Anderson and Prospect avenues in the Domestic Engineering Journal. Nobody ever gives his Christian name.

For the immense expense and scope of the card project as a primary form of advertising for the monopoly, it is somewhat surprising that the cards almost never actually appear in the industry journals as even a footnote mention.

[G1911]

In October, 1910 the United States Tobacco Journal reports demand has exceeded supply and the Mecca cigarettes have shortages. This is right about the time I would expect the cards to be starting to enter the market.

It is purely speculative, but this rather than cost may have been the reason the silver borders were quickly abandoned, if it was taking too long to get the extra fancy work done on the cards and there was an active shortage in the market, the need for more expensive premiums clearly wasn't there and slowing down distribution wouldn't be advisable.

[G1911]

Also came across this in an article from July 9, 1910 about the film of the Jeffries-Johnson fight (owned by AL) being banned in the city of San Francisco. Presumably the gentlemen Hess, S.F. cigar men, have connection to the S.F. Hess business that issued the west coast N332 boxers.

[G1911]

While Knapp's American Lithography held the film rights, as Pat discovered, the ATC apparently held "exclusive advertising privileges" to the event for the tobacco industry. Johnson signed a late contract and was almost certainly super printed in a weird printing setup for T218 and T9 in the lead up to the fight and its immediate aftermath. Presumably that contract was among the bundle of deals made by the Jeffries and Johnson camps with the lithographers and tobacco monopoly. Jeffries had an earlier, normal schedule contract.

[G1911]

The Corbett panel appeared on eBay, listed as a T220 this time but not mentioning silver or that the Corbett is a special card. Bids got cancelled and the panel relisted for $15,000 or best offer, and an offer was taken immediately. Somebody talked him into ending it early. Seller made a hell of a profit on that flip from the tiny price paid originally in the terribly listed toy auction, but still left some money on the table here.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by G1911

The Corbett panel appeared on eBay, listed as a T220 this time but not mentioning silver or that the Corbett is a special card. Bids got cancelled and the panel relisted for $15,000 or best offer, and an offer was taken immediately. Somebody talked him into ending it early. Seller made a hell of a profit on that flip from the tiny price paid originally in the terribly listed toy auction, but still left some money on the table here.

Ya' gotta wonder if that becomes a Graziano type card in the hobby.

Not to give anybody any ideas, but I'd guess there's a good chance that gets chopped up into 8 cards...especially if somebody convinces a TPG company to put them in slabs.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Ya' gotta wonder if that becomes a Graziano type card in the hobby.

Not to give anybody any ideas, but I'd guess there's a good chance that gets chopped up into 8 cards...especially if somebody convinces a TPG company to put them in slabs.

That’s one of the less selfish reasons I’ve been trying to gather them all up. I’d hate to see these get destroyed and cut up for slabs, there’s no putting them back together. Odds are over 50% it will be chopped, I figure. Many have advised me to chop up the Donovan because it will be worth more in a maimed state.