Let’s rehash the Bond Bread controversy.

[Johnphotoman]

Relevant to our conversation here, there is another post Ted Z posted in.
https://www.net54baseball.com/showth...Bread+packages Ted Z post# 2-Fresh out of the Bond Bread packages, the corners of these cards were always Rounded:

Quote Ted Z: “A 2nd printing of the original 48 cards of the Bond Bread issues 1947 were available in stores in 1949 - 1950. These Square cards were sold over-the-counter in packages of 12 cards each.”

“......Date unknown, 24 of these cards were re-printed (circa 1980, a warehouse find of these cards occurred). These re-printed cards were produced with inferior cardboard stock and are clearly distinguishable from the above two original issues by their "cream-colored" backs.”

The evidence suggests something totally different. The cards sold over the counter in boxes of 12 were being sold circa 1940s-1950s, and they had die-cut corners on bright paper stock. Sold as Collectors & Traders Sports Star Subjects among others names. There were 4 boxes of 12 cards each, making a 48 card set. Printed and issued by Aarco Playing Card Company. As you know by now Bond Bread did not print their own set of cards, they use Aarco Playing Card company for that. What Aarco did was use some of the exact same images from the 48 card set of Sports Star Subjects, on the Bond Bread cards. They added new images in 1947, (new sports stars), everything stayed the same, except the paper stock; Aarco printed the Bond Bread cards on cream white paper stock, maybe at the request of Bond Bread, but my guess is it was done so you could tell the sets apart.

Understand there were not square cards in the boxes from Collectors & Traders Sports Star Subjects, they were all die-cut. Stay with me, the exact same set as Bond Bread cards were printed with square corners in 1947: The best evidence suggests by Aarco Playing Card Company. You see they had the rights, license to print the images on the cards. The theory is at the same time Bond Bread approached Aarco to print trading cards; other companies did the same. Aarco printed and produced the square corner cards for handouts / gave away as a promotional item.

What took place was two versions of the exact same set were printed and issued in 1947, one set for bond Bread with die-cut corners, the other set square corner cards were for handouts, by anyone who wanted to promote their business by giving away trading cards. This theory comes from people who had first hand knowledge, people who I talked to personally.

Myth, there is no evidence suggesting a reprint circa 1980s, warehouse find. In fact there is no evidence of any reprint of the Aarco cards we call Bond Bread. The evidence says the warehouse find was printed circa 1947 (as handouts). It is believed they were stored away, and Aarco would sell set of cards to the companies who would purchase handouts from their stock of cards, somehow this stock of cards found there way to a warehouse in New Jersey only to be discovered in 1980 by David Festherg: If that is were he did discover the cards, many questions about how and when David Festherg discovered the cards.

The two original issue sets Ted Z was talking about (1947 and 1949) one 1947 issues had round corners and 1949 issues had squared corners; according to Ted Z, and both were printed on cream paper stock. NO! Totally wrong, only the Bond Bread cards were, the Sports Star Subjects cards were printed on bright white paper stock with round corners. On top of that…only Bond Bread was printed in 1947, as for the Sports Stars card… circa 1940-1950s. Now for the 1980 warehouse find (Festberg) was on different paper stock. In fact all square cards like the Festberg cards were all printed on the same paper stock Ivory/beige, circa 1947. John.

Images below First sets of cards - Bond Bread on top, Sports Star Subjects on bottom. Backs of cards: Left side Bond Bread top, bottom left Sports Star Subjects. Sports Star Subjects top right bottom right Bond Bread. Understand I lasted the backs of the cards in a different order then the front.