Vintage Tobacco Packs- Let's see them

[Joe_G.]

Originally Posted by jerrys

Possibilities:
1. GQ-t1 had N175 - GQ-t2 N162 cards. (Counter boxes, pack and card match design.)
2. GQ-t1 had N175 and N162- GQ-t2 no cards.
3. Both GQs had both cards.

ATC? Why?

Jerry, we continue to learn more about the card sets and related items with time. For example, since publishing the OJ book ten years ago we know more about Goodwin, the cards issued, the distribution, redemption offers, etc. In the book you will find reference to belief that there were no baseball cards distributed in Dogs Head packs and we now know that is wrong. Every Dogs Head pack had an N172 + another card (initially N163 - Dogs of the World, followed by N165 Games & Sports). That is, until ATC merger.

Per your options above, I believe Option 2 is most likely, the plain box was used for both N175 and N162. N162 cards may have also been inserted in OJ packs once the baseball season ended as it was a set that covered far more than baseball. It wasn't until 1889 that Goodwin, per the Tobacco Journal that I wrote about in the last issue of Old Cardboard, kept the baseball player portraits (N172s) in the packs year round.

Regarding 5 cent packs such as GQ, there were others that had high quality cards inserted such as Duke's Best (N84 playing cards + N85 Postage Stamp cards), two color cards in one pack of 5 cent smokes.

Here is a more complete, yet small image of the ornate pack courtesy of Jim Shaw (doesn't own it but shared image). After the ATC merger there were a lot of changes to the lesser brands, the distribution and packaging often changed (sometimes ceased altogether if experimenting with it failed).

Enough about GQ Your dating on N28 and N29 cards are off a bit, it should state fall of 1888 for N28 and late summer of 1889 for N29. These cards were also distributed in more than just Richmond Straight Cut packs. I've mentioned this before on the forum and published some of the details in last issue of OC. I'll write on this a bit more in a separate thread as there is a good bit to share.


More pics . . . Here are a couple images of a candy & tobacco store from Grand Haven, MI (dated on back as 1913).

If you look hard at the shelf below the pipes (top) you will see OBAK, Fatima, and others. Henry, looks like the Tiger Chewing Tobacco tin at bottom center is a match to the one in your display.