Where were the 1928 Sociedade Industrial dos Tabacos de Angola produced/distributed?

[glchen]

When I bought a few of these on ebay in 2013, I believe it was a European seller who said he bought them at a flea market in Portugal. I also have the "weird" one from Leon's Heritage auction a few years ago. They are definitely interesting cards. I've also added a Tabacalera so folks can compare the different Ruth versions.

[Exhibitman]

Those are great! One thing for sure about both issues is that they are tough.

ETA: there is also a second series of the Sociedade cards with white borders. No baseball but there is a Max Schmeling.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by glchen

When I bought a few of these on ebay in 2013, I believe it was a European seller who said he bought them at a flea market in Portugal. I also have the "weird" one from Leon's Heritage auction a few years ago. They are definitely interesting cards. I've also added a Tabacalera so folks can compare the different Ruth versions.

Thanks Gary for another confirmation, along with Adam's, of the European origin of these cards. And with the Portuguese on back, it certainly points to Portugal.

Let us now all take a moment to point our fingers at Portugal.

Brian

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Let us now all take a moment to point our fingers at Portugal.

Brian

Which one?

Can't believe I forgot to post this:



Here's the white border:



The Schmeling indicates an issue date on the white borders of 1930-1932 since it refers to him as the new champ; he won the title in 1930, lost it in 1932.

Also, has anyone tried to translate the backs? They say: "The most modern and the best assembled colony factory powered by electricity. Careful handling of tobacco. Selected products. Unrivaled manufacture." Seems to support the colonial export theory as well as the use of the cards as pack inserts. My SWAG is that the colony did not have the printing capacity to make the cards so they were made in Portugal and sent to Angola for inclusion in the ciggies to be shipped and sold in Europe, hence the cards turning up from European sellers.

[Jobu]

I lived in Brazil for a while and speak some Brazilian Portuguese. The text makes me think that these were made in Portugal using tobacco from Angola.

"A mais moderna e a mais bem montada fabrica da Colonia" translates to "The most modern and well-built factory in the Colony". Here "da" is the contraction of "de a" which is "from the".

The fact that they capitalize Colony and simply mention it as if "the Colony" is common knowledge makes it feel to me like these were marketed in the country whose colony it was - Portugal. If they were marketed in Angola they probably wouldn't have gone out of their way to brag about the Colony because I don't know that that would have been a great selling point for anyone actually in Angola.

All pure speculation though.

[swarmee]

I agree. No reason to do the packaging in Angola. Just import the tobacco and package in Portugal. Same rationale for Khedival and Turkish in the US, presuming the tobacco in those cards actually came from Turkey.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by swarmee

I agree. No reason to do the packaging in Angola. Just import the tobacco and package in Portugal. Same rationale for Khedival and Turkish in the US, presuming the tobacco in those cards actually came from Turkey.

I don't think there was any tobacco in those cards; maybe in the packs

[Leon]

Originally Posted by glchen

When I bought a few of these on ebay in 2013, I believe it was a European seller who said he bought them at a flea market in Portugal. I also have the "weird" one from Leon's Heritage auction a few years ago. They are definitely interesting cards. I've also added a Tabacalera so folks can compare the different Ruth versions.

Those are great cards. Thanks for sharing. I think I might recognize one...and congrats on the card from my first collection. It's awesome.

.