Comprehensive Exhibit Supply Co (ESCO) Information

[Exhibitman]

I don't know of anywhere that has one. It is really only the 21-22-23 repeated players (like Ruth) that will mess with you since the 25s and 26s have year-specific typefaces, the 27s and 28s are different colors than the others, and the 1930s are all distinctive one way or another (but you will need a Standard Catalog) to sort them out; I still do & I've been collecting them for 20+ years). The old Beckett memorabilia book (and I mean old; 1980s) used to cover 21-22-23 in one omnibus listing which actually helps sort them out.

FWIW, I've grown convinced over time that the 21-23 issues flowed one into the other with some of the 1922s replacing some of the 1921s and some of the 1923s replacing some of the 1921s and 1922s. I think that's why you see some 1921's and 1922's more commonly than others and why you see some reused artwork but with different borders or different cropping in the 1923-4 issue--ESCO was trying to cut corners by issuing less than full new sets every year and was recycling its art but still claiming a new set. ESCO then seems to have realized that it could do OK with new cards and issued new sets (albeit with recycled images) until the [last] Depression, then recycled the images again into the 4 on 1s that it also seems to have redesigned every year with minor adjustments to tints and player selection. After the 4 on 1s burnt out we know for a fact that ESCO flowed one year's issue into the next from 1939-66; there is a scan on my site of a full sheet with a Salutations Ted Williams and a Rocky Colavito in Detroit gear (he was traded after the 1960 season for Kueen) on it, which means that some Salutations were issued until at least 1961.