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Problems Tobacco Card Collectors Face
5 April 2007There are a number of problems with candy and tobacco cards that irritate collectors today. Perhaps the most annoying of these intricacies is the confusion created when trying to determine which cards belong to which sets. Sports card produced from about the 1950s on do not present this dilemma since virtually all consisted of a numbering and listing system.
But when it comes to tobacco cards and even some of the candy issues, sets were often printed without numbers on the cards. Even worse, the same lithographs and photographs used by some companies for their sets can be found on the cards made by one or more different companies. And many of these borrowed pictures were used on other cards produced over several years. In fact, some photographs for some cards were used on other cards produced as many as six or seven years apart! The 1903 Breisch Williams E107 set is a good example. The photographs on many of these cards can be found on the cards in the 1909 T206 “monster” set.
Unlike today where even my 10-year old can snap a shot with a digital camera and print the image using the computer, making a photograph or fabricating a lithograph was a time consuming job. And today’s collectors demand superbly manufactured cards with nothing less than an amazing action shot of the athlete.
This article will discuss these and other problems collectors face when searching for high-quality cards from the golden years. I’ll discuss distribution practices, card numbering, condition, and paper used in making the card.
Probably one of the most confusing concerns collecting vintage baseball cards has to do with how they were distributed to the general public. Understand that there were no highway interstates, complex air routes, or widespread postal system in place during the early 1900s. Therefore, card manufacturers usually dealt their baseball cards within a limited geographical area of the United State - the Northeast, for example.
Since the 1950s, sports cards have been distributed in two ways - nationally and regionally. Before that, they were usually dispersed locally or regionally. Unfortunately, some of the 19th century sports cards were so erratically circulated within their locale that it was difficult for some collectors to complete a set. Specifically, regional issues, which often accompanied food products such as potato chips, meats, ice cream and baked goods, were not always circulated throughout the region. Sometimes they were given out in a single city or or part of a single state. That left other areas of the region without cards. Because of their low numbers and paltry survival rate, these cards are now much more difficult to obtain than most nationally distributed cards and sets. On the other hand, they’re usually more expensive than the others and also offer some of the best challenges in the hobby.
At a time when promotional and distribution schemes had become popular, it’s a shame how some businesses were inefficiently delivering their products to the consumer. For example, Mecca (cigarette manufacturer), American Caramel Company (candy), and Topps (gum) cards, though nationally issued, were all distributed sporadically. At the time of distribution, many regions of the country simply didn’t receive certain brands of cigarettes, foods, and candies. Thus, collectors living within these areas didn’t have access to the particular cards. Consequently, most of the surviving cards from these sets came from collectors in varying regions of the country. Valuable cards made by any of these companies may still exist unkowingly today in basements, attics, and garages in those areas. Unlikely, but possible.
Many of the premiering cards were sold or given away as premiums through mail order. Premiums, which are usualy larger (mostly cabinet-sized), are always rarer than regular issues. Their prices, consequently, are also higher. Collectors usualy had to obtain a certain number of coupons (by purchasing packs of cigarettes or candy) and send them in with a few pennies to get the premium cards. Others were simply given away at local candy, tobacco, drug, and other corner stores.
Card Numbering
Another concern collectors have with collecting early sports cards, as indicated by the N172 Old Judge set, is that they were often released without a numbering system. The cards simply didn’t have numbers on them. Thus, it’s now almost impossible for a collector to knowingly collate a complete set. In face, many unnumbered series are constantly being updated as collectors find cards that obvioulsy belong to a particular set. As such, this has made the life of collecting hounds somewhat more miserable. It’s clearly an exciting moment when a collector confirms the introduction of a new card within the hobby. But, the lack of any sort of numbering system on some sets does make collecting a daunting task at times.
Condition
Prior to about 1980, baseball cards had always been traded regardless of the condition of the cards. After that, card health became very important to collectors. And some of the condition intricacies which modern collectors often encounter with early sports cards add to the predicaments of collating sets. Many of these cards are difficult to find without any fading, curving, or layering problems. Fading is a natural loss of color or clarity and is due to severe or lasting exposure to light (sun, desk lamp, room light, etc.) Curving, or a card with a curvature, simply means it has a bowing effect. This is the result of poor card protection. Of course, before the modern day boom in collecting, keeping a card in mint condition wasn’t even considered. Layering, sometimes referred to as peeling, represents the worst of these concerns. Layering generally means the lithograph or photograph has begun to separate from the paper backing. Fading, curving, layering, and other minor inconsistencies do not prevent interest in century-old cards, though. One has to expect that time is going to wear down the condition of them. Since they are rare enough already, collectors generally aren’t too choosy. Many are happy enough just to own a few tobacco cards.
Cardboard Doctoring
Something else which makes it difficult for collectors to put together quality early 20th century sets is that the cards were almost always printed and pasted on bargain barn paper. Unfortunately, many cards with one or more of these problems have been “re-backed”, giving them a new, and yet falsely aged backing. To earnest collectors, this completely reduces any value in the card. Other cards have been doctored in similar ways. The creativeness in which they have been altered has become a science. For example, creased cards have been “spooned” to a smoother condition. Cards with corner dents (a rouding effect) have been trimmed or shortened with a paper slicer or scissors. And forged food issues have been smeared with caramel, gum, or additional stains making them look genuine. Others simply contain a paste-work job where B. B. gun or dart holes once existed. All are sports card collector nightmares!
Identification Intricacies
The first thing a colector must do when contemplating buying a card is to identify it. Usually, in naming pre-1940 sets, all one would have to do is consult the Standard Catalog of Baeball Cards, a book listing almost every major early sports card set issued. By checking such things as size, manufacturer labels, or advertisements foundon the card, one can easily identiy it. However, if a card contains no indication of who printed or distributed it, the collector would definitely have a problem. These sports cards have been disignated as anonymous issues. The W517, R337, E98, E101, and E102 are some examples of anonymous cards. And even though their background isn’t clear, they’re usually identifiable by their letter/number designations. The editors of Sports Collectors Digest wrote:
“While most modern baseball cards are well identified on front, back, or both as to date and issue, such has not always been the case. In general, the back of the card is more useful in identifying the set of origin than the front. The issuer or sponsor’s name wil usually appear on the back since, after all, baseball cards were first produced as a promotional item to stimulate sales of other products. As often as not, that issuer’s name is the name by which the set is known to collectors.”
One sports card manufacturer in particular, Goodwin and Company, was notorious for fabricating cards in such a manner that sometimes made identification and listing almost impossible. They commonly issued a particular year’s set in several different series. For example, they would also change, add, and/or delete the team logos and insignias on many card fronts. To further complicate matters, they were also know for concocting alterations to the player uniforms and hats in order to save time and printing costs (the earliest form of airbrushing). Add this to the fact that many of their cards weren’t numbered and you can understand how difficult collecting old cards has become for the average collector today.
Many candy and tobacco cards can be found with different variations. In other words, one of the players in a 25-card set might be found on two or more cards in different poses (one showing him fielding a ball and the other showing him hitting, for example). Several reasons contribute to these variations. Some are simply typographical errors. The 1908 E102 Base Ball Players’ Boss Schmidt, which is sometimes found spelled “Smith” is a good example. Cards with this type of spelling variation are usually of no extra value.
It is also my belief that some players were so popular that they deserved several cards in the regular set. Another possibility is that card manufacturers made several proofs (final card used for printing) of each card, with the intention of choosing the best one, and knowingly printed and distributed the different versions because of their exceptional quality or beauty. Whatever the case, if a collector wants to complete the entire set, he is usually expected to obtain the variations as well.
There still remains several additional issues collectors must sort out when discussing early baseball cards. These include grammatical errors on cards, grading issues, and card designations. I’ll discuss these in my next post.
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