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Cigarette cards or tobacco cards began as ‘stiffeners’ in the flimsy paper packs of cigarettes around the last quarter of the 19th century. The brilliant idea of adding pictures of almost every subject under the sun to these plain card ‘stiffeners’ has resulted in a legacy of fascinating beauty.

In the early days there was strong competition by the tobacco firms to attract smokers to their particular brand of cigarette. Given away originally then, one card per pack, the attractive picture cards worked as an incentive for smokers to stick to a certain make, hopefully ensuring the smoker’s loyalty until a full set could be collected - and beyond.

Over a short period of around sixty years the tobacco firms issued thousands of different sets of cards, only ending abruptly with concern over paper shortages at the start of World War II.

Since 1939 few cigarette cards have been issued.

Today collecting cigarette cards from that brief period is becoming ever popular as more people realize the beauty and value of these “miniature masterpieces”.

While most sets of cards are still within the reach of ‘the man in the street’ there are some sets, and even individual cards, that only the very wealthy can acquire. Not too long ago a baseball tobacco card of Honus Wagner - initially given away in a cigarette pack - sold on Ebay for over one million dollars!

In my store I will be offering rare and exclusive tobacco card sets along with other attractive sets of various subject matter. All of the cards you will see here are ORIGINAL and issued in the year stated. I do not sell reproduction cards.

Please take a look at my items by clicking on the card of a subject you like.