Cartophilist - Collector of Cigarette Cards

I am playing the game Red Dead Redemption 2 and like most sandbox, mega games, it comes with alot of content and depth, particularly, in the setting of 1899.

One of the game collectables is to find a sets of Cigarette cards.

card advert.PNG

I don't want to provide any spoilers, other than to say, it peaked my interest regarding Cigarette Cards.

The collectable cigarette card started from humble beginnings.

Initially, cigarettes were packed loose in paper, with a cardboard insert, being used as a "stiffener" to protect the cigarettes from damage.

An entrepreneurial mind saw this as an opportunity to place advertising upon the card.

This, in turn, led to an opportunity for cigarette companies to gain loyalty in their brands by creating card sets to be collected.
Children would often pester their parents, and strangers, for their cigarette cards.

The cards covered all, and any, kind of topic or interest.
From sports, people, cartoons, photos, animals, nature, military and so forth. Always striving to entice the customer to buy more packets.

The idea evolved further with the introduction of text on the back of some cards, giving background information about the picture.

(A good thing to know that your nose continues straight down from your forehead)

The 1879, Cigarette Card, “The Marquis of Lorne”, which sold for $15,275, in 2009.

Cigarette cards increased in popularity, with some decline during World War 1 due to scarcity and resource rationing, but flourished during the 1920's and 30's.

The popularity of the Cigarette Card, then created a market for Albums to store them in. Again, the level of quality, variety, plain, pictured, book like to folder like, it further enhanced the attractiveness of card collecting.