Cigarette Cards' History

Trading cards pre-date cigarette cards and originated in 15th century China, about the same time the printing press was conceived. Trading cards started out as simple calling cards. Calling cards were introduced to France in the 17th century and their popularity spread throughout English society in the same century.

Calling cards soon evolved into business or tradesmen's cards under the rapidly increasing commercial pressures of the industrial revolution. The popularity of trading cards soared, especialy since at the time other types of media, such as newspapers, were rather under developed. Advances in colour printing technology in the mid 19th century meant that trading cards became one of the most powerful marketing tools the world has ever witnessed. Au Bon Marche' and Liebig produced colourful sets of trading cards on a prolific scale.

The first cigarette packets were very fragile and so thick cards were inserted to stiffen them. An enterprising US businessman decided to print colourful adverts on the "stiffener" cards. Soon cards were issued on subjects appealing to smokers, such as glamorous actresses, sports, warships etc. Firms soon realised that they could strengthen customer loyalty by issuing sets of beautifully illustrated and informative cards, playing on man's instinctive desire to collect and for order and completeness. The commercial success of these cards was demonstrated by the rapid growth of some of these early and often small tobacco firms into global empires.

At a time when the average person could not afford books, and newspapers contained no photographs, the attractive and encyclopaedic cigarette cards were very popular. At the beginning of the 20th century, more cards were issued with cigarette brands than for any other product and this is probably why trading cards are often referred to as "cigarette cards" even though there is no connection with cigarettes.

Initially, there were many small independent tobacco firms who issued cigarette cards but, as in many situations, a small group of powerful tobacco firms gradually emerged, striving for mass production and cost cutting. This was bad news for the cigarette card whose quality, it is generally accepted, declined as the years went by.
The cigarette card era came to a sudden end at the beginning of WWII, due to severe paper rationing.

The vacuum left by cigarette cards was partly filled by bubble gum cards and tea cards. It is generally accepted that the design of these post WWII cards favoured mass production over quality. There is currently a collectors' card renaissance. Some modern day collectors' card manufacturers are listening to what many collectors want and producing beautifully illustrated cards on high quality card stock once again.