Cigarette Card Collector



Cigarette Card Collector Football

Football cards started to appear slightly later than those of cricketers, first in the general interest series such as those issued by Ogden's Ltd. around 1900. Dedicated series became popular between 1900 and 1910, with a number being issued by a wide range of manufacturers. A number of these earlier sets are very scarce and individual cards can go for £100s and complete sets are rarely seen. Two more affordable sets issued in this period are those entitled "Football Club Colours" (51 cards, 1906) and "Famous Footballers" (50 cards, 1908), both issued by Ogden's Ltd. Although scarcer than later sets, these can still be found as complete sets, and at about £150-£160 per set, these are cheaper than some individual cards. Printed in colour, they are also much more attractive than some of the rather dour yet incredibly expensive black and white cards issued in the same period. It is worth pointing out that no distinction used to be made between Association Football and Rugby Football in many sets, so it is common to find both football and rugby players in a single set. Also of note in this period are the "Prominent Footballers" series issued in 1907 by Taddy & Co. and the "Noted Footballers" series issued in 1910 by Cope Bros. & Co. Ltd. They produced series of cards containing approximately 600 and 1000 cards respectively, covering virtually all known footballers at the time. A similar feat was accomplished by Godfrey Phillips Ltd. in the 1920s, with their series of about 2500 cards issued with Pinnace Cigarettes. The cost and time involved in assembling complete sets means that these are rarely seen and it is more usual for collectors to collect only those players from a single team. With the popularity of football, it is not surprising that many more series were issued throughout the 1920s and 1930s and these can be easily found, usually at about £40-£80 for a set of 50 cards. Indeed, some 10,000 individual cigarette cards depicting footballers were issued before World War Two. Such cards provide an excellent and relatively cheap resource for those with interest in the history of football in general or of a particular player or club.

Good value sets

	John Player & Sons Footballers 1928 Set of 50, £85.00
	W.D. & H.O. Wills Association Footballers (issued 1939) Set of 50, £65.00
	Ardath Tobacco Co. Ltd. Famous Footballers (issued 1934) Set of 50, £75.00

Individual players, teams and tailor made collections

	If you prefer to collect only a single team or even a single player rather than complete sets of mixed clubs, then we can put together a tailor made collection for you. As an example, an eight card collection of Dixie Dean, the famous Everton centre-forward, is shown on the left. We also have a number of team photocards, issued with both cigarettes and other products, such as magazines and sweets, from the 1920s through to the 1960s, starting from just £2.00. These often contain team listings on the back and are ideal for those researching the history of a club.