Iconic cigarette cards set to go up for sale

Cigarette cards were a huge thing back in the day.

From the late 1800’s people collected the picture cards which were placed in the inside of boxes of cigarettes.

There were whole series of cards on a certain them, film stars, models, actors, famous sports people, animals, cars, nature.

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It seems strange now but it was a hugely fashionable thing to smoke then, it was glamourous and with each pack of Benson & Hedges or John Player you would get a colour picture of a famous actress, model or sports icon.

The London Cigarette Company in Somerton, Somerset has been producing catalogues of cigarette and trade cards for near 100 years and they hold regular auctions for collectors.

They were featured on television programmes including Flog it on BBC and Storage Hoarders on ITV and it is big business.

The next auction is on November 30 and one set of cards comes in at the starting price of £1,500.

But most cards come in a lot cheaper and there are lots of affordable cards to buy on their website which could make a nostalgic present.

The cards are quite beautiful and represent a time long past when film stars were film stars and there was no social media or paparazzi.

That is why so many people collect them, it is nostalgia for a time when to collect a full set of cards in a series really was a delight.

It also sold more cigarettes for cigarette companies on both sides of the Atlantic.

The London Cigarette Card Company (LCCC) is a great little business and has been running for decades in this niche market.

It is not just cigarette cards, their online business offers all kinds of cards since the late 1800’s and it is a fascinating history.

They also offer modern cards of films including 101 Dalmatians and tributes to famous stars like Diana Dors and Dean Martin.

Between 1875 and the 1940s, cigarette companies often included collectible cards with their packages of cigarettes.

Cigarette card sets document popular culture from the turn of the century, often depicting the period's actresses, costumes, and sports, as well as offering insights into mainstream humour and cultural norms.

Beginning in 1879, cards depicting actresses, baseball players, Native American chiefs, boxers, national flags or wild animals were issued by cigarette companies.

Each set of cards typically consisted of 25 or 50 related subjects, but series of over 100 cards per issue are known.

The London Cigarette Card Company in Somerton has just produced the 2025 Values Catalogue for the hobby of card collecting.

They have been publishing price guide catalogues annually from their premises in Somerton for over 45 years.

It is a lovely niche Somerset business which has been going for many, many years and looks set to continue for many more.

For details of their auctions and wide selection of cards visit their website at www.londoncigcard.co.uk