Jon Canfield's Baseball Related Cigarette and Tobacco Packs

Issued in 1912 by the American Tobacco Company, this set is the last of the great tobacco sets. Called the "Brown Background" because of the sepia backdrop behind the players on its cards, the T207 set is not as widely collected as many other tobacco issues of its day. This lack of collector popularity is due to several factors; compared to other T-series tobacco sets, there are fewer stars, less color and an unimaginative design. Two cigarette products, two cigar products and one tobacco product inserted T207s cards into their respective packaging. The brands associated with the back advertisements of this set include Broadleaf, Cycle, Napoleon, Recruit and Red Cross. Because of the multitude of brands used in the distribution of the T207 set, the types of packaging used in the distribution, as well as their rarity and value, varies greatly. As such, I have detailed each brand used in the distribution below.

Broadleaf: T207s bearing a Broadleaf back advertisement were packaged in 10-count slide & shell boxes of Broadleaf Cigarettes. Since 1995, I have only been able to document the existence of six Broadleaf cigarette boxes. Of those six, two are 20-count, one is a 15-count, and two date to 1917 and 1918 respectively. Only one of the size is a 10-count box dating to 1910. In short, a Broadleaf cigarette box would be the cornerstone of any collection. Estimated value of a Broadleaf cigarette box is $1250.00+.

Cycle: T207s bearing a Cycle back advertisement were packaged in 10-count slide & shell boxes of Cycle Cigarettes. Cycle cigarette boxes remain one of the more difficult boxes to obtain although are occasionally offered for sale. Estimated value of a Cycle cigarette box is $150.00+.

Napoleon: T207s bearing a Napoleon back advertisement were packaged in 10-count slide & shell boxes of Napoleon Little Cigars. At this time, the photo above is of the only known Napoleon package. To say that this brand is extremely rare would be an understatement. Estimated value of a Napoleon cigar box is $800.00+

Recruit: T207s bearing a Recruit back advertisement were packaged in 10-count slide & shell boxes of Recruit ÒLittle CigarsÓ. Recruit cigar boxes are fairly easy to obtain and do not command high prices. Estimated value of a Recruit cigar box is $60.00+

Red Cross: T207s bearing a Red Cross advertisement were packaged in paper pouches of Red Cross Tobacco. Red Cross Tobacco packs are extremely difficult to locate and rarely are available for sale. Estimated value of a Red Cross tobacco pouch is $350.00+

BACK TO CIGARETTE BOXES & TOBACCO PACKS