Alpacas and Llamas Found In Tea Boxes

By Cathy Spalding

Page 2

The idea of a trade card evolved out of the rough cards used by tradesmen in the late 1700's to advertise their service. Though the precise origin of the trade card has been debated, they are thought to have originated in France around 1840 and had become popular throughout most European mainland countries by 1880.

During the Victorian era, it became a favorite pastime to collect these small, illustrated advertisements. Some examples from the early 1800's still exist but not many were created until the spread of color lithography in the 1870's. By the 1880's, trade cards had become the major avenue for advertising America's products and services.

Llama Card, Arbuckels Coffee 1890

They were given away free with a product and were often included inside the packaging. The intention was to promote a particular product and hook the customer through the desirability of the card. This was done by featuring the product directly on the card in a pleasing pictorial and sometimes comical way or to include a single card from a set of cards with the intent that the purchaser would wish to collect the entire set. Naturally, this became a strong incentive for repeat customers. Claims made about patent medicines were not regulated in the late 1800's and trade cards were even used to advertise miraculous medicinal results. The cards were colorful and attractive and children often pasted them into a scrapbook. The use and styling of trade cards matured as companies began campaigns to target specific buyers. As an example, products more typically purchased by women such as tea, breakfast cereal, sewing machines or soap began to most often portray softer themes such as flowers, historical scenes, royalty, or animals.

In response to widespread complaints of damage, early cigarette manufacturers began inserting a small blank card into the packaging to stiffen and strengthen the paper wrapping. In 1886, the United States manufacturer Allen & Ginter realized they were missing an obvious advertising opportunity and introduced the first cigarette trade card. The British manufacturer, W.D. & H.O. Wills, followed the lead in 1888. Soon, cigarette trade cards were commonplace.

This early cigarette trade card
(front and back shown) features the alpaca. It was manufactured in England by the Wills Co.

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