Military & Empire Cigarette & Trade Cards

[Harry Fecitt]

This is part of a page from another Belgian album of cards depicting Congolese fauna & flora. Both sets were issued by chocolate manufacturers.

The text is only in Flemish.

This album is more like the South African ones that Mervyn refers to in Post #48.

[Harry Fecitt]

A set of 6 cards titled Desert Flora issued by Liebig Extract of Meat Company.

Between 1872 and 1974 Liebig issued nearly 2,000 sets on a vast array of subjects. Some of the older sets display very attractive artwork. The texts are in continental languages.

Liebig cards are not particularly popular in the UK, but even so sets of 6 cards are usually priced between 10 and 30 pounds sterling. They can be purchased much more cheaply in collectors' shops in Brussels, Belgium.

Prices for all cards and silks mentioned in this thread

Two main dealers in the UK offer catalogues. They are: Murray Cards (International) Ltd and The London Cigarette Card Company Ltd; both have websites.

Prices mentioned in this thread are based on catalogue prices which include Value Added Tax (VAT). Small-scale dealers you meet at card fairs will not be VAT registered so immediately make sure that you are paying 20% less than catalogue prices, and then bargain for at least another 20% off. With silks you may find real bargains. At auctions you may find that there are low reserve prices, and so low bids can be successful. But always inspect cards and silks for condition before buying or bidding.

I will only post sporadically on this thread now, but I hope that it has been interesting and informative to Members who may not have known much about the hobby.

Harry