Collecting Advertising trade cards

Starting in about the 1860's manufacturers began producing and giving away millions of trade cards. The front would have an attractive picture, almost always in color, and the back would have an advertising slogan and often the name of the local store where the product could be purchased.

The cards were intended for consumers, but they became very popular with children. The cards were collected and traded by children. Often even adults had their own collection, some going so far as to paste the cards in albums to show off to friends.







The fad died down around the turn of the century, when there were more ways to advertise, but the cards themselves are still collected by some people, but now more for their historical interest than for any other reason.