How it all Started with My First Tobacco(??) Card (H-801-7 Old Mill cabinets)

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Posted By: Ralph

I just thought I would finally post the info I have on these very scarce & beautiful Cabinet cards.I recieved my first Old Mill Cabinet card from my late Uncle.The player was Woolums & it started me on my goal of trying to complete the set.At that time my Checklist only listed 22 subjects.As I continued searching for the cards I ended up with 21 cards,14 diff. & 7 dupes.My conversation with my Uncle was one I will never forget & I had other chats & letters from other Hobby Pioneers indicating the mysteries of these cards.The info as told to myself indicated the Cabinet cards were made for 2 reasons.Reason 1 was to protect the actual packs from being crushed or damaged.Reason 2 is very logical they were used by the Shop owner to display the Old Mill Cigarettes.Of the 21 cards I had in my posession 17 of them had tack holes in the top & bottom border & the different colors on the border's was not due to the printing process,it was due to the discoloration from the light.You can find these border colors from tan,green & a rusty brown color with some cards showing mildew spots.My checklist that I have consist of 37 subjects.I will list these cards in the order I had them in an album but more about these large treasures.Of the 37 I have checklisted only one card was never seen by myself as the other's were because of the documention I was recieving from other collector's of that time.The Gaston card is that example.The easiest card was in fact the Woolums.The dupes I had were as follows; Bonner (2),Woolums(3) & Wallace (2).Here is the checklist of Old Mill Cabinets,any card denoted with an asterisk indicates I owned that card.In no particular order:
Bonner*,Doyle*,Fox*Galvin*,Hobbs*,Hooker*,McKevitt *,Richardson*,Spicer*,Spratt*,Titman*,Wallace*,Weh rell* & Woolums*.The next list are cards that I had seen except for the Gaston: Armstrong,Bentley,Bowen,Brazell,Bush,Bussey,Cross, Derrick,Doane,Gaston**,Griffin,Hearn,Kirkpatrick,L aughlin,Munson,Noojin,O'Halloran,Pressly,Revell,Ri ckard,Simmons,A.Smith & Zimmerman.The Gaston was reported to myself years ago by someone replying to my Wanted ad & I never was able to work out a deal for the card & I never saw any photocopy so it is listed with an Asterisk.There are cards that were mispelled as well but this list is one I compiled in 1991.From what I have learned from other notable collectors in the early 80's is these cards could not be given away by saving the coupons.The reason these cards are so scarce is because the shop owner only kept a few for displaying purposes & the others were either thrown out & those may of been taken by a collector back then.Of the cards I owned the average grade was g-vg.My best looking card was the Titman it would of graded EX.At least 12 of the 21 cards had light mildew stains on the fronts along with indent marks & the dreaded tack holes that adorn the top & bottom borders.Now my mission is to find some of my photographs I took of these cards,the checklist I found about 2 weeks ago so I thought why not discuss these cards as they are the sister set of the T-210 Old Mill cards.I have been asked if I thought there could be 640 of these cards & it was a easy reply.No! I don't think they made that many,I would say anywhere from 50-75 subjects is possible & only from the Virginia league.The one thing I am quite sure of is there is no advertising back like these cards.(OLD MILL CIGARETTES Blue Bloods everyone.Made of Virgina and Carolina Tobacco's-Pedigreed Leaf.Blended Exquisitely and wrapped in Genuine Wheat Straw Paper-The kind you have always used in rolling your own Cigaretes.Mild and satisfying.)The Noble Descents(Blue Bloods)Now do you see why these cards got the "H" designation versus the "T",I believe I am correct that the "H" designation was for advertising & if I am correct & you answered yes then the info from my late Uncle & the others is correct.If anyone has anything to add to this I welcome your comments,I hope I can find my photo's & if I do I will post.