Cigarette cards 101

Cigarette cards are small printed cards (typically 67 × 35 mm) inserted into cigarette packets between the 1880s and the 1940s. They were originally used to stiffen the soft-pack and quickly became a marketing tool — collectable sets covering everything from regimental colours and famous footballers to wildflowers and warships.

The main makers

Most British cards were issued by three giants: W.D. & H.O. Wills (Bristol), John Player & Sons (Nottingham) and Ogden’s (Liverpool). Player’s "Cricketers", Wills’s "Builders of the Empire" and Ogden’s "Guinea Gold" series are all readily found and well-documented today.

Other notable issuers include Carreras, Mitchell, Lambert & Butler, Churchman, Hignett, Cope’s and Murray’s. American firms produced their own series too — most famously the T206 baseball cards.

How sets are organised

Cards almost always come in numbered sets, usually 25 or 50 per set. A complete set is worth significantly more than the sum of its parts — collectors will pay a premium to round out the final few cards. Sets are catalogued in The Murray Cards International Cigarette Card Catalogue, which assigns each issue a standard reference number used universally in the trade.

What to look for when buying

• Condition. Look for sharp corners, even printing, no creases. Cards "with album marks" (faint glue traces on the back) are common and not necessarily a defect.
• Centring. The image should sit centred on the card; cards trimmed by children with scissors are much less valuable.
• Complete vs part-set. Always check whether you're buying a complete set or singles. Singles are useful for fillers; complete sets are the investment grade.
• Variant printings. Some series have multiple print runs with subtle differences (colour shifts, back-text changes). Specialist references will tell you which.

Browse what we have

Cigarette cards live in our Collectibles department. We list both complete sets and individual cards.