Humorous Sporting Series Set and Checklist

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Humorous Sporting Series
Year	c1900-10
Size	3″ x 8 1/4″
Images	Color
Type	Food/Candy
Number in Set	Unknown

Humorous Sporting Series Set Overview

These unique cards made up a multi-sport series that was produced internationally. While it is often listed as a set out of The Netherlands / Holland, it appears to have had a wider reach than that.

The set is one of many that was issued by numerous advertisers, similar to the Sports of the World set distributed by both tobacco and candy companies. The cards are, however, so rare that I am not sure if a complete listing of the different sponsors exists. However, to date, I have seen at least three different sponsors affiliated with this set:

Kwatta Chocolate (Netherlands)
A. Van Der Heijden Sweet Breads (Netherlands)
Edmondson’s Specialties (UK)

True to the title of the set, the cards feature oddball images that are often humorous and sometimes, quite gory. That is the case of the baseball card where a catcher’s knee is being struck by a ball and is literally being broken in half. A few other pictures in the set are similarly gruesome.

It is important to note that other advertisers may have printed/distributed these cards as well. Pictures on the fronts of the cards are the same, however the print at the bottom and on the back varies.

The set features many different sports and activities. Focal points include baseball and football. However, due to the international origins of this release, it is difficult to determine if the football pictured is American style football or more along the lines of rugby. Other popular sports in the set include boxing, cricket, golf, and tennis, among others.

Cards from any of the sets are truly difficult to find. The baseball card, in particular, is a sought after card that can command over $100 in decent condition.

One important note is that the various advertisers appear to have different cards. There are more than 20 cards, for example, in the Kwatta set. However, the A. Van Der Heijden cards specifically state only 12 are in the series.