1924 Tobacco Products Corporation of Canada Sports Champions Set and Checklist (C140)

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Tobacco Products Corporation of Canada Sports Champions (C140)
Year	1924
Size	1 3/8″ x 2 5/8″
Images	Black and White
Type	Canadian
Number in Set	45

1924 Tobacco Products Corporation of Canada Sports Champions Overview

Tobacco Products Corporation of Canada Champions Basketball This rare set features athletes in a variety of sports. In all, a total of 45 cards were printed in the set featuring Canadian sports figures.

The cards were printed in Canada and have a ‘C-Card’ designation in the American Card Catalog. Most collectors do not know much about this issue that was only categorized as ‘Canada Sports Champions’ in the book.

It is impossible not to see the similarities between this set and other Canadian issues produced around the same time. In addition to sets that featured solely hockey cards, two multi-sport sets immediately come to mind when in comparison with this issue – the 1925 Dominion Chocolates set (V31) and the 1924 Willard Chocolates set (V122). Those sets, of course, were candy issues, however, while this one is a tobacco release. Still, as black and white multi-sport sets produced within a year of this one, they are strikingly similar.

Among the various sports were cards Canadian basketball and football players with boxing, tennis, wrestling, and golf, also represented in the set. The fronts included a simple black and white design with the picture of an athlete as well as his or her name. As these were Canadian athletes, most of the names will not be recognizable to American collectors.

Canadian football legend Pep Leadley is one of the more desirable cards. Additionally, the card of Bobbie Rosenfeld is significant not because she was one of Canada’s best athletes of all time but because she is featured as a basketball player. Pre-war basketball issues featuring real players are not too easy to come by.

The cards appear to have been issued, in part, as a partnership with Wright and Ditson, a sports equipment source. Backs of the cards included an ad for their equipment, stating that each card had a value of two cents, good towards the purchase of their products. While baseball players are not included in the set, it can be seen as somewhat of a baseball issue as the equipment offered on the backs is mostly from that sport. Equipment offered included baseball bats, balls, gloves, and catcher’s chest protectors, in addition to things such as tennis balls and golf balls.