1928 Oxo Mystery Painting Pictures Set and Checklist

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Oxo Mystery Painting Pictures
Year	1928
Size	Unknown
Images	Black and White
Type	Food
Number in Set	Unknown

1928 Oxo Mystery Painting Pictures Set Overview

This issue featured mostly non-sports cards and was distributed by Thames House out of London in the UK for their Oxo branded beef and chicken stock cubes for broth. Many collectors look at the smaller size and shape of these cards, instantly associating them as cigarette, tobacco, or candy cards. However, they are technically a food card issue. Oxo cubes are still manufactured today.

The set is titled “Mystery Painting Pictures” because of their unique nature. Cards featured an uncolored picture on the front with instructions on the back. Collectors were to use a small paint brush and add water to the front. The picture would then color itself in.

All of the cards I have seen in this set are non-sports cards with the exception of one for the sport of golf. The card, shown here, has a golf scene on the front with the rhyme, “Tommy joined a golf club and since he Oxo drinks, he is without exception quite the champion of the links.”

Rarely seen in the U.S., these are mostly offered from international sellers. The cards are tough to find but prices for the non-sports cards are often modest. The golf card, however, is a different story and prices can range quite high from sellers that understand its rarity. But because it is so difficult to find, prices for that card even fluctuate greatly.