Trade Cards

Advertising cards mostly from the 1890's through 1910.  Many of the advertisements which were printed on the back had little to nothing to do with a bicycle.  They were used because the bicycle was the "in new technology" of the time and was of great interest to the general public.

The cigarette cards are from 1939 and are about at the end of the trade card era.  WWII with paper rationing and the changing ways of communication fairly well ended the use of trade cards as an advertising medium.