Inaugural January 2019 Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/27/2019
The N79 Duke Tobacco History of Poor Boys is another set of (50) sixteen page booklets. The booklets are similar in format to the Histories of Generals (N78) set issued in a similar time frame by Duke. The subjects in the Poor Boys do not exclusively feature 'boys' but do have a very few women subjects. Famous--and very popular--subjects in the series include William F Cody or "Buffalo" Bill, P.T. Barnum and Thomas Edison, among others. Typically, the two most valuable booklets in the series are John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain--both famous boxers. Other luminaries include Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe and a host of other people who went from rags to riches.
This set is overall a very nice set and well above the condition normally found on these cards. Individually, the break value on the set is strong and should be consdered when bidding.
Condition breakdown on this set of (50) booklets is as follows: VGEX to EX condition (29 booklets), GVG to VG condition (16 booklets) and Good or less condition (5 booklets). This is an above average condition set for this issue. The Kilrain and Sullivan boxing booklets are in VG to VGEX condition and relatively clean. This represents an opportunity to pick up a complete set of these that needs very little work to be one of the stronger sets out there. Great issue from the most prolific issuer of tobacco cards in the 1880's and 1890's.
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