As the prospect of another Republican convention of smoke-filled rooms and draft candidates looms, pause to celebrate what makes it all possible:
Joe Davidson, The Art of The Cigar Label (Edison, NJ: Wellfleet Press, 1st ed., 1989). ISBN 1-55521-436-3. Hardcover, unclipped dustjacket, as new. 252 pages, with other 400 color illustrations. Last re-issue: 1997. Rare. Autographed on the front end page. Henry Bemis Books sale price: $100.
Writing for The Chicago Tribune in 1999, Hugh Hart explained the significance of Davidson’s work:
"When it comes to cigar-label art, they truly don't make 'em like they used to. And no wonder. The process involved in producing 22-color illustrations--the kind that used to be pasted inside cigar box lids--is simply too labor-intensive for modern tobacco companies.
"But it precisely is the lavish attention to detail that makes these bits of merchandising memorabilia so appealing to modern collectors, especially now that cigars themselves have increased in cachet. Cigar label art peaked between the 1890s and 1920s, when nearly 350,000 brands were competing for smokers' attention. According to collector Jero Gardner, author of "The Art of the Smoke" (Schiffer Publishing, $39.95), "Cigar box labels were the first point-of-purchase displays in this country.
"'The shop owner would flip open the box and there on the lid was a label," he says, "and the more spectacular the art, the more you'd get the attention of the shopper."
"The intense color quality of the illustrations was achieved through a printing process called stone lithography. The paper might pass over as many as 22 stones, each painted with part of the design in a different color of ink.
"As a crowning touch, presses embossed each label with a cluster of seals made from 24-carat gold dust. Later, seals instead were lacquered with bronze dust, which resembled gold leaf.
"Catchy brand names such as Sweet Idleness, Old King Cole and Wizard also helped grab smokers' attention. The Depression in the 1930s brought an end to the golden age of cigar label art, as a weak economy and the increased popularity of cigarettes combined to weaken sales of stogies.
"Beginning in the late 1970s, vintage cigar label art emerged as a collectible genre. Joe Davidson, co-author of "Smoker's Art," (Wellfleet Press, $34.98), spurred interest in these point-of-purchase artworks when he began foraging through old warehouses and printing plants for stashes of labels and bringing them to market.
'"People used to laugh when I'd pay 'em $20,000 to empty out their warehouses," he recalls. "Now, labels I sold in the '80s for $5 I have to buy back for $40."
"Prices for most collectible labels still are between $2 and $10, according to David Freiberg, who runs Cerebro, an auction company and website. A few mid-range labels, such as those for the "Radio Queen" and "American Glory" brands, are valued between $50 and $250. At the top end, some scarce items sell for $1,000 and up, Freiberg says.
"What to look for
"Check the printer's mark. The most valuable cigar labels were manufactured by two German printing companies, Klingenberg Litho and Herman Schott. Labels made by Klingenberg feature a GK mark, while Schott products are marked by an H with a dollar sign through it.
"Keep an eye out for proof sheets and sample books. They currently are the hottest cigar art sub-genre.
"What to avoid
"As with all paper collectibles, Davidson says, creases, tears and stains will diminish value.
"Handle with care
"Freiberg, who has collected cigar-label art for 20 years, recommends labels be covered with archival-quality plastic sheeting, free of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which can cause deterioration. He adds they should not be exposed to sunlight.
"Forecast
"Prices for high-end rarities have increased steadily and continue to improve in value, experts agree.
'"Labels I bought for $40 to $100 ten years ago, I can now sell for $400 to $1,000," Freiberg says. For more common labels, experts say, prices are more stable, likely to stay in the $5 to $50 range for the foreseeable future."
"But it precisely is the lavish attention to detail that makes these bits of merchandising memorabilia so appealing to modern collectors, especially now that cigars themselves have increased in cachet. Cigar label art peaked between the 1890s and 1920s, when nearly 350,000 brands were competing for smokers' attention. According to collector Jero Gardner, author of "The Art of the Smoke" (Schiffer Publishing, $39.95), "Cigar box labels were the first point-of-purchase displays in this country.
"'The shop owner would flip open the box and there on the lid was a label," he says, "and the more spectacular the art, the more you'd get the attention of the shopper."
"The intense color quality of the illustrations was achieved through a printing process called stone lithography. The paper might pass over as many as 22 stones, each painted with part of the design in a different color of ink.
"As a crowning touch, presses embossed each label with a cluster of seals made from 24-carat gold dust. Later, seals instead were lacquered with bronze dust, which resembled gold leaf.
"Catchy brand names such as Sweet Idleness, Old King Cole and Wizard also helped grab smokers' attention. The Depression in the 1930s brought an end to the golden age of cigar label art, as a weak economy and the increased popularity of cigarettes combined to weaken sales of stogies.
"Beginning in the late 1970s, vintage cigar label art emerged as a collectible genre. Joe Davidson, co-author of "Smoker's Art," (Wellfleet Press, $34.98), spurred interest in these point-of-purchase artworks when he began foraging through old warehouses and printing plants for stashes of labels and bringing them to market.
'"People used to laugh when I'd pay 'em $20,000 to empty out their warehouses," he recalls. "Now, labels I sold in the '80s for $5 I have to buy back for $40."
"Prices for most collectible labels still are between $2 and $10, according to David Freiberg, who runs Cerebro, an auction company and website. A few mid-range labels, such as those for the "Radio Queen" and "American Glory" brands, are valued between $50 and $250. At the top end, some scarce items sell for $1,000 and up, Freiberg says.
"What to look for
"Check the printer's mark. The most valuable cigar labels were manufactured by two German printing companies, Klingenberg Litho and Herman Schott. Labels made by Klingenberg feature a GK mark, while Schott products are marked by an H with a dollar sign through it.
"Keep an eye out for proof sheets and sample books. They currently are the hottest cigar art sub-genre.
"What to avoid
"As with all paper collectibles, Davidson says, creases, tears and stains will diminish value.
"Handle with care
"Freiberg, who has collected cigar-label art for 20 years, recommends labels be covered with archival-quality plastic sheeting, free of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which can cause deterioration. He adds they should not be exposed to sunlight.
"Forecast
"Prices for high-end rarities have increased steadily and continue to improve in value, experts agree.
'"Labels I bought for $40 to $100 ten years ago, I can now sell for $400 to $1,000," Freiberg says. For more common labels, experts say, prices are more stable, likely to stay in the $5 to $50 range for the foreseeable future."
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Henry Bemis Books is one man’s attempt to bring more diversity and quality to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg market of devoted readers starved for choices. Our website is at www.henrybemisbookseller.blogspot.com. Henry Bemis Books is also happy to entertain reasonable offers on items in inventory; for pricing on this or others items, kindly private message us. Shipping is always free; local buyers are welcome to drop by and pick up their purchases at our location off Peachtree Road in Northwest Charlotte if they like. #Joe Davidson #TheArtoftheCigarLabel #Book of the Day #RareBooks #HenryBemisBooks #Charlotte
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We’re blogging at www.henrybemisbookseller.blogspot.com. We tweet as Henry Bemis Books. Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Henry Bemis Books there too. And Google+.
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