The Hobby Boards

I’ve been chasing this set for the past year or so. Mostly picking up smaller lots here and there as I saw them show up. Eventually completed it and it’s looking pretty nice with everything together I must say..

This release has lots of well known historical figures represented. They are also way more affordable than tobacco cards of popular baseball players of the same time period so your not spending an arm and a leg to put together a set, or just to own a few nice looking cards from that time period.








Here’s what the card backs look like.
If anyone is currently chasing the set or wants to start I have plenty of doubles now!

I love these! I have been really interested in Cigarette cards lately.
I want to start chasing the 1888 A&G Birds of America set. I have no idea how to go about identifying fakes and counterfeits though. Any tips?

ZSCollects wrote: Wed Aug 16, 2023 4:57 pm I love these! I have been really interested in Cigarette cards lately.
I want to start chasing the 1888 A&G Birds of America set. I have no idea how to go about identifying fakes and counterfeits though. Any tips?

Thanks! Yeah it's a great set.

I'm far from an expert on tobacco cards, but rule of thumb for counterfeits seems to be that if they have significant value fakes probably exist. For the Leaders of Men set the only two cards that carry any kind of larger value are the Lincoln and Washington cards. But we're talking like $50-$75 on the high side for those. Given that I doubt it would be worth it for anyone to create counterfeits.

Best bet IMO would be to buy a couple lower valued/condition cards from the set you are looking at and use those to compare against anything you get that's carries a higher cost where it might be more profitable to fake.

Sweet set build dude.

Do you need any supplies for Tobacco cards? I have some that I'm not going to be using, probably ever.

What got you into this set? I know you mentioned the budget for something like this is different than baseball from the same era, but are you into history? Or just like the artwork?

AbraCalabro wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 5:18 pm Sweet set build dude.

Do you need any supplies for Tobacco cards? I have some that I'm not going to be using, probably ever.

Thanks man! Could always use more supplies.

AbraCalabro wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 5:18 pm What got you into this set? I know you mentioned the budget for something like this is different than baseball from the same era, but are you into history? Or just like the artwork?

This and the T68 (Heroes of History) is what really got me into vintage non-sports sets. Both of those sets are something I got into collecting when I was taking a break from sports cards, probably 7-8 years ago or so I think it was. Right around the time of the awful 17-18 season of releases (imo at least) where there was maybe like one or two sets from Panini that didn't feature 90% dribbling or holding the ball pics. I had just had enough I think, lol. I'm not a huge history buff or anything, it was just something new and interesting to pick up really and it does help you learn more about some of the prominent figures from those time periods. I didn't start going after sets too hard until the last few years though, and probably a bit late tbh. Like everything else in cards nowadays it seems, some of the more well known names (think.. Lincoln, Washington, etc..) people are now grading and flipping. Bringing up prices, but also making raw copies harder to find.

I was going to wait to throw up my T68 set until I have it completed but might do it sooner than later because I actually like those a bit more.