Exhibit Card

Vending display
Country:	USA / English

History

The Chicago-based "Exhibit Supply Company" (ESCO) issued postcard-sized, thick cards from the 1920s through the 1960s. The company issued cards of various subjects, but specialized in movie stars, cowboys, pretty girls, baseball players, and other athletes. The cards were not for advertising nor were they product premiums, they themselves were the product. A store or arcade owner purchased an ESCO vending machine and ESCO sold them refill products for the machines. ESCO made its real money on the refill orders, not on the machines. The cards were dispensed for a penny (later, a nickel or dime) to the patron of the store or arcade. ESCO sold refill cards direct to vendors, and advertised to arcade owners that it released a new set of cards (with a minimum of 32 cards) every 60 days.

Feature Comics

Each card measures about 8.5x13.5 cm.

• 

  "Mister Breger"
  by Dave Breger

• 

  "Blondie"
  by Chic Young

• 

  "Brick Bradford"
  by Clarence Gray

• 

  "Bringing up Father"
  by Geo McManus

• 

  "Buz Sawyer"
  by Roy Crane

• 

  "Cuties"
  by E. Simms Campbell

• 

  "Dick of Dick's Adventure"
  by Max Trell

• 

  "Etta Kett"
  by Paul Robinson

• 

  "Felix the Cat"
  by Pat Sullivan
  note: unsigned

• 

  "Flash Gordon"
  by Dan Moore

• 

  "Glamor Girls"
  by Don Flowers

• 

  "Henry"
  by Carl Anderson

• 

  "Hubert"
  by Dick Wingert

• 

  "Johnny Hazard"
  by Frank Robbins

• 

  "Jungle Jim"
  by Paul Norris

• 

  "The Katzenjammer Kids"
  by Harold Knerr

• 

  "King of the Royal Mounted"
  by Jim Gary

• 

  "Little Annie Rooney"
  by Darrell McClure

• 

  "Mandrake the Magician"
  by Phil Davis

• 

  "Ozark Ike"
  by Ray Gotto

• 

  "The Phantom"
  by Ray Moore

• 

  "Popeye"
  by Zaboly

• 

  "Prince Valiant"
  by Hal Foster

• 

  "Rip Kirby"
  by Alex Raymond

• 

  "Rusty Riley"
  by Frank Godwin

• 

  "Secret Agent X9"
  by Mel Graff

• 

  "Snuffy Smith"
  by Fred Lasswell

• 

  "Tim Tyler"
  by Lyman Young

• 

  "Teena"
  by Hilda Terry

• 

  "Tillie The Toiler"
  by Russ Westover

• 

  "Tippy"
  by Edwina

• 

  "Toots and Casper"
  by Jimmy Murphy

Note

In 1949, another series of cartoon cards was released. I this series on find: "The Yellow Kid", "Superman", "Betty Boop", "Dick Tracy", "Little Orphan Annie", "Lil' Abner", "Casper", "Nancy", "Felix the Cat" (signed) among others.

Sources

• Private collection