When I got my first 'Lucky Dip' card several years ago (a space ship) the space theme intrigued me and it was quite a surprise that the thing was so small at 2 5/8" (6.66cm) L 1 3/8" (3.36cm) W. The one thing that kind of stumped me was what they were called "Lucky Dip Sweet Cigarettes", terms unfamiliar to a Yank as these were made by Edwards & Sons in London. I figured that these were probably in packs of 'candy' cigarettes a term more familiar on this side of the pond. I remember as a kid eating 'Lucky Strike' candy cigarettes, basically white sticks of sugar and corn starch with one end dipped in red dye to simulate a burning end! Can you imagine marketing cigarettes to children? But that was back in the '50s and it's a different world now. Reader Paul Vreede explained that 'Lucky Dip' was something we would probably refer to as a grab bag of party favors (piñata's are the same concept except one needs to break them open to reveal their treats). So there you have it: candy cigarettes meant as party favors in a grab bag.
The set consists of 25 cards showcasing the then current trend of transportation in Europe including planes, trains, and automobiles (there are only a couple of American offerings in the bunch). In addition are artists renderings of future concepts including spaceships and other fantastical machines. It was the conceptual artwork that drew me to the set but then I decided to just go ahead and complete the collection. We'll be presenting the entire series in the days to come. They're a cool window into the past and we hope you - Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
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