Collectible picture cards were issued in cigarettes, candy, gum and even on ice cream lids. But one group of cards that has received very little attention from collectors and are rarely seen at card shows or collectible shows are picture cards that were issued from penny arcade vending machines. The cards were manufactured by the Exhibit Supply Co. of Chicago. The cards were called arcade cards because they were purchased from penny arcade machines located on the various seaside boardwalks of North America.

There were machines that contained stars of football and baseball, movie stars, wrestlers, song cards and, for those old enough, the pinup girl cards. The Exhibit Supply Co. began issuing the cards in 1921 and continued to issue and release new cards until 1966, although for years afterwards cards continued to be issued from penny arcade machines. Even today cards continue to turn up in penny arcade machines as the owners try to use up all the old cards. One could still find 1948 football cards in machines in the 1960s. Owners did not update cards and remove them, but continued to sell whatever stock was still on hand. This made it easier to find cards that became valuable over the years.

Arcade cards manufactured by the Exhibit Supply Co. were postcard size — 3 1/4 X 5 3/8 inches. The photo appeared on the front of the card, usually with a facsimile signature of the individual portrayed. In addition, in the lower right hand corner appears: “Made in USA” or “Printed in USA”. The cards were on heavy cardboard stock and the majority were black-and-white or tan sepia colored. In the period of 1939-46, beside the player’s autograph on the front of the card there appeared a salutation “Truly Yours,” “Cordially,” or “Sincerely” above the facsimile autograph.

One nice thing about the collecting of Exhibit penny arcade cards is that most of the material has remained very inexpensive. Collectors can concentrate on football players, baseball, wrestlers of the 1940s and ’50s, movie stars, television stars, pinups, military equipment and the individual cards sell in the $3-$10 range. Some cards of well-known football or baseball players can sell on eBay for $100 and up, but most go for $10-$15.

The 1948-52 Exhibit Black-and-White Football Card Set consists of 59 unnumbered cards that measure 3¼" by 5-3/8". The 1948-52 Exhibit football cards were distributed through vending machines over a period of four years. The cards are unnumbered and usually organized alphabetically. Many of the cards have unusual color variations.

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