The Book
The Before and After Trade Card is a 136-page, soft cover book showing 232 trade cards that depict a problem and how it was solved by using the advertised product. These before and after trade cards give an entertaining and informative glimpse into "the way we were" during the late 1800s.

Products advertised by the cards shown in this book are organized by the categories of medical & personal care, food & beverages, tobacco, clothing & accessories, household, and farm & business; with a separate chapter for each category.

Three basic types of before and after trade cards are identified, and nine different styles used by the trade card artists to illustrate the before and after theme are described. A bibliography, an index of the advertised products, and an index of the printers who produced these cards are also provided.

The trade cards are shown in high-quality, black and white illustrations at seventy percent or more of their actual size. Eighty-five metamorphic trade cards are shown, both closed and opened; and several hold-to-light and mechanical trade cards are also shown. Click here to view two typical pages.

This book was published in 1995 by The Ephemera Society of America, and has received many favorable reviews. ISBN 0-9657480-0-6.

Price Guide
A four-page Price Guide,published separately by the author in 1996, gives estimates of the market value of the 232 trade cards shown in The Before and After Trade Card. Although some prices have increased since 1996, the price guide is still useful as an indicator of relative values. No trade cards are pictured in the price guide.

Ordering Information

The Trade Card Place has sold out its supply of books and price guides. However, copies may still be available from Jim Taylor at Courthouse Square Antique Postcards.