NonSports Nonsense - The Sea Shore

Every once in awhile I get out of my comfort zone and look at sets that are not sports related.  It's fun to look for - and find - cards that I've never known to exist before.  This is the case with something called "The Sea Shore", released by W.D. & H.O. Wills in 1938. It is a 50-card collection that served as an educational guide to the marine life found along the British coastline. These cards were originally distributed within cigarette packs and were intended to be collected and pasted into a specialized official album.

Sea life always interests me and this set shows off a wide variety.

Shells and mollusks might not be the best topic for cards but I think these are pretty cool

These cards might be the most interesting of the set.  Crab and lobster anyone?

I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing most people won't find lugworms and ragworms all that interesting.  The hermit crab wins this page.

For some off reason I found learning about the varieties of wrack fascinating. 

The back of the cards are a fun read.  When my kids annoy me, I'm going to start referring to them as "spat".  That should get their attention.  😁

If you couldn't tell, I scanned these cards in their pocket page.  The cards are the same size as standard American tobacco cards, but are incredibly thin so I didn't want to handle them.

On the web I found some images of the album.  It's tempting to buy it, but I'm not sure.

For collectors seeking a more offbeat distraction, 1930s British tobacco cards offer a refreshing change of pace. Their vibrant illustrations are striking, yet because these niche sets often fly under the radar, they are remarkably easy on the wallet. They represent a hidden corner of the hobby where history and art meet and represent proof that you don't need a massive budget to find something unique for your collection.