Here’s an incredible piece I ran across in a 2008 auction catalog that I’m desperate to find more information on (and add to the hobby library): a 1957/58 Kanh’s Wieners Salesman’s Sample New Customer Campaign Brochure!
First, Kahn’s series of basketball cards were released between 1957 and 1965 and are one of the few basketball food issues of the era, so they’re pretty rare, particularly in excellent condition (since they were packaged with hot dogs).
Kahn’s was a Cincinnati-based meat processing and distribution company (now owned by Tyson Foods), so for their first release in 1957, all 11 cards in the set were Cincinnati Royals players.
Based on the brochure’s cover, it looks like Kahn’s provided this album to help out the company’s salespeople; Mastro highlighted that fact in the lot’s description:
Long the fare at Cincinnati sporting events, Kahn’s Wieners are as much a Queen City institution as Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Boomer Esiason. Offered here is a decidedly scarce and unique item: a Kahn’s Wieners 1958 salesman’s sample brochure containing four sample cards Maurice Stokes, Jack Twyman, Dave Piontek, and George King. This 8-1/2″ x 11″ twen-ty-page booklet is secured at the spine by three staples and reads as a “how-to” guide for the company’s salespersons. Entitled “New Customer Campaign,” the guide stresses the importance of new customers and offers detailed advice on how to handle various types of potential buyers including the “stone faced type,” ” the agreeable type” and the “prejudiced type.” The guide also details “promotional help” in the form of Cincinnati Royals basketball photo cards (to be placed in each one-pound package of “The Wiener the World Awaited”) with tips for budding players on the reverse. The booklet displays EX/MT condition. The approximately 3-1/4″ x 4″ cards are about EX/MT in frontal appearance (sharp corners but with adhesive show-through) and are firmly secured to the pages.
This photo of the cards was included in the catalog.
Please get in touch with me if you have any more pictures or info about this brochure.