A Dan Dare rarity for sweet toothed fans comes to auction

By John Freeman on January 9, 2024

A set of Clevedon Confectionery’s Dan Dare Series Sweet Cigarette cards is on offer next week, as part of a huge online only auction of cigarette cards, trading cards and more, from specialist auctioneers, Loddon Auctions.

The full set of Dan Dare cards produced by Blackpool-based Clevedon Confectionery in the 1950s is on offer – 25 cards, mixed printings, six black, nineteen blue – featuring all the major characters from the original strip, and spacecraft, too.

Clevedon Confectionery’s Dan Dare Series Sweet Cigarette cards (1950s)

This is a rarer set than the series issued by Calvert’s, previously featured here on downthetubes, to boost sales of their tins of Dan Dare Tooth Powder, a special edition of their antiseptic dental wash.

Individual cards are offers for sale elsewhere on sites such as CardHawk for £12 each, so if you’re a Dan Dare collector, this might be a great opportunity to buy a full set.

You’ll have to look elsewhere, though, for an example of the sweet cigarette card box these cards were originally sold in, or the album that was offered by Clevedon Confectionery Ltd, producers of Clevedon Sweets, including Clevedon Lucky Bags.

Clevedon Confectionery’s Dan Dare Series Sweet Cigarette cards box - with thanks to Derek Wilson — *Clevedon Confectionery’s Dan Dare Series Sweet Cigarette cards box – with thanks to Derek Wilson*

Clevedon Confectionery’s Dan Dare Series Sweet Cigarette cards (1950s) - Album

The album houses 25 cards, or 50 cards if you decide to place them back to back and, as you can see from these images, Dan Dare was was expected to rub shoulders with Footballers, Football Club managers or Cricketers.

Loddon Auctions is a specialist auctioneer in the sale of cigarette cards, trade cards, postcards, sport memorabilia, stamps, coins, beer labels and all manner of other paper collectables and ephemera, located just South of Reading, Berkshire. They hold seven or eight auctions annually.

This auction also includes Disney postcards, football programmes and plenty of vintage ephemera.

Postcards, Disney, a selection of 14 cards including Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, also including 'Harry Benet's stage panto!', 'Water Babies', and six continental size cards of Pinocchio published in Italy — *Postcards, Disney, a selection of 14 cards including Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, also including* *‘Harry Benet’s stage panto!’, ‘Water Babies’, and six continental size cards of Pinocchio published in Italy*

Postcards, Disney, a selection of 13 cards, inc. six advertising Tobler, also Porky Pig, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse, a few with foreign captions — *Postcards, Disney, a selection of 13 cards, including six advertising Tobler, also Porky Pig, Donald Duck, and Mickey Mouse, a few with foreign captions*

• Loddon’s Cigarette & Trade Cards, Collectables & Postcards, Stamps, Beer Labels, Sport, Autographs runs from 17th – 19th January 2023 – full details here on The-Saleroom – Internet, Commission & Telephone Only

• Loddons Auctions Official Site: loddonauctions .co.uk | Loddon Auctions Ltd., Unit 3 Ducks Nest Farm, Eversley Road, Arborfield Cross, Reading, Berkshire. RG2 9PJ

• A Step Back in Time: Dan Dare Tooth Powder Cards

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.