Avast ya, this be me favourite set in all ye non-sports, so batten down the hatches matey, we are about to embark on a time-traveling adventure to seek a map, and not just any old map, but a Treasure Island Map! Ya savvy!
In 1926, J. S. Fry & Son Company of Canada, one of the Dominions largest Cocoa producers embarked on a delectable marketing adventure. They launched the "Treasure Island Bar," a vanilla infused chocolate bar that concealed not just a new treat for the taste buds, but also a card for a grand treasure hunt.
My radiant attraction to this set goes far beyond the card, as I have never seen a wrapper so well designed from a promotional attraction with the classic artwork and those colors would make it pop into the hands of anyone in question pondering chocolate bar to select. My hopes are that one day we discover the counter display box too!?
This uniquely Canadian card set, classified in the American Card Catalog (ACC) as V41, became a prized possession for adventure seeking collectors. The cards, measuring 2 5/8" inches by 1 3/8" inches, each featured a fragment of a treasure map. When all 50 cards were combined, they formed a complete Pirate’s Treasure Map.
While "Murray's Guide" initially dated this elusive Canadian card issue as 1912, which seemed rather too early from my perspective. Back in 2004 while conducting some research at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, I stumbled across an advertisement for this promotion. It is dated July 16, 1926, confirming the true release date. This finding launched me on a determined road to completing this set.
What inspired Fry to create this adventurous set of 50 treasure map pieces? The 1920s was a decade where many Canadian sports and non-sports themed cards were released. Not to mention that this timeline was teeming with pirate-themed films such as "Treasure Island" (its third adaptation), "Captain Blood," "Peter Pan," "Pirate Gold," and "Captain Kidd." However, the ultimate credit goes to Robert Louis Stevenson’s timeless novel, "Treasure Island." This classic tale has enchanted countless children and adults alike, stirring dreams of adventure and the thrill of discovering hidden treasures.
The back of the cards also included a surprise for customers: full instructions on how to swap a complete set of 50 cards for a "Treasure Chest of Chocolates." This innovative promotion not only motivated people to buy more chocolate bars, which increased Fry's return on investment, but it also fostered a sense of adventure and accomplishment in its participants. To reach a wider audience, Fry also issued a French-backed version of the cards, albeit the front of the map remained in English. Furthermore, this set contains numerous variations, including some missing periods, artwork adjustments, and the usage of light and dark colored card stock.
After seeing the advertisement, I decided to assemble this set on my own. As they say in life, every journey begins with the first step, and in the hobby, every set begins with your first card, and this was mine.
After the first card I couldn't wait to add more…
and then a few more.
The journey was long, as these cards don't come to market often.
But I was persistent.
The treasure map is finally starting to have some semblance now.
Getting so close, it has been well over 1 year now on this build.
Until I acquired the second last piece, I never saw the Pirate!
Finally, the satisfaction of completion is so bitter sweet almost like dark chocolate.
The Fry's "Treasure Island Bar" cards stand as a testament to the ingenious marketing strategies of the early 20th century. They combined the allure of chocolate with the excitement of a treasure hunt, creating a memorable experience for children and adults alike. This chocolate-fueled adventure continues to captivate collectors and enthusiasts to this day, preserving the legacy of Fry’s innovative spirit and the timeless appeal of treasure hunting as the hobby does to us all, no matter what you collect.
In closing, I will end my often-used hobby declaration: "Who doesn't want to wake up to a treasure hunt every morning?" Answer: Not me!
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