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Kovels – Antiques and collecting

Avid readers, do you find yourselves in a pickle when you lose your place in a book? All right, maybe that’s a little labored. Still, a brightly colored pickle-shaped bookmark can get your attention no matter what you say about it. And that’s exactly what the Heinz brand counted on with advertising premiums like these die-cut cardstock bookmarks.

This set of nine was sold by Morford’s Antique Advertising Auctions for $130. On one side, you have a bright green cucumber with a smiling child or chef holding a Heinz product. On the reverse, there’s a reminder of how “Pure, Clean, Good” Heinz products are, along with a list of a few of their “57 Good Things for the Table,” like (of course) pickles, baked beans, tomato soup and various relishes and sauces.

Heinz introduced the “57 Varieties” slogan in 1892. It wasn’t exactly truth in advertising; by that time, the company had over 60 products. There are a few different stories about why the number 57 was chosen: because 5 and 7 are lucky numbers, or because it makes a memorable slogan.

Considering that the company has been in business for over 150 years, with the slogan still easy to recognize, either one may be true.

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