This is a very unusual set, as it turns out to have three issuers, and to be a twisted tale indeed.
You see the cards were originally issued by Tobler, with just the red wording at the bottom of the reverse. The wording reads : "Faites un film en collectionnant les vrais dessins de Walt Disney contenus dans les DELICIEUX CHOCOLATS TOBLER. Achetez les ALBUMS ROSES et le Journal de MICKEY ou vous trouverez aussi les celebres personnages de Walt Disney". That translates to "make your own movie by collecting the real Walt Disney drawings contained inside TOBLER DELICIOUS CHOCOLATES. Buy the PINK ALBUMS and the MICKEY Mouse Journal, where you'll also find the famous Walt Disney characters".
Both these other names are publications.
"Les Albums Roses" were books, published by an offshoot of Hachette, most notably of short, illustrated children`s tales, including Walt Disney characters, and they got their name because they had roses on the back covers and, originally, pink spines and endpapers - however that soon changed as they were prone to getting grubby. But they only began in 1950, with Snow White first being published in 1951, then her "return" in 1954 and her "Coronation" in 1955.
As for "Le Journal de Mickey" that was the first American styled comic to be released in France, under authorisation from Walt Disney himself, and the first edition was issued on October the 21st, 1934, however it was not until May 1938 that Snow White appeared, introduced by Onc` Leon. There was also a special issue, in colour, forty pages entirely devoted to to Snow White.
That might make you think that the wording on the card "where you'll also find the famous Walt Disney characters" refers simply to seeing them on the printed pages, but on some of these cards, like ours, the correspondence side of the reverse has been used, with a rubber stamped message saying "Le "Journal de Mickey" vous souhaite un Joyeux Anniversaire Onc` Leon". That, translated, actually means "Mickey`s newspaper wishes you a Happy Birthday [from] Uncle Leon". At first I thought that this meant "Le Journal de Mickey" just got hold of a lot of these cards and used them to send birthday greetings to subscribers, but maybe it means that the cards were given away with them too, and maybe, also, with "Les Albums Roses", and then, possibly, Le Journal de Mickey took the remainders and used them to send birthday greetings. And we also know that some of these birthday ones are also rubber stamped on the front, in black/grey with Mickey Mouse`s head and the word "MICKEY". At first it was thought that this was done in the mailing office, as the cards with it are usually postally used, but it turns out that some cards without an address and stamp also have this on them, so the plot kind of thickens....
We also do not know how many cards were issued, but we have so far found the following, which appear in several versions, as listed, including with and without a character name
- Atchoum, Dwarf [Sneezy] - playing an accordion
- Bruno - sitting on yellow mat with green border
- Capitaine Crochet [Captain Hook] - with large feather in hat
- Cleo - a rather flirty goldfish
- Daisy [Duck]- in blue and pink dress
- Dingo [Goofy] - playing baseball
- Donald [Duck] - in red sombrero playing guitar
- Donald [Duck] - in yellow sombrero
- Dormer, Dwarf [Sleepy]- on brown circular base
- Grand Chef - Native American in yellow coat
- Grincheux, Dwarf [Grumpy] - with mushrooms
- - unnamed, Dwarf, [Grumpy] - standing with arms folded
- Jiminy Cricket - with large shadow
- Joyeux, Dwarf [Happy] - facing to right, looking over shoulder
- Joyeux, Dwarf [Happy] - facing camera, hands on hips
- Le Lievre de Mars [The March Hare] - with birthday cake
- Lulubelle - with flower in hair
- Minnie [Mouse] - in blue spotted dress
- Mouche, Dwarf - in red striped t-shirt
- Mr. Toad - right arm raised
- Naf-Naf [Three Little Pigs] - building a brick wall
- Nif Nif et Nouf Nouf [Three Little Pigs] - as sailors dancing the hornpipe
- Pecos Bill - with gun on horse
- Peter Pan - in green flying through the air
- Prof, Dwarf [Doc] - yellow hat, with trumpet
- Prof, Dwarf [Doc] - green hat, arms outstretched
- - unnamed, Dwarf [Doc] - green hat, arms outstretched
- Simplet. Dwarf [Dopey] - in green with droopy candle
- - unnamed, Dwarf [Dopey] - in green with droopy candle
- Timide, Dwarf [Bashful] - in green with musical instrument
- - unnamed, Dwarf [Bashful] - in green with musical instrument
- - unnamed, Dwarf [Bashful] - in yellow on grass
- Timothy, [mouse] - as circus ringmaster
And if you know any more names, or variations, do please let us know