For many people, the pleasures that cigarettes can grant go beyond smoking. For others, cigarette smoking may simply be out of the question, but they may still be interested in the objects and artifacts produced by the tobacco industry to attract and compliment its consumers. Whether they smoke or not, buyers and collectors of cigarette products have a great variety to choose from.

Joe Camel products rank high with collectors of objects related to cigarette products and brands. Joe Camel, for many years, was the famous cartoon mascot for Camel cigarettes. The campaign was conceived in the late 1980s by the marketing team at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, and enjoyed wide popularity among young people. The Joe Camel campaign was voluntarily pulled by R.J. Reynolds in 1997 after repeated appeals by Congress and other public-interest groups. The appeals followed allegations that the Joe Camel campaign targeted children.

The new Camel campaign still features a camel, although this one does not portray any human qualities and seems to be targeted to a strictly adult audience. As with Joe Camel, the new image of a traditional-looking camel is inscribed on cigarette packs as well as matches, lighters, boxes, and all kinds of smoking accessories. It is also printed on housewares, all types of clothing, and a number of other promotional products.

Products featuring the image of Joe Camel or the more recent Camel logo are widespread and increasingly popular. Even though for many people Joe Camel may not be a respectable image, from the point of view of many collectors, the famous cartoon was innocent and the decision to ostracize him, unfair. Joe Camel ads may not be present in current advertising, but the sleek cartoonish smile is still readily available for those who know where to look.