A Brief History of Baseball Cards

A look into the history of baseball cards and how they’ve become such a valuable commodity today.

Pre-1900s

The history of baseball cards is a long and complicated one. Baseball cards were first produced in the late 1800s as a way to increase interest in the game of baseball and to promote the players. The first baseball cards were produced in 1887 by the Tobacco Company. These cards were distributed in cigarette packs and were used as a way to promote the company’s products.

The earliest baseball cards date back to 1887

The earliest baseball cards date back to 1887, when the tobacco companies issued cards with images of baseball players on them as a way to promote their products. This practice became so popular that by the early 1900s, companies began printing cards without tobacco products as a way to cash in on the craze. These non-tobacco baseball cards are what we now think of when we think of baseball cards.

Early baseball cards were often hand-painted or lithographed, and they featured images of players in uniform as well as portraits or action shots. The first mass-produced baseball card set was issued by the Baltimore Sun in 1909, and it featured pictures of Orioles players. By the 1920s, nearly every major league team had its own set of Baseball cards, and the hobby of collecting them had taken off.

Today, Baseball cards are collected by people of all ages and backgrounds, and they remain a popular way to celebrate America’s favorite pastime.

The first tobacco card set was released in 1887

The first tobacco card set was released in 1887 by Allen & Ginter and featured 50 baseball players. These cards were inserted into packages of cigarettes as a promotional item. The popularity of these cards led to other tobacco companies producing their own sets, including Goodwin & Company, Mayo Tobacco Works, and North American. Cigarette companies continued to produce baseball cards until the early 1900s, when public opinion began to turn against smoking.

In 1909, the American Tobacco Company (ATC) released the first set of “T209” cards, which featured minor league and semi-pro players in an effort to avoid copyright infringement. These cards proved popular, and ATC soon began producing sets featuring major league players as well. Other companies soon followed suit, resulting in a boom in the production of baseball cards in the early 20th century.

By the 1920s, baseball cards were commonly included in packages of chewing gum, resulting in another boom in production. Cards from this era are often referred to as “gum cards.” The most famous gum card set is probably the 1933 Goudey set, which features several Hall of Fame players such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

The Great Depression drastically decreased the demand for baseball cards, and many companies ceased production altogether. To remain afloat, some companies resorted to produce sexually suggestive or risqué cards featuring actresses and other celebrities. One such company was called Rittenhouse Archives, which produced a now-infamous set of Marilyn Monroe “pin-up” cards in 1995 that caused a major uproar among collectors.

The first candy card set was released in 1894

Baseball cards began as a way to stiffen the packaging of tobacco products. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many tobacco companies, such as Allen & Ginter and Duke & Co., included baseball cards in their products. These cards were usually printed on thin paper stock and were often not perforated, meaning they had to be cut out of the box or packaging.

The first candy card set was released in 1894 by Bowman Gum Company and featured players from the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians baseball teams. These cards were much like the tobacco cards of the time, but were made of thicker paper stock. In 1948, Topps Chewing Gum Company released its first baseball card set, which became wildly popular.

1900-1919

During the early 1900s, baseball cards were produced with a wide variety of designs and Were often given away as promotional items by tobacco and candy companies. The first Major League Baseball cards were printed in 1886 by the tobacco company Goodwin & Company. Goodwin & Company cards featured players from the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Mets. These cards are extremely rare and valuable today.

The first card set featuring Major League Baseball players was released in 1909

The first card set featuring Major League Baseball players was released in 1909 by the Tobacco Company. It is commonly referred to as the “T206” set and is one of the most iconic and valuable in the hobby. The set includes 524 different cards, each featuring a different player. Notable members of the set include Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Christy Mathewson.

In 1910, the American Tobacco Company released another set of baseball cards known as the “T210” set. This set is notable for its colorful design and inclusion of many star players such as Cy Young and Nap Lajoie. The 210 set is also significant because it was the first to feature team cards.

The next major release came in 1911 with the “T3” Turkey Red Cabinet Set. This highly desirable set contains 50 cards, each measuring 3-1/8” by 5-3/8”. The T3 set includes some of baseball’s earliest superstars such as Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Ty Cobb.

The first card set featuring Minor League Baseball players was released in 1912

In 1910, the American Tobacco Company (ATC) introduced the T206 set, the most popular set of tobacco cards ever produced. The back of each card in the set featured text advertising various ATC products. In an effort to increase sales, ATC included a message on some of the cards that said, “Collect all 50 cards and get a baseball or a $50 gold coin!” As a result, children all over America began pestering their parents to buy more packs of cigarettes so they could get their hands on the much-coveted gold coin.

In 1912, sensing an opportunity to cash in on the growing popularity of baseball cards, the ATC released a second set of cards featuring Minor League Baseball players. This was the first card set to feature Minor League players, and it is generally considered to be the precursor to today’s modern baseball card sets.

The 1912 Minor League set consisted of 50 different cards, each featuring a different player. The front of each card featured a black-and-white photograph of the player in action, surrounded by a white border. The back of each card contained biographical information about the player, as well as statistics from his career up to that point.

The 1912 Minor League set proved to be highly popular with both children and adults, and it ushered in a new era of baseball card collecting.

The first card set featuring Negro League Baseball players was released in 1915

The first card set featuring Negro League Baseball players was released in 1915 by the tobacco company Riverfront. The set includes 30 cards of some of the league’s biggest stars, including Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, and Josh Gibson. This set is significant not only because it was the first to feature Negro League players, but because it was also one of the first to be widely distributed. Prior to this, most baseball cards were only available as part of a product purchase, such as tobacco or candy. The release of the Riverfront set made baseball cards more accessible to the general public and helped to increase their popularity.

1920s

In the 1920s, baseball cards were introduced as a way to promote movies, chewing gum, and other products. The first baseball cards were issued by the American Tobacco Company in 1909 and featured players from the New York Giants. In the 1920s, card companies began producing cards featuring players from all teams. These cards were very popular and are now collectors items.

The first card set featuring female baseball players was released in 1921

The 1920s were a decade of transition for baseball cards. The first card set featuring female baseball players was released in 1921, and the popular tobacco cards of the 1910s began to give way to candy and gum cards in the 1920s. By the end of the decade, almost all baseball card sets were issued with gum or candy.

The most popular baseball card set of the 1920s was the 1922-1923 W502 strip card set, which featured players from all eight major league teams. The set is most notable for being the first to feature Babe Ruth, who would go on to become one of the most popular and iconic players in baseball history. Other important sets from the 1920s include the 1922-1923 E120 American Caramel Company set (featuring Ty Cobb on the front), and the 1925-1926 W512 strip card set (featuring Lou Gehrig on the front).

The first card set featuring foreign baseball players was released in 1924

The first card set featuring foreign baseball players was released in 1924, and it included players from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. The set was called “Exhibit Supply Company’s International League Stars” and featured 24 different players. It is believed that only a handful of these sets were ever produced, and they are extremely rare today.

The first card set featuring All-Star baseball players was released in 1925

The first card set featuring All-Star baseball players was released in 1925. The cards were black and white and featured players from the American League and the National League. The set was produced by the American Tobacco Company and included cards of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson. These cards are now very rare and valuable.

1930s-1940s

In the early days of baseball, cards were distributed as a way to promote the player and the team. The first baseball cards were produced in the late 1800s, but the 1930s marked the start of the modern baseball card era. Baseball cards became very popular collectibles in the 1930s and 1940s. Many different companies produced baseball cards during this time period.

The first card set featuring Hall of Fame baseball players was released in 1933

The first card set featuring Hall of Fame baseball players was released in 1933 by the Goudey Gum Company of Boston. The set consisted of 240 cards, including 33 Hall of Famers. This was the first time that baseball cards were printed on gum wrappers. The most valuable card in the set is Sadaharu Oh (#106), which is worth an estimated $1 million.

The Topps Chewing Gum Company produced the first complete set of baseball cards in 1952. The set consisted of 407 cards, including 39 Hall of Famers. Jackie Robinson (#1) is the most valuable card in the set, worth an estimated $500,000.

Topps released its first test issues in 1951 and its first official product in 1953. These test issues are very rare and highly sought-after by collectors.

The first card set featuring World Series baseball players was released in 1936

The first card set featuring World Series baseball players was released in 1936 by the National Chicle Gum Company. The 10-card set included Chicago Cubs players Gabby Hartnett, Hack Wilson, and Ripper Collins. The cards were available in packs of gum for a penny each. In 1939, the Play Ball Company released the first multi-player baseball card set which included cards of players from all 16 Major League Baseball teams.

The first card set featuring Rookie baseball players was released in 1939

The first card set featuring Rookie baseball players was released in 1939 by the Bowman Gum Company. The set consisted of 48 cards, including future Hall-of-Famers Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. The following year, Bowman issued a second set of 66 cards. In 1941, Play Ball became the first card set to be released in conjunction with a specific product, in this case chewing gum. The set included 55 cards featuring black-and-white player photos on the fronts and biographical information on the backs. In 1948, Leaf Gum Company released the first true collector’s set which featured colorized player photos on both the front and back of each card.

1950s-1960s

Baseball cards first became popular in the late 19th century as a way for baseball fans to collect their favorite players. The first baseball cards were hand-painted, and most were sold by tobacco companies. In the 1950s, Topps became the first company to mass-produce baseball cards, and they are still one of the most popular brands. The 1960s saw the rise of card collecting as a hobby, and Topps responded by producing more cards and introducing new designs.

The first card set featuring All-Star baseball players was released in 1951

The first card set featuring All-Star baseball players was released in 1951. The set consisted of 252 cards, and each card featured the player’s autograph. The set is now considered to be one of the most valuable in existence, with some cards selling for tens of thousands of dollars.

The 1950s and 1960s were a golden age for baseball cards. Many sets were released during this time, and some are now highly sought-after by collectors. One of the most popular sets from this era is the Topps Baseball set from 1952, which featured Mickey Mantle on its cover.

The first card set featuring MVP baseball players was released in 1957

The set included similar cards of Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and other Major League Baseball stars. MVP cards featured color photos on the front with basic player information and statistics on the back. The MVP set was so popular that it was followed by several sets featuring league leaders and other star players. These “leader” cards were also very popular with young collectors.

The first card set featuring Topps baseball players was released in 1959

The first card set featuring Topps baseball players was released in 1959. It consisted of 406 cards, which were released in three different series throughout the year. The first series featured cards 1-252, while the second series featured cards 253-310. The final series, which was released in November 1959, featured cards 311-406. All of the cards in the set were printed on thin cardboard stock and measured 2-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches. The front of each card featured a black-and-white photograph of a player, along with his name, position(s), team, and biographical information. The back of each card featured statistics from the 1958 season, along with a short write-up about the player.

Topps was not the only company producing baseball cards in 1959; Fleer and Bowman also released sets that year. However, Topps’ set quickly became the standard by which all other baseball card sets would be judged. In 1960, Topps released an updated set of 572 cards, which again became the benchmark for other companies’ releases.

1970s-1980s

In the 1970s, Topps Chewing Gum Inc. dominated the baseball card market. They had exclusive contracts with Major League Baseball and the MLBPA. Leaf Gum Company and Donruss challenged Topps in the early 1970s, but Topps bought them out in 1981. Fleer also put out a few baseball card sets in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Score became a big player in the baseball card market.

The first card set featuring team logos was released in 1971

The first card set featuring team logos was released in 1971 by Topps. The set, which consisted of 528 cards, was also the first to feature a player’s photo on the front and statistics on the back. The following year, Topps released their second baseball card set, which featured 664 cards. Among the new additions were highlights, league leaders and award winners. Topps also became the exclusive provider of baseball cards for Fleer and Donruss beginning in 1981.

The first card set featuring player statistics was released in 1972

Topps, the company that had dominated the baseball card industry since the early 1950s, finally met some serious competition in the early 1970s. In 1969, Topps was caught off-guard when three former Topps employees released a set of basketball cards under the banner of their new company, Fleer. The following year, Fleer produced a set of football cards, and in 1971 they released their first set of baseball cards.

Topps responded quickly to the threat posed by Fleer by producing larger card sets (662 cards in 1972, compared to 396 in 1971) and by acquiring exclusive rights to print cards featuring rookies and players who had been left out of Topps’ sets in previous years. Nevertheless, Fleer’s entry into the baseball card market signaled that Topps’ monopoly on the industry was no longer secure.

In an effort to further distinguish its product from Fleer’s, Topps included player statistics on the backs of itscards for the first time in 1972. These “Player Profile” cards proved popular with collectors and became a permanent feature of Topps’ sets in subsequent years.

The first card set featuring player autographs was released in 1979

The first card set featuring player autographs was released in 1979 by Topps, and included 52 cards of active major league players. The autographs were applied to the card fronts in blue or black ink. A similar set was produced in 1980, but with 56 cards. A shortage of autograph cards led to the release of a set of 28 in 1981, which are significantly more valuable than the other two sets.

1990s-2000s

The 1990s and 2000s were marked by a number of changes in the baseball card industry. The most significant change was the introduction of the rookie card. In an effort to attract new fans, Topps and other manufacturers started to include cards of players who had just recently joined the league. These cards became very popular, and the value of some of them has skyrocketed in recent years.

The first card set featuring holograms was released in 1990

In 1990, Topps released its first set of cards featuring holograms. The set, which was called Topps Rumors, contained 66 cards with holograms on the front and back. The holograms were used to depict different scenes from the lives of major league baseball players.

Topps Rumors was not well received by collectors and was quickly forgotten. In 1991, Topps released a second set of cards featuring holograms, but this time the holograms were printed on the fronts of the cards only. The set, which was called Topps All-Stars, contained 50 cards with holograms depicting different All-Star players.

The All-Star set was also not well received by collectors and was quickly forgotten. In 1992, Topps released a third set of cards featuring holograms, but this time the holograms were printed on the backs of the cards only. The set, which was called Topps Stars, contained 50 cards with holograms depicting different star players.

The Stars set was also not well received by collectors and was quickly forgotten. In 1993, Topps finally got it right and released a fourth set of cards featuring holograms that were printed on both the front and back of the cards. The set, which was called Topps HologrAmS, contained 100 cards with holograms depicting different scenes from baseball games.

The HologrAmSset was very well received by collectors and is still considered to be one of the most popular sets of baseball cards ever released.

The first card set featuring game-used memorabilia was released in 1992

The first card set featuring game-used memorabilia was released in 1992. The set, Upper Deck’s SP, featured a swatch of jerseys from 16 different players. In the years that followed, more and more cards began to feature game-used memorabilia, with the majority of sets released in the late 1990s and early 2000s including at least one card with a piece of game-used memorabilia.

The first card set featuring player photos was released in 2001

In 2001, the Topps Company released the first set of baseball cards to feature player photos on the front and team logos on the back. The set, which included both veterans and rookies, became known as the “Heritage” set and quickly became a favorite among collectors.

The Heritage sets were followed by other similar sets from Topps, including the “Topps Chrome” and “Topps Allen & Ginter” sets. These sets featured high-quality printing and photographs, making them some of the most popular cards on the market.

With the popularity of player photos on baseball cards, many other companies began to produce their own sets of cards featuring player photos. These sets quickly became collector’s items, with some selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.