Memoirs
When Were American Baseball Cards Started and How Were They Introduced to Fans?
The American pastime for baseball had its beginning around the Civil War, before and after. Along with the physical sport came the interest in a printed baseball picture. These pictures were pasted onto cardboard and consisted of a large version called a cabinet card and a small version called a “carte de visite”. The pictures could be of a player or a team. The cards were primarily used for mementos and were not sold for profit.
The First Baseball Card
The first card printed for business purposes was in the late 1860’s when a New York sporting good company, Peck and Snyder, began printing a card with a baseball team on one side and an advertisement on the other. These cards were not sold but were handed out on the street. This type of card continued to be used throughout the 1870’s and 1880’s. Many people collected these cards, called trade cards, as a hobby.
Baseball Cards In Tobacco Products
Then in the mid 1880’s, tobacco companies began printing small baseball cards and inserting them into packages of their tobacco products. Goodwin & Co tobacco in New York was the first to do this promotion and soon after many tobacco companies followed suit.
This type of promotion continued well into the late 1890’s. However, at that time, a number of tobacco companies merged into one company called American Tobacco Company and the promotional program of baseball cards was curtailed for the most part due to lack of tobacco competition in the industry.
Branching Out
Because American Tobacco Company had become a monopoly, the US government broke it up into smaller companies in the early 1900’s. This change contributed to the startup of baseball card promotions again. From 1909 through 1915, the best baseball cards ever were produced. These cards continued to be in tobacco products but were also added by other companies into candy products. Popular players during this era included Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.
With the advent of World War I, many tobacco companies discontinued their baseball card programs. However, the candy and gum companies ramped up their programs. These cards were not as professional looking as earlier cards but more cards were issued since the associated products were much less expensive.
Baseball Cards With Gum
In the 1930’s when major players included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, a gum company called Goudey Gum in Boston produced some of the most popular cards ever to be made. This idea was quickly copied by other gum companies and the cards continued until World War II when paper shortages caused a significant cutback in card production.
Topps Baseball Cards
After the war, gum manufacturers started their baseball card promotions again when players like Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were popular. The most famous gum company was Topps Chewing Gum Company who ran their baseball card program from 1952 to 1981.
Baseball cards are still traded today and baseball card collecting remains a favorite hobby for many Americans especially since baseball card values have increased significantly.