Introduction
While most collectors and fans are familiar with traditional baseball cards produced from the late 19th century through the 1980s, there was also a parallel universe of postcards featuring baseball players, teams and stadiums that existed during the same era. Often overlooked today, baseball postcards were a popular collectible and way to share information about the national pastime for decades. This article will provide an in-depth exploration of 62 post baseball cards – their history, production, subject matter and cultural significance.

Early Origins
Some of the earliest known baseball postcards date back to the turn of the 20th century during the deadball era. Companies like American Tobacco and baseball card manufacturers like American Caramel began experimenting with postcard sized cards as an alternative format. These early examples often featured individual players, teams and ballparks. Production was still finding its footing during these early years with inconsistencies in photo quality, player information and card stock. They helped promote the sport and served as affordable collectibles for fans.

Golden Age of Production 1920s-1950s
The golden age of baseball postcard production spanned from the 1920s through the 1950s, overlapping with the peak decades of traditional baseball cards. During this time, hundreds of different baseball postcards were produced each year by major publishers like International News, Star, E.C. Publications and Bell Brand as well as smaller regional printers. Subject matter expanded to include action shots, team portraits, ballparks and stadiums. Production quality greatly improved with standardized sizing, glossy photo stock and detailed player stats/biographies on the backs. Distribution was widespread through drugstores, tobacco shops, candy stores and even at ballparks themselves. These postcards helped connect fans to their favorite players during summer on the farm or away from home.

Decline in the Late 1950s-1960s
As the 1950s came to a close, the production and popularity of baseball postcards began to decline for a few key reasons. Television was bringing the game into more homes nationwide, lessening the need for static baseball imagery. The advent of glossy color photograph baseball cards in the late 1950s also siphoned off collector interest. Meanwhile, rising postage costs and the space race era made postcards seem outdated. The last great baseball postcard series were produced in the early 1960s before the format faded into obscurity, surviving primarily as a collectible from an earlier era.

Subject Matter and Imagery
Over the decades of production, baseball postcards covered a wide variety of subjects that gave fans visual access to the game in an era before TV and internet. Common imagery included:

Individual player portraits – Showcasing the face and uniform of star players from Babe Ruth to Mickey Mantle. Often with stats and biographical details.

Team shots – Group photos of uniformed players arranged by team. Sometimes included full rosters on the back.

Action shots – Exciting plays frozen in time like home runs, catches and pitches.

Ballpark/stadium shots – Exterior and interior views to promote the grandeur of the facilities.

League leaders – Highlighting batting, ERA or other statistical champions each season.

All-Star teams – Roster postcards for mid-summer classics in the 1930s-1950s.

Promotional – For special events, seasons openings/closings or to advertise specific brands.

Retrospective – Looking back on historic teams, players and seasons from previous eras.

This variety of subjects at different levels of play made postcards accessible to both die-hard and casual baseball fans nationwide.

Cultural Impact and Collecting Today
During their peak decades, baseball postcards served important cultural functions beyond just cards for the mail. They helped connect fans to players in the pre-internet/TV age and promoted the game in small towns. The vivid imagery also documented the evolving styles of uniforms, equipment and ballpark architecture. While the collectible market for vintage baseball postcards is smaller than cards, dedicated collectors still seek out rare examples to preserve this unique piece of baseball history. Grading services like PSA also authenticate and encapsulate high grade vintage postcards. Though their original purpose sending messages through the mail is long gone, baseball postcards remain a cherished connection to the past for collectors today.

Baseball postcards deserve recognition alongside traditional cards as an important part of the sport’s collectible history. For decades they provided affordable access to the game through vivid imagery and stats in an era without modern media. While their production has faded, these nostalgic cardboard communicators from a bygone time still excite collectors with their visual connection to baseball’s past. The wide variety of subjects and eras captured on 62 post make them a treasure trove of historical documentation and nostalgia for fans and historians alike.