Cards Against Humanity Baseball Cards: An Unorthodox yet Entertaining Concept
The party game Cards Against Humanity has become famous for its crude humor and pop culture references found in each black and white card. Now, the creators of this taboo-breaking game have released a new product that combines the crude humor of CAH with America’s favorite pastime – baseball cards. In 2021, Cards Against Humanity partnered with Topps to release a limited series of baseball-style trading cards featuring inappropriate jokes and prompts from the game. While an unorthodox mashup, these CAH baseball cards have found an enthusiastic fanbase among players looking to spice up the traditional baseball card collecting hobby.
Each pack of Cards Against Humanity baseball cards contains five randomly selected cards with crass jokes or fill-in-the-blank prompts inspired by the party game. Similar to traditional baseball cards, each CAH card features colorful graphic design and images related to the prompt or joke featured on the front. Instead of stats or biographies you’d find on regular baseball cards, these cards push boundaries with risqué and offensive humor.
Some examples of prompts and jokes found on Cards Against Humanity baseball cards include: “The secret to a long life is ______ and plenty of _______” filled in with options like “anal beads” and “lube”, “Instead of steroids, MLB players should use ______ to improve their performance” with choices like “dick pills” and “butt plugs”, and “This year’s MLB all-star game featured a home run derby where players tried to hit balls out of the park using only _______” with blanks like “dildos” and “vibrators”. As you can see, these cards take the traditional baseball card format and inject it with the crude and raunchy humor that Cards Against Humanity has become known for.
While certainly not suitable for all audiences, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards have found an enthusiastic niche collecting community since their release. Similar to how fans of the party game enjoy the shock value and taboo nature of the white and black cards, collectors of these CAH trading cards appreciate pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable for traditional sports card sets. Given the popularity of baseball card collecting as both a hobby and investment, the limited series of Cards Against Humanity cards released in partnership with Topps sold out quickly.
Since their initial release, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards have developed their own robust secondary market online. Individual cards and complete sets frequently sell on auction sites and trading card marketplace apps. Prices can vary widely depending on specific prompts or jokes featured, with some of the most offensive or memorable cards commanding premium prices upwards of $50 or more. While certainly not going to gain mainstream acceptance, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards have carved out loyal following among collectors with a taste for offensive and risqué humor within the traditional sports card collecting space.
In addition to their value as novel collectibles, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards have also provided entertainment for fans as creative creative content. Videos have emerged of people online reading prompts aloud and attempting to keep a straight face, similar to how the party game is meant to be played. Compilations of the “best” and most shocking CAH baseball card prompts have also gone viral. In this way, the spirit of the crass yet lighthearted Cards Against Humanity experience has translated beyond just the traditional card game format and into new spaces.
While an unorthodox concept to be sure, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards succeeded in breathing new life into the hobby through taboo humor and novelty value where traditional sports cards had grown stale for some collectors. By merging the raunchy party game with classic baseball card designs, CAH created a limited series that has developed a passionate cult following. Whether collected casually or taken seriously as investments, Cards Against Humanity baseball cards continue pushing boundaries of what is considered acceptable within traditional hobbies and pop culture in a way that has resonated with many fans. Only time will tell if future partnerships or similar novel takes on trading cards emerge, but CAH has proven there is an audience for offensive humor even within traditionally wholesome spaces like baseball cards.
