Baseball cards exploded in popularity in the late 19th century and were produced for over 100 years now. The decade of the 1910s was an especially iconic time for early baseball cards as manufacturing techniques improved. Understanding baseball card values and prices from this era can provide useful context about the growing hobby and early legends of the game.

During the 1910s, tobacco companies like American Tobacco Company and Continental Tobacco Company dominated baseball card production and distribution. These companies included baseball cards in cigarette and other tobacco products hoping to encourage sales. The most widely produced and collected sets from this decade include 1910 to 1919 Tobacco Card sets highlighting superstars like Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and more.

Due to strong demand, card production reached new heights in the 1910s with tobacco companies pumping out millions of baseball cards featuring players across the major and minor leagues. Card quality was still relatively low during this decade compared to later years. Many 1910s baseball cards were printed using crude lithographic and gravure techniques on low quality, non-glossy stock paper resulting in cards that were more susceptible to wear and damage over time.

Despite early production issues, high population reports and the iconic players featured make 1910s baseball cards very desirable for collectors today, especially in top grades. Here is a brief overview of some key 1910s sets and estimated price ranges for sought-after specimen in different conditions:

1910 to 1911 American Caramel cards – Featuring early rookie cards of future all-time greats like Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson. High grade examples in top NM-MT 8 condition can fetch $2,000-$5,000 each.

1912 and 1913 T206 tobacco portfolio cards – Key early “portrait” style issues. Nicely centered T206s in average VG-EX 5 condition are $300-700. A pristine example could grade PSA 8 and sell for $2,000+.

1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack cards – Early card inserts featuring players across major leagues. Popular vertical format cards remain affordable for most collectors. Standard VG-EX graded examples are $50-$150.

1916 and 1917 Sporting News tobacco cards – Scarce early issues with only a few dozen graded PSA 8 or above due to fragile high relief designs. Even lower graded specimens in AG-VG 3-5 condition deserve $200-$500.

1911-1915 Gray Backs and White BorderIssue – Scarce regional issues with major stars. Complete near-complete sets regularly surpass $1,000 even in lower grades due to rarity.

1918 and 1919 M101-6 Hershberger/Judge/Home Run Baker cards – Iconic and early superstar rookie issues from these tobacco sets in PSA 8 grade would likely sell for $2,000-3,000 each. Typical VG condition is $300-700.

Honus Wagner and American Tobacco Company – The elusive T206 Honus Wagner rookie from 1909-1911 is one of the most sought-after collectibles in the world. The single highest graded PSA NM-MT 8+ specimen sold for over $6.6 million in 2016, showing no signs of weakening demand for this prized card.

When collecting early 1910s cards today, condition is important but often challenging due to the fragile paper stock used at that time. even mid-range VG-EX examples especially of stars like Wagner, Cobb and Mathewson can provide a satisfying connection to history and the dawn of the baseball card era for collectors. Completing high quality original 1910s card sets is a major achievement and investment due to the mix of iconic players, early production challenges in that decade and over 100 collecting since. With care and proper holding, condition on finer 1910s specimens should only improve with time further solidifying their enduring value to the hobby.

As illustrated by the price examples and storylines above, 1910s baseball cards provide a fascinating view into the roots of the sport, emergence of legends on the diamond and growth of the sports collecting industry itself. While the early decade is one of the formative in baseball cards’ history, 1910 issues remain both available and affordable for specialized collectors today seeking to appreciate the origins of America’s favorite pastime preserved in cardboard. Comparing 1910s card values to later decades helps emphasize baseball’s staying power as one of our culture’s most collectible sports over more than a century.