Baseball cards hold a special place in the hearts of many collectors and fans of America’s pastime. Among the most prized possessions for any dedicated card aficionado are examples from the earliest series issued in the late 19th century, considered the true “top deck” treasures of the hobby. While finding pristine examples from the earliest sets in mint condition has become nearly impossible due to the cards’ extreme age, hunting for high-quality vintage cardboard remains an exciting pursuit for generations of collectors.
Some of the first baseball cards were included as advertisements in sheets of bubble gum as early as 1886. The tobacco companies are widely credited with mainstreaming and popularizing the inclusion of baseball cards in their products beginning in the late 1880s. Topps, a perennial industry leader who would come to dominate the modern baseball card boom, was founded in 1938 but did not release its first series of gum- and candy-included baseball cards until 1951. With the mass production and insertion of cards in popular tobacco products like cigarettes and chewing tobacco, the golden age of baseball cards had truly begun.
Among the earliest and most collectible commercial issues are the iconic T206 and T205 sets produced between 1909 and 1911 by the American Tobacco Company. Named for the tax classification assigned to cigarettes at the time, the tobacco giant commissioned photographs of players from all teams to include in its cigarette packs. Multiple variants were produced using different photographs and backgrounds, adding tremendous complexity to the sets. Numbered between 1 and 524, specimens of the iconic “White Borders” T206 series in pristine mint condition can fetch hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at auction depending on the player and rarity factors involved. Babe Ruth’s 1914 “Chicago” RC from the set, for example, set a new record when it sold for $5.2 million in 2016. Honus Wagner remains the most coveted card of all, with just a handful believed to still exist in high grades. An example that sold on eBay in 2007 for $2.8 million remains the most expensive trading card ever sold.
Another highly renowned set is the 1909-11 T205 “Gold Borders” issue, containing larger portrait photographs on a gold background. Though not quite as rare, specimens in mint condition also still demand a massive premium. Contemporaneous 1910 E121-1 and E90-1 issues from the retailer-focused Allen & Ginter sets featuring similar player portraits also attracted fervent interest from dedicated collectors. Lesser-known issues like the 1911 Imperial Tobacco of Canada offerings or assorted regional series created excitement as well for adding diversity to collections. Top-grade examples are exceedingly rare and valuable finds.
Into the teens and 1920s, the baseball card boom continued unabated as new cigarette brands popped up featuring cards of the day’s biggest stars like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and others. The American Caramel set of 1911-12 featured vivid color portraits and gave collectors a taste of things to come. Issues like 1914 C342 Goodwin Champions and 1914 C313 Pinky Whitened contained thick cardboard stock and highlighted rising luminaries. Perhaps the quintessential “top deck” set of the decade emerged in 1909 with the iconic 1912 Hassan Triple Fold tobacco issue. Boasting incredible embossed foil portraits and card designs, just 50 complete unopened boxes are believed to still exist in collectible condition today. Individual cards can often sell for six figures or more.
The golden age truly hit its commercial peak in the 1930s and 40s with the dawn of mass-produced gum and candy partnerships between baseball and big brands. The 1933 Goudey Gum Company cards are still among the most coveted vintage issues with their brilliantly colored action photographs. Stars of the era like Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, and Dizzy Dean dazzle collectors. High numbers of the original 1933 print run survive but high grades remain elusive. Meanwhile, other series like 1937-38 Goudey gave cards an embossed 3D texture look. 1939 Play Ball and 1941-42/45 Play Ball in particular represented some of the finest pre-war designs and photography, highlighting legends like Ted Williams, Bob Feller, and Stan Musial. Reaching these epochs in top-notch condition is the stuff of fantasy for many collectors.
Similar candy-inclusive issues followed suit post-World War II as names like Topps, Bowman, and Leaf rose to prominence. The 1952 Topps debut issue contained familiar faces like Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Mickey Mantle but are difficult to find intact in pristine shape owing to their flimsy paper construction. Bowman brought colorful lithographed designs and player pose variety in postwar issues. The beloved 1952 Bowman set introduced future Hall of Famers like Willie Mays and Duke Snider. In mint condition with bright colors and sharp details visible, high-grade 1952s can trade hands for six-figure prices. Condition sensitive post-war sets like 1953 Topps, 1955 Topps, and the oddball 1957 Topps are irresistible challenges for questing collectors hoping to obtain the finest certified specimens.
While modern mass-produced issues from the 1970s onward hold little scarcity value compared to their forebears, finding pristine gems from the true pioneers of cardboard remains the holy grail for vintage collectors. Whether one seeks the finest known Wagner tobacco card or 1933 Goudey Ruth in a holder graded Mint 9, successful additions of top-tier pieces add immensely to any collection. With less than a handful of specimens believed to exist in each case, the hunt for the absolute rarest of the rare from baseball’s earliest cardboard era never loses its excitement or ability to captivate dedicated players of the card game. With prices ascending each new auction cycle for the bluest of blue chip vintage rarities, the booming market shows no signs of slowing in its appreciation for the birth of America’s pastime on paper and card stock. For generations to come, the chase continues anew for finding each set’s prized missing precious pearl among the earliest and most desirable cardboard keepsakes of them all from the true top deck of baseball card history.
The frenzied collector community, huge monetary stakes, and mystique around pristine specimens of the earliest sets has helped ensure baseball’s cardboard past remains incredibly well-documented and preserved despite its immense age. While affordable for today’s average collector may be replicas, reprints or lower-grade originals, the religious pursuit of perfection in attaining and certifying true “kingpins” from before the hobby’s explosion extends baseball card collecting’s lore for years to come. Whether gazing upon the finest known examples protected in holders or living vicariously through auction results, appreciating the birth of our hobby through its earliest and most important pioneers on the top deck remains an incredible privilege andtreat for all card fans. The origins and mystique of our pastime in paper form truly began with these legendary early sets deserving of their top billing place in our sport’s annals. Their allure and ability to captivate future generations after over a century since issue only grow stronger with time.
