Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture for over 150 years, chronicling the players, teams, and history of our national pastime. While many major cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago played a role in the early development of baseball cards, the small city of Lancaster, Ohio also had an important hand to play. Located about 30 miles southeast of Columbus in Fairfield County, Lancaster was home to several baseball card manufacturers in the early 20th century that helped popularize the hobby nationwide.
One of the earliest baseball card companies based in Lancaster was the M.S. Clotworthy Company, founded in 1902. M.S. Clotworthy got their start by producing trade cards, small promotional cards often included in tobacco products to help advertise the brands. In the early 1900s, they began experimenting with producing sets of trade cards focused solely on professional baseball players and teams. Some of the earliest Clotworthy baseball cards depicted stars of the era like Nap Lajoie, Cy Young, and Honus Wagner. While production runs were small, these sets helped grow interest in collecting baseball players on cards beyond just cigarettes and chewing gum.
In the 1910s, two larger baseball card companies set up shop in Lancaster – the American Caramel Company and Joy Brothers Confectionery. American Caramel was founded in 1911 and quickly became one of the dominant baseball card manufacturers of the pre-war era. Their cards featured vibrant color illustrations and bios of the players on the back. Sets from 1911-1914 are some of the most highly sought after issues by collectors today due to their scarcity and condition. Joy Brothers entered the baseball card business around 1915 and produced lower quality “penny cards” that were still popular with kids. Both companies took advantage of Lancaster’s central location and railroad infrastructure to distribute their cards nationwide.
The heyday of baseball cards being included as incentives with candy and gum products began in the 1920s. This decade saw the rise of several legendary manufacturers based in Lancaster. In 1922, the Bell Brand Candy Company was launched and immediately began issuing sets that captured the look and feel of the live action on the field. Their 1924 and 1925 issues are considered some of the finest graphic designs of the early 20th century. Another iconic brand, The Goudey Gum Company, set up their production facilities in Lancaster in 1928. Their famous 1933 Goudey set featured the first baseball card design with a color photo on the front.
In the 1930s and 40s, Lancaster was truly the epicenter of the thriving baseball card industry. Companies like Diamond Stars, M.F. Career, and Play Ball issued some of the most beautiful and innovative designs ever seen. Sets were sold individually as well as included with candy bars, bubble gum, and other treats that kids loved. World War 2 created shortages that temporarily disrupted production. The post-war economic boom led to the golden age of the 1950s, when Lancaster manufacturers like Topps, Bowman, and Red Heart ruled the marketplace. Their creative marketing and attractive visual styles kept collectors hooked.
As the 1960s rolled around, the baseball card business in Lancaster began to decline. Rising costs, new competitors in other regions, and changes in consumer tastes all contributed to manufacturers closing their factories or relocating. Topps was the last holdout, continuing baseball card production in the city into the early 1970s before moving operations to New York. However, Lancaster cemented its place in hobby history as being central to the growth of baseball cards from a small novelty to a multi-million dollar industry. The city takes pride in its role in popularizing one of America’s favorite pastimes. Today, the National Baseball Hall of Fame has exhibits that pay tribute to the classic card issues that first rolled off the presses in Lancaster over a century ago. While the factories are long gone, the legacy of Lancaster’s contributions to the cherished tradition of collecting baseball cards lives on.
