The history of baseball cards dates back to the late 19th century when cigarette and tobacco companies began including premiums such as illustrations of baseball players with their tobacco products. In 1886, the American Tobacco Company started inserting cards featuring famous baseball players into packages of cigarettes and chewing tobacco as a marketing strategy to attract new customers. These early baseball cards were simply black and white images printed on thick paper stock.
In the early 1890s, several new tobacco brands began issuing baseball cards including Allen & Ginter in 1888 and Old Judge in 1889. The Old Judge brand issued the earliest known baseball card series in 1889 which featured individual cards of star players from that era including Roger Connor, Buck Ewing, and Cap Anson. In 1891, the Goodwin & Company tobacco brand issued the first notable set with cards featuring multiple players from several different teams.
The popularity of baseball cards grew tremendously in the early 20th century as new sets were released annually by tobacco companies. In 1909, the T206 baseball card set was issued by the American Tobacco Company which is considered by collectors to be one of the most significant early releases. The T206 set featured images of over 500 players from the National and American Leagues on soft, powdery white stock. Several rare and valuable cards were included such as the iconic Honus Wagner card which has sold for over $2 million in recent auctions.
During the 1910s and early 1920s, many new baseball card sets were released by tobacco brands including T207, T208, and T210 produced by American Tobacco and Sweet Caporal issued by the Pinkerton Tobacco Company. The cards featured color images and included star players of the era such as Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Babe Ruth. In 1915, the Cracker Jack brand began inserting baseball cards into packages of their caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts snack. This was the first time cards were included in a food product instead of tobacco.
The year 1922 marked the introduction of the most significant baseball card release between 1910-1925. The E120 set issued by American Caramel featured full color images on thin card stock of over 300 players from that season. The set included the earliest known cards of legends Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, and Goose Goslin. In 1923, the Cracker Jack brand issued their first major baseball card series with color images on thin paper. The set included cards of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and other top stars of the early 1920s.
By 1925, baseball cards were an enormously popular collecting hobby among both children and adults in America. Cigarette and food brands continued to include cards as premiums with their products. The tobacco industry was coming under increased scrutiny due to health concerns about smoking. In response, several tobacco companies began phasing out baseball cards from their products. The American Tobacco Company issued their final card set, the T206 White Border set, in 1925 which featured color images of players from the 1924 season. This marked the end of an era as tobacco brands ceased issuing baseball cards after 1925.
The popularity of baseball cards continued to grow through the late 1920s and 1930s as new sets were issued by food brands like Goudey Gum Company and Play Ball Gum. The early 1920s represented the peak years of tobacco companies involvement in the baseball card industry. The T206, E120, and other early 20th century cigarette sets remain some of the most popular and valuable among collectors today due to their historical significance and inclusion of legendary players from the deadball era. The transition from tobacco to food premiums in the mid-1920s ensured the future of baseball cards as a mainstream hobby.
