Baseball cards exploded in popularity in the late 19th century as printed cards inserted in tobacco products allowed companies to promote their brands while giving customers a fun collectible. By 1920, baseball cards had become a mainstream hobby for both children and adults across America. In this era before television and other forms of mass media, baseball cards were one way for fans to learn about their favorite players and connect with the national pastime.
The most popular and valuable baseball cards from 1920 come from two tobacco brands – T206 and Hassan Triple Fold. The T206 set, issued between 1909-1911 by the American Tobacco Company, features over 500 different baseball players. The 1920 season is the first year that Babe Ruth appears in the T206 set after breaking out as a star the previous year with the Boston Red Sox. His iconic portrait, showing his powerful physique and intense focus, makes him one of the most in-demand T206 cards to this day. In Near Mint condition, a 1920 Babe Ruth T206 card can sell for over $2.5 million, making it the most valuable baseball card of all-time based on sales records.
Other star players whose 1920 T206 cards hold immense value include Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner. Cobb’s aggressive style of play made him a fan favorite, and his card regularly sells for $150,000-$250,000 in top grades. Walter Johnson’s dominance on the mound as a power pitcher for the Washington Senators gives his 1920 T206 card a price range of $75,000-$125,000. And the legendary Honus Wagner, whose career was winding down in 1920, has a card that still demands $500,000 even in low-end EX condition due to its scarcity and his iconic status in baseball history.
The other highly-coveted set from 1920 is Hassan Triple Fold cigarettes. Issued as three-panel “cards” that folded out, the Hassan set featured all 16 major league teams of the time. The most valuable from this set tend to be the more rare teams based on lower production runs, such as the Boston Braves and Philadelphia Athletics. In Near Mint condition, a 1920 Hassan Boston Braves triple fold can sell for over $25,000 today. Other top graded examples like the New York Giants or Chicago Cubs will range from $10,000 to $20,000.
While T206 and Hassan were the premier baseball card releases of 1920, there were also lesser known sets issued that year that hold value for dedicated collectors. Examples include Mayo Cut Plug Tobacco cards issued by Goodwin & Company. This 96-card set featured individual player portraits similar to T206. High grade examples of stars like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in the Mayo set can sell for $3,000-$5,000. Another notable set is Sweet Caporal cigarettes, which issued cards as premiums that were essentially the same size as modern cards. A complete 1920 Sweet Caporal set in top condition would be worth $8,000-$12,000 for avid vintage collectors.
When examining prices for 1920 baseball cards, a key factor is the card’s condition or state of preservation. On the popular 1-10 grading scale used by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and other third-party authentication companies, the difference between lower grades like Very Good (VG) to higher grades like Near Mint (NM) or Mint (MT) can mean a 10X or greater increase in value. For example, a 1920 Babe Ruth T206 card in VG condition might sell for $100,000, while that same card in NM/MT grade could reach the multi-million dollar range mentioned earlier. This condition premium holds true for all vintage cards going back to the early 20th century.
The 1920 season saw legendary players like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb start to transcend the sport and capture the national imagination. The tobacco cards released that year featuring these emerging icons have developed tremendous nostalgia and demand. For dedicated vintage baseball card collectors, high grade examples from the iconic T206 and Hassan Triple Fold sets remain the most coveted investments and collectibles over 100 years later. With strict population reports and mint state specimens becoming increasingly rare, prices for 1920 cards are likely to continue rising over time.
