The advent calendar has long been a holiday tradition for families with young children, offering a fun way to count down the days until Christmas. Behind each door or window is usually a small piece of candy or a toy. In recent years, there has been a rise in specialized advent calendars tailored towards specific interests. One such niche calendar that has gained popularity is the advent calendar featuring baseball cards.
The concept of an advent calendar with baseball cards instead of candy is a creative way for baseball fans, both young and old, to get into the holiday spirit. As each day in December passes, a new baseball trading card is revealed behind the corresponding window or door. This allows collectors to add to their collections one card at a time in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It’s a fun twist on the classic advent calendar that baseball enthusiasts can appreciate.
Some of the earliest baseball card advent calendars came out around 2010 from companies like Topps and Leaf. They featured 25 windows with popular modern players from that era like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, and Clayton Kershaw. The cards themselves were usually common base cards rather than inserts or parallels. It was still exciting for kids to see which player they would get each day. These initial offerings helped gauge interest and demand for the product.
As the baseball card advent calendar concept gained traction, manufacturers started getting more creative with their designs and included content. Panini emerged as a leader in this niche market, crafting elaborate calendars themed around certain teams or players. Their 2018 calendar celebrating the Boston Red Sox World Series win had team logo artwork and featured cards of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and other stars from that championship season.
Vintage and retro designs also became popular. In 2019, Topps released a throwback calendar modeled after their iconic 1960s and 70s wax packs. Each window had an authentic card from that era randomly inserted, keeping collectors on their toes. Names like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Nolan Ryan could be discovered throughout December. For older fans nostalgic for the early days of the hobby, this provided a unique way to enjoy vintage cardboard in the holidays.
Exclusive and autographed content further elevated the advent calendar experience. In 2021, Leaf came out with a special Mike Trout edition where one of the 25 windows held an on-card autograph of the Angels superstar. Panini offered calendars centered around rookies, loading them up with first Bowman Cards for players like Juan Soto who were just breaking into the big leagues. The potential for finding a scarce parallel or memorabilia card added an extra layer of excitement to the daily reveal.
As the years have gone by, more manufacturers like Press Pass, Donruss and Topps Project 70 have entered the baseball card advent calendar market. The variety of themes and inclusion of hit cards at a reasonable price point have made them a staple holiday item for collectors. Stores like Target and Walmart even started carrying them alongside other toys and candy calendars. This wider distribution has further boosted their popularity among casual and die-hard baseball fans alike.
Going forward, the advent calendar will likely remain an innovative way for the trading card industry to celebrate the holidays and introduce new collectors. With baseball’s rising popularity internationally as well, don’t be surprised if calendars themed after Japanese, Korean or Cuban players emerge. Nostalgic retro designs and special autograph editions will also stay in high demand. As long as the tradition of opening a small window each day in December persists, baseball cards will continue having a home in advent calendars for years to come. The unique combination captures the holiday spirit of surprise and brings the excitement of the hobby to the weeks leading up to Christmas.
