Dickson Baseball Cards: A Brief History of One of the Top Card Manufacturers
Dickson Baseball Cards was one of the major manufacturers and distributors of baseball cards throughout the mid-20th century. Founded in 1933 by Richard Dickson, the company produced cards that featured some of the greatest players in baseball history and helped fuel the growing popularity of collecting sports cards as a hobby. This article will provide an overview of Dickson Baseball Cards, from its founding through its peak years of production in the 1950s and 1960s before being acquired by another company in the early 1970s.
Richard Dickson had worked as a salesman for several candy companies prior to founding his namesake baseball card company. Seeing the growing interest in baseball among both children and adults, he realized there was potential for including baseball cards inside candy and gum products similar to how cards were included in cigarette packs at the time. In 1933, Dickson produced his first sets of cards to include in bars of gum sold across the Midwest. The early Dickson cards featured single images of players from that season with basic stats and information on the back.
Through the 1930s, Dickson refined his baseball card production process and greatly expanded distribution. He began including multiple cards in wax-wrapped packs that could be found in stores nationwide. Dickson also was one of the first to feature action shots and team logos on the fronts of cards alongside player portraits. Sets from this period like 1936 and 1939 Goudey are highly collectible today featuring future Hall of Famers like Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, and Joe DiMaggio in their early careers. By the end of the decade, Dickson was one of the top three baseball card producers along with Goudey and Play Ball.
The post-World War II era saw a surge of interest in baseball and collecting that took Dickson Baseball Cards to new heights. In 1948, the company issued its first true “baseball card set” with comprehensive coverage of that season’s players and teams rather than loose assortments. Dickson also began experimenting with color lithography which allowed for more vivid photographs and artistic designs on the cards. Sets like 1948-1949 Leaf and 1950-1951 Bowman featured the new color techniques that set the standard in the industry. Dickson also acquired the rights to produce cards for the new Topps brand in the early 1950s that would eventually eclipse them.
The 1950s were the golden age of Dickson Baseball Cards. They produced some of the most iconic and valuable sets in the hobby including their flagship 1952, 1953, and 1954 issues. These featured the biggest stars of the day like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Ted Williams in their prime playing years. Dickson also produced innovative promotions like the 1954 “Mystery Photo” contest where fans tried to identify uncredited players pictured on the cards. The company obtained licenses from Major League Baseball starting in 1956 allowing for the first true “official” card issues with team logos and uniforms.
While Dickson Baseball Cards remained highly successful through the late 1950s and early 1960s, the company began facing more competition. Upstart Topps had become the dominant force in the industry and acquired several other competitors. Dickson’s 1961 and 1962 issues would be their last true “flagship” sets before the company shifted focus. They produced smaller specialty sets and traded card promotions through the mid-1960s. In 1971, Dickson Baseball Card assets were acquired by the Topps Company who absorbed much of their production staff and archives.
Although no longer an independently operating company, Dickson Baseball Cards left an indelible mark on the hobby. Their early innovation and golden age sets from the post-war period defined what sports cards were and helped build the massive industry that now exists. Many of the top Dickson issues have become extremely valuable to collectors, routinely fetching thousands of dollars per card for their historical significance and superb vintage photography. While short-lived compared to giants like Topps, Dickson established themselves as one of the true pioneers of baseball cards during their four decade run. Their contributions helped make collecting one of America’s favorite pastimes.
