Baseball cards were first introduced in the late 19th century as promotions for chewing gum and tobacco products. It was in the 1920s that the collecting and trading of baseball cards truly took off. Several key developments in the 1920s helped propel baseball cards into the mainstream hobby that they remain today.
The 1920s saw the rise of mass-produced baseball cards inserted in packs of cigarettes and gum. Previously, cards were produced in much smaller quantities and distributed haphazardly. In 1909, American Tobacco Company began inserting cards in packs of cigarettes as promotions. It was in the 1920s when companies like American Caramel, Goudey Gum Company, and Play Ball Cigarettes began mass producing cards on a much larger scale. This helped standardize the size and format of cards and made them easily accessible to a wide audience.
Another major development was the inclusion of player photographs on cards starting in the 1920s. Previously, most cards only featured illustrations of players. But in 1921, the Cracker Jack company began issuing cards with photos, helping make the players seem more real to fans. Over the next few years, other companies followed suit and player photos became the standard for baseball cards. This helped fuel interest and connection to players for young collectors.
The 1920s also saw the emergence of true “rookie cards,” or the first card issued featuring a player. Some of the most valuable vintage cards today are 1920s rookie cards for legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Ty Cobb. In addition to rookie cards, the 1920s also saw the first extensive card sets issued, such as the 1924 Billy Evans Goudey and 1929-31 Goudey sets which are considered some of the most iconic in baseball card history.
The popularity of baseball itself exploded in the 1920s following the Black Sox Scandal and Babe Ruth’s home run prowess. As the national pastime grew in popularity on the backs of larger-than-life stars, so too did interest in collecting their cardboard representations. Companies worked hard to sign players to exclusive contracts to feature on their cards, helping drive sales. By the late 1920s, baseball cards had truly taken hold as a mainstream hobby for kids and adults alike to enjoy.
While the designs, production methods, and materials would improve in future decades, the 1920s truly established baseball cards as a collectible sport memorabilia staple. Rookie cards, photo inclusion, expansive sets, and the rising fandom of the game itself all combined to take the humble promotions of the previous decades and turn baseball cards into both a booming business and beloved hobby. Cards from the 1920s Goudey and T206 sets remain the most iconic and valuable in the hobby nearly a century later. The foundations established in this dynamic decade ensured baseball cards would be embedded in both the sport and popular culture for generations to come.
The 1920s were truly a transformative period that helped cement baseball cards as both a mainstream hobby and enduring slice of Americana. While collecting and trading cards remains a popular pastime today, those simple promotions of the late 19th century could have easily faded away. Instead, the innovations and circumstances of the roaring 1920s helped propel baseball cards into the mainstream collectible staple they are recognized as today. The early stars, expansive sets, and rising interest in the national pastime all combined to ensure those cardboard representations of players would be enjoyed and treasured for decades to come.
