The rich history of baseball in St. Louis is closely tied to the history of baseball cards produced to feature St. Louis players and teams. From the early tobacco cards of the late 1800s to the modern era, St. Louis has been prominently featured in the collectible card industry.
Some of the earliest St. Louis baseball cards came from tobacco companies in the late 1800s as they began inserting cards into cigarettes and chewing tobacco products. In 1886, the American Tobacco Company produced cards as part of its cigarette and plug tobacco brands. One of the standout stars featured was Tip O’Neill, an outfielder who spent six seasons with the St. Louis Browns from 1883-1888. Other stars of that era like Bob Caruthers and Charles Comiskey also appeared in those early tobacco issues showcasing the St. Louis franchises.
In the early 20th century, the most dominant baseball card producer was the American Tobacco Company, issuing sets under brands like Allen & Ginter, Mayo Cut Plug, Sweet Caporal. Stars of the great St. Louis teams of that era appeared prominently, including the famous 1914 “Brownies” world champions. Players like George Sisler, Jack Quinn, and Sherry Magee were featured in the tobacco issues of the time as heroes in St. Louis. In 1911, the most coveted card for St. Louis collectors was the Sherry Magee card from that year’s Sweet Caporal set, which recently sold at auction for over $6,000 in gem mint condition.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Goudey Gum Company introduced innovative new technologies like color photographs and fluorescent inks. Goudey highlighted stars of the renowned “Gashouse Gang” St. Louis Cardinals teams that won world titles in 1934 and 1942. Hall of Famers like Dizzy Dean, Pepper Martin, and Billy Southworth got major coverage in classic Goudey sets. Dean’s memorable poses throwing wicked pitches make his 1933 and 1934 Goudey cards some of the most iconic in the company’s storied history.
Around the same time period, the St. Louis-based manufacturer World Color Printing also started mass-producing regional sets focused specifically on the Cardinals, Browns, and local Negro League clubs. Their 1937 offering showcased stars Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter in their early Cardinals days. WCP continued making St. Louis-centric sets well into the 1950s. As the only dedicated baseball card maker based in St. Louis, WCP cards remain a hugely popular category for local collectors today.
In the post-World War II era as the modern mass-produced baseball card boom took off, iconic St. Louis stars continued to shine. In 1952, rookie cards of future Cardinals legend Stan “The Man” Musial and pitcher Curt Simmons were issued in the iconic Bowman set that year. Bowman would also release rookie cards for Hall of Famers Lou Brock in 1962 and Ted Simmons in 1968. Topps carried on the tradition in the 1950s and 1960s with action shots and biography cards for Musial and Brock in their annual flagship issues.
The 1960s also saw landmark sets come out of St. Louis. In 1965, the regionally-distributed Dan Dee Potato Chips set paid tribute to the Cardinals 1964 pennant winners with photo cards of Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, and others. In 1968, the stadium giveaway set inside bags of Frisch’s Bread captured the “Charleston Blue” logo and designs of that era’s Cardinals uniforms. For collectors in St. Louis and beyond, these sets resonate as memorable tie-ins to the great Cardinals teams of that time.
In the 1970s through today, the dominant manufacturers like Topps, Fleer, and Donruss have continued highlighting St. Louis stars in their annual National sets. Rookie cards of Keith Hernandez, Ozzie Smith, and even big name active stars like Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina receive placement befitting the talents and significance of these St. Louis icons. Molina’s varied Donruss cards between 2002-2021 tracing his evolution as a franchise cornerstone are a testament to this. Regional issues from Score and Leaf brands in the 1990s-2000s also paid homage to St. Louis with throwback designs.
Upper Deck even produced a full season-long commemorative card set for the 100-year anniversary of the Cardinals franchise in 1992. The 150-card Premier Edition set was a collector favorite, offering variations of club legends in historic uniforms. Panini currently holds the MLB license and has put out well-received modern retro-style sets saluting Cardinals greats like Gibson, Musial, and Brock too.
For over 135 years, baseball cards have chronicled the stars, successes, and heritage of baseball in St. Louis. From those earliest tobacco issues to today’s technologically advanced hobby products, collectors can trace the rich history that bonds St. Louis and its beloved Cardinals and Browns franchises through the affordable cardboard collectibles now treasured by fans around the world. The stories preserved on baseball cards ensure that the legends who wore the St. Louis uniform will always have a cherished place in sports history.
