The tradition of salutation exhibit baseball cards dates back to the late 1880s, when tobacco companies like Old Judge and Strike Out began including collectible card inserts in their cigarette and chewing tobacco products. These early salutation cards were termed “exhibit” or “cabinet” cards because their larger size and higher quality printing made them suitable for display in home collections and curio cabinets.
While not the first baseball cards produced, salutation exhibit cards dramatically improved the visual presentation of players compared to simpler cigar box fronts and business cards from the 1860s-70s. Measuring approximately 5” by 8”, these premium cards provided ample space for vibrant color lithography illustrations of stars from the National League and American Association. In addition to picture, player names were printed in an elegant script alongside stats like batting average and home runs. Some even featured short biographies that helped foster fan interest in individual athletes.
The genesis of salutation exhibit cards coincided with an enormous growth period for professional baseball that transformed the sport into a major commercial enterprise. With increased newspaper coverage and the rise of gambling on games, public fascination with baseball personalities was at an all-time high. Tobacco companies recognized the opportunity to piggyback off this fan fervor and deliberately structured their card promotions around collector mania. By strategically limiting production runs and subtly enticing completionism, companies established the early framework for what would develop into a significant hobby.
Peak popularity for salutation exhibit cards occurred in the 1890s, when tens of thousands of avid collectors actively traded and assembled complete cigarette card sets featuring the top players from each season. Brand leaders in the market were Allen & Ginter in 1889 and 1894, American Tobacco in 1886-1889, and Mayo Cut Plug in 1890. Their premium exhibit cards showcased the brightest stars such as Cap Anson, Kid Nichols, and Ed Delahanty. Due to their inherent scarcity from the bundled distribution method, high-grade specimens from this pioneering era fetch six-figure sums today.
While standard baseball cards continued to be inserted in tobacco packs for decades, the opulent exhibit card format declined noticeably after the turn of the 20th century. Technological advances led to cheaper mass production techniques for cards more readily distributed as standalone packs. The emergence of dedicated baseball card publishers T206 in 1909 and American Caramel in 1911 further realigned the market. Premium chase sets from American Tobacco (T205 White Border) in 1909 and NL/AL Stars Cards from Brown’s Turkish Trophies in 1914 maintained the exhibit card tradition in limited runs.
By the 1920s, economic realities and anti-tobacco lobbying caused manufacturers to shift focus away from trading cards entirely. The Great Depression era proved especially challenging for the fledgling collectibles industry. Through the 1930s and 40s, organized collecting persisted through enthusiast-run magazines like Sport Collectors Digest and regional baseball card clubs. It wasn’t until growth in youth markets, card shows, and rise of Beckett Price Guide’s standardization from the 1960s that the modern vintage card resurgence began in earnest.
Today, surviving specimens from tobacco companies’ pioneering salutation exhibit card series are among the most coveted and expensive collectibles in the hobby. Early specimens ranging from 1886 N172 Old Judge to 1891 Mayo Cut Plug routinely sell for well over $100,000. Even common players in lowest grades still command thousands due to the cards’ importance in establishing baseball card culture. The ornate lithography and historical significance of exhibit cards also make them highly prized display pieces in museum collections worldwide. Their elegant artistry and role in fostering baseball’s nationwide popularity ensure salutation exhibit cards will always have a cherished place in American sports collectibles history.
Tobacco manufacturers’ innovative use of salutation exhibit baseball cards cleverly aligned with growing national fanfare for the game in the late 19th century. By offering premium quality, scarce visual representations of the day’s biggest stars, companies established an appealing framework that still defines the modern collectibles industry. While others later optimized production and distribution methods, early exhibit cards remain the most coveted and ornamental artifacts symbolizing baseball card culture’s formative emerging years. Their legacy as premier cherished memorabilia endures today amongst historians, curators and the hobby’s most dedicated patrons.
