The year 1907 was an important time for the development of baseball cards as a collectible. It marked the beginning of the tobacco era, when cigarette manufacturers like Allen & Ginter, American Tobacco Company, and American Caramel started inserting baseball cards as premiums in their tobacco products. These early tobacco sets from 1907 helped popularize the concept of baseball cards and introduced the idea of collecting and assembling full sets.
A key development in 1907 was the reintroduction of the illustrated baseball card by Allen & Ginter. Their “White Borders” set from 1888 is considered the first modern baseball card issue, but they had not produced cards since the 1890s. In 1907 Allen & Ginter returned to the baseball card market and issued their “Pinkerton Baseball Cards” set. These colorful cards featured the team name, city, and full color player portrait on the front with little to no stats or information on the back.
Some notable firsts and developments of the 1907 Allen & Ginter Pinkerton set:
First major baseball card issue in over a decade
Returned to the large, premium sized card format of the 1880s/1890s sets rather than pocket-sized contemporaries
Introduced full color lithographic portraits unlike prior grayscale player images
One of the earliest regional subsets, which helped popularize specialty cards from certain cities
Other major 1907 issues were American Caramel’s “Caramel” set and American Tobacco Company’s “T206” set (sometimes incorrectly referred to as 1907 due to their release spanning 1907-1911). These helped cement the standard formula of tobacco premium baseball cards, with simple player images on the front and stats on the back, alongside occasional specialty cards and regional issues of teams.
Due to their foundational status and high output from the leading tobacco brands of the time, 1907 cards now represent an important milestone in the development of baseball cards as a full-fledged collectible industry. Here are some notes on pricing trends and grades of key 1907 sets:
Allen & Ginter Pinkerton – Generally considered the most historically significant set from 1907 due to their colorful images and return to the large card format. Graded Gem Mint (10) examples in top centered condition have recently sold for $2,500 – $5,000 at auction depending on the player. Common ungraded players in roughly Very Good to Fine condition typically sell in the $100 – $300 range. Certain stars can reach $500 – $1,000 even in lower grades.
American Caramel – As one of the earliest widespread tobacco issues, Caramels have a large output and population. Complete sets in Fair to Good condition can be acquired raw for $1,000 – $2,000 but Common ungraded individuals usually sell for under $50 even in lower grades. Top condition examples of star rookies and veterans have sold for $200 – $500 individually.
American Tobacco T206 – Due to their multi-year run from 1907-1911, early “White Borders” T206 examples from 1907 are rarer. Complete high-grade sets have auction prices starting around $10,000. Individually, key commons in average circulated condition sell in the $50 – $100 range but rookie stars can surpass $1,000. A pristine example of Tyrus Cobb’s rookie recently sold for $18,600.
The markets for high-grade examples of early rookie stars like Cobb, Mathewson, and Lajoie continue to show strength, but common undistinguished players tend to hold steady or experience gradual price declines over time. Regional issues like Allen & Ginter’s Philadelphia and Boston cards are also highly sought after, often selling above their national counterparts. Overall though, the historical context and condition sensitive nature of 1907 tobacco cards still makes them an appealing investment area within the hobby.
The year 1907 saw the rise of the tobacco era and established the modern foundation for baseball cards as a widely collected product and investment category. Key issues like Allen & Ginter Pinkertons, American Caramel, and early T206 examples are prized by collectors for their role in popularizing the hobby over a century ago. While high prices are usually reserved for pristine star rookies, there are still affordable opportunities to acquire early 1900s cards and start an important collection from this seminal period in sports memorabilia history.
