The History of Baseball Cards
Baseball cards have been around since the late 1800s and were originally included as promotional materials inside tobacco products to help advertise cigarette and chewing tobacco brands. The earliest known baseball card is considered to be the 1868 “N172 Old Judge” tobacco card that featured a portrait of the famous baseball player, Jim Creighton. In the early days, baseball cards were printed on thick paper stock and included illustrations or black and white photographs of players.
The modern era of baseball cards began in the late 1880s when companies like Goodwin & Company and American Tobacco Company started mass producing cards as premiums inside cigarette packages and packs of gum or candy. These early 20th century cards featured color lithographic prints on thinner cardboard stock. Some of the most iconic early sets included 1909-11 T206, 1914 Cracker Jack, and 1913-14 M101-8 strip cards. Production and collecting of baseball cards really took off in the 1930s-1950s as the hobby became mainstream.
In the post-World War 2 era, many new manufacturers entered the baseball card market including Bowman, Topps, and Fleer. This sparked competition and led to innovative designs, better quality photography, and the inclusion of more statistics and biographical information on the cards. In the late 1950s, Topps gained the exclusive license to produce major league baseball cards which it held for decades. The 1960s saw the introduction of the modern cardboard trading card format still used today.
Some key developments and iconic sets from the “Golden Age” of baseball cards in the 1950s-1970s include the introduction of rookie cards, the landmark 1952 Topps set featuring the debut of color photos on cards, and high series numbers in the 1960s as Topps released multiple sets per year. The 1970s are considered the peak of the hobby with the rise of card shows, increase in collecting, and release of the iconic 1975 Topps set which had the “baseball card” design still familiar today.
In the 1980s-90s, the baseball card market expanded with the entry of new manufacturers like Fleer and Score. The introduction of premium and limited editions paralleled the growing memorabilia market. The 1990s also saw a speculative boom and bust cycle as investors drove up card prices. In the 2000s, manufacturing shifted overseas and the arrival of internet auction sites like eBay changed the collecting landscape.
Today, the baseball card industry has stabilized. While it has declined significantly from its 1990s peak, card companies still release new sets each year featuring today’s top players. Vintage cards from the pre-war era through the 1970s remain highly collected and their prices have held steady or increased in recent years. For collectors and fans, assembling complete sets, chasing rare cards, and enjoying the nostalgia of baseball history on a small piece of cardboard remains a beloved hobby.
Tips for Drawing Baseball Cards
With some basic art supplies and techniques, you can create your own hand-drawn baseball card masterpieces. Here are some tips to get you started:
Gather your materials – You’ll need drawing paper (cardstock works best), pencils for sketching (2B is a good hardness), erasers, and coloring utensils like colored pencils or markers.
Choose a player – Select a baseball player, past or present, that you enjoy drawing or find interesting. Research photos of them for reference.
Sketch the outline – Lightly sketch the basic outline shapes of the player’s body, uniform, and any equipment like a bat or glove. Keep proportions accurate.
Add details – Slowly build up details within the outline like facial features, uniforms numbers, logos, stitching, etc. Erase any mistakes as you go.
Render textures – Use shading to render textures like skin, fabric, wood, or leather. Layer colored pencils or blend marker shades for realism.
Add a background – Draw stadium elements, crowds, or simple patterns behind the player to make them pop.
Include stats – List key stats and information in boxes just like a real card. Leave room for your signature trading card style border too.
Color and shade – Slowly layer colors inside outlines, blending at the edges. Add shadows for dimensionality.
Sign and display – Sign your name as the artist. Mount on cardstock if desired. Consider collecting your hand-drawn baseball card “set” in a binder or box for safekeeping.
With practice drawing a variety of players, uniforms, and poses, your hand-drawn baseball cards can look just like the real thing. Most importantly, have fun reliving the nostalgia of your favorite baseball memories through your original artwork. Whether collecting or creating, baseball cards remain a beloved link between the pastime of America’s favorite pastime and its many devoted fans.
