The history of baseball cards stretches back over 150 years, encompassing the early tobacco cards of the late 1800s to the modern digital card collecting era. Along the way, several companies rose to prominence producing iconic sets that are still highly collectible and valuable today. One of the most notable early producers was a company called Art Shires Cigarette Company.
Based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, Art Shires operated from around 1890 through the early 1910s. During this time, they produced several series of baseball cards as promotional inserts in their cigarette packs. Some of the earliest known examples of baseball cards from the 1890s feature players like Cap Anson and Jim O’Rourke. These cards were part of a larger series depicting famous personalities from various fields like sports, music, and politics.
The quality and design of Art Shires cards evolved over the years. Some of their earliest baseball issues in the 1890s had simple black and white illustrations and basic player stats printed directly on the cards. By the turn of the 20th century though, Art Shires had begun producing color lithographed cards with more elaborate designs and statistics. Their most famous and highly collectible set came in 1909, known as the “T206” series among collectors.
The T206 set featured over 500 baseball players from both the National and American Leagues at the time. What made these cards particularly special was the photo-realistic color portraits printed on high quality card stock. Each player’s team, position, batting stats, and other details were listed on the back. Some of the biggest stars featured included Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and many more. Due to the quality of the photographs and lithography, T206 cards became immediate collector favorites and their rarity has only increased their value over time. Graded gem mint condition examples of rare players like Wagner now sell for millions of dollars.
After issuing the acclaimed T206 set in 1909, Art Shires continued producing baseball cards through 1911 but the sets became less elaborate and featured simpler artwork. The rise of tobacco advertising regulations in the early 1900s also began limiting what could be included as premiums in cigarette packs. By 1912, Art Shires had ceased operations entirely, a victim of these new regulations and growing anti-tobacco sentiment. Their legacy lived on through the exceptional T206 set which is still regarded as one of the most important in the entire history of sports card issues.
In the following decades of the 1910s-30s, other tobacco companies like American Caramel, Sweet Caporal, and Old Mill took the lead producing baseball cards. But the original Art Shires T206 set from 1909 remained the high point that other producers aspired to and is still highly prized by collectors over a century later. Part of what makes T206 cards so desirable is their scarcity. Only around 50 million were printed, compared to billions of modern cards. Their fragile paper stock also means fewer have survived in pristine condition over 110+ years.
For collectors and researchers, the history of Art Shires cards also provides valuable insights into the early decades of professional baseball itself. Examining the players, teams, and statistics listed on their cigarette inserts from the 1890s-1910s offers a snapshot into the evolution of the sport during baseball’s formative “Deadball Era.” Figures like Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins, and Walter Johnson are immortalized in their youths on Art Shires cards before they became legends of the game.
Even after over a century since their production ended, Art Shires baseball cards remain iconic collectibles that still surface at auction. Their beautifully crafted T206 set from 1909 is especially prized and valuable, routinely breaking records when rare examples come up for sale. For both historical significance in documenting early pro baseball and their superb quality, Art Shires cards deserve recognition as trailblazers among sports card manufacturers. They helped launch the modern collecting phenomenon and industry that remains wildly popular today.
The Art Shires Cigarette Company produced some of the earliest and most significant baseball cards from the 1890s through the early 1910s. Their most renowned set is the legendary 1909 T206 issue, renowned for its high-quality lithographed photos on card stock. Though short-lived due to rising tobacco regulations, Art Shires left an indelible mark as innovators in baseball card design and producers of some the most valuable collectibles in the hobby over 100 years later. Their cards provide a unique historical window into the emerging sport of professional baseball in the early 20th century.
