Allen & Ginter baseball cards hold a unique place in the history of the hobby. Issued from 1886 to 1887, the A&G issues were among the earliest baseball card sets produced. While they featured some of the biggest stars of the late 19th century, their true significance lies not just in commemorating the early stars of the national pastime, but in helping establish baseball cards as a collectible commodity.
Allen & Ginter was a Richmond, Virginia-based tobacco company founded in the 1870s. By the 1880s, they were one of the largest cigarette manufacturers in the United States. As part of an innovative marketing strategy, A&G began inserting small printed cards into their cigarette packs featuring topics ranging from celebrities to historical figures to sports. Their 1886 and 1887 issues included cards spotlighting many of the top baseball players of the day.
Some of the most notable names featured included Hall of Famers Cap Anson, Jim O’Rourke, Buck Ewing, and Dan Brouthers. But they also included stars like Mike “King” Kelly, Tim Keefe, and Deacon White. In total, there were around 15 different baseball players spotlighted across the two A&G sets, with some players like Kelly and Keefe appearing in both years. The cards measured about 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and featured a black and white portrait image on one side with biographical information on the reverse.
While tobacco companies had experimented with premium inserts before, the A&G issues are widely credited with helping establish the concept of trading cards as a popular pastime. By including them in cigarette packs, the company introduced baseball cards to a mass market in a novel promotional gimmick. Young boys in particular took to swapping and collecting the cards, helping spark the baseball card collecting craze that still thrives over 130 years later. Within a few short years, other tobacco brands like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge were also producing their own baseball card sets to capitalize on the emerging trend.
For early collectors and students of baseball history, Allen & Ginter cards carry immense significance as some of the very first baseball cards ever produced. They offer a window into the earliest days of the professional game and a glimpse at the players who helped build its popularity in the post-Civil War era. But their true legacy may be in how they helped establish baseball cards as a collectible commodity and a way for companies to market their products to children, ultimately laying the groundwork for today’s multibillion-dollar trading card industry.
While production was short-lived at just two years, A&G cards remain among the most iconic and valuable in the entire hobby. In pristine condition, particularly rare and elusive cards like the 1886 Tim Keefe have sold at auction for over half a million dollars. Even more common players in top grades can still fetch tens of thousands. Their status as the first widely distributed baseball cards makes all original A&G issues highly desirable for both casual collectors and serious investors alike.
For those looking to start collecting, finding authentic Allen & Ginter cards in any condition is an accomplishment, as over 130 years of wear and tear have taken a toll on the surviving population. The best strategy is to work with a reputable dealer who can verify authenticity and grade condition. Prices vary widely depending on the particular player, state of preservation and rarity factors. But for those willing to search auctions or comb through old collections, there is still potential to uncover an original A&G at a relatively reasonable cost.
While the golden era of the tobacco card may have passed over a century ago, Allen & Ginter cards remain an iconic reminder of how the simple act of inserting pictures into cigarette packs helped create one of America’s most popular and profitable hobbies. They were truly the first baseball cards, and their place at the very start of a multibillion-dollar industry ensures the 1886 and 1887 issues will always be highly prized by collectors of all levels. For any fan of baseball or its memorabilia, finding an original A&G card is a tangible link to the early formative years when the seeds were first sown for today’s card collecting phenomenon.
