Avon Baseball Card History
Avon was an American publishing and direct selling company that is best known for its beauty and cosmetics products, but it also had a brief foray into the baseball card collecting world in the 1950s. While Avon baseball cards never achieved the same recognition as Topps or Bowman cards from that era, they remain an interesting footnote in the history of the hobby.
Avon began experimenting with baseball cards as a promotional item in 1952. Their first set that year featured 84 cards highlighting players from the American and National Leagues. The cards featured black and white photos with basic stats and no gum. Distribution was limited as the cards were inserted into Avon product catalogs that were mailed to customers rather than sold in stores like traditional baseball cards at the time.
Despite the limited distribution, the 1952 Avon set is still widely collected today thanks to its unique place in the early 1950s baseball card market which was still dominated by Bowman and Topps at that time. The set highlights stars of the era like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roy Campanella and more. While production numbers were low compared to Topps, the scarcity has made high grade examples quite valuable to vintage baseball card collectors.
Encouraged by the positive reception to the 1952 set, Avon expanded their baseball card offering in 1953. That year’s 110 card set was the first to include color photos on the fronts. Design elements were also improved with team logos added. Distribution remained exclusive to Avon product catalogs but the increased size and production of the 1953 set made individual cards slightly less scarce than the debut 1952 issue.
The 1953 Avon set is considered by many to be the most visually appealing of their three baseball card releases. The bright, vivid color photos really stand out compared to the black and white images used in 1952. Roster additions like rookie of the year Jimmy Piersall and 20-game winner Virgil Trucks made the set appeal to both kid collectors and adults. In recent years, a near-complete 1953 Avon set in high grade condition could fetch over $10,000 due to its historical significance and strong visual presentation.
After two successful years, Avon made their most ambitious foray into the baseball card market with a whopping 330 card release in 1954. The massive set size was on par with the output of Topps that year and featured a new design with team logos prominently displayed on the fronts. While production numbers increased, distribution remained limited to Avon catalogs rather than general retail availability.
While the 1954 set contained far more players than the previous two years, set completion has proven more difficult for collectors due to the large number of cards. High grades also tend to be scarcer since the sheer size of the release exposed more cards to damage during the catalog mailing process over two years prior. Key rookie cards like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente and Frank Robinson make finding complete 1954 Avon sets a pricey undertaking, even in lower grades.
After the 1954 season, Avon decided to end their baseball card production citing distribution challenges. While they had experienced three years of generally positive reception, competing with dedicated sportscard companies like Topps and Bowman proved too difficult given Avon’s non-traditional release method through catalogs alone. Their baseball cards remain a fascinating niche in the early 1950s collecting landscape due to their limited availability during the formative years of the modern sportscard boom.
In the decades since, Avon baseball cards have found new appreciation among dedicated vintage collectors. While production numbers ensure examples will never reach the same value levels as comparable years from Topps, their historical significance and visual appeal continues to attract collectors. The early Avon sets also introduced the hobby to thousands of new young fans at a time when baseball cards were still a relatively new concept. For those reasons, Avon baseball cards deserve recognition as an important, albeit short-lived, participant in the early growth of the modern sportscard industry.
While only produced for three years in the early 1950s, Avon left an indelible mark on the history of baseball cards. Their colorful early sets highlighted the transition from black and white to color photos that helped propel the sportscard hobby forward. After over 60 years, Avon cards remain a highly collectible niche for those fascinated by the earliest years of the modern baseball card era. Their brief but influential involvement ensured more kids grew up enjoying the combination of America’s national pastime and collecting during a formative time period for the hobby.
