Avon tin baseball cards were a series of collectible cards produced by Avon Products from 1954 to 1963. Inside Avon beauty product tins, usually containing lipsticks or powders, customers would find a single baseball card featuring an image of a major league player on one side and product information or advertisements on the reverse. Over the decade of production, hundreds of different cards were issued featuring players from both the American and National Leagues.
The idea to include baseball cards in Avon products came from the company’s marketing department in the early 1950s. Baseball was immensely popular in post-World War 2 America and inserting a collectible card into each tin was seen as a clever way to attract new customers, especially young girls and women, to Avon’s line of cosmetics. The first test runs of the cards in 1954 proved very successful and the baseball card inserts became a regular novelty item in Avon tins.
Some key facts about Avon tin baseball cards:
Over 400 unique cards were produced between 1954-1963, featuring stars from every MLB team of the era. Popular players featured include Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax and more.
The fronts of the cards contained black-and-white photographic images of players in action shots or portraits. Information included the player’s name, position, team and occasionally stats. Photos were licensed from Topps, the dominant baseball card maker at the time.
Verso sides contained advertisements for Avon products or messages like “Compliments of Avon” along with the company logo. No stats or biographical information about the players was included on the backs.
Card stock was thinner and of lower quality than contemporary Topps issues. Images were also smaller, usually 2″ x 3″, to fit the compact tins. They had the same basic design format as modern baseball cards.
Distribution was random, with one card packed arbitrarily into each Avon tin. Finding a preferred player or star was mostly left to chance, creating an element of surprise for the customer.
In the pre-internet era, Avon cards were many young fans’ first exposure to baseball players outside their local MLB clubs. This helped expand interest in the national pastime.
Scarcity and lack of information on the backs made Avon cards less desirable to hardcore collectors compared to Topps and Bowman issues of the 1950s/60s. They retain nostalgic value for their novelty.
While production ended in 1963, Avon occasionally reissued cards from their archives in tins for several more years. The final known issue date of an Avon baseball card is 1973.
Condition is highly variable for surviving examples unearthed from old tins and collections. Folds, stains and wear are common due to their flimsy stock and storage medium. Near-mint examples from unopened tins command top prices.
As the vintage sports card market boomed in the 1980s, Avon cards gained more recognition as an early licensed baseball product predating Topps. Prices rose accordingly for stars, though commons remain quite affordable.
The rarest Avon cards now sell for thousands of dollars. A 1953 Mickey Mantle is among the most valuable at over $10,000 in top grade. But even common players can sell for hundreds in certified mint condition.
While no longer actively produced, Avon cards retain historical significance as one of the first licensed baseball card sets. Their packaging method inside cosmetic containers was also unique for the time. Today they are prized by both card collectors and Avon memorabilia enthusiasts.
In conclusion, Avon tin baseball cards were a creative promotional novelty item of the 1950s that helped expand interest in the national pastime among new audiences. As one of the earliest licensed baseball card products, they played an important role in the emergence of the modern sports collecting industry. Even with flaws from their packaging, Avon cards retain nostalgic charm and strong collector demand driven by their rarity, historical significance and unique origin inside beauty product tins. Among vintage card issues, they remain one of the most interesting specialty sets for collectors to pursue.
