Baseball trading cards first emerged in the late 1880s as a popular promotional product for cigarette and tobacco companies. The 1890 season is widely considered the first true “set” of baseball cards as production and distribution increased significantly compared to the few scattered card issues of the prior years. These early 1890s cards helped fuel the rise of baseball’s popularity across America and provided a new way for fans to collect their favorite players.
The American Tobacco Company led the way with their famous “Old Judge” cigarette brand issuing cards as part of their packaging in 1890. This set is considered the first major baseball card release and included a selection of stars from the National League and American Association. Players featured included Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, Amos Rusie, and other top players of the day. Old Judge cards measured approximately 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and featured individual black and white player portraits with basic career stats and team information printed on the back. These early cards had no gum and were simply inserted loose or in small bundles directly into cigarette packs as a promotional item.
Also in 1890, Allen & Ginter issued their famous “Monte Carlo Girl” tobacco card set which included several baseball players mixed in with other subjects like actresses, artists, and authors. Some of the notable baseball names included in this 69 card set were Jim O’Rourke, Hugh Duffy, and Ed Delahanty. Allen & Ginter cards were slightly larger than Old Judge issues at approximately 2.75 inches by 3.5 inches. They also featured a color tint lithograph image on the front with text on the back similar to other early baseball cards of this era.
The most prominent and extensive baseball card set of 1890, however, was produced by the American Tobacco Company through their Mayo Cut Plug brand. This set contained an impressive 126 individual player cards featuring stars and lesser known players from across the major leagues at the time. Included were future Hall of Famers like Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, and Jim O’Rourke as well as lesser lights like Jack Doyle and Bug Holliday. The Mayo cards measured approximately 2.5 inches by 3.25 inches and utilized a portrait-style black and white image on the front with stats and team info printed on the reverse. They were inserted loose or in small bundles directly into plug tobacco products as a promotional item for consumers.
While the earliest baseball cards from the late 1880s were produced sporadically by different tobacco brands, 1890 marked a true breakout year as production and distribution increased significantly. The Old Judge, Allen & Ginter, and Mayo Cut Plug sets helped cement the tradition of including baseball cards in tobacco products that would continue for decades. These sets helped fuel the rise of baseball fandom across the country by allowing people to collect images and stats of their favorite players. They also helped establish baseball as the most popular professional sport in America by the turn of the 20th century.
The quality and production values of 1890s baseball cards varied greatly between different manufacturers and sets. Old Judge issues tended to have basic black and white portraits with minimal text while Allen & Ginter utilized color lithography and included more descriptive bios on the reverse. Mayo Cut Plug cards fell somewhere in between with individual black and white images and basic career stats printed on the back. Paper stock quality was generally poor for these early tobacco-era cards as they were meant primarily as promotional items rather than collectibles. They captured the likenesses and provided career records of some of the earliest professional baseball stars in an engaging format that helped drive interest in the growing sport.
Condition and survival rates of these pioneering 1890 baseball cards are quite low today due to the fragile paper stock used and over a century of handling, wear, and deterioration since their distribution. Examples that have survived in even moderately preserved condition can be quite valuable to dedicated collectors. Near mint Old Judge and Allen & Ginter issues from 1890 have sold at auction for tens of thousands of dollars while exceptional examples in true gem condition could conceivably bring over $100,000. Even relatively common players from sets like Mayo Cut Plug can still demand thousands of dollars in high grades due to their status as some of the earliest baseball trading cards ever mass produced.
The rise of baseball card manufacturing and distribution in 1890 helped cement the tradition that still fuels the modern multi-billion dollar baseball card collecting industry. While the paper stock and production values of these pioneering issues were quite basic, they captured the likenesses of legendary stars and provided stats/bios that still fascinate fans over 130 years later. They also helped spread interest in the growing sport across the country in an engaging new format. The 1890 season is now widely considered the true beginning of baseball as a national pastime and the start of the golden age of baseball card collecting. These early tobacco-era issues left an indelible mark that still inspires dedicated collectors seeking pieces of the origins of America’s favorite pastime.
