Baseball cards have a long history in Cincinnati, Ohio dating back over 150 years. Cincinnati has a rich baseball history as one of the founding cities of major league baseball. The Cincinnati Red Stockings, later renamed the Cincinnati Reds, were established in 1869 as the first fully professional baseball team. With the growth of professional baseball in Cincinnati came the rise of baseball cards depicting Cincinnati players.
Some of the earliest baseball cards produced in the late 19th century featured Cincinnati players. In the 1880s, companies like Goodwin & Co. and Old Judge tobacco started producing baseball cards as promotional inserts in their tobacco products. Many of these early tobacco era cards featured stars from the Cincinnati Red Stockings like Pop Snyder, Tony Mullane, and Bid McPhee. These scarce vintage cards are highly collectible today among Cincinnati baseball card collectors.
In the early 20th century, the mass production of baseball cards began. Companies like American Tobacco’s T206 set and the famous 1909-1911 T206 included many stars from the dominant Cincinnati Reds teams of that era like Cy Seymour, Heinie Peitz, and Bob Bescher. The Cincinnati Reds won the 1919 World Series, and stars from that championship team like Edd Roush and Hod Eller appeared on cards from sets of that time period. In the 1930s and 1940s, Goudey gum cards, Play Ball cards, and Leaf cards all featured Cincinnati Reds players. Stars like Ernie Lombardi, Paul Derringer, and Bucky Walters could be found in the wax packs of the day.
After World War 2, the golden age of baseball cards began with the introduction of Topps in 1952. Topps cards of the 1950s are some of the most iconic and collectible in the hobby. Topps cards featured many Cincinnati Reds stars over the decades like Frank Robinson, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Jr. Topps remained the dominant baseball card company through the 1980s. Other prominent card companies of the time like Fleer and Donruss also spotlighted Cincinnati players.
In the late 1980s and 1990s, the baseball card market exploded with the introduction of new card companies and sets. Upper Deck, Score, Leaf, and Pinnacle all had premium Cincinnati Reds cards. Stars of the Big Red Machine era and 1990s powerhouse teams like Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Eric Davis, Adam Dunn, and Sean Casey were highly sought after. The 1990s also saw the rise of autograph and memorabilia cards featuring game used pieces of Cincinnati players like pieces of bats, jerseys, and signed cards. These unique cards commanded high prices.
Into the 2000s and 2010s, the baseball card industry consolidated around the remaining major companies Topps, Panini, and Upper Deck. Cincinnati continued to be represented with stars like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Homer Bailey appearing on cards. Insert sets focusing on special parallel and autograph cards featuring Reds kept the Cincinnati collector engaged. Cincinnati also saw the rise of independent regional card companies like Ohio Cards spotlighting current and former Reds.
Cincinnati has a strong baseball card collecting community to this day. Local card shops like Cincinnati Cards in Blue Ash and Dave and Adam’s Card World in Cincinnati have been staples for collectors for decades. Major card shows are held annually in the Cincinnati area where collectors can buy, sell, and trade. Vintage Cincinnati baseball cards from the tobacco era remain the most prized possessions of Cincinnati collectors. Complete sets with stars from the Big Red Machine era also command top dollar. Today’s collectors look for rookie cards of current Reds stars like Nick Castellanos and Jonathan India to hold for the future.
The rich baseball history of Cincinnati is preserved through its baseball cards. Cards provide a visual timeline highlighting the stars and teams that have represented Cincinnati over the past 150 years. The hobby has grown alongside the city’s fandom of America’s pastime. Baseball cards continue to connect generations of Cincinnati Reds fans and collectors to the greats of the past and present. As long as baseball is played in Cincinnati, its cards will remain a treasured part of the city’s sports heritage.
