The history of baseball cards in Connecticut is a long and rich one dating back over 100 years. Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 1800s and early 1900s by companies based in Connecticut like American Tobacco Company and Goodwin & Company.
American Tobacco Company, which was headquartered in Durham, North Carolina but had manufacturing facilities across the country including in Hartford, Connecticut, produced some of the very first baseball cards in the 1880s as promotional inserts in packages of cigarettes. These early tobacco era cards from companies like American Tobacco helped popularize baseball and introduced fans to their favorite players through these collectible cards.
In the early 1900s, Connecticut based Goodwin & Company began producing sets of baseball cards as promotional premiums. Goodwin was a manufacturer of sporting goods and other products based in New Britain, Connecticut. Some of their most famous early sets included the Goodwin Champions set from 1911 and their W514-1 set from 1913 which are highly collectible today. These early Connecticut made baseball card sets helped grow the popularity of card collecting nationwide.
In the 1920s, the Goudey Gum Company, based in Holyoke, Massachusetts but with manufacturing plants in Connecticut, produced some of the most iconic baseball card sets of the early 20th century including their famous 1933 Goudey set. These high quality gum cards produced in part at Goudey’s plants in Connecticut featured colorful player portraits and biographies on the backs and included legends like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. The 1933 Goudey set in particular is one of the most valuable in the hobby.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, many baseball card sets continued to be produced by gum and candy companies with manufacturing plants located across Connecticut. For example, The American Caramel Company, based in Greenwich, Connecticut produced sets in the late 1930s and 1940s that are still popular with collectors today. And in the 1940s, Nut Products of Plainville, Connecticut included baseball cards as premiums in Cracker Jack and other products. These mid-century Connecticut made cards helped keep the baseball card collecting hobby alive during World War II.
In the postwar 1950s, the modern baseball card collecting boom began with the advent of modern mass-produced cardboard trading cards inserted in bubble gum packs. Two of the most iconic 1950s sets, the 1952 Topps and 1954 Topps sets, had some of their cards printed at the Beiersdorf-Pappedecker plant in Waterbury, Connecticut. This helped turn Topps into the dominant baseball card company for much of the rest of the 20th century.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, many other baseball card manufacturers had printing plants located across Connecticut as well. Firms like Bowman Gum of Stamford, Connecticut and the Leaf Candy Company of Hartford produced popular sets. And in the 1960s, the Donruss company had their cards printed at the American Bank Note Company plant in Holyoke, Massachusetts and Waterbury, Connecticut. This kept the Connecticut baseball card manufacturing tradition alive through mid-century.
In the 1970s and 1980s, while most baseball card manufacturing moved to other regions, Connecticut still played a role. Companies like Fleer had some printing done in plants around the state. And Connecticut was home to the legendary card shop Champions Sports Cards which opened in Southington in 1977 and helped fuel the first modern baseball card speculation boom before closing in 1990. Champions gave collectors in Connecticut and beyond a place to gather and trade cards.
Today, baseball card collecting and memorabilia remains popular in Connecticut. Card shops still operate around the state where collectors can find vintage Connecticut made cards from sets over 100 years old. Events are held celebrating the history of cards manufactured in the state. And collectors and researchers have worked to document and preserve the story of how Connecticut played such a pivotal early role in the creation and popularity of baseball cards from the 1880s through the 1960s. The legacy of companies like American Tobacco, Goodwin, Goudey and others lives on in the collections of baseball card enthusiasts around the world.
Baseball cards have deep roots in Connecticut dating back over 130 years. From some of the first tobacco era cards to mid-century gum and candy issues, the state played a major role in producing and printing cards that documented the players and helped spread the popularity of the hobby nationwide. Connecticut’s history with baseball cards is intertwined with the growth of the sport and memorabilia collecting itself. The legacy of companies that manufactured cards in the state continues to influence collectors today.
