The history of baseball card printing dates back to the late 1880s when cigarette and tobacco companies began including premiums – non-tobacco items like pictures, coupons and memorabilia – inside their packs and tins to help boost sales. In 1886, the American Tobacco Company began the first baseball card series by including cards featuring individual players on the fronts with advertisements for various tobacco products on the backs. This helped popularize the relatively new sport of baseball across the country.
The early baseball cards were produced through a combination of lithography and chromolithography printing processes. Lithography involved drawing or printing from a stone or plate with oil-based (lithographic) crayons, pencils, or similar fat media so that the drawing could be processed and printed. Chromolithography was a specialized form of lithography used for printing color images. The cards would be multi-colored to include portraits of players in uniforms, team logos and brand advertisements. Early production runs were small, often numbering only in the hundreds, since demand was still being established.
In the 1890s, several new tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter and Old Judge also began issuing baseball cards as premiums. Production and distribution expanded greatly. Allen & Ginter’s 1888 and 1889 N170 sets are considered some of the earliest mass-produced baseball cards. Their cards featured intricate multi-color lithographic portraits and backgrounds. Old Judge brand cards from around 1890-94 are also very collectible today. By the late 1890s, annual baseball card sets issued by tobacco companies had become an established part of the baseball culture and fandom.
As the popularity of baseball grew throughout the early 20th century, so too did the scale of baseball card printing and insertions by tobacco manufacturers. In 1909, the American Tobacco Company issued what is considered the first “modern” set with 5 separate series totaling over 500 cards. Production runs increased to the tens of thousands or more. Printing technology had also advanced. Rotary lithographic presses were now commonly used for faster, higher volume printing of cards in full color. Gum companies like Fleer and Topps also entered the baseball card market in the 1920s and 1930s with their own printed sets included in stick of gum.
After WWII, Topps acquired exclusive rights to produce baseball cards and modernized the design aesthetic. Printing switched mostly to offset lithography which allowed for photo-realistic color images and finer details. Production soared into the millions as baseball’s postwar popularity exploded across America. In the 1950s, Topps issued some of the most iconic sets ever like the widely distributed 1954 and 1955 issues. The late 50s also saw the first popular trading card designs like the distinctive “ball & bat” logo Topps used until 1981.
In the 1960s and 70s, Topps continued to innovate card designs while offset printing technology advanced further. Spot color was introduced to highlight certain image areas. Card stock switched to thicker paper stock for enhanced durability. New special subsets featuring rookie cards, All-Stars and league leaders became enormously popular with collectors. The 1970s also saw the first mass-produced baseball cards with gum, as the traditional tobacco connection faded. Printing quality was now at an all-time high level of photo-realism and sharp multi-colored details.
The 1980s marked the beginning of the modern baseball card boom, fueled in large part by the rise of direct marketing and memorabilia collecting. New companies like Fleer and Donruss challenged Topps’ monopoly and produced innovative card designs of their own. Printing runs skyrocketed into the billions as speculators and investors piled into the lucrative card market. Technology continued advancing as well. Four-color process became standard, allowing for highly detailed full-color images. In the late 80s, the first experimental cardboard/plastic hybrid cards were produced through new laminating processes.
In the 1990s, the baseball card industry exploded into a multi-billion dollar phenomenon. An unprecedented number of sets were produced, often numbering in the hundreds annually between all the card companies. Printing technology advanced as well, with the introduction of state-of-the-art computer-controlled presses, digital imaging and spot varnishing. Refractor and parallel parallel inserts featured special foil treatments and textures. The ultra-premium limited edition sets pushed printing quality and collectibility to new heights. Unfortunately, the overproduction and lack of regulation led to a massive crash by the late 90s.
Since the crash, the baseball card market has stabilized at a much smaller scale. Fewer major companies like Topps, Upper Deck and Leaf produce the majority of mainstream sets. Printing technology continues advancing. Modern presses now use up to 12 printing units for precise multi-color registration on thicker card stock. Digital printing and custom card programs have also become viable alternatives to traditional lithographic methods. Meanwhile, vintage cards from the early 20th century tobacco issues remain enormously popular with collectors, a testament to their historic significance and the printing innovations that popularized the sport nationwide in those early decades.
The over 130 year history of baseball card printing has paralleled both the rise of baseball’s popularity in American culture as well as advances in commercial printing technology. From early lithographic production runs of just a few hundred, the market exploded in scale through offset and then digital printing. Card design, stock, treatments and overall quality evolved tremendously. Along the way, printed baseball cards helped spread the sport nationwide while developing into a beloved hobby for generations of collectors. The history of their production stands as a microcosm of baseball’s growth as our national pastime.
