Big head baseball cards emerged as a popular collectible novelty item in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As the name implies, these types of cards featured the heads of baseball players enlarged to comedic proportions on diminutive card stock backgrounds. While considered a silly novelty at the time, big head cards have developed a cult following among collectors in recent decades. Let’s take a deeper look at the history and appeal of these unique baseball collectibles.
The origins of the big head baseball card can be traced back to 1987 when Topps, the major sports card manufacturer, released their “Bigheads” subset as part of their flagship baseball card series. Only including the most popular stars of the day like Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Rickey Henderson, the Bigheads cards featured the heads of players blown up to roughly five times their normal size. The enlarged heads were photo composited onto solid color backgrounds or simple clip art designs in place of normal action shots or team logo bases found on standard issues.
Standing out visually amidst more traditional card designs, the Bigheads were an immediate hit with collectors, especially younger fans. Multiple series and other manufacturers soon followed Topps’ lead in joining the big head craze. While only distributed as subsets mixed into normal runs in the late 80s, by the early 90s companies like Score and Fleer began releasing entire parallel sets devoted solely to big head variations of their main cards. Additional novelty treatments like 3D glasses or holograms were sometimes added to these experimental offshoot sets.
Criticism also arose that big head cards were simply a cheap stunt diluting the legitimacy of the hobby. As baseball cards moved to transition strictly to licensed MLB memorabilia in the 1990s, the market became less tolerant of entirely silly experimental designs. Production of new big head cards waned by the mid-1990s although existing vintage issues retained a cult following. Some players also objected to caricatures of themselves as they saw the big head designs as disrespectful. While a passing fad to some, others argued big heads introduced kids to the collectible card hobby.
In the late 2000s, appreciation for vintage 1980s and 90s cardboard experienced a resurgence. Along with this came renewed interest in the quirky charm of big head baseball cards. Websites, blogs, and online communities devoted to swapping stories and finding rare examples emerged. Although from a bygone era lampooned at the time, big heads were now looked upon with nostalgia for capturing an innocent carefree attitude no longer present in today’s uber-serious sports culture. The heads disproportionately blowing up a player’s most distinctive features also represented a form of cartoon caricature appreciated by some vintage collectors.
A secondary market for vintage big head cards flourished on platforms like eBay where scarce higher end examples could sell for hundreds or even thousands to the right collector. The rarest early Topps Bigheads from 1987 in pristine graded mint condition have achieved four figure auction prices. With production numbers in the hundreds of thousands even for unique experimental parallels, most common vintage big heads remain quite affordable for the average collector. Reproduction and fake counterfeits also emerged as a problem requiring diligence from buyers of pricier authentic examples.
In addition to their rarity, condition, and specific players featured, other factors like unusual production variations or unique promotional issues can influence a big head card’s value. Canadian versions, test prints, gold stamped test issues as well as prototypes and experimental designs that never saw true production possess tremendous allure to specialty collectors. Meanwhile, despite the nostalgia, producing new official big head cards proved challenging for licensing reasons. Independent artists have created custom modern designs as an homage using retired players.
For those seeking to start a big head collection today, the first step is educating yourself on the various manufacturers, series, and years of production through online checklists and guides. Be wary of fakes, and purchase from reputable sources when possible who stand by authenticity. Building a set of starters from the late 1980s Topps issues provides a solid mainstream foundation upon which to expand into more experimental rarities. Meanwhile, big head cards offer a unique way to appreciate both the whimsical history of the hobby and favorite players of the past in a larger than life caricature form years later. Their enduring cult status is a testament to the lighthearted fun that first attracted many to this unconventional yet cherished segment of vintage baseball collectibles.
