The oldest baseball cards in existence date back to the late 1800s, giving collectors the unique opportunity to obtain pieces of sports history that are well over 100 years old. While finding baseball cards from the earliest years in pristine condition available for purchase is exceedingly rare, there are still opportunities to acquire vintage cardboard from the games pioneering era.

Some of the very first baseball cards were included as promotions in cigarette packs and resemble what we would think of as baseball cards the least with more of an illustrated tableau style rather than a frontal portrait. Models produced by Goodwin & Co. in 1887 and 1888, however, are considered the first true baseball cards as we know them today – small printed images of players’ faces. They were sold individually rather than included with tobacco products.

These early Goodwin cards featured teams like the Chicago White Stockings, Detroit Wolverines, and New York Giants. They are among the most coveted collectibles in the hobby but are virtually impossible to find still intact and in high grade available for purchase today. In the over 100 intervening years since they were created, the fragility of the primitive paper and printing processes has led to enormous deterioration in even the best preserved examples.

Some of the earliest baseball cards that collectors have a real chance of acquiring for their collections if they have a sizable budget would be from the following early sets:

1889-1890 Allen & Ginter cigarettes: These tobacco insert cards included teams like the Boston Beaneaters and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. High grade examples in auctions have sold for over $100,000.

1892-1893 Mayo Cut Plug tobacco: Featuring stars like Hughie Jennings and Kid Nichols, exquisite mint condition specimens have changed hands for north of $50,000 at auction.

1898 W481 Old Judge tobacco: Considered the first true “set” of baseball cards as it included cards for every National League team arranged by city. Near perfect specimens have recently sold privately for $20,000-$25,000.

1909-1911 T206 tobacco: Often called the “Mona Lisa of trading cards,” this massive 511 card tobacco era release included hall of famers like Cy Young and Walter Johnson. High grade authentics in a 7 or higher condition recently sold at auction for around $200,000 a piece.

1911/14 Cracker Jack cards: One of the most iconic vintage baseball card sets known for inserting prizes in the popular popcorn. Complete high grade sets have changed hands privately for over $100,000.

While the abovementioned early 20th century cards like T206s and Cracker Jacks in pristine condition may require six figure budgets, here are some other classic vintage options still occasionally spotted for sale in the collecting marketplace in the $1,000-$10,000 range depending on condition:

1933 Goudey: Considered the first “modern” design with vertical formatting. Stars like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in high grades can reach $5,000.

1937 H, 1955 Bowman, 1958 Topps: Pristine examples of the first post-war issues with names like Ted Williams and Willie Mays at their rookie card primes stretch 4 figures.

1952 Topps: Featuring the debut of the modern horizontal format and 1st cards of legends like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Near perfect copies traded recently around $7,500.

1956 Topps: Highly coveted for the perfectly captured photo of the famous Mickey Mantle triple play. 7+ condition copies have sold privately for over $5,000.

1961 Topps: Widely considered among the most iconic designs with classic team logo designs. Multi-Hall of Famer rookies like Frank Robinson regularly fetch $2,000+ in top condition.

While age is not always a perfect indicator of rarity, condition or value, hunting for and acquiring the earliest baseball cards serves as a unique gateway into collecting pieces of the national pastime’s history from the late 19th century until the present day. With patience and diligence, collectors have opportunities to obtain highly sought after vintage cardboard from the first fifty years of the hobby for under $10,000 if they pursue the right vintage issues and accept cards graded in the 5-7 range.