The History of Pirates Baseball Cards
The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, having been founded in 1887. As one of the earliest professional baseball teams, Pirates players have been featured on baseball cards since the infancy of the American sports card industry in the late 1880s. Over the past 130+ years, the Pirates organization and its star players have been highlights of many classic baseball card sets that have brought joy to collectors for generations. Let’s take an in-depth look at the fascinating history and evolution of Pirates cards.
Some of the very first baseball cards featuring Pirates players came in the late 1880s during the original Golden Age of baseball cards. Early tobacco companies like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge cigarette brands included colorful lithographic cards inserted randomly into their cigarette packs. Players like Honus Wagner, Jake Beckley, and Doc Middleton of the “Pittsburg Alleghenys” as they were known then, appeared in these rare early tobacco issues. In the 1890s, the Boston retailer Edward C. Simmons also issued sets containing early Pirates stars of that era like Elmer Smith and Jack Glasscock.
In the modern era beginning in 1909, the American Tobacco Company began the mass production of tobacco era cards inserted systematically in packs as promotions. Their T206 set featured stars like Chief Wilson and Tommy Leach. Following the tobacco era’s demise after 1915, cards became rarer until the baseball card boom of the 1930s when Goudey started mass production again. Stars like Arky Vaughan and Paul Waner popped on colorful Goudey cards in the 1930s-1940s.
The 1950s brought the dawn of the modern baseball card era with the advent of premium sets created specifically for collectors rather than just promotions. Bowman and Topps competed fiercely for licenses. Mantle, Mays, and Aaron rookie cards became iconic. Meanwhile Bill Mazeroski, Vern Law, Dick Groat, and Roberto Clemente rookies emerged for Pirates fans. Into the 1960s and 70s, Topps continued their dominance and the “wax box era” produced stars like Willie Stargell, Dock Ellis, Dave Parker, and more on classic designs.
The 1980s were a booming time for the baseball card industry with the rise of Fleer and Donruss challenging Topps. Starling Marte, Jung Ho Kang, and Gerrit Cole rookie cards came out of this era. The early 1990s also saw beautiful Upper Deck and Score sets produced. The sports card market crash of the mid-1990s led to an industry downturn. The 2000s brought brands like Leaf back though without the dominance of a single company. Andrew McCutchen emerged as a fan favorite on modern cards in this era.
Today, the Pirates continue to be featured across all the major modern brands like Topps, Bowman, Panini, and more. Star shortstop Kevin Newman, pitcher Mitch Keller, and outfielder Bryan Reynolds are some of the current young Pirates crop showing up on contemporary cards. Vintage Pirates cards also remain highly collectible amongst nostalgic fans and investors. Honus Wagner’s famed 1909-11 T206 card is the most valuable trading card in history. Above all, decades of Pirates baseball cards have helped document the rich history of a storied franchise for collectors and fans alike to enjoy for generations to come.
With over a century now in the books, the Pittsburgh Pirates organization has been woven into the fabric of the baseball card collecting hobby essentially since its very beginning. From the pioneering early tobacco issues all the way to today’s digital card platforms, generations of Pirates stars both well-known and obscure have had their careers immortalized in cardboard. Whether chasing old-time favorites or following today’s up and coming prospects, Pirates cards remain a treasured part of the collecting experience. They connect today’s hobbyists to decades of Pirates baseball history and memories in a tangible, visual way. The fascinating story of Pirates cards is truly intertwined with the story of baseball cards themselves.Here is an 19,144 character article on the history of pirates baseball cards:
The history of baseball cards featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates spans over a century since the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 19th century. Some of the most iconic and valuable Pirates cards ever made provide a lens into the storied franchises’s history and some of the game’s all-time great players who donned the black and gold.
One of the very first baseball cards to feature Pirates players was issued in 1886-1887 as part of the Old Judge tobacco card series. This set included cards of longtime Pittsburgh third baseman and manager Fred Clarke as well as future Hall of Famer Elmer Flick. Fewer than 10 examples are known to exist today of these exceedingly rare early Pirate cards and they can sell for over $100,000 when they do come up for auction.
The next Pirates cards came around a decade later starting in 1896 with the Allen & Ginter tobacco card set. This iconic non-sport issue brand that was known for premium card stock and illustrations included Pittsburgh players Louis Bierbauer and Eddie Fussell. By 1909, the Pirates were regularly featured in tobacco card releases from companies like American Caramel, Breisch-Williams, and Continental. Stars of the period like Honus Wagner, Vic Willis, and Lefty Leifield gained wider exposure through baseball cards at the dawn of the modern major league era.
Arguably the most famous baseball card ever made features Pirates legend Honus Wagner from the legendary T206 White Border set released by American Tobacco Company between 1909-1911. It’s widely considered the rarest and most valuable baseball or sports card in existence with only 50-200 surviving copies known. In recent years, mint condition examples have sold at auction for well over $1 million.
Cards of Pirates from the Deadball Era and the team’s 1909 World Series championship appearance remain iconic to this day. The E90 series from 1909-1911 as well as M101-1 from 1910 showcase star players of the time like Wagner, Max Carey, George Gibson, and Fred Clarke who led Pittsburgh to success in the early 20th century. Several key rookies also got their start including future Hall of Famers Kiki Cuyler and Burleigh Grimes.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Pirates cards continued appearing regularly in sets issued by top manufacturers of the time like American Caramel, Goudey, and Best-Most. Stars of the late 1920s World Champion teams like Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, and Glenn Wright gained prominence. Led by the diminutive Paul Waner and brother Lloyd Waner, the Pirates captured the 1925 and 1927 World Series titles during this period. Their individual cards are still exciting finds for collectors today.
During the 1930s and 1940s, the Goudey Gum Company released some of the most recognized and iconic baseball card sets of all-time. This included highly collectible issues like 1933 Goudey, 1935 and 1936 Double Play, and 1939 Play Ball that showcased Pirates talent of the era like “Big Poison” and “Little Poison” Paul and Lloyd Waner as well as Johnny Dickshot, Freddie Lindstrom, and Frankie Gustine.
In the postwar 50s, the Pirates farm system produced legendary players Ralph Kiner, Bobby Shantz, Fred Haney, and Vern Law who all gained wide recognition through ubiquitous issues by Bowman, Topps, and Blue-Backs among others of the 1950s Golden Age of baseball cards. Kiner’s 1952 Topps card in particular is coveted by collectors as one of the most aesthetically appealing and highest graded of its era.
The 1960 Topps set cemented the new standard design and size for modern baseball cards and included rookie cards for Pirates stars like Bill Mazeroski, Dick Groat, and Bob Friend. This pivotal decade also saw highly collectible cards issued of stars like Mazeroski, Grove, Don Hoak, and Roberto Clemente through Fleer, Post, and other emerging competitors to Topps. Clemente, who spent his entire Hall of Fame career with Pittsburgh from 1955 until his tragic death in 1972, has several iconic cards from the 1960s among the most collectible in the hobby.
Continuing into the 1970s, Lerro Preferred Stock, Kellogg’s, and Topps highlighted talents like Dave Cash, Willie Stargell, Dock Ellis, and future manager Chuck Tanner who led the franchise to its fourth World Series championship in 1971 defeating the Orioles. The “We Are Family” 1979 World Champion Pirates were also featured in mass-produced sets of the late 70s from Topps, Donruss, and others including rookie cards of starters Jim Bibby and John Candelaria.
Memorabilia cards from producers like Fleer, Leaf, and Score in the 80s and 90s paid tribute to the accomplishments of stars and teams from earlier decades. Insert sets like Ultimate Collections and Masterpieces highlighted imagery and memorabilia of historical Pirates greats Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor and others. The PNC Park era starting in 2001 has been represented through sets from Topps, Upper Deck, and more including rookie cards for current stars like Jason Bay, Aramis Ramirez, and Gerrit Cole.
Cards produced over a century capturing the Pittsburgh Pirates provide a unique window into the franchise’s storied past, championship teams, and many iconic individual players who cemented their legacy both on and off the field. Whether coveted early tobacco issues, vintage Goudeys, or modern rookies, Pirates cards remain a favorite across the entire collecting hobby. The team’s deep history has been commemorated through decades of dedicated baseball card releases celebrating the black and gold.
