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ROUND BASEBALL CARDS

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Round Baseball Cards: A Brief History and Overview of Types

Baseball cards have been around since the late 1800s, first appearing as additional inserts or promotions in cigarettes and candy. It was in the 1880s that the hobby of baseball card collecting really started to take off with kids swapping and trading these early cardboard pieces of memorabilia. Nearly all of the earliest baseball cards were in small rounded shapes that resembled flattened balls—hence the term “round cards.” These round cards ushered in the golden age of baseball cards and collected remain popular with collectors to this day.

Early Production Rounds (1880s-1890s)
The first true “baseball cards” debuted in 1886 as trading cards issued by Goodwin & Co., a prominent tobacco and cigarette manufacturer. Known as the “Old Judge” tobacco card series, these early cards featured individual players on the front in an oval shape within their uniform. The backs contained statlines and other basic info. Other early rounds came from Sweet Caporal cigarettes (1889-91), Allen & Ginter cigarette cards (1889-1891), and Mayo Cut Plug tobacco (1890-91). These scarce vintage rounds are highly prized among collectors and can fetch huge sums when graded high.

Continued Popularity (1900s-1920s)
Into the new century, round cards continued being issued as premiums inside confectionery, tobacco, and other products. Top brands who used this format included Candy manufacturers like Barr’s, Lukan, and Harty, along with tobacco powerhouses Mecca and Peel tobacco. Notable sets from this era included the Baltimore News Woodblocks of 1910-11 and the iconic 1953 Topps cards. Rounds remained dominant over the next two decades as cardboard technology advanced. Sets like Goudey Gum Company’s 1933 debut issue and series from Diamond Stars/Play Ball brands kept the round shape alive into the late 1910s/early 1920s.

The Shift to Rectangles (1930s Onward)
As cigarette cards wound down in the 1920s due to health concerns linking smoking to illness, the gum/candy companies took over production of new baseball card issues. This coincided with a major layout shift- instead of rounded corners, the new standard became the square or rectangular card format still used today. Pioneer Gum led this shift in 1933 with its highly successful cardboard pieces packaged with gum. Bowman Gum and Leaf also embraced this rectangular evolution in the mid-late 1930s. While a few oddball round sets persisted into the 1940s like Play Ball and World Wide Gum issues, rectangle cards were here to stay as the preferred shape industry-wide.

Modern Round Variations
Despite the dominance of rectangles post-WWII thanks to giants Topps, Fleer, and Donruss, unique round variations never totally disappeared either. Specialty short-print parallel round subsets appeared infrequently throughout the 1950s-1970s era from the majors. Smaller independent regional or minor league companies produced numerous true all-round card sets well into the 1990s like Danbury Mint, Hamilton, and Sportflicsissues among others.

Modern Collector Interest
In more recent times, retro-themed round-shaped baseball card releases have seen a collector boom. Notable modern round sets capturing vintage baseball card nostalgia include releases from Upper Deck, Topps Gallery, Leaf, and Donruss Elite. Sealed wax pack or box breaks from rare early twentieth century rounds on eBay routinely drive excitement and huge bids. While no longer mainstream, round cards remain hugely coveted by vintage and neo-vintage collectors focused on retro baseball memorabilia from hobby’s earliest decades. As a key relic from those foundational years, these pioneering cardboard discs will always have an iconic place in the highly collectible world of baseball cards.

BASEBALL CARDS ROUND ROCK TX

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Baseball Cards in Round Rock, Texas

Round Rock, Texas has a rich history with baseball and baseball cards dating back to the early 20th century. Located just north of Austin, Round Rock was traditionally a small farming community that developed a strong passion for America’s pastime of baseball. As baseball grew in popularity across the United States starting in the late 1800s, the sport also took root in Round Rock. Local youth would play pickup games in empty fields, and the community would rally around their high school baseball teams.

In the early 1900s, the first baseball cards began to be included as incentives in cigarettes and candy. Kids in Round Rock were among those across the country who eagerly collected these novel trading cards featuring professional baseball players. Having local heroes to look up to on baseball cards helped fuel children’s interest in the sport. Round Rock’s first minor league team, the Round Rock Rifles, was established in the 1930s and further stoked the community’s baseball fervor. Card collecting became a popular pastime for many Round Rock boys in those pre-World War II years.

After World War II, the growth of the modern baseball card industry began in earnest. Iconic card sets from Topps, Bowman, and others featured the biggest stars and rising prospects. Kids in Round Rock swapped, traded, and competed to amass the most complete sets. The postwar economic boom also allowed more families to attend minor league games to see the local Round Rock Rifles and get a glimpse of tomorrow’s major leaguers. This helped solidify baseball as the most popular sport in town for both players and fans, young and old.

In the late 1950s, the Rifles moved to nearby Georgetown but a new minor league team, the Round Rock A’s, took their place in 1960 as a farm team of the Kansas City A’s. This ushered in Round Rock’s most successful period in minor league baseball. Led by future major leaguers like Jim “Mudcat” Grant and Dick Green, the A’s won Texas League championships in 1960 and 1962. Young baseball card collectors were on the hunt for cards of these rising Round Rock stars, hoping they would one day make the majors. The minor league scene remained strong through the 1960s, keeping interest in baseball cards brisk.

The 1970s saw baseball cards truly explode in popularity. Iconic sets from Topps, including the first color photos and oddball promotions, kept kids across America enthralled. Round Rock was no exception, as the local Round Rock Express minor league team carried on the tradition. Rival card companies also entered the boom, like Fleer and Donruss, leading to fierce completion to collect entire sets. Expos, baseball card shows, and garage sales became hotspots to trade and sell duplicates. The rise of specialty shops also catered to the growing hobby.

Two such shops that opened in Round Rock in the 1970s were Baseball Card World and Sports Card Exchange. Both were immediate hits with the city’s passionate young collectors. In addition to carrying the latest card releases, they also hosted trading sessions and tournaments. This helped foster a true community of collectors in Round Rock. Some of the shops’ original young customers still frequent the stores today and have passed on the hobby to their own children. Baseball Card World and Sports Card Exchange have become institutions, outlasting many of the chains that tried to move in over the years.

The 1980s saw the hobby reach new heights, with sports cards becoming a multibillion-dollar industry. Round Rock’s shops and collectors fully embraced the boom. The shops started carrying higher-end vintage cards to appeal to older collectors looking to invest. Local card shows in the Austin area drew hundreds. Meanwhile, the Round Rock Express continued providing the city’s minor league baseball fix. Notable Express alums like Nolan Ryan and Jeff Bagwell gained greater notoriety as their MLB careers took off. Their past Round Rock cards increased in value for local collectors.

In the 1990s, the baseball card market began fluctuating more wildly with overproduction. However, Round Rock’s shops and collectors weathered the ups and downs better than most. The shops diversified product lines beyond cards into other memorabilia. Local collectors also became more discerning in what they collected long-term versus quick flips. Meanwhile, the Express were consistently competitive, winning Texas League titles in 1995 and 1999. Their success kept interest in the team’s past players’ cards strong.

Today, Round Rock is a booming city of over 100,000, but baseball cards remain deeply engrained in the local culture. Baseball Card World and Sports Card Exchange are still going strong after 50 years in business. They work to preserve the hobby for new generations. The Round Rock Express also continue packing their stadium as a popular AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros. Their past players often see spikes in card values when called up to the majors. Meanwhile, local card shows are still a major event. Round Rock has shown that a passion for baseball cards can last lifetimes when fostered within a supportive community.

In conclusion, Round Rock’s history with baseball and baseball cards dates back over a century. From the earliest cigarette cards to today’s modern releases, cards have been a consistent thread connecting the city’s love of America’s pastime. Local shops like Baseball Card World and Sports Card Exchange have played a key role in cultivating generations of passionate collectors. And the success of Round Rock’s minor league teams has kept interest high in following future MLB stars’ early career cards. This unique culture has cemented Round Rock as one of Texas’ top hotbeds for the baseball card hobby.

ROUND BASEBALL PLAYING CARDS

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While the standard playing card deck with 52 cards in four suits is ubiquitous worldwide, there have been many unique deck variations throughout history that were designed for specialized games. One interesting historical variant is the round baseball playing card deck.

Originating in the late 19th century as baseball’s popularity exploded across America, round baseball playing cards were a novelty item marketed towards young fans of the national pastime. The cards depicted famous players, teams, and statistics from Major League Baseball in a circular format unlike traditional rectangular cards. This novel shape allowed for more imaginative graphic designs showcasing various baseball themes.

The first known examples of round baseball decks were printed in the 1880s, coinciding with baseball’s rise from a fledgling amateur sport to a professionally organized major league game. Early cards featured prominent players from the National League and American Association like Cap Anson, Pud Galvin, and John Montgomery Ward. Teams were also highlighted with graphics of their uniforms and ballpark icons.

By the 1890s, production of round baseball cards had expanded with multiple companies competing to capture the growing baseball card collecting market. Sets of 50-100 cards would profile the top players and teams from both major leagues. Statistics tracking batting averages, home runs, and pitching wins were included where data was available given the novelty of detailed baseball stats at the time. Famous players of the day like Honus Wagner, Hugh Duffy, and Amos Rusie became early fan favorites depicted on round cards.

In contrast to the black and white lithographic images that dominated regular playing cards and early rectangular baseball cards, round cards experimented more with vivid color printing techniques. Early photograph processing allowed for the first near-realistic color portraits of athletes. Brightly illustrated team logos and ballparks brought the world of professional baseball even more to life for young collectors. The circular format also facilitated novel graphic designs like border illustrations of baseball diamond patterns, player positions, and baseball equipment.

The first decade of the 20th century marked the golden age of round baseball cards as the elements that made them appealing novelties fully came together. Detailed color lithographs highlighted the emerging superstar players and exciting pennant races between franchises in both major leagues. Chicago’s 1903 “Hitless Wonders” team that won the World Series despite a league-low batting average became one of the most celebrated early round card subjects. Sets expanded to over 200 cards to keep up with the roster sizes and statistical depth of professional baseball.

In 1909, the famous illustration work of Bijou Williamson created some of the most artistic and vivid round baseball card sets ever produced. Williamson’s near-photo quality portraits and custom graphic elements for each team gave cards a high-production quality. The rising costs of color lithography meant round cards could no longer compete with cheaper methods for mass-produced rectangular card series by the major baseball card companies like American Caramel. By 1915, true antique round baseball cards had faded from the marketplace.

While no longer commercially produced like their rectangular counterparts, vintage round baseball cards remain highly collectible nearly 100 years later. In top preserved condition, early 1880s round rookie cards can fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. Even a common circa-1890s card in good condition maintains a collector value of hundreds due to their historical rarity compared to overproduced 20th century cards. Modern collectors seek to assemble complete sets chronicling the evolution of professional baseball in America through these unique circular snapshots of its earliest eras.

Round baseball playing cards stand as a fascinating footnote to both the history of playing cards and the birth of baseball fandom in America. During their late 19th century golden age, round cards introduced vivid color printing innovations and statistical tracking that shaped how the modern baseball card delivered baseball trivia and trading thrills to young collectors. While no longer feasible for mass production, these vintage circular card oddities remain monuments to the first widespread celebration of the national pastime through picture trading cards.

ROUND METAL BASEBALL CARDS

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Round Metal Baseball Cards: A Unique Piece of Collectible History

While the standard cardboard baseball card has long reigned as the most popular format for the hobby, round metal baseball cards have carved out an interesting niche as a unique piece of collectible history from the late 19th century. Produced during baseball’s early professional era between the late 1880s and the early 1900s, these ornate circular cards were among the earliest specialized sports collectibles ever made. Despite their rarity and novelty, round metal baseball cards are highly sought after by dedicated vintage card collectors for their historical significance and craftsmanship.

The idea of trading or collecting specialized cards depicting baseball players first took root in the 1870s with the rise of cigarette cards – thin cardboard trading pieces inserted randomly into tobacco packs featuring topics from sports to celebrities to military figures. In the late 1880s, several novelty manufacturers began experimenting with various materials and shapes for these fledgling baseball cards, leading to the production of a small number of sets printed on round metal blanks. The precise origins are unclear, but scholars believe the first round metal baseball cards were introduced around 1888-1889 by the Joseph Broscher Manufacturing Company of New York City.

Brocher’s pioneering “Old Judge” brand round metal baseball cards depicted individual players on blank circular disks made of thin brass or German silver measuring approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Printed in black lithography, the faces of the cards featured a headshot portrait of the player along with their name and team. Some scholars have also theorized that the Wagner Feinzig Cigarette Company of New York may have been an early producer as well. In subsequent years, other companies like Goodwin & Company and American Card Company would issue their own round metal baseball card sets in the early 1890s continuing into the early 1900s, helping to make the unique format briefly popular.

Typically, these early round metal baseball card sets contained between 8-24 individual cards showcasing star players from both the National League and American Association of the time. Subject matter focused heavily on legends of the late 19th century game such as Cap Anson, Tip O’Neill, Kid Nichols, and Amos Rusie. While specific statistics and biographical information were usually quite limited on these mini collectible portraits, the true appeal lay in accruing a full roster of baseball heroes captured vividly in a novel round presentation. Sets would either be randomly inserted in packs of cigarettes and chewing tobacco or sold standalone in specialty shops and sport card rack displays emerging in major cities.

Unfortunately for collectors today, round metal baseball cards proved to be an only minorly successful novelty that was short-lived compared to the endurance of standard cardboard issues. Reasons for their decline include the higher production costs of engraving and printing small metal disks, durability and wear issues, and the evolving preference of kids and adults for the more affordable and easier to store paper format that could depict stats and details more clearly on its larger surface. Only a small fraction of the several thousand round metal baseball cards estimated to have been produced still survive in identifiable condition over 130 years later.

While damage from corrosion, scratches, or wear over the decades has rendered many no longer visually distinguishable, those round metal baseball cards that can still be certified in top-graded condition have become true pinnacles of vintage sports collecting with individual examples occasionally selling at auction for thousands of dollars. Condition is absolutely critical to value, with even minor flaws dramatically reducing worth. The scarcest subjects from the earliest known pioneer manufacturers like Brocher and Wagner Feinzig routinely achieve the highest prices when offered by authoritative sources like PSA/DNA.

For the devoted coin and antiquities collector, round metal baseball cards offer a unique intersection of American popular culture, technological innovation, and sports history from baseball’s formative era. Their very creation story intertwines the earliest experiments with niche collectible card formats that would ultimately help spark modern sports card manufacturing. Despite ephemeral production windows and survivor pools, these ornate circular relics continue to intrigue vintage hobbyists with their novelty, craftsmanship, and ties to the game’s lost legends from over a century ago. With care and research, dedicated fans can still track down affordable examples to build appreciation for this picturesque piece of baseball’s collectible past preserved in pocket-sized metal portraiture.

While overshadowed today by their ever-present cardboard successors, round metal baseball cards were truly seminal as a pioneer collectible format introducing baseball card mania and foreshadowing modern memorabilia culture. Their short window of creation in the late 19th century resulted in low production numbers that make authenticated survivors exceedingly rare for dedicated vintage collectors. But for historians and fans passionate about baseball’s early years, these unique circular relics offer a special link to the sport’s formative professional era portrayed in a medium now approaching obsolescence after over a century. With proper preservation, round metal baseball cards can continue illuminating baseball’s past for generations of hobbyists to come.