The history of baseball cards is deeply intertwined with the chewing gum industry, especially the Wrigley Company. In the late 19th century, several chewing gum manufacturers began including premiums, or small gifts, inside gum packaging to encourage repeat purchases from customers. This helped turn gum from a medicinal product into a true confectionery treat. In 1886, the American Tobacco Company began including photographs of famous people, celebrities, and actresses inside packs of its Sweet Caporal cigarette brand as a way to promote the product. This is widely considered to be one of the earliest examples of trading cards inserted into consumer products.
In 1887, the Franklin Manufacturing Company began inserting lithographed cards featuring famous baseball players into its gum product called Gee Whiz gum. It was the 1888 release of the Old Judge tobacco brand by the American Tobacco Company that is considered the first modern baseball card set. Old Judge cards featured individual images of star players from that era, including Bug Holliday, Jim O’Rourke, and King Kelly. These early tobacco-inserted cards helped popularize and spread interest in baseball to a much wider audience across the country.
In 1892, the American Caramel Company began including photo images of baseball players in its caramel packaging, which marked the first use of gum and baseball cards together. It was the Chicago-based Wrigley Company that fully realized the potential of using baseball cards as an integral part of the gum marketing strategy. Founded in 1891 by Philip K. Wrigley, the company originally focused on producing scouring soap and baking powder. It wasn’t until 1896 that Wrigley entered the chewing gum business by acquiring the Famous Gum brand and its production facilities.
In 1911, Wrigley made the pioneering decision to insert individual photo cards of baseball players from the National and American Leagues into its most popular gum product – Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum. This was a revolutionary move that helped skyrocket gum sales and further entrenched the relationship between baseball cards and chewing gum in popular culture. From 1911 through the 1920s, Wrigley produced an estimated 60 different baseball card series inserted across many of its gum brands like Wrigley’s Spearmint, Juicy Fruit, and Beech-Nut. These early Wrigley cards featured single images of players and basic stats on the back.
During World War I from 1914 to 1918, a shortage of foreign ingredients like chicle from Central America disrupted the gum industry. However, Wrigley was able to continue producing cards by using substitute ingredients. The 1920s marked the golden age of early baseball cards as insert popularity peaked. Wrigley printed cards on high quality, glossy cardstock that featured color tints and halftones to showcase each player image. By the late 1920s, the technology improved to support full color lithography on cards. This allowed for highly detailed, vivid reproductions of each player photograph.
In 1933, Wrigley issued its most famous and iconic set – the famous Goudey Gum Company cards. Named after the company Wrigley had acquired in 1929, these high quality cards showcased over 350 images of past and present baseball legends. Considered the first “premium” baseball card set, the Goudey cards included biographical information on the back along with career stats. They also featured innovative design elements like color borders, embossed logos, and glossy finishes that set the standard for future premium sets. The 1933 Goudey set is especially notable for including the legendary and elusive Babe Ruth card that is among the most valuable in the hobby today.
During World War II from 1939 to 1945, the wartime restrictions severely limited gum production due to rationing of ingredients. However, Wrigley was still able to issue cards by using thinner cardstock. In 1948, Topps acquired exclusive rights to include baseball cards in chewing gum and created the modern format that is still used today – featuring teams on one side and players on the reverse. This helped take the hobby to new heights of popularity through the 1950s. However, Wrigley continued producing regional sets through the 1960s before exiting the baseball card business entirely.
No other company did more to popularize and establish the enduring connection between baseball cards and chewing gum than Wrigley. From 1911 through the 1930s golden age, Wrigley issued over 100 different baseball card series that helped fuel explosive growth of the sport nationwide. The iconic 1933 Goudey set endures as one of the most storied releases that set a new standard for premium cards. Even during wartime shortages, Wrigley found ways to keep the baseball card tradition alive through thinner stock. The company’s pioneering marketing strategy of including cards in gum helped transform cards from a novelty to a mainstream phenomenon enjoyed by millions. This rich history links Wrigley’s name and legacy to the origins and golden age of the beloved American pastime of baseball cards.