The tradition of including collectible trading cards in tobacco products dates back to the late 1880s when cigarette manufacturers like Allen & Ginter and Buck Cigarettes began inserting premium cards into their packs and tins. These early cards tended to feature various celebrities, politicians, military figures and famous actors of the day.
Some of the most coveted non-sports cards from this era included a 1890 Allen & Ginter card of Billy the Kid and cards depicting American Indians from Allen & Ginter’s 1892 “Liberty Series”. It was the inclusion of sports stars on cards that really took off and sparked a nationwide collecting craze.
In 1886, cigarette maker Buck Cigarettes issued the first documented set of baseball cards. Called the “Autograph Series”, the 53 card set featured individual players’ names printed on the fronts with their facsimile signatures on the back. This proved to be a successful marketing gimmick and helped established the cigarette/card combination as a popular promotional tool.
Allen & Ginter followed suit with their own landmark “Prominent & Player” baseball card sets in 1887 and 1888 respectively. These color lithograph cards depicted individual players along with their statistics and were the first to include team logos and uniforms on the front of the cards. They also contained bios on the back of each card, a format that became the standard template for tobacco-issued cards going forward.
Issuance of baseball cards continued regularly through the 1890s with manufacturers like Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, MAYO CUT PLUG and others recognizing their mass appeal. Most early tobacco card sets ranged in size from around 50 to 200 cards and not all had dedicated themes or proper checklists – they were often issued haphazardly over multiple years with no definite cutoff date.
In 1909, American Tobacco Company discontinued issuing premium cards in their cigarettes to cut costs during a period of turmoil within the industry. This effectively ended over two decades of regular baseball card production and distribution. Meanwhile, candy companies like American Caramel had begun experimenting with including sports cards in their products as a marketing angle.
It wasn’t until 1911 that the tobacco card hiatus came to an end courtesy of the new national tobacco trust formed by James “Buck” Duke known as American Tobacco Co. Their hugely popular 1911 T206 series, featuring 549 cards over multiple variations, is considered one of the most iconic non-wax issues of all time. Other companies were quick to jump back into the card business as the tobacco industry continued to boom.
Some of the most noted tobacco card series from the 1910s and 1920s included the 1914 Cracker Jack set, 1915 and 1923 series from National Pastime Tobacco, and the famous play-by-play 1912 and 1916 Bordens Champion brand issues which captured actual game action. Companies like Pennant Cigarettes, Fatima Cigarettes and Sweet Caporal Tobacco issued dozens of regional baseball card sets covering both major and minor league teams nationwide.
As the 1920s progressed, tobacco premium cards grew increasingly colorful and sought to showcase more personality and action within their lithographed illustrations. Notable 1922 releases included the hugely popular baseball/football Mecca series from American Leaf Tobacco and short-lived “Spalding Champions” cigarette issues from Piedmont Cigarette Co. Honus Wagner also appeared on cards for the first time since his famed 1909-11 American Tobacco issues.
During the 1930s, tobacco cards expanded into other sports and themes like boxing, football, movies and “pin-ups” while continuing to depict baseball. Card sizes also increased noticeably with the introduction of regional tobacco brands like Goudey, DeLong and Day’s Work. Gum Inc. became the first modern style maker of baseball cards through its multiple famous Goudey issues that ran from 1933 to 1941.
World War II proved challenging for the tobacco industry as collecting supplies and dyes grew scarce. Post-war brands like Bowman and Topps sought to revive the premium card hobby while introducing novel multi-color design schemes and photography. Further innovations led to the first modern-era design we recognize today in the iconic 1948 Leaf set with their vertical backs featuring stats and biographies.
Although the tax rate on cigarettes increased numerous times in the 50s and 60s impacting the use of premiums, tobacco companies still managed to make their mark. Notable issues stem from Topps, Fleer and Philadelphia gum brands amongst others before they bowed out altogether. By the mid-1960s tobacco had largely exited the business, leaving the growing sportscard market to candy, gum and trading card companies but cementing over a century of rich card heritage tied to smoking products. The history of baseball cards would not be what it is today without that initial groundwork begun by tobacco in the late 19th century.
To this day, vintage tobacco baseball cards remain highly prized by collectors. Iconic T206 Honus Wagner and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 10 graded examples have broken auction records over $1 million USD. Tobacco issues are considered the true pioneers of the modern trading card format we know today. Through clever marketing ploys that doubled as affordable family entertainment, America’s pastime was shared nationwide via these novel cardboard promotions tucked inside cigarettes and chewing tobacco. The impact of those early tobacco cards cannot be overstated in the origin and evolution of sports collecting.
