Universal treasures were a series of baseball cards produced from 1973-1979 by Universal Press Inc. out of Culver City, California. The cards featured current Major League players and sought to capture the nostalgia of vintage baseball cards from the early 20th century tobacco era. At the time of their production, Topps still had an exclusive license with Major League Baseball for modern baseball cards. However, Universal was able to produce cards featuring players by arranging photo shoots and licensing deals independently.
The earliest 1973 set had 132 cards and featured designs emulating classic tobacco cards such as the 1909-1911 T206 set. Like the vintage issues they took inspiration from, the 1973 Universal cards were sold in packs of 5 cards each enclosed in a folding paper wrapper. The relatively low production numbers, estimated at only 500,000 sets made, gave the inaugural release significant cache among collectors looking to recapture the charm of early 20th century cardboard. Keys cards included a Nolan Ryan rookie and a full color photo of Hank Aaron that was quite innovative for the time period.
From 1974-1977 Universal continued releasing annual sets that expanded card counts and added innovative extras like multi-part mail-in promotions. The 1975 set, containing 198 cards, introduced a foil stamped front design that collectors still find eye-catching today. By 1976 the count had grown to an immense 400 cards as Universal sought to capture more of the burgeoning baseball card market. Short prints, oddball promotions, and creative photography kept the issues fresh. Universal also produced team and league sets during this period to further capitalize on the growing interest in organized sports collectibles across America.
In 1978, faced with rising production costs and increased competition from sportscard behemoth Topps, Universal took their design and strategy in a new direction. Dubbed the “Treasures of Baseball” set, the 288 card release featured significant photo and graphical enhancements. Multicolor printing and die-cuts were incorporated showcasing the technological abilities of late 70s printing. Subject matter also widened to include team logos, ticket stubs, and period baseball artifacts. The extra production values drove the per card cost higher but allowed Universal to maintain respectable print runs near 2 million sets.
The final 1979 Universal baseball card set reached new artistic heights with its “Universal Treasures” branding and packaging presentation. Cards utilized intricate embossed foil fronts combined with high resolution action photography around a 240 card checklist of the day’s top players. Short prints and oddball promotions continued to entice collectors. Production costs had grown too high and competition too fierce for Universal to remain solvent long term. After the 1979 baseball season concluded without a license in place, they ceased operations having left their creative mark on the emerging sportscard marketplace of the 1970s.
Though short lived, Universal treasures cards remain highly regarded by collectors and historians today. Their designs directly inspired later niche producers like Kelloggs and Donruss to challenge the sports card dominance of Topps in the 1970s and 1980s. Sets from 1973 through 1979 can still be found in abundance at card shows, online auctions, and local shops. Key rookie and star player cards retain significant collector demand and six figure price tags for mint examples are not unheard of. The company captured imaginations by resurrecting the nostalgia of vintage collecting and pioneering innovative photographic styles before their time. While only produced for seven seasons over half a decade, Universal treasures left an indelible imprint on the baseball card collecting landscape.
In summary, Universal treasures cards released from 1973-1979 were pioneering early attempts to rekindle the charm of vintage tobacco era baseball issues during an era when Topps monopolized the modern sportscard market. Through clever designs, nods to nostalgia, growing production values, and ambitious card counts the California company carved a niche and competed fiercely. Though short lived, they introduced many fans to the fun of organized sportscard collecting and their innovative photography and graphical styles directly influenced later niche competitors in the sportscard world. Today high grade Universal treasures are popular collectors items prized for their historic importance in chronicling the evolution of professional sports memorabilia.
