The Candy Manufacturing Company of America (TCMA) was founded in the early 1900s and was best known for producing Fruit Stripe gum and Bubble Yum. In the late 1940s, TCMA recognized the popularity of baseball cards and decided to enter the tobacco card market. Instead of including their cards in cigarette or chewing tobacco packages like other companies, TCMA inserted their baseball cards as prizes or bonuses inside boxes and packages of their chewing gum products.
The 1948 TCMA set was their first venture into the baseball card space. They utilized a stock generic design for the 84 cards that included players from both the American and National Leagues. The design featured a simple black and white player portrait on the front with stats printed below. On the back was just the players name and team. Card quality was low compared to contemporary sets from Topps or Bowman. They found an niche by inserting the cards into gum rather than tobacco products, appealing to younger collectors.
In 1949, TCMA greatly expanded their set to 198 cards and added color for the first time. The cards featured vibrant team colored borders around each player photo. Statistical information was expanded on the back as well. Rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Willie Mays and Richie Ashburn were included in the 1949 set which added interest from vintage collectors years later. Distribution was increased by including the packs in more TCMA products beyond just gum to items like candy boxes and coin envelopes.
For 1950, TCMA took their baseball card offering to new heights. The set totaled a massive 500 cards, making it the largest of its time. Minor league and Negro League players were represented for the first time.Standout rookies included Ryne Duren and early top prospects like future home run king Hank Aaron. Card design saw only minor tweaks but remained highly colorful making the 1950 TCMAs a very visually appealing set. Their wide distribution through multiple TCMA confections kept the cards attainable and popular among young collectors.
In 1951, TCMA made the strategic decision to focus on only American League players. This trimmed the set size down to a more reasonable 253 cards that maintained the colorful designs. Rookies like Mickey Mantle and Billy Pierce were featured along with batting leader Bobby Avila’s prized card. By 1952, TCMA produced their final major league card set totaling 233 cards that spotlighted National League players like Willie Mays and future 300 game winnerJim Kaat. Card availability was lowest of any TCMA year due to waning gum sales plaguing the company.
TCMA baseball cards were groundbreakers as some of the earliest sports cards inserted in confections rather than tobacco products. Their larger sets from 1949-1950 that debuted colorful designs made them highly novel and appealing collectors items for children. While print runs were high, their scarcity has increased minor league and uncut sheet versions to become key vintage pieces today highly desired by both collectors and investors. The Candy Manufacturing Company of America was truly ahead of its time by recognizing the potential in combining baseball cards with tasty treats in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
