Baseball cards were initially created in the late 1800s as a promotional tool used by cigarette and tobacco companies to encourage people to purchase their products. At the time, baseball was one of the most popular sports in America and tobacco companies knew that including pictures of baseball stars in their packaging would attract new customers, both young and old. These early baseball cards were typically small, around the size of a modern business card, and inserted randomly into packs of cigarettes or chewing tobacco. They featured photos or illustrations of prominent baseball players from that era along with basic stats or biographies on the reverse side.
One of the first companies to produce baseball cards as a promotional item were the Goodwin & Company, a cigarette manufacturer based in New York City. In 1869, Goodwin & Company began including illustrated lithograph cards of famous ballplayers in their packaging. Other early tobacco brands to embrace the baseball card concept included Allen & Ginter in the 1880s as well as Buck Chase Cigarettes and Mayo Cut Plug Tobacco around the same time period. These primitive cardboard inserts proved successful at driving sales so baseball cards quickly became a standard promotional strategy used across the tobacco industry.
By the late 1880s and 1890s, as the fledgling National League and American Association baseball leagues gained popularity, tobacco companies ramped up production of baseball cards as a key marketing ploy. Premium sets featuring colorful lithographed portraits of stars from teams like the Boston Beaneaters, Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds generated newfound interest in both specific players and the sport as a whole. Allen & Ginter even pioneered the first “set” of baseball cards in 1887 that could be collected and swapped by fans. Their multi-sport series established the format for baseball cards for decades to come.
In 1889, Goodwin & Company produced what is considered the first “modern” baseball card design still familiar to collectors today. Made from thicker cardboard stock and measuring approximately 2.5 x 3.5 inches, these cards spotlighted individual players on the front with their name and team insignia while biographical details and career stats were listed on the reverse. This uniform size and layout became the industry standard that remained unchanged for nearly 100 years. As baseball’s fame continued to escalate nationwide at the turn of the 20th century, so too did production of baseball cards from firms like American Tobacco Company, Piedmont Cigarettes and Lambert & Butler Cigarettes.
No longer just simple inserts, baseball cards were now carefully crafted premiums included in pricier cigar and cigarette packs aimed at adults. Color lithography techniques improved image quality tremendously while the collecting phenomenon really started to take off amongst enthusiasts. Younger fans also drove demand since tobacco laws at the time did not prohibit their purchase or use of baseball cards. From 1910-1915, manufacturers released some of the most artistically ornate and collectible early 20th century sets including T206 White Border (released from 1909-1911), E95 Allen & Ginter (1911), and E121 Hassan Triple Fold (1911).
At the same time, chewing gum maker Merritt & Company of Brooklyn produced several well-regarded baseball card sets featuring superstars Dazzy Vance, Babe Ruth and more. Gum was used by companies as an alternative premium item that could appeal to both children and adults and remain legal. The rise of anti-smoking legislation over subsequent decades moved Topps Chewing Gum firmly into the baseball card driver’s seat starting in 1951 with their enormously popular flagship release. Topps set the standard that remains to this day for sports card design, licensing, limited series production runs and more.
While initially created solely as promotional incentives to drive tobacco sales in the late 19th century, baseball cards experienced decades of careful refinement and exploded in popularity alongside America’s pastime. Manufacturers originally used them to tap interest in iconic players and teams but inadvertently sparked a multibillion-dollar worldwide collecting and memorabilia industry that still thrives today. Baseball cards introduced generations to the sport by spotlighting beloved athletes like Babe Ruth and allowing fans to swap or show off their prized cardboard pieces. Even after over 150 years, they remain an iconic tie to baseball’s rich history and culture.
