The Cards Your Mother Threw Away – and Other Tales
Baseball card collecting has been a part of the National Pastime since the early days of baseball, around the time of the Civil War.
But it’s fair to say that 150 years ago, no one thought these pieces of colorful cardboard would become incredibly valuable – and a part of our national fabric.
Before modern printing techniques developed, a picture card was called a cabinet card or carte de visite (CDV). This type of card depicted an individual player or team that was placed on a hard thick cardboard backing and often exhibited in a cabinet. These cards were produced as snapshots in time and had no commercial purpose at the time of their production.
The first commercial cards were produced in the late 1860s and used for product advertisements. These color lithographs on cardboard were known as trade cards and were given away to promote a product. Collecting trade cards of all types (animals, comics and presidents) and placing them in scrapbooks became a very popular pastime before 1900. Many trade cards that you find today will still have the remnants of glue on the back because they were affixed to the scrapbook for safe keeping. This residue can be removed by a professional conservator. Cards were also commonly stored in shoeboxes but this is not recommended due to the acidic nature of the cardboard box.
In the mid-1880s, baseball cards were mass produced and distributed nationally in tobacco packs. These cards were much smaller than the cards of today because of the small size of the packaging. Most of the tobacco cards were distributed by the American Tobacco Company. There are many examples of tobacco cards and they are highly collectible. Early cards include “Turkey Reds”, which are larger than their contemporaries, along with Fatima, Mecca, and Hassan to name a few.
In the early 1900s, candy companies emerged to distribute cards along side the tobacco companies and produced some very colorful and popular cards that are still coveted today. Many other companies entered the mix such as bakeries and clothing manufacturers. With the beginning of World War I, candy and gum cards became popular and more affordable. The DeLong Gum Company, Cracker Jack, and the American Caramel Company all produced visually appealing sets.
The 1930s saw another round of new cards being produced and these became the most popular cards to collect. They pictured all of the superstar players of the era, such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and later featured Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. The Goudey Big League Gum Company produced a very colorful set in 1933 that remains popular with collectors today.
At the time of World War II, paper became a precious commodity, so few cards were produced during the mid 1940s. In the late 1940s, production began again and exploded when Topps Chewing Gum Company issued their first set in 1952 and the modern era soon followed with a number of other companies such as Fleer and Donruss entering the production market.
Today there are thousands of card sets and the hobby is still going strong. New production techniques, such as plastic 3-D cards and the insertion of pieces of bats and uniforms have made cards more unique and marketable. It is a hobby for all ages. If your mother threw away your baseball cards, chances are that you can find exactly what you once had by accessing online sources and memorabilia stores. It is a great way to bring back old memories and pass them along to friends and family members.
The Hall’s permanent collection contains over 140,000 baseball cards covering the period of the early cabinet cards and CDV’s to the present. The Museum’s collection features the famous T-206 Honus Wagner card along with beautiful examples of different styles of cards that were produced over time.
The Museum is interested in supplementing its collection of cards that convey the history of the game and the card industry. Particular cards and sets needed are Topps cards from the 1960s to the 1990s, Fleer cards from the 1990s and Upper Deck cards from 1996-2001. Please contact the Museum at info@baseballhall.org regarding potential submissions to the collection.
Sue MacKay is the director of collections at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
If Mom Only Knew
Collectors often wish to protect their cards from damage and there are a few things to consider:
- • Archival supply companies produce acid-free boxes as well as archival sleeves and binders to house your collection. It is wise to protect your investment because condition is very important when buying and/or selling.
- • Proper environmental conditions are important because paper is a fragile substance. A consistent temperature and humidity is vital along with placing the cards in darkness to ensure that the colors do not fade away.
