Baseball Cards – Collectible Resource

It is pretty safe to say that no sport loves stats more than baseball, with every single player who has ever played the game essentially ranked on the numbers they put up during their career. Fans of baseball will argue for hours and hours about the value of batting average versus runs batted in, or saves against wins by a pitcher. It is perhaps because of stats alone that collectible baseball cards are the most popular type of trading card out there. The glossy picture of the player on the front is almost completely overshadowed by the stats on the back, although that gets a little more pronounced as the age of the collector rises. What’s ironic in all of this is that collectible baseball cards have a history that goes all over the place in regards of the types of people that choose to collect them. It can be argued that the very first cards were aimed at adults, as they were put together by companies looking to advertise their services. That notion was made all the more true when major tobacco companies started adding the cards to their packs of cigarettes back in the day, which is not really something that kids would have access to. Even when kids did start to pick up the cards, it was not uncommon for them to put them in the spokes of their bikes, so that they could make a very satisfying clacking sound as they pedaled up and down the street. That has all changed now, though, as baseball cards have not only become collectible, but also valuable. Let’s take a trip back in time to see how they ended up that way. The History of Collectible Baseball Cards It may come as a surprise to many to learn that baseball trading cards date all the way back to the 1860’s. The Civil War had ended and Americans were looking for something fun to help them get over the atrocities of the war that had plagues the nation for years. As is often the case in tough times, sports, and in this case baseball, was what served as the medicine to start to put things right. The game itself was still very much in its infancy, but it caught the attention of the American public in a big way. In an attempt to capitalize on that growing popularity of baseball, a sporting goods company named Peck and Snyder started to make what are widely regarded as the first baseball trading cards. The cards were really nothing more than a way to advertise the business, but the general public bought into the idea in a big way, leading other companies to follow suit. T206 – One of the Most Collectible Baseball Card Sets in History The next to jump on the collectible baseball cards bandwagon were the tobacco companies, with one in particular perhaps responsible for kicking off the collectability of the cards. From 1909-1911, the American Tobacco Company, through many of its affiliated subsidiaries, issued the T206 series of cards. One of the most popular players of that time was Honus Wagner. It is estimated that only 60 to 200 Wagner cards were released, as he refused to allow any more of his cards to be printed when he learned his image was being associated with Tobacco. The T206 Honus Wagner card is now the most sought after of all cards, and it is somewhat ironic that one of the biggest purchases of the card was made in recent years by hockey star Wayne Gretzky, whose rookie and signed cards are among the most collectible out there. Collectible Baseball Cards Gain Even More Popularity By the 1930’s, baseball had become big business, thanks to major stars like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. It shouldn’t really be considered a coincidence that the popularity of trading cards took a real spike during this period. It also helped that the quality of the cards had increased dramatically since the early days, making them all the more collectible in the process. As you might expect, World War II put a little bit of a damper on everything, but the face of the baseball trading card world changed dramatically once the war ended, with a company called Topps leading the way. Topps Reinvents Baseball Card Distribution Topps started producing collectible baseball cards in packs, usually with a little piece of bubble gum included, which helped them essentially dominate and shape the way in which the trading card business was run from that point forward. Topps wasn’t the only company (or even the first) to do this, but they were absolutely the most successful. Rather than the easy availability of cards making them less valuable, the opposite happened. People started to go out of their way to collect whole sets, with many separating their cards by teams in binders with plastic sleeves. Baseball trading cards quickly became big business, with value placed on the quality and desirability of individual cards. A player who went on to great success in the game would soon see the value of his cards, especially the rookie card, skyrocket in value. Perhaps the most valuable card of the post-war era would be the #311 Mickey Mantle card, which is still in high demand to this day. Over-Production of the 1980s By the time the 1980s had rolled around, America’s game was at the height of its popularity, and a number of other major trading card companies had joined Topps in trying cash in on the booming markets. Many people had observed the successful growth of baseball card values and many new collectors came to the table. To keep up with demand, many of the card companies increased the production. During the 1980s, the prices continued to surge. However, that growth would be short lived. Soon, when collectors realized how easy it was to get the cards they wanted, the effects of supply and demand took place. Card prices started to fall. Despite the fact that many baseball stars played in the 1980s, many of the cards from that time are not worth a lot today. On the flip side, all kinds of cool new sets were delivered, with the likes of “Game Used” cards becoming a must have for collectors. These sets would contain little pieces of the player’s jersey, glove, or bat included with the card, making it all the more appealing. Collectible Baseball Cards Today and In the Future If you were to ask a collector what the most important aspect of a card is, most would likely say quality. An autographed rookie card that features a major star of the game is great, but it means nothing if the corners are bent or the card looks worn. Today, many high quality cards are placed in plastic cases or even encased after being professionally graded. This not only keeps the cards in their current condition, but also increases confidence in the actual condition of the card. My personal favorite professional grading service is PSA. You would think that as we are now in the digital age that trading cards would start to become less popular, but the big companies have now adopted digital cards that can be used in games on specific apps. These aren’t likely to hold any real value in the future, which is good news for those that are holding on to the cardboard cards of old, all of which will only grow in value over time. There’s no doubt that collectible baseball cards are one of the most traded and sought after collectibles in history. List of Popular Baseball Card Sets Here is a list of some of the more popular baseball card sets throughout history. Don’t get me wrong; there are other fantastic sets out there, but these are the most collected. If you’re just starting out with collecting baseball cards, then this is the list you should consider starting with. Why? Because, they’re more commonly traded, which means you can more easily build a collection as well as treat them as collectible investments. Early Popular Collectible Baseball Cards 1887 Allen & Ginter1909 American Caramel (E91) Set A1909 Philadelphia Caramel (E92)1909-1911 T206 Whit Border1910 E98 Set1910 Standard Caramel (E93)1910-1912 Sweet Caporal Pins P21911 Mecca Double Folder (T201)1911 T205 Gold Border1911 T3 Turkey Red Cabinets1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders1913 Fatima Team Cards1914 Cracker Jack1915 Cracker Jack 1930s and 1940s Collectible Baseball Cards 1933 Goudey1934 Goudey1934-1936 Batter up1934-1936 Diamond Stars1935 Goudey1936 Goudey1936 S & S Game1938 Goudey1939 Play Ball1940 Play Ball1941 Double Play1941 Goudey1941 Play Ball1948 Bowman1948-49 Leaf1949 Bowman 1950s Collectible Baseball Cards 1950 Bowman1950 Callahan HOF1951 Bowman1951 Topps Blue Back1951 Topps Red Back1952 Berk Ross1952 Bowman1952 Red Man Tobacco1952 Topps1953 Bowman Black & White1953 Bowman Color1953 Red Man Tobacco with Tab1953 Topps1954 Bowman1954 Dan-Dee Potato Chips1954 Red Hearts1954 Topps1954 Wilson Franks1955 Bowman1955 Red Man Tobacco with Tab1955 Topps1955 Topps Doubleheaders1956 Topps1957 Topps1958 Topps1959 Armour Coins1959 Fleer Ted Williams1959 Topps 1960s Collectible Baseball Cards 1960 Armour Coins1960 Fleer1960 Leaf1960 Topps1961 Golden Press1961 Nu-Card Scoops1961 Topps1961-62 Fleer1962 Salada-Junket Coins1962 Topps1963 Fleer1963 Salada-Junket Coins1963 Topps1964 Topps1964 Topps Coins1964 Topps Giants1964 Topps Stand Up1965 Topps1965 Topps Embossed1966 Topps1967 Topps1967 Topps Red Sox Stickers1968 Topps1968 Topps Game1969 Topps1969 Topps Decal1969 Topps Deckle Edge1969 Topps Supers 1970s Collectible Baseball Cards 1970 Kellogg’s1970 Milton Bradley1970 Rold Gold Pretzels1970 Topps1970 Topps Super1971 Kelloggs1971 Topps1971 Topps Greatest Moments1971 Topps Supers1972 Kelloggs1972 Kelloggs All Time Greats1972 Topps1973 Kelloggs1973 Topps1974 Kelloggs1974 Topps1974 Topps Team Checklist1974 Topps Traded1975 Kelloggs1975 Topps Mini1976 Isalys/Sweet Williams Discs1976 Kelloggs1976 Topps1976 Topps Traded1977 Kelloggs1977 Topps1977 Topps Cloth Stickers1978 Kelloggs1978 Topps1979Topps Modern Collectible Baseball Cards 1980 Kelloggs1980 Topps1981 Kelloggs1981 Topps1982 Topps1983 Topps1984 Donruss1984 Fleer Update1984 Topps1985 Topps1986 Topps1987 Topps1989 Fleer1989 Upper Deck1990 Leaf1990 Upper Deck1991 Topps Desert Shield1991 Upper Deck Nolan Ryan Heroes1992 Bowman1992 Topps1993 Finest Refractor What Next? You may want to consider adding some collectible baseball cards to your collection. Feel free to reach out to me if there’s something specific that you’re looking for. Also, eBay and Heritage Auctions are both great resources for finding baseball card investments. You may also want to learn about football, hockey, or basketball cards. Non-sports trading cards are pretty fun too!