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Discovering what card collecting is all about, a rookie’s path to becoming a collector. 

As someone with no prior experience or knowledge about the lucrative hobby that is trading cards, my first question is: how did we get here? What events in history led to these 2×3 inch cards to sell for thousands of dollars? 

A quick web search gave me this basic information; trading cards have evolved over 150 years from 19th-century cigarette promotional items into a multi-billion dollar hobby. However, cigarettes to players and animated creatures seems like a giant leap, so let’s dive deeper.

The Origins of Trading Cards: It Started With Cigarettes

In the late 1800s what became today’s trading cards first entered the scene as inserts in tobacco products. The original blank cards served the purpose of reinforcing the fragile packaging and preventing bending. Tobacco companies soon realized these cards could be used as an advertising tool and henceforth came the first items known as “trade cards”. They simply started printing photos and words on the inserts. The United States was the first country to start printing on their stiffener cards, with tobacco company Allen & Ginter leading the trend. At this time the cards only consisted of advertisements for the card manufacturer to increase brand loyalty.

A couple years later these inserts evolved once again. In 1888, W.D. & H.O. Wills was the first company to print non advertisement cards with their general interest set titled “Ships & Soldiers”, cleverly named for their target audience. The pleasing appearance of these full color cards caught the attention of many, and became widely popular. These cards were organized into sets, about 25-50 cards in each, designed to be collected as a set. This unintentionally birthed the modern trading card industry.

Baseball Cards Enter the Picture

In the late 18th- early 19th century, as baseball skyrocketed in popularity, these tobacco companies and even sports trading companies figured that printing star athletes would attract customers. The 1886 “Old Judge” baseball card set is widely considered to be the first set to focus on individual players. Goodwin Tobacco used each players’ likeness as the primary feature on a card, which is a format still used today. 

Issues presented themselves when individual player trading cards became the norm. Some players, including Honus Wagner, who disapproved of their photos being used to promote tobacco to children,  requested the immediate cease of card production. This is a reason why the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is so valuable today, it was discontinued early on making it rare. 

From Chewing Tobacco to Chewing Gum

In the late 19th century, the sale of tobacco to children became illegal, and since teenagers were the primary collectors, the tobacco companies had to shift away from the booming hobby they created. This led to candy companies taking it on and dominating the trading card industry. Famous companies such as Topps Chewing Gum and Bowman used vibrant packaging and player statistics on the backsides of their cards, setting the standard for today. 

For years Topps had a monopoly over the market, expanding into football, basketball, and hockey cards. Gum was consistently sold along the cards and this continued for decades. 

The Modern Hobby Takes Shape

In 1991, trading cards evolved once more, finally reaching the individual gems we see today. Collecting grew into a more mature pastime peaking the interest of adults too. As more diverse ages became more interested in this hobby it gained more respect. Eventually, gum was removed from packs since serious collectors stated it stained and ruined the value of the cards. 

In addition to the changing packaging, the 90s also redefined what a trading card could be. Sports cards remained popular, yet entertainment companies soon noticed the craze and started creating non sport related cards. Some included tv shows, movies, or famous actors. 

Collectable Game Cards Create Waves

One of the biggest innovations in the entertainment card industry came about with the creation of “Magic: The Gathering”, the first ever collectable card game. They transformed the idea of a card from just something to collect to a tool to build up one’s deck to battle opponents. They began featuring unique skills, powers, and artwork and created a new generation of card gamers.

Another notable name was Pokémon Trading Card Game which began 1996 in Japan, eventually moving worldwide in 1999. Children around the word began caring around their pokemon cards to trade and play with friends. 

From a way to keep cigarette packs in shape, an addition to your stick of gum, and even eventually a tool to win a battle, trading cards have a rich history. Now that I have a newfound appreciation for the creation of this hobby, I can begin diving in myself. 

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