The Early History Of Baseball Cards

Author: Billy Beansprout

The Nineteenth Century
 
Baseball and photography in the United States were both seeing an explosion of popularity in the mid nineteenth century. This provoked baseball clubs to start taking individual and group pictures of their members. Some of these pictures were printed on smaller cards, much like modern-day, wallet sized photos. In the late 1860s, baseball became a professional sport, and trading cards began to appear with photos of players and teams. These were mainly used as a means of advertisement for companies, who placed an ad on the back of the card.
 
A sporting goods store in New York, called Peck and Snyder, began production of trading cards featuring teams. As a sporting goods store, baseball cards were the perfect advertisement vehicle for them. The cards produced by Peck and Snyder are often times referred to as the first baseball cards.
 
A trade card during these times typically featured an image on one side, and a business advertisement on the reverse side. Color printing technology began to increase the attractiveness of baseball cards. Photos began to be seen in black and white as well as sepia. Some baseball cards were printed as playing cards, either for conventional card games or simulations of a baseball game.
 
By 1886 cigarette packs often included baseball cards in them for promotional purposes as well as the protection of the cigarettes. Baseball had become so popular by the end of the century that production of the baseball cards had not only spread across the Americas, but also into the Pacific Isles.
 
Early Twentieth Century
 
The majority of cards being produced were by candy companies and cigarette companies. Breisch-Williams Company, (a Pennsylvania-based confectionary company), produced the first major set of baseball cards of the century in 1903. Soon after, baseball cards were beginning to appear in more and more products. In 1914, Cracker Jack's began using baseball cards as the included prize in the box.
 
The Twenties to the Fifties
 
Baseball card production began to fall off during World War I due to the transition to wartime production. This lasted until the late thirties, when the United States began to see the effects of the great depression. During the years in between, production of baseball cards went through the roof. The culmination of this production spike was the Goudey Gum Company's set, produced in 1933.  
 
Again, in 1941, wartime production began to significantly affect the number of baseball cards being produced. In 1948, baseball card production increased once again. The Leaf Candy Company and Bowman Gum introduced the first sets when wartime production came to a halt. During the1950s, Japanese baseball cards associated with the popular Japanese card game, menko, began to flood the market.

Article Source: www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/the-early-history-of-baseball-cards-124231.html

About the Author:
Billy is a contributer to  Big Show Baseball: The MLB Blog  which includes a section with  baseball card information including the most valuable baseball cards

        

Matt Cassel is now a Kansas City Chief.  In return, the Patriots will receive a 2^nd round draft pick from the Chiefs.  This is a great deal for the Chiefs since they desperately needed a quality quarterback.  Tyler Thigpen started for the Chiefs last year and played surprisingly well, but the addition of Cassel should reap huge benefits for the Chiefs offense.

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Well, here’s my first blog entry and I decided to talk about the big sports news story this year.  That is, of course, the Alex Rodriguez steroid scandal. 

 

Apparently Alex only took steroids for a couple of years during his stint with the Texas Rangers.  I don’t know how many of you remember the Rangers team back then, but there were some BIG dudes on that team.  Ivan Rodriguez was a monster back then and was nicknamed “Pudge” because of his size.  Julio Franco was a monster as well.  And let’s not forget Jose Canseco and all the baggage that goes along with him.  Now I’m not insinuating that Ivan or Julio used steroids, but take a look at Ivan now and compare how he looked back then.  I honestly believe that during that era of MLB baseball, steroid usage was very common and not given a second thought in the locker rooms.  It’s also important to remember that steroids were not classified a Class III substance until the late 1980’s so I think it would be safe to assume some of the older players probably used when they were younger.

 

I think it’s important to remember how young Alex Rodriguez was during the years in question relative to the pressure he was under to perform in America's MLB ballparks.  He had just signed the largest sports contract in the history of sports (well over $200 million). Even Michael Jordan (Air Jordan) couldn't match that. Everyone in America that watched Baseball expected A-Rod to earn every dime of it.  As I stated earlier, there were many others in MLB who were using performance enhancing drugs at the time, and I can only guess that this played a part in his decision to use.  Keep up with the completion Baby, or you lose.  What about the trainers, team doctors and therapists?  Did they play apart in supplying Alex?  I just can’t see a guy making $200 million going out into dark allies and buying illegal drugs.  The doctors and trainers were paid to make sure the “star” was taken care of and performed at or above expectation.  Their jobs depended on it.  Look at what’s going on in the Roger Clemons case right now.  A trainer is the very person who apparently injected Clemons (and probably for the same reasons mentioned above).

 

All Alex Rodriguez was looking for was an edge.  We all do the same thing every day in one way or another.  On my way to work this morning I purchased my extra large coffee (black).  I also picked up one of those 5 hour energy shots (figured I try one).  The coffee thing is a morning ritual for me by the way.  Why do I do it you ask?  To give me an edge. My job is stressful as hell and I need all the pick me up I can get.  I need to be sharp when I walk into my office because there are people all around me who want what I’ve got and they will do anything to get it.  The coffee helps give me that little extra edge.

 

With over one hundred names on the MLB steroid users list, one can't help but wonder what this will do to card prices as well as Baseball Hall of Fame votes.

So think about A-Rod the next time you pick up that morning Red Bull.

Have a wonderful day,

Ken B.

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