« In the Big Inning: 1869-1900 (Part III) - In the Big Inning: 1869-1900 (Part I) »
In the Big Inning: 1869-1900 (Part II)
5 April 2007Similar to the business cards of today, the usual recipient was a preferred customer or important figure within the village. Considered premium cards, they were desirable since they looked good hangnig on the wall or resting on the mantle. Most ended up being conversation pieces. Nonetheless, the original intent of promoting the business was accomplished. The trade card promotional piece followed European settlers as they arrived in America. And by the late 1800s millions of them had been distibuted promoting everything from railroads to general stores. They appeared with categories of items or events printed on previously blanked backs. Trains, political figures, animals and other interesting sets were being circulated. The cards now served two purposes - promotion and collectibility. And no where was the trade card concept more prevalent than in the American tobacco industry.Gaining steam in America, the marriage between sports figures and tobacco products had become the leading combination for trade cards by 1900. As mentioned earlier, trade cards were meant to spread the word about businesses. And during the late 19th and early 20th century, tobacco was king! And so was another golden era pastime - baseball.
Few people realize the American sports card hobby is much older than 50 years. The roots of card collecting can be traced back to the 1700s in Europe - a time when "trade" cards were first circulated. Businesses used painted or "drawn" cards as promotional items. Owners would give out small, interesting cards touting people and events of the day. Each card, of course contained an advertisement regarding the business.
Most of the early tobacco cards depict baseball players, printed using the newly invented chromo-lithographic press. Each typically had the cigarette company’s logo and/or advertisement located somewhere on the card - usually at the bottom. Cigarette manufacturers knew the sport of baseball was followed by both parents and children (usually boys). Today’s historians would like for you to think that dad would simply tear off the tobacco ads and give the cards to their kids. It’s more likely that the ads were meant to reach the children as well!
Many of the early tobacco cards that have survived until now still contain the ad, but most do not. More importantly to today’s collectors, cards from that time carry a premium, defaced or not. However, those cards that still have the advertisement, or have not been altered are much rarer and carry a respectively higher value.Contrary to popular belief, the earliest sports cards depict professinoal athletes representing a lot of different sports - not just baseball. For example, many of the 19th century cards depict bicyclists, oarsmen (a very popular sports of the day), hunters, boxers, tennis players, weight lifters, hammer throwers, runners, pugilists, swimmers, and even pedestrian runners and walkers!
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