• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Wander Franco Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Rookie Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
    • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Starting a Pre-War Baseball Card Collection for $300

Starting a Pre-War Baseball Card Collection for $300

August 8, 2019 By Anson Whaley

The prices of pre-war cards continue to rise.  In particular, Hall of Famers and stars are getting expensive enough that some collectors have been priced out of the market for some sets.  Despite that, the hobby continues to see collectors eagerly getting into the market for these decades old issues. That is evident for mainstream sets like T206, which continue to attract a healthy collection of auction action.

While a good number of cards are undoubtedly expensive, a great many are also very affordable. For an amount less the cost of some brand new boxes of cards, collectors can assemble a small collection of pre-war goodness.  If I were just starting out as a pre-war baseball card collector with $300, here’s a pretty good way to spend your money.

(2) T206 cards – $55

There’s no way to adequately start a pre-war collection without adding at least a couple of T206 cards.

T206 is the most popular baseball card set of all time and even if you don’t acquire many of them, every pre-war collection should have at least one or two in my humble opinion. It may be best known for the famous Honus Wagner but there are plenty of affordable cards in “the monster.”

T206s are getting more expensive but are still very easy to find. For around 25-30 bucks apiece on eBay, you can easily get a pair of half-decent copies of common players–even graded examples.

T205 James Sheckard(2) T205 cards – $55

Much in the same way that you need a few T206 cards, I’d also argue that every collection should have at least a couple of T205 cards.

Like the T206 set, the T205 gold border cards were also distributed by the American Tobacco Company. The cards have a distinctly different look but are also one of the more popular pre-war issues.

They aren’t quite as plentiful as T206 but there are still many of them around. And you’ll be able to find commons from the set for about the same price despite the fact that they are considerably rarer.

1913 Nap Lajoie Game Card – $15

Fewer collectors are as familiar with these cards than they are the first two issues. But for a game card that features a Hall of Fame player, these are some of my favorite ‘bargain’ cards.

The Nap Lajoie game included a deck of cards and each one included a picture of Lajoie batting – one was printed with a red tint and the other with a blue tint. But both are incredibly affordable.

(3) 1936 S&S Game Cards – $25

Speaking of game cards, the 1936 S&S Game set is arguably the most affordable one of its kind.

The cards included different players on them and commons are extremely affordable. You can get them raw for under $10 each and decent cards have gone for as little as $5 at times.

For $25, finding three of these isn’t too difficult. Or if you prefer, take that money and put it towards a single card of a bigger name player. Even most of the stars in the set can be bought for that amount. Jimmie Foxx, shown here, is one of the few players that can not usually be bought at that price.

Wes Ferrell 1933 Goudey1933 Goudey Card – $15

If we’re trying to cover the bases here, we certainly need to add at least one gum card to the mix.

The gum card era really got underway in the 1930s and there was no bigger company for those types of cards than Goudey. The company’s 240-card set from 1933 is by far the most iconic and commons from it are very affordable.

For as little as $15, you can add a common in modest condition.

Ted Williams Salutation Exhibit – $30

Every collection needs at least one big name and Ted Williams certainly qualifies there.

The Salutation Exhibits are slightly oversized cards (postcard-sized) and were issued from 1939-46. The set includes many big names and is known for being very affordable.

Commons in the set in decent shape aren’t too hard to find for $5-$10 and even the stars aren’t overpriced. Ted Williams has two variations in the set but his more common version (with the No. 9 on his jersey not showing) is very affordable with decent copies starting around $30.

Or, if you want to maximize the number of cards in your new collection, you can opt for several cards of lesser name players.

(2) W560 Strip Cards – $20

Strip cards are among the more popular cards for collectors looking to save some cash. In decent condition, you can get many commons for as little as $10 and in lesser shape, even cheaper than that.

The W560 strip cards from the 1920s are one of the more unique strip issues. Instead of poor drawings of players, these actually used real images of players printed in either red or black ink. Collectors vary on the type of strip cards they prefer but these are among the ‘cleaner’ issues. They are unique because they were issued on sheets to comprise a deck of playing cards.

Today, these are relatively easy to find and for $15-20 or so, you can add a common to your collection. We’ll throw two in for good measure.

19th century Masters Gargling Oil Linament cardMerchants Gargling Oil Trade Card – $15

All of these cards are already pretty old, right? Well, let’s add a really old one to our list.

Trade cards were mostly issued in the late 1800s. These cards were generally printed on pretty thin paper and used as advertisements for businesses, products, or services.

While many were ‘stock’ cards that were later used by many businesses that added their own name to them, some were exclusive to a particular product like the Merchants Gargling Oil cards of the 1880s. This set of five cards features a generic overweight baseball player in a variety of humorous pictures. Despite their age and fragile nature, they are quite common today and decent ones can be bought for around $15.

Be sure to watch out for these. Many collectors trimmed the bottom advertising portion off (the light blue box shown on this one here), which significantly decreases the value. If paying $15 for one, make sure it is the entire card and not a trimmed version.

T201 Mecca Double Folders – $30

The T201 Mecca Double Folders set is probably the least expensive tobacco baseball card set that exists. With only 50 cards in the set, it is also relatively easy to assemble.

Each card features two players with one on the front and a portion of one on the back. The player on the back folds down, using the legs from the full-body picture of the other player.

These are legitimate early 20th century tobacco issues and a great way to add a cheap card. You might need some patience, but keep an eye on eBay and you can buy a raw common for around $30.

1932 Sanella Japanese Catcher – $10

One of the more unique cards on this list is that of a Japanese catcher from the 1932 Sanella set. Sanella was actually a German margarine company that produced this set.

While the cards are from Germany, they are fairly easy to find in the states thanks to eBay and other sites. The set’s most famous card is one of Babe Ruth but this one is also quite popular. While the catcher is not named on the card, I believe it to be Japanese Hall of Famer Jiro Kuji.

Today, finding the card for about $10-$15 is pretty doable.

E90-1 American Caramel Card – $30

Rounding our list, we’ve got to include at least one caramel card. The caramel card (E-Card) era preceded the gum cards I referenced above.

Of those cards, the American Caramel Company was the ‘go to’ for baseball sets. They issued many of them and the E90-1 set is one of the most popular. The company’s later black and white issues are just as good, but I’m a sucker for the smaller-sized cards.

Offered from 1909-11, the set includes numerous stars. Keep in mind, these are much rarer than most tobacco cards. But they are also one of the more common caramel issues and not too difficult to track down. For about $30, you can find pick up a nice common.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

The Baseball Cards of the Legendary Jim Thorpe Pre-War Card Games Were Popular Player Endorsements Babe Ruth 1935 GoudeyThe Wayback Collector: 5 Pre-War Issues to Watch in 2019 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card Baltimore SunThe Wayback Collector: Pre-War Collectibles a Sizable Chunk of Sports Memorabilia Market Tinker to Evers to Chance: 5 Fun Baseball Cards of the Cubs’ Famous DP Combo Pre-War Food Issues Offer Unique Options to Collectors Supplements are Affordable Pre-War Options 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie cardMany Key Releases Found Within M-Card Classification

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Popular Stories, Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1900s Baseball Cards, 1910s Baseball Cards, 1920s baseball cards, 1930s baseball cards, bargain, pre-War baseball cards

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card Auctions
  • Graded Rookie Cards opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Auctions of Champions June 2023 Daily/Weekly Auctions
  • Fanatics Auctions “The Ultimate Fan Auction” – Ends June 5-8, 2023
  • Pristine Auction June 2023 Daily, Weekly, Classic, Art, Cards, Coins and Featured Auctions

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Game Used Jerseysopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Vintage Basketball Cardsopens in a new window
  • NBA Signed Itemsopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • NASCAR Autographsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Player Picturesopens in a new window
  • Vintage Football Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window