He was about 16 when he started saving them. Nearly 50 years after Glenn Bosworth was hoarding Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance, Mordecai Brown, Christy Mathewson and other stars of the deadball era diamond, the baseball cards he had pasted into an album were still there. By the time he spoke to a curious newspaper reporter in 1960, the guy the locals called … [Read more...]
Like Honus Wagner, Eddie Plank Rarely Seen on Tobacco Cards
It's a general consensus that the T206 Honus Wagner is the most significant card in the history of the hobby. Ongoing publicity surrounding the scarcity and value of the card is such that even many non-collectors have heard of it. The card was shortprinted with several theories abounding as to the reason why. But one of the more common reasons cited is that Wagner was … [Read more...]
Selling Packs with T206 Cards in 1909 Was Sometimes Hazardous
Eventually they would be sold with more kid-oriented products like caramels and bubble gum but 110 years ago, if you wanted a picture of a professional baseball player (and who wouldn't before color magazines, TV or even radio?), you had to have access to tobacco, or at least someone who used it. When the American Tobacco Company's massive promotion began in 1909, word … [Read more...]
High Costs of 19th Century Tobacco Cards Revealed
We mostly refer to the boom of the American tobacco cards as coming in the early 1900s. Numerous sets were produced in the 1909-12 time period. However, the start of the cards actually came much earlier than that. The 1880s is where most cigarette cards got their beginnings. But despite being very popular with collectors, tobacco companies were very interested in cutting … [Read more...]
A Young Jackie Robinson Appears on Two 1940s Cigarette Cards
In the pre-war era, cigarette cards were all the rage. They not only featured baseball players but plenty of other subjects as well. These cards were highly collected around the world and were mostly included inside packages of cigarettes. Cigarette cards continued to be produced at high levels in Europe and around the world well into the 1930s. However, American baseball … [Read more...]
Reach of T227 Champions Set Extended Beyond Baseball
The T227 Champions set is one of the earliest notable multi-sport tobacco issues of the 20th century. Issued in 1912, the series included various 'champion' athletes in their respective sports. Tobacco advertisers on the backs included both Honest Long Cut and Miners Extra. While most of the athletes featured were those participating in individual sports, some were a part of … [Read more...]
Missing Stars from the T201 Mecca Double Folders Set
The T201 Mecca Double Folders set was interactive, long before the term came into vogue. Each card featured two players with a long vertical image of one on one side and the top of of a second on the other. The cards had a factory 'fold' and when the top half was folded down, the second player's upper body would be displayed against the same lower body of the player on the … [Read more...]
Chasing Tobacco: Winding Down (Part III of III)
This is the final part of a three-part series covering the early history of tobacco cards from the pre-war era. In Part I and Part II of this series, I reviewed the earliest tobacco cards from the 1800s as well as tobacco cards produced from the boom of 1909-11. While tobacco cards remained popular internationally for decades to come, American tobacco cards featuring … [Read more...]
Chasing Tobacco: Boom of the 1909-11 Years (Part II of III)
This three-part series will take a look at the early history of tobacco cards from the pre-war era. In Part I of this series, I reviewed the earliest tobacco cards from the 1800s. Part II will take a look at the height of the tobacco card era. More specifically, we'll cover the sets from the 1909-11 time period. At the turn of the century, it took a while for tobacco … [Read more...]
Chasing Tobacco: The Early Years (Part I of III)
This three-part series will take a look at the early history of tobacco cards from the pre-war era. It is often said that the earliest baseball cards were trade card issues. While that is technically correct, the hobby really started growing its roots in the era of tobacco cards. Tobacco cards featuring baseball players generally got their start in the 1880s. While we … [Read more...]