Origins of Trading Cards
The first trading cards were trade cards produced in 1868 for advertising. Baseball cards came in candy and tobacco products when baseball became a professional sport in the late 1860s. Goodwin Tobacco created the first official baseball card set in 1886 featuring New York Giants players.
Evolution and Value of Trading Cards
Color lithography made mass production of trade cards possible around 1890. Today’s strong interest in collecting them began recently as cards bought for ten cents thirty years ago now sell for ten dollars or more. A trading card’s value depends on condition, popularity, and scarcity. Vintage sets remind us of the past.
Historical Significance of Trade Cards
Trade cards were used to advertise everything from breath freshener to Coca-Cola from the late 19th century. A cheap and effective way to reach consumers, their heyday was between 1876 and 1904. Companies produced baseball cards inserted into tobacco packages.
Miscellaneous
China popularized playing cards over a thousand years ago with hand-painted T’ang Dynasty cards. When Disney celebrated its 100th birthday, TikTok introduced a new digital playing card game. Playing cards have a long cross-cultural history spanning continents and epochs.