A Brief Look At The History Of Sports Card Collecting

The history of sports card collecting can be traced back to as long back as the 1800's when sports cards were first manufactured by a sporting goods store to promote their products. Soon what was introduced as an advertising gimmick turned into a hobby and for some a passion that fuelled their interest in sports cards. Little did those early collectors such as school boys and others realize that those cards would be worth a fortune in future.

Tobacco firms began to use sports cards as cigarette pack stiffeners as it also helped boost their sale amongst the fans of the various sports during the early 1900's. There was quite a demand for the cards as they were only available to those who bought a cigarette pack. The tobacco cards are stated to be some of the most beautiful cards and are worth quite a fortune today.

Around 1920-1930 candy sports cards and other food cards were being mass-produced by various food manufacturers. Baseball card sets were also released by Bowman Gum Company in the late 1940's. The cards were printed in black and white and hence were not much to look at. In 1951, Topps, a leading gum manufacturer released its first set of baseball cards that were printed in color and had either red or blue backs. In 1956, Topps became the sole producer of the cards when it purchased the Bowman Gum Company. The popularity of their sports cards were also partly due to the popularity of players featured in their cards such as Mantle and Russell.

In the 1980's other firms such as Fleer, Donruss and Upper Deck entered the scene. Soon people were collecting sports cards in earnest. Some collected to make a profit, some collected them to build relationships and foster friendships. There are also many who had a great collection that they discarded as they had no idea what those cards would be worth in future! If people today, want to invest in vintage cards they may benefit by learning about the history of sports card collecting. It will help them identify valuable cards that they may come across as well as give them an idea about which cards they should invest in. It is a fact that the ways the cards are maintained also go a long way in determining the value of the cards.

If you are keen to learn all about the history of sports card collecting, the Internet is a great source. There are scores of sites that are maintained by sports card collectors which will give us interesting information about the history of sports card collecting.

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