It is actually not known who made the first baseball cards. It seems logical that the first cards would have appeared during baseball's infancy during the mid 1800's. In the early days of baseball cards, themed picture cards were developed. These were called ‘cabinet cards' or a ‘carte de viste.' They were called such because they were meant to be displayed in cabinets. A ‘carte de viste' is a miniature version of a ‘cabinet card.' These cards did not always feature ‘famous' players or teams. They merely depicted the game of baseball as it was during that era.

In the late 1860's, an American company ‘Peck and Snyder' printed baseball cards as a form of advertising for their sporting goods company. They were very large, similar to a modern-day flyer. One side had a baseball photo on it; the other had their company's advertisement. These cards are noted as being the very first modern baseball cards. They were known as ‘trade cards.' During this era ‘trade cards' were not limited to the game of baseball. They featured all types of people, places, and things.

In 1886, the first major set of baseball cards was issued by Goodwin & Co. of New York City. The cards were used as an advertising gimmick in the hopes of increasing their ‘Old Judge' brand of cigarettes. They issued over 2,000 different ‘Old Judge' cards. The inclusion of baseball cards was so successful for them that other tobacco companies as well as other sorts of manufacturers (candy, gum, etc.) began following in their footsteps. Some of the other tobacco companies that followed were Allen & Ginter and Kimball. Many of these cards are so rare that they are highly sought after in today's collectible market.

The cards printed during this era have been designated “N” cards by the American Card Catalog (ACC). The “N” represents nineteenth century U.S. tobacco cards. The original cards were photos glued to cardboard backing.

In 1891, the first era of baseball cards ended when the major American tobacco companies merged to form one major firm, the American Tobacco Company. The elimination of competition among tobacco companies meant that there was no longer a need to produce new baseball cards.

In 1907, the U.S. Government successfully attempted to end the monopoly of the American Tobacco Company. In the early 1900's, Turkish tobacco was making its way into the United States. It greatly affected the American tobacco market. In 1909, the re-introduction of baseball cards began. The next few years, 1909-1912, produced some of the nicest and most valuable cards of all time. The cards from this period are known as “T” series cards. The “T” refers to for twentieth century tobacco cards. Some of the most popular players of this ere included Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, and Cy Young.

The T206 baseball card set is one of the most sought after sets of all time. It was issued between 1909 and 1911. The collection featured color lithographs. It is nearly impossible to find a complete set anywhere. Famous cards that are part of this set include:

-        The “Honus Wagner” card (very rare, was limited in number of cards produced),

-        The ‘Eddie Plank' card (its original plate was broken);

-        The ‘Sherry Magee' card (printing error in his name);

The T206 ‘Honus Wagner' card is deemed to be the most famous baseball card of all time. It is very limited in its quantity. There are two myths surrounding this card: 1) Honus Wagner opposed tobacco products and once he found that his image was being used to product the sale of tobacco, he demanded that his card be pulled from the series, and 2) he had his card discontinued because he was not being paid enough by the tobacco company.

During this period Turkish cigarette, companies also printed baseball cards. The T3 Turkey Reds were very large: 8” x 5 ¾”. They were only available through mail order. The T201 Mecca Double Folders featured two players on a single card. The T202 Hassan Triple Folders featured two players and one action scene. WWI had a negative on the printing of baseball cards, as it did on many other businesses that were not important to the war effort. This early period of tobacco baseball card printing ceased in 1913.

Candy companies began to recognize how effective the inclusion of baseball cards was for the tobacco industry. They soon joined in. The cards of this era are known as the “E” series. The ‘E' refers to early candy issues. This series of cards lacked creativity of their own. They simply modified existing designs and graphics.

In 1914-15, Cracker Jack issued a series of cards. This series of cards is highly sought after. They featured players from the Federal League. The United States' entry into WWI great affected the production of baseball cards. Some of the sport's greatest players joined the military Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, etc. In the 1920's, the candy manufacturers were the dominant baseball card providers. Due to a paper shortage, the cards featured black and white photos on thin paper.

Although the 1920's featured the most unaesthetic looking cards, it did feature some of baseball's greatest stars ever: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, etc.