Baseball gained popularity during the middle of 19th century. Quickly, baseball became a medium for various companies to promote their products. Baseball cards became a tool to endorse various company products and as a result many companies started producing baseball cards. During this era, even photography gained popularity. Baseball teams and players posed for various pictures, some of these pictures were printed on small cards comparable to modern wallet photos. During the late 19th century, Baseball became a professional sport and various companies started using these cards to promote their products. Later these baseball ‘cards’ became the professional cards where baseball players were featured.

The first set of baseball cards to be printed in the 20th century was introduced by Breisch-Williams Company, a confectionary located in Oxford, Pennsylvania. Several other companies followed suit and they also started producing baseball cards.

Baseball cards were included in packs of cigarettes by the American Tobacco Company to advertise their tobacco products with the issue of the T206 white border set. The most expensive baseball card produced by the company was the Honus Wagner.

Even huge numbers of non tobacco companies started producing baseball cards to promote their services and products more than 100 years ago. In the early 20th century some companies like sporting news magazine and Caramel Company started sponsoring card issues and were among the first to put prizes in the boxes. They produced and issued the first of the two “Cracker Jack Cards” which featured players both from the major and minor leagues.

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