by Non-Sport Update magazine

Collecting non-sport trading cards began in the late 1800s. The dangers of cigarette smoking were not known at that time and lots of small packages of cigarettes containing non-sport cards were sold. The packages were made out of paper and were not very strong so pieces of cardboard were used to make the paper packs stronger. Instead of using blank pieces of cardboard, someone decided to use pictures. This brilliant idea was the beginning of tobacco insert cards. By the time cigarettes were sold in small cardboard boxes which did not need something to make the packs stronger, cards were still inserted because the companies realized that the cards were helping to sell more product.

Cigarette cards were collected by both adults and young people. It was fun and a challenge to see how many different pictures could be found. Many of the cards did not have numbers on them and there were not any price books or magazines to help collectors find out exactly how many were in a set.

The oldest known collector's card is called the Marquis of Lorne. Records show that this card was printed in 1879—more than 100 years ago. There were cigarettes called Marquis of Lorne and the card could be found inside the package. A company called Thomas Hall of New York liked the idea of insert cards so much that by 1880, they had produced a set with actors, actresses, presidents and athletes that contained more than 500 pictures. These cards were not in color but were done in a brown and white sepia tone.

Later, photographers learned how to use color and the tobacco companies were probably their best customers as they purchased many pictures to use on the insert cards. The names of some of the early tobacco companies of the late 1800s were Allen & Ginter, Duke and Kinney. In the early 1900s, some popular names of companies were Piedmont, Hassan and Murad.

Eventually, there came a time when insert cards were no longer popular in cigarette packs. Larger cards began appearing in bread, candy and gum. There were not as many cards and they were not as nice as the earlier cards. Beginning in 1933, cards were inserted in gum packs, and it seemed like there were just as many as previously found in the cigarette packs. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, some of the greatest sets of all time were issued. G-Men, Horrors of War, Mickey Mouse, Wild West, Pirate Pictures, Indian Gum and Superman are just a few. Some of the company names were Gum, Inc., National Chicle and Goudey Gum.

During the war years (1943-1947), hardly any sets were issued. After the war, Bowman which had formerly been Gum, Inc. was the company who issued most of the cards. They did some beautiful sets such as Wild West, Wildman, Fight the Red Menace, and Jets, Rockets and Spacemen. Another company began issuing gum cards at the same time. The company called Topps Chewing Gum began producing cards in 1949. Topps purchased Bowman in 1956 and they are still printing both sports and non-sports cards, today. During the '50s, Topps produced such memorable sets as Hopalong Cassidy, Davy Crockett and Look 'n See.

All card collectors should know the name Jefferson Burdick. He was a man who loved card collecting. He collected baseball cards, non-sport cards and many other paper items such as post cards. Lucky for modern-day collectors, Burdick wanted a way to keep track of his collection and he began cataloguing all of the items. The book he wrote was called the American Card Catalog. He had different classifications for cards. The very early cards from the late 1800s were called "N" cards. The "N" stood for nineteenth century. Tobacco cards from the early 1900s were classified as "T" cards. Gum cards were given an "R" classification. The "R" stood for recent and collectors still refer to cards from the 1930s to 1960 as early "R" cards. The last time an American Card Catalog was printed was in 1960. Burdick's collection is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Collectors can make an appointment to look at and study the collection.

In the '60s and '70s, an occasional set was produced by Fleer or Donruss. Fleer did two sets of Three Stooges ('59 & '65), Hogan's Heroes, various drag racing sets such as Drag National and a variety of sticker-only sets. Donruss issued four series of the Monkees, Flying Nun, Bionic Woman and '78 Elvis to name a few. Topps was the predominant manufacturer and presented such classics as Civil War News, Battle, Mars Attacks, Beverly Hillbillies, Star Wars, Wacky Packages and Charlies Angels.

An occasional new manufacturer joined the foray during the '80s but Topps, Fleer and Donruss were the main companies. Many movie and TV-related sets appeared during this time period. The Garbage Pail Kids (Topps) phenomenon from 1985 to 1988 is by far the most memorable card item of the '80s. It could be said that cards and stickers were all starting to look alike and some changes were needed.

As we move into the mid-'90s, collecting cards is a lot different. Printing technologies have improved, vastly. The use of UV coating is one of the embellishments which has made trading cards more attractive. Borderless cards is another enhancement. Just as the era of card inserts with cigarettes has passed, so has the era of card inserts with bubble gum. The wax wrapper is a thing of the past and the foil pack has taken its place. During the '70s and '80s, added value inserts such as stickers were a further enticement to sell the gum packs. Today, a variety of randomly-inserted, high-tech chase cards are used as an inducement to sell more packs. Fleer was on hiatus until they were purchased by Marvel in '93 and later, prolific 90s card producer SkyBox International. Donruss was on hiatus until the mid-90s. After a brief sting in non-sports, they have again left the non-sport marketplace. Topps, of course, is still a major producer. Many new manufacturers have come and gone but some have entered with a strong presence and have instituted many changes. Comic Images, Cornerstone Communications and Inkworks are certainly the most notable.

The sets of today will become the history of tomorrow. Will you be part of what is written?

History of Non-Sport Cards
Where to Start
What to Collect
What Makes Some Things More Valuable Then Others
Card Terminology
Defining the Condition of Your Cards
What to expect at the Philly Non-Sports Card Show

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