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THE HISTORY OF SPORT CARDS (Trading Cards).
Sports card is a generic term for a trading card with a sports-related subject. Sports cards were among the earliest, and remain one of the most popular, forms of collectibles. They typically consist of a picture of a player on one side, with statistics or other information on the other side.
Cards have been produced featuring most major sports, especially those played in North America. Baseball cards remain the most widely collected form of sports card, although football, basketball, and hockey cards are also widely collected.
Sets of cards are issued with each season for major professional sports. Since companies typically must pay players for the right to use their images, the vast majority of sports cards feature professional athletes. Amateurs appear only rarely, usually on cards produced or authorized by the institution they compete for, such as a college.
HOCKEY CARDS
The first hockey cards were included in cigarette packages from 1910 to 1913. After World War I, only one more cigarette set was issued, during the 1924-25 season by Champ's Cigarettes.
During the 1920s, some hockey cards were printed by food and candy companies, such as Paulin's Candy, Maple Crispette, Crecent, Holland Creameries and La Patrie. Through to 1941, O-Pee-Chee printed hockey cards, stopping production for World War II. Presumably, the 1941 involvement of the US in the war affected the hockey card market, since Canada had been in the war since 1939.
Hockey cards next appeared during 1951-52, issued by Shirriff Desserts, York Peanut Butter and Post Cereal. Toronto's Parkhurst Products Company began printing cards in 1951, followed by Brooklyn's Topps Chewing Gum in 1954-1955. O-Pee-Chee and Topps did not produce cards in 1955 or 1956, but returned for 1957-58.
BASEBALL CARDS
A baseball card is one type of trading card usually printed on some type of paper stock or card stock. A card will usually feature one or more baseball players or other baseball related sports figures. Cards are most often found in the United States, but are also popular in countries such as Canada, Cuba, and Japan, where baseball is a popular sport and there are professional leagues.
While baseball cards were first produced in the United States, as the popularity of baseball spread to other countries, so too did the production of baseball cards. Sets appeared in Japan as early as 1898, in Cuba as early as 1909 and in Canada as early as 1912.
FOOTBALL CARDS
Football cards are often thought of as the "new" baseball cards and may include bubblegum or a special edition player card. Usually it will have the stats of famous players and they can be collected.
Along with baseball cards, football cards began gaining popularity after World War II. 1948 saw two sports card producers, Bowman Gum and Leaf Candy Company produce their first football card sets, each consisting of about 100 cards of then-current players from the National Football League. Leaf only went on to produce one more set, however Bowman continued until 1955, when they were bought out by the Topps Chewing Gum Company in 1956. That year, Topps produced their first regular football card set (after producing sets of historic college players in 1950, 1951, and 1955) and still produces football cards today.
BASKETBALL CARDS
James Naismith. Dr. Naismith developed basketball from a childhood game called duck-on-a-rock in his native Almonte, Ontario, Canada, where the object of the game was to , you guessed it, knock a duck off a rock. By the time Dr. Naismith reached the United States, he was a sports therapist for the YMCA of Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1891, he created an indoor sports therapy/training exercise for athletes during the winter off-season. The therapy game had thirteen rules, which time and the NBA have capriciously taken liberty in revising. From this exercise came the basketball we play and watch today.
Fast-forwarding some years later to the mid-1910's, basketball was minimally played by small organizations and colleges on the East Coast.
Eventually, basketball gained small popularity within a predominantly Jewish professional league, but it isn't until about 1948 when we first see basketball cards printed. These cards are rare and few and have the same success as baseball cards of this era.
Topps tried to popularize basketball cards in 1957 with very little initial success. Low sponsorship and patronage of basketball as a professional sport impeded basketball card production. Basketball cards were in direct competition with baseball cards, at a moment when baseball was the nationally broadcasted sweetheart sport of the masses. The nation was not quite ready for basketball or basketball cards until around 1966.
As the 1960's gives rising momentum to a basketball craze in America, basketball card collecting takes off, much like baseball card collecting thirty years earlier.
By the 1970's and onward, basketball cards had gained a prestige and ubiquity somewhat comparable to baseball cards. Basketball cards were mass produced (and still are) by such well-known and established printers as Topps, Upper Deck, and Fleer.
Today, vintage basketball cards of legendary likes such as Bob Pettit and Bob Cousy can run from the mid to high thousands. However, newer legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Byrd, and Michael Jordan have the unique ability of attaining and retaining as high (and sometimes higher) a value. Whether old or new, basketball cards are a wise investment well worth the money spent.
Even though basketball cards got a much later start than baseball cards, basketball cards are a befitting tribute to one of America's and the world's finest professional sports.
Past News
32nd Sportcard and Memorabilia Expo Toronto Ontario...
CANADA'S NATIONAL SPORT CARD & COLLECTIBLES EVENT
Toronto International Centre
6900 Airport Rd Mississauga Ontario
The 32nd Sportcard and Memorabilia Expo is sure to please all who attend with over 900 tables of rare cards and nonsport items you are sure to find what you desire. Many of the dealers have been scouring the world to bring you the best merchandise they can find.
Show Hours,
Friday 1:00 P.M - 10:00 P.M
Saturday & Sunday 10:00 A.M - 6:00 P.M
May 4,5,6 2007
As always I will be attending the 32nd bi-annual event, Bring you new's and reviews about the show! Stay tuned for More Up coming information on this great show!
The Sport Show Picture: Can Be located at this link here:
http://baysideauctions.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=343
Thanks,Nick Molnar
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31st Fall Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo In Toronto! By Nick Molnar.
Well everyone the The Fall Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo In Toronto is just around the corner again! It on November 10,11,12.
The Autograph Guest this Year include Bobby & Brett Hull, Borje Salming, Al Arbour, Yvon Cournoyer Michel Goulet, Harry Howell, Lany McDonald & Stan Mikita.
This Year show will include over 400 tables of Sport Card Memorabilia! Hockey, Baseball, Basketball & Football will grace the floor of one of the Biggest Show's in North America! Dealers from both Canada and the United States will be there. The Question is will you make the trek North to attend if you do here care some detail's you will need to know!
ADMISSION FOR ADULTS $12.00cnd
KIDS 6 TO 12 $3.00cnd
PRE-SCHOOLERS ARE FREE
WEEKEND PASS IS $25.00cnd
Major Corporate Booth This Year will includes booths from
CANADIAN SPORTS COLLECTORS
MEIGRAY
IN THE GAME
KSA CARDS
SHOOT FOR A CURE
UPPER DECK
As always Elite Collectables will be there, If you can't get there don't worry we be there getting your Christmas Wish-list! For Verified members here at ESCF. Be sure to PM me your Wish List, Only PM if you a Verified Member! And myself & my staff will see what we can find for you. Please get all lists in by November 8th. Please only select Item's that you would really like. 20 to 30 Items are fine.. Please No Super large list!
If you do get there to the Show Please e-mail us we would love to hear your feedback on what you think of the show! I will also be doing a complete Review of the Show after it is done please check back for my review and interviews From the EXPO...
Thank You.. Nick Molnar
Past New's
2006 Toronto International Sport Card Spring Expo By Nick Molnar
Well its over, the 30th Annual Toronto International Sport Card and Memorabilia Spring Expo is finished for another year. With well over 250 Exhibitors and over 400 hundred displays there where a variety of sport cards and memorabilia . Autograph Guests this year where as followed, Gerry Cheevers, Ed Giacomin, Fergie Jenkins, Adam Oates, Cam Neely, Yvan Cournoyer, Ron Francis, Guy Lafleur and Canadian Women's Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team Members. Kim St-Pierrre, Charline labonte, Caroline Ouellette, Jayna Hefford and Vicky Sunohara.
As Always hockey trading cards dominated at the Expo. Baseball, Basketball, and football dealers, where far and few apart. New Hockey Card Product graced upon the Expo floor this year, 2005 2006 Upper Deck Series Two Hockey was Retailing as low as $55.00CND a box. 2005 2006 In The Game Heroes and Prospects (Hot Prospects) Series Two retailed for $75.00CND a box. 2005 2006 Fleer Ultra was Retailing for as low as $56.00CND, just to name a few.
The lack of corporate booths this year at the expo was disappointing. The Sport Card Giant Upper Deck who almost has an NHL exclusive on making hockey trading cards, did not attend the 30th dual annual expo. The question on every ones mind that I talked to was why? Why Not Attend one of the biggest show’s for hockey memorabilia? I talked Briefly to Dr. Brian Price former CEO of (ITG) & Several Reputable dealers at the show. They told me and I quote “The Upper Deck Rep for Canada Contacted Upper Deck in California, Upper Deck told the Rep that they would not attend the Spring Expo This Year” Upper Deck Declined the invitation to be at the 30th annual expo, maybe they will attend the fall expo in November. Also The #1 Authority on Collectibles Beckett did not show for the expo for the second year in a row. Corporate sponsors that did attend the Expo where, Canadian Sports Collector, Fergie Jenkins Foundation, Shoot for a cure, Soft Motion, KSA Cards,Extreme
Sports (junior cards) and ITG In The Game.
In The Game (ITG) was The Only Sport Card Company that was there this year. They where promoting there brand new 2005 2006 Series Two Heroes and Prospects ( Hot Prospects) . You could by a box off of dealers from the expo and then go to the ITG booth where you could redeem your open wrappers(24) for a chance for a 1/1 Stamped Card From the Expo. “Wrapper Redemption Offer”
All in all, this years Spring Expo was well organized , the majority of dealers where willing to buy - sell and trade. I saw great deals on boxes and packs, buyers where happy , and everyone was having a great time at the expo. One Buyer told me “ I can’t wait till the next Expo in Toronto” The Next Expo Will be in November 10,11,12 . Myself I will be there as always, it will be my 12th time going in a row. So I am a little addicted but hey that’s okay. Thank you to everyone that I interview. See you all there next year and keep the Hobby Fun.
Thanks
Nick Molnar Site Admin
With over 900 tables of rare Sport cards and nonsport items you are sure to find what you are looking for. 100's of Dealler will be bring Sport Cards and Collectable items to the Show Including Football Cards, Baseball Cards, Basketball Cards and Of Course Hockey Cards.