Editing Baseball card (section)

==History==
===Pre-1900===
[[File:1871 Albert Spalding Baseball-card-Boston Red Stockings.jpg|thumb|left|170px|[[Albert Spalding]] on a 1871 [[History of the Boston Braves|Boston Red Stockings]] card]]
[[File:King Kelly 0554fu.jpg|thumb|right|150px|An 1888 "Goodwin Champions" [[cigarette card]] of [[King Kelly]], one of the earliest cards using [[chromolithography]] to create multi-colored images of players]]
During the mid-19th century in the United States, baseball and photography gained popularity. As a result, baseball clubs began to pose for group and individual pictures, much like members of other clubs and associations posed. Some of these photographs were printed onto small cards similar to modern wallet photos. The oldest known surviving card shows the [[Brooklyn Atlantics]] from around 1860.<ref name=nbc>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/rare-pre-civil-war-baseball-card-fetches-179-250-auction-n401726 |title=Rare Pre-Civil War Baseball Card Fetches $179,250 at Auction |date=31 July 2015 |agency=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ha.com/information/oldest-known-team-baseball-card-video.s |title=Oldest known team baseball card, c. 1860 Brooklyn Atlantics to be auctioned July 30, 2015 |publisher=[[Heritage Auctions]]}}</ref>

As baseball increased in popularity and became a professional sport during the late 1860s, [[trade card]]s featuring baseball players appeared. These were used by various companies to promote their business, even if the advertised products had no connection with baseball. In 1868, [[Andrew Peck (businessman)|Peck and Snyder]], a sporting goods store in New York, began producing trade cards featuring baseball teams.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cycleback.com/1800s/trade.htm | title = Early Trade Cards – the First Baseball Cards | access-date = 2006-09-19| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060827193157/http://www.cycleback.com/1800s/trade.htm| archive-date= 27 August 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> Peck and Snyder sold baseball equipment, and the cards were a natural advertising vehicle. The Peck and Snyder cards are sometimes considered the first baseball cards.

Typically, a trade card of the time featured an image on one side and information advertising the business on the other. Advances in color printing increased the appeal of the cards. As a result, cards began to use photographs, either in [[black-and-white]] or [[sepia tone|sepia]], or color artwork, which was not necessarily based on photographs. Some early baseball cards could be used as part of a game, which might be either a conventional [[card game]] or a [[simulation|simulated]] baseball game.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Suciu |first1=Peter |title=Collecting Military Tobacco Cards. |url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/collecting-military-tobacco-cards/. |website=Warfare History Network |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref>

By early 1886, images of baseball players were often included on [[cigarette cards]] with [[cigarette|cigarette packs]] and other tobacco products. This was partly for promotional purposes and somewhat because the card helped protect the cigarettes from damage.

As the popularity of baseball spread to other countries, so did baseball cards. By the end of the century, production had spread well beyond the Americas and into the Pacific Isles.<ref name="Fitts" /> Sets appeared in Japan as early as 1898,<ref name="Fitts">{{cite book | last = Fitts | first = Robert K. | author-link = Rob Fitts | title = An Introduction to Japanese Baseball Cards }}</ref> in Cuba as early as 1909<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cubanbaseballcards.com/Cabanas.html | title = 1909 Cabanas | access-date = 2006-09-19| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060917183435/http://www.cubanbaseballcards.com/Cabanas.html| archive-date= 17 September 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> and in Canada as early as 1912.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oldcardboard.com/foreign/canada/c/c46/c46.asp?cardsetID=1004 | title= 1912 Imperial Tobacco}}</ref>

===1900–1920===
[[File:Honus wagner t206 baseball card.jpg|thumb|left|170px|The [[T206 Honus Wagner]] card, published 1909–1911, is one of the most valuable baseball cards in history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=2567 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918051519/http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=2567 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-18 |title=Honus Wagner T-206 Sportscard Sells for World-Record Price |access-date=2012-05-22 }}</ref>]]
By the turn of the century, most baseball cards were produced by confectionery and tobacco companies. Bread Companies, Game Companies, & many other types of companies also produced cards. The first major set of the 20th century was issued by the Breisch-Williams Company in 1903.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/site/bidplace.aspx?itemid=3706 |title=1903 E103 Breisch-Williams |access-date=2006-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225012213/http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/site/bidplace.aspx?itemid=3706 |archive-date=2007-02-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Breisch-Williams was a confectionery company based in [[Oxford, Pennsylvania]]. Soon after, several other companies began advertising their products with baseball cards. This included but was not limited to, the [[American Tobacco Company]], the [[American Caramel Company]], the [[Imperial Tobacco Company]] of Canada, and  [[Cabañas (cigar brand)|Cabañas]], a Cuban cigar manufacturer.

The American Tobacco Company decided to introduce baseball advertising cards into their tobacco products with the issue of the [[T206]] White Border Set in 1909.<ref name="whiteborder tobacco cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/category/sports-cards-sets/mlb-baseball-cards/tobacco-cards|title=1887-1929 Baseball Cards Archives|website=The Cardboard Connection|date=May 20, 2015 }}</ref> The cards were included in packs of cigarettes and produced over three years until the company was dissolved. The most famous card, and most expensive for the grade, is the [[T206 Honus Wagner|Honus Wagner card from this set]]; Wagner objected, so only a small number were ever distributed. According to cardboardconnection.com, as of 2015, it is estimated that less than 60 of the T206 Honus Wagner cards still exist. By last count, there were 57 known examples.<ref name=detroitnews.com>{{cite news |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/life/home-garden/2015/10/15/treasure-baseball-card/74013326/ |title=Treasure: Baseball item so close to being 'rare' card |last=Zimmeth |first=Khristi |date=15 October 2015 |work=The Detroit News |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref> In 2021, a  T206 Wagner card was sold in a private sale for $7.5 million, a record amount for a sports card.<ref name=ESPN>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34347728/rare-t-206-honus-wagner-baseball-card-sold-record-725-million-private-sale |title=Rare T-206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for record $7.25 million in private sale |last=Hajducky |first=Dan |date=4 August 2022 |work=ESPN |access-date=3 May 2024}}</ref><ref name=detroitnews.com /> Another famous one, from 1911, is Joe Tinker.<ref name=nunsauctionHonusWagnercard>{{cite news|title=Nuns auctioning rare baseball card|date=October 27, 2010|agency=Associated Press|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/nuns-auctioning-rare-honus-wagner-baseball-card-102710?GT1=39002|access-date=2010-10-27| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101028085731/http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/nuns-auctioning-rare-honus-wagner-baseball-card-102710?GT1=39002| archive-date= 28 October 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Heitman | first = William R. | author-link = Bill Heitman | title = The Sport Americana, T206, The Monster | publisher = [[Den's Collectors Den]] | year = 1980 }}</ref>

At the same time, many other non-tobacco companies started producing and distributing baseball trade cards to the public. Between 1909 and 1911, The American Caramel Company produced the E90-1 series, and 1911 saw the introduction of the 'Zee Nut' card. These sets were produced over 28 years by the Collins-McCarthy Company of California. By the mid-teens, companies such as ''[[The Sporting News]]'' magazine began sponsoring card issues. [[Caramel]] companies like Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein were among the first to put 'prizes' in their boxes. In 1914, they produced the first of two [[Cracker Jack]] card issues, which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short-lived [[Federal League]]. The Chicago-based Boston Store Department company also issued a set as the teens drew to a close.

===1920–1930===
After the end of World War I in 1918, baseball card production lulled for a few years as foreign markets were not yet developed and the United States economy was transitioning away from wartime production. This trend would continue until the late 1930s when the effects of the [[Great Depression]] finally hit. The twenties produced a second influx of caramel cards, a plethora of postcard issues, and a handful of cards from different regions of the world. During the first two years, an influx of strip cards hit the market. These cards were distributed in long strips and often cut by the consumer or the retailer in the store.
The American Caramel Company re-emerged as a baseball card producer and started distributing sets in 1922–1923. Few, if any cards were produced in the mid-twenties until 1927 when companies like York Caramel of [[York, Pennsylvania]] started making baseball cards. Cards with similar images as the York Caramel set were produced in 1928 for four ice cream companies, [[D. G. Yuengling & Son|Yuengling's]], Harrington's, Sweetman and Tharp's.
In 1921, the Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago started to release issues on postcard stock. Although they are considered a postcard issue, many cards had statistics and other biographical information on the back.<ref>The company's baseball cards last appeared in 1966.</ref>

1920 saw the emergence of foreign markets after what was essentially an eight-year hiatus. Canadian products found their way to the market, including products branded by the Peggy Popcorn and Food Products company of [[Winnipeg, Manitoba]] from 1920 to 1926 and Willard's Chocolate Company from 1923 to 1924. Other Canadian products came from ice cream manufacturers in 1925 and 1927, from Holland Creameries and Honey Boy, respectively. Billiken Cigars, a.k.a. "Cigarros Billiken", were distributed in Cuba from 1923 to 1924.

===1930–1950===
[[File:JimmyFoxxGoudeycard.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Jimmy Foxx 1933 Goudey baseball card]]
In the early 1930s, production soared, starting with the 1932 U.S. Caramel set. The popular 1933 [[Goudey|Goudey Gum Co.]] issue, which included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig cards, best identifies this era. In contrast to the economical designs standard in earlier decades, this card set featured bright, hand-colored player photos on the front. In addition, the backs provided brief biographies and personal information such as height, weight, and birthplace. The 240-card set, quite large for the time, included current players, former stars, and prominent minor leaguers. Individual cards measured {{convert|2+3/8|by|2+7/8|in|cm}}, which Goudey printed on 24-card sheets and distributed throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=4775&universeid=314&type=1| title= 1933 Goudey R319: A Closer Look at One of the Hobby's "Big Three"| access-date= 2008-01-08| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080208063610/http://www.psacard.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=4775&universeid=314&type=1| archive-date= 2008-02-08| url-status= dead}}</ref> The bulk of early [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]] inductees appear in this set.

1933 also saw the delivery of the World Wide Gum issue. World Wide Gum Co. was based in Montreal and had a close relationship with the Goudey Gum Company, as each of their four issues closely resembled a Goudey contemporary. Goudey, National Chicle, Delong, and a handful of other companies were competitive in the bubble gum and baseball card market until World War II began.

After 1941, cards would not be produced in any significant numbers until a few years after the end of the war. Then, wartime production transitioned into the post-war civilian [[consumer goods]], and in 1948 baseball card production resumed in the U.S. with issues by the [[Bowman Gum]] and the [[Leaf Candy Company]]. At the same time, [[Topps|Topps Gum Company]] issued their Magic Photos set four years before they issued their first "traditional" card set.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.baseball-almanac.com/baseball_cards/baseball_cards_oneset.php?s=1948top01 | title = Topps Magic Photos | access-date = 2006-09-19}}</ref> By 1950, Leaf had bowed out of the industry.

Japanese baseball cards became more numerous in 1947 and 1950. The cards were associated with [[Menko]], a Japanese card game. Early [[Baseball Menko|baseball menko]] were often round and were printed on thick cardboard stock to facilitate the game.<ref name="Gall">{{cite book | last = Gall | first = John | author-link = John Gall (designer)| title = Sayonara Home Run! | publisher = Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA | year = 2006}}</ref>

===1948–1980===
Bowman was the major producer of baseball cards from 1948 to 1952. In 1952, Topps began to produce large sets of cards as well, releasing its first, created by Topps employee [[Sy Berger]] and publisher, [[Woody Gelman]]. The set is considered by collectors as the first modern baseball card set due to the new full-color photos, facsimile autographs, and the inclusion of statistics and bios printed on the back.<ref name=dallasnews.com>{{cite news |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018/04/04/dallas-auction-house-expects-mickey-mantle-rookie-card-to-set-new-record/ |title=Dallas auction house expects Mickey Mantle rookie card to set new record |last=Prothro |first=Jacob |date=4 April 2018 |work=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref><ref name=si.com>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/07/06/topps-1952-mickey-mantle-where-are-they-now-daily-cover |title=Mickey Mantle, Chairman of the Cardboard |last=Prewitt |first=Alex |date=6 July 2021 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> The 1952 Topps set is the most sought-after post-World War set among collectors because of the scarcity of the Mickey Mantle [[rookie card]], the first Mantle card issued by Topps.<ref name="1952 Topps">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1952-topps-baseball-cards-2|title=1952 Topps Baseball Checklist, Set Info, Key Cards, Hot List, Analysis|date=June 23, 2015|website=The Cardboard Connection}}</ref> Although it is not his true rookie card (that honor belongs to his 1951 Bowman card), it is still considered the ultimate card to own of the post-war era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100422&content_id=9498860&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Kendrick's baseball cards find way to Hall |first=Steve |last=Gilbert |publisher=Major League Baseball |date=April 22, 2010 |access-date=May 15, 2010}}</ref>
{{multipleimages|header=Mickey Mantle (1951)|direction=vertical|align=left |width= |image1=Mickey Mantle 1951.jpg |caption1=Mantle as a 19-year-old rookie |width1=175 |image2=1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle.png |caption2=Mantle [[List of most expensive sports cards|Bowman baseball card]] |width2=175 |footer= }}
Topps and Bowman then competed for customers and the rights to any baseball players' likeness. Two years later, Leaf stopped producing cards. In 1956, [[Topps]] bought out Bowman and enjoyed a largely unchallenged position in the U.S. market for the next two decades. From 1952 to 1969, Topps always offered five- or six-card nickel wax packs, and in 1952–1964 also offered one-card penny packs.<ref name="1950s Baseball Cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/sports-cards-sets/mlb-baseball-cards/1950s-baseball|title=1950-1959 Baseball Cards Checklists, Set Details, Reviews, Buying Guide|website=The Cardboard Connection|date=July 13, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="1960s Baseball Cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/category/sports-cards-sets/mlb-baseball-cards/1960s-baseball-cards|title=1960-1969 Baseball Cards Archives|website=The Cardboard Connection|date=July 3, 2015 }}</ref>

In the 1970s, Topps increased the cost of wax packs from 10 to 15 cents (with 8–14 cards depending on year) and also offered cello packs (typically around 18–33 cards) for 25 cents.<ref name="1970s Baseball Cards">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/category/sports-cards-sets/mlb-baseball-cards/1970s-baseball-cards|title=1970-1979 Baseball Cards Archives|website=The Cardboard Connection|date=November 16, 2012 }}</ref> Rack packs containing 39–54 cards could also be had for between 39 and 59 cents per pack.<ref name="1975-79 Topps Baseball Cards">{{cite web|url=http://reviews.ebay.com/A-Guide-to-1975-1979-Topps-Baseball-Cards_W0QQugidZ10000000000083740|title=A Guide to 1975-1979 Topps Baseball Cards|access-date=2011-09-17|archive-date=2012-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331233928/http://reviews.ebay.com/A-Guide-to-1975-1979-Topps-Baseball-Cards_W0QQugidZ10000000000083740|url-status=dead}}</ref>

This did not prevent a large number of regional companies from producing successful runs of trading cards. Additionally, several U.S. companies attempted to enter into the market at a national level. In 1959, [[Fleer]], a gum company, signed [[Ted Williams]] to an exclusive contract and sold a set of cards featuring him.<ref name="1959 Ted Williams Fleer">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1959-fleer-ted-williams-baseball-cards|title=1959 Fleer Ted Williams Baseball Checklist, Set Info, Buying Guide|date=July 2, 2015|website=The Cardboard Connection}}</ref> Williams retired in 1960, forcing Fleer to produce a set of ''Baseball Greats'' cards featuring retired players.<ref name="1960 Fleer Baseball">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1960-fleer-baseball-cards|title=1960 Fleer Baseball Checklist, Set Info, Key Cards, Buying Guide, More|date=July 3, 2015|website=The Cardboard Connection}}</ref> Like the Topps cards, they were sold with gum. In 1963, Fleer produced a 67-card set of active players (this time with a cherry cookie in the packs instead of gum), which was unsuccessful, as most players were contractually obligated to appear exclusively in Topps trading card products. Post Cereals issued cards on cereal boxes from 1960 to 1963, and sister company Jell-O issued virtually identical cards on the backs of its packaging in 1962 and 1963.

In 1965, Topps licensed production to Canadian candy maker [[O-Pee-Chee]]. The O-Pee-Chee sets were identical to the Topps sets until 1969 when the backs of the cards were branded O-Pee-Chee. In 1970, due to federal legislation, O-Pee-Chee was compelled to add French-language text to the backs of its baseball cards.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.iamdanaustin.com/opc/#history | title = O-Pee-Chee Cards | access-date = 2006-09-19| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061030034443/http://www.iamdanaustin.com/opc/| archive-date= 30 October 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In the 1970s, several companies took advantage of a new licensing scheme, not to take on Topps but to create premiums. For example, [[Kellogg Company|Kellogg's]] began to produce 3D-cards inserted with cereal and [[Hostess (brand)|Hostess]] printed cards on packages of its baked goods.

In 1976, a company called TCMA, which mainly produced minor league baseball cards, produced a set of 630 cards consisting of Major League Ball players. The cards were produced under the Sports Stars Publishing Company, or SSPC. TCMA published a baseball card magazine named Collectors Quarterly, which it used to advertise its set, offering it directly via mail order. Due to a manufacturers' agreement, the cards were available directly from TCMA and were not made available again, like other sets issued by TCMA.

===1981–1994===
[[Fleer]] sued Topps in 1975 to break the company's monopoly on baseball cards and won, as in 1980, federal judge [[Clarence Charles Newcomer]] ended Topps Chewing Gum's exclusive right to sell baseball cards, allowing the Fleer Corporation to compete in the market.<ref name="sun-sentinel2005">Douglas Martin (August 28, 2005). [https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2005-08-28-0508270080-story.html "Clarence Newcomer, 82, Longtime Federal Judge,"] ''South Florida Sun Sentinel''.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/01/business/gilbert-barclay-mustin-78-developed-fleer-baseball-cards.html |title=Gilbert Barclay Mustin, 78, Developed Fleer Baseball Cards |work=The New York Times |first=Nick |last=Ravo |date=August 1, 1999 |access-date=May 20, 2010}}</ref> In 1981, Fleer and [[Donruss]] issued baseball card sets, both with gum. An appeal of the Fleer lawsuit by Topps clarified that Topps' exclusive rights only applied to cards sold with gum.<ref>[http://business.enotes.com/company-histories/donruss-playoff-l-p/production-baseball-cards-begins-1981?print=1 International Directory of Company Histories | Donruss Playoff L.P. | Production of Baseball Cards Begins in 1981<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> After the appeal, Fleer and Donruss continued to produce cards issued without gum; Fleer included team logo stickers with their card packs, while Donruss introduced "Hall of Fame Diamond Kings" puzzles and included three puzzle pieces in each pack. In 1992, Topps' gum and Fleer's logo stickers were discontinued, with Donruss discontinuing the puzzle piece inserts the following year.<ref name="ReferenceA">''2006 Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles''</ref> With the issuance of a very popular and rare (compared to other sets at the time) set in 1984, Donruss began to take hold as one of the most popular card brands in competition with Topps. In particular, several rookie cards in the 1984 Donruss set are still considered the most desirable cards from that year of any brand (especially the [[Don Mattingly]] rookie card). Also in 1984, two monthly [[price guide]]s came on the scene. ''[[Tuff Stuff]]'' and ''[[Beckett Baseball Card Monthly]]'', published by Dr. [[James Beckett (statistician)|James Beckett]], attempted to track the approximate market value of several types of [[trading card]]s.

[[File:Greg Tubbs 1986 ProCards Greenville Braves.jpg|thumb|upright|A baseball card of [[Greg Tubbs]] from the 1986 ProCards Greenville Braves set]]
<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zillante |first1=Arthur |title=A Post-War Review of the Baseball Card Market |url=https://belkcollegeofbusiness.charlotte.edu/azillant/wp-content/uploads/sites/846/2016/11/zillante_post_war_review_baseball_cards.pdf |website=University of North Carolina at Charlotte |access-date=November 4, 2024}}</ref> More collectors entered the hobby during the 1980s. As a result, manufacturers such as [[Score Entertainment|Score]] (which later became [[Pinnacle Brands]]) and [[Upper Deck Company|Upper Deck]] entered the marketplace in 1988 and 1989 respectively. Upper Deck introduced several innovative production methods including tamper-proof foil packaging, hologram-style logos, and higher-quality card stock. This style of production allowed Upper Deck to charge a premium for its product, becoming the first mainstream baseball card product to have a suggested retail price of 99 cents per pack. In 1989, Upper Deck's first set included the [[Ken Griffey Jr.]] rookie card. Eighteen-year-old employee, Tom Geideman, selected the players for the inaugural 1989 set proposing Griffey, a minor leaguer at the time, for the coveted #1 spot.<ref name=sports.yahoo.com>{{cite news |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/what-the-iconic-1989-ken-griffey-jr-upper-deck-card-means-to-a-generation-of-fans-165805988.html |title=What the iconic 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck card means to a generation of fans |last=Passan |first=Jeff |date=22 July 2016 |work=Yahoo Sports |access-date=18 February 2024}}</ref> Griffey had yet to make his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners, so in order to create his rookie card, an image of him in his San Bernardino Spirits uniform was altered. The uniform was airbrushed royal blue, and the star on his hat was replaced with a yellow “S”.<ref name=vault.si.com>{{cite magazine |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2009/08/24/the-last-iconic-baseball-card |title=The Last Iconic Baseball Card |last=Winn |first=Luke |date=24 August 2009 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> The card became highly sought-after until Griffey's persistent injury troubles caused his performance level to decline.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> As of the summer of 2022, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) certified over 4,000 copies of the 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card were graded a 10, or Gem Mint status.<ref name=bleacherreport.com>{{cite magazine |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10047071-sports-cards-predicting-the-next-10-million-card-after-mickey-mantle-sale |title=Sports Cards: Predicting the Next $10 Million Card After Mickey Mantle Sale |last=Reuter |first=Joel |date=31 August 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Bowman brand logo.png|thumb|upright|The Bowman brand name was reissued by Topps in 1989]]
The other major card companies followed suit and created card brands with higher [[price point]]s. [[Topps#Topps in the modern baseball card industry|Topps resurrected]] the [[Bowman Gum|Bowman]] brand name in 1989. Topps produced a Stadium Club issue in 1991. 1992 proved to be a breakthrough year as far as the price of baseball cards was concerned, with the previous 50-cents per pack price being replaced by higher price points, overall higher-grade cardboard stock, and the widespread introduction of limited edition "inserts" across all product lines. 1992 was the beginning of the collectors' chase for "gold foil," which was commonly stamped on the limited edition "insert" cards. Notable examples from 1992's "insert" craze include Donruss Diamond Kings, which included gold-foil accents for the first time ever, and Fleer's host of gold foil-accented "insert" cards, including All-Stars and Rookie Sensations. 1992 was also the first year that "parallel" cards were introduced. In 1992, Topps produced Topps Gold "insert" cards of each card in the standard base set. The "parallel" Topps Gold cards had the player's name and team stamped in a banner of "gold foil" on the card front. The "parallel" moniker became popular to describe these cards because each and every card in the standard base set had an accompanying "insert" variation. In 1993, the card companies stepped up the "premium" card genre with "super premium" card sets, with Fleer debuting its "Flair" set and Topps debuting its "Topps Finest" set. Topps Finest was the first set to utilize refractors, a technology that utilized a reflective foil technology that gave the card a shiny "rainbow" appearance that proved extremely popular among hobbyists. Other notable "premium" card sets from the 1990s are as follows: Donruss issued its [[Leaf Candy Company|Leaf]] brand in 1990; Fleer followed with Fleer Ultra sets in 1991; and Score issued Pinnacle brand cards in 1992.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

===1995–current===
Starting in 1997 with Upper Deck, companies began inserting cards with swatches of uniforms and pieces of game-used [[:Category:Baseball equipment|baseball equipment]] as part of a plan to generate interest. Card companies obtained all manner of memorabilia, from uniform jerseys and pants, to bats, gloves, caps, and even bases and defunct stadium seats to feed this new hobby demand.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> It is also in 1997 that the first "one-of-one" cards were released by Fleer, beginning with the 1997 Flair Showcase "Masterpieces" (the Ultra set would begin to include purple 1-of-1 masterpieces the following year). Both kinds of inserts remain popular staples in the hobby today.

The process and cost of multi-tiered printings, monthly set issues, licensing fees, and player-spokesman contracts made for a difficult market. Pinnacle Brands folded after 1998. Pacific, which acquired full licensing in 1994, ceased production in 2001. In 2005, [[Fleer]] went bankrupt and was bought out by Upper Deck, and [[Donruss]] lost the MLB license in 2006 (they also did not produce baseball cards in 1999 and 2000). At that time, the [[MLBPA]] limited the number of companies that would produce baseball cards to offset the glut in product, and to consolidate the market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/releases/releases.jsp?content=0721 |title=Baseball trading cards focus on future growth |publisher=MLB Players Association |date=July 21, 2005 |access-date=May 20, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107224857/http://mlbplayers.mlb.com/pa/releases/releases.jsp?content=0721 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a result of the measure that included revoking the MLB/MLBPA production licenses from Donruss, only two companies remained; Topps and Upper Deck.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Topps and Upper Deck are the only two companies that retained production licenses for baseball cards of major league players. In a move to expand their market influence, Upper Deck purchased the Fleer brand and the remnants of its production inventory. After purchasing Fleer, Upper Deck took over production of the remaining products that were slated to be released. Upper Deck continues to issue products with the Fleer name, while Topps continues to release Bowman and Bazooka card products. Topps is also the only company that continues to produce pre-collated factory sets of cards.<ref name="ReferenceA" />

Card companies are trying to maintain a sizable hobby base in a variety of ways. Especially prominent is a focus on transitioning the cards to an online market. Both Topps and Upper Deck have issued cards that require online registration, while Topps has targeted the investment-minded collector with its eTopps offering of cards that are maintained and traded at its website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etopps.com/Help/aboutetopps.asp |title=etopps – about etopps |publisher=The Topps Company |access-date=May 20, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723064946/http://www.etopps.com/Help/aboutetopps.asp |archive-date=July 23, 2010 }}</ref> Also, since the late 1990s, hobby retail shops and trade-show dealers found their customer base declining, with their buyers now having access to more items and better prices on the Internet. As more collectors and dealers purchased computers and began trusting the Internet as a "safe" venue to buy and sell, the transformation from the traditional retail shops and shows to Internet transactions changed the nature of the hobby.

During the same time period, MLBPA also introduced a new guideline for players to attain a rookie card. For years, players had been highlighted in previous sets as a rookie while still in the Minor Leagues. Such players would sometimes remain in the Minor Leagues for considerable time before attaining Major League status, making a player's rookie card released years before their first game as a major leaguer. The new guideline requires players to be part of a Major League team roster before a rookie card would be released in their name, and a designated "rookie card" logo printed on the face of the card. The rookie card logo shows the words "rookie card" over a baseball bat and home plate with the Major League Baseball logo in the top left corner.

Baseball cards garnered national media attention again in early 2007, when it was found that Topps' new [[Derek Jeter]] card had allegedly been altered just prior to final printing. A reported [[practical joke|prankster]] inside the company had inserted a photo of [[Mickey Mantle]] into the [[New York Yankees|Yankees]]' dugout and another showing a smiling President [[George W. Bush]] waving from the stands. Topps Spokesman Clay Luraschi later admitted that it was done on purpose by the Topps creative department.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2781230 Card trick: Bush, Mantle cheer Jeter in gag image]</ref>

In February 2007, one of the hobby's most expensive card, a near mint/mint professionally graded and authenticated [[T206 Honus Wagner]], was sold to a private collector for $2.35 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/17355488/ |title=Honus Wagner card sold for $2.35 million |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC Sports, MSNBC |date=February 27, 2007 |access-date=May 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531083602/http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/17355488 |archive-date=May 31, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The card was sold again later that same year for a record-setting $2.8 million.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3007893 |title=Honus Wagner card sells for record $2.8 million |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=September 6, 2007 |access-date=May 21, 2010}}</ref>

Throughout the 20th century, baseball cards were always made from cardboard. Now, companies use other materials that they claim can withstand being soaked in salt water.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shoebox Treasures {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/museum/shoebox-treasures |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=baseballhall.org}}</ref>

In 2012, Topps created the Topps Bunt digital trading card app. The app has gained over 2 million users from more than 50 countries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Topps Bunt Digital Baseball Cards|url=https://www.carddugout.com/blog/history-of-topps-bunt/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708232721/https://www.carddugout.com/blog/history-of-topps-bunt/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 July 2015|website=CardDugout.com|access-date=10 August 2015}}</ref>

In 2020, baseball cards—and sports cards as a whole—received a big boost in popularity, with many citing the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] as a contributing factor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-02 |title=Sports cards are back in a big way -- pandemic, recession and all |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/30009629/how-coronavirus-internet-tons-money-unexpectedly-fueled-sports-cards-biggest-boom |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Baseball cards are booming during the pandemic, with long lines, short supplies and million-dollar sales |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-baseball-cards-pandemic-20210212-225ottvh4ngfjcho6qfixkqajy-story.html |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Chicago Tribune|date=February 12, 2021 }}</ref>