Editing Baseball card (section)

===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.