The History of Trading Cards: From Allen & Ginter to Pokémon

Nowadays, trading cards, collectible cards and all other cards are huge business with millions of dollars behind them. It does not matter if it is a sports card, movie card, or just a card released to promote something. Some are valued at a few cents, others can reach millions for a single card.

The Origins of Trading Cards

Some say it all started around 1880 when John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter set up a company named Allen & Ginter. Cigarette manufacturers were already putting paper cards inside packs to prevent cigarettes from being squeezed. However, Allen & Ginter had a clever idea: turn those paper cards into collectibles. This was the birth of the modern trading card.

Baseball Enters the Hobby

A little earlier, in 1866, Andrew Peck and Irving Snyder founded Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods. By 1869, baseball was booming after the Civil War, and they “smelled” the opportunity. Therefore, they printed the first known baseball team photo card: the Cincinnati Red Stockings. As a result, baseball and trading cards became linked forever.

From Collectibles to Million-Dollar Investments

Fast forward to today, and a single card can sell for $5 million. Collecting is no longer only about building a personal collection. Instead, it has become investment, adrenaline, and sometimes even gambling. The trading card hobby has transformed into a multi-billion dollar global industry.

Beyond Sports: Comics, Movies, and More

Trading cards are not only about sports. You can find movie trading cards, Marvel cards, and many others. In addition, trading card games have grown massively in popularity, often combining gameplay with collecting.

The Rise of Trading Card Games

The first ever trading card game was Magic: The Gathering, introduced on 5 August 1993 by Professor Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast. Finally, the hobby was no longer just about owning cards – it was also about playing them.

Pokémon and the Hobby Explosion

And then came the game that made people go wild: Pokémon. It turned kids and adults alike into collectors and players. Pokémon became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the hottest markets today.

Trading Cards in the Modern Era

Today, collecting is more connected than ever. Live shopping apps like Whatnot let collectors join card breaks, bid on singles in real time, and chat with other hobbyists. Moreover, these platforms bring the excitement of pack ripping directly to your phone, making the hobby more social and fast-paced than ever before.

Final Thoughts

From Allen & Ginter to modern-day Pokémon, the journey of trading cards has been fascinating. Collecting is passion, business, and fun all at once. And let’s be honest – geeks rule the world, and it is fun to be one 😊

Sources:
* Peck & Snyder official history
* Sports Collectors Daily
* Wikipedia
* Guinness World Records