While the iconic T206 Honus Wagner often steals the spotlight as the holy grail of vintage sports cards, the true origins of football card collecting lie much further back in time. Opinions on the true, original football card are split depending on who you ask. Some will argue that older cards can’t be considered ‘true’ football cards since they were mostly used as tobacco ads, while others believe strongly in this hobby’s promotional origins.
Whatever the truth may be, the story’s worth knowing. Travel back through the ages with this Giant Sports Cards retrospective.
Goodwin & Co.: Humble Beginnings
Goodwin & Co., a small tobacco company, unknowingly planted the seeds of a hobby that would captivate generations of football enthusiasts long before Panini cards hit the scene.
In 1888, nestled within packs of Old Judge and Gypsy Queen cigarettes were the very first American football cards. As some of the oldest football cards, they featured sepia-toned images of college players in reserved, portrait-like poses. Henry W. Beecher is widely known as the star football player of the set and the first football card in known history.
There is some dispute around experts calling these the ‘first’ football cards, primarily because this set wasn’t dedicated entirely to football. Officially known as the ‘N162 Goodwin Champions’ set, this release covered athletes involved in:
- Track and Field – Focusing on high-performance athletes such as Harry Jewett.
- Boxing – Featuring famous brawlers like John L. Sullivan in a now-timeless pose.
- Baseball – Including incredibly well-known classics like the Cap Anson card. You can see the influence of these cards today with Topps sports cards like the 2023 Allen & Ginter throwback.
- Star Collegiate Players: The first dedicated football cards ever made focused on showcasing star players from various colleges, much like the 1888 set. N302 included players like John Dunlop, Langdon Lea, and Charles Brewer.
- Scarcity: As you might imagine, tracking down the oldest football cards is much more difficult than picking up a football hobby box today. For instance, only 12 John Dunlop cards have ever been graded by the PSA, with most receiving a poor grade.
- Low Volumes: Vintage football cards, especially those produced before the 1950s, were printed in far smaller quantities than modern sports card boxes. Most of the original football cards have been discarded or damaged over the years, and the few survivors are exorbitantly priced. Even a PSA 2 John Dunlop card, for example, can sell for over $10,000.
- Quality: The first football cards ever made were printed on thinner card stock and exposed to the elements for decades, making them highly susceptible to damage. Collectors seeking high-grade cards must be extremely careful and use sports card supplies like card sleeves to protect their vintage cards.
In addition to these, the N162 set also included other sports like rowing and lacrosse. As you can see, the first football cards ever made had a ton of company.
Despite all the variety, the inclusion of football players marked a pivotal moment for the hobby, providing the earliest glimpse into the sport’s growing popularity. The oldest football cards in the N162 set depicted players primarily from prominent East Coast and Ivy League colleges like Yale and Harvard.
Mayo’s Cut Plug: The ‘True’ Original Football Cards?
While Goodwin & Co. deserves credit for introducing the first football cards in a multi-sport set, it was Mayo’s Cut Plug, another tobacco company, that took the bold step of releasing the very first dedicated set of football trading cards in 1894.
The Mayo’s Cut Plug set, now nicknamed ‘N302’, consisted of nearly 40 cards featuring prominent college football players of the time. Unlike the earlier Goodwin cards, which were included in cigarette packs, the oldest dedicated football cards were distributed with Mayo’s chewing tobacco. Other notable features include:
Striking Designs: These cards were printed on higher quality stock than older cards found in Old Judge boxes. Full black borders and backs adorned players in their standard sepia-toned poses. The one major downside of this design? Scratches and other forms of damage on the few existing cards remaining today are easily visible.
By dedicating an entire set to football, Mayo’s acknowledged the sport’s growing appeal and potential to drive sales and brand recognition. We can see how this trend would continue to influence later releases, including collaborations between the NFL and manufacturers like Topps and Panini.
Collecting Old Football Cards
Collecting vintage football cards, particularly those from the pre-tall boy era, presents a unique set of challenges. Very few of the oldest football cards have survived the trials of time with a respectable grade, and that’s just one of the many concerns for collectors.
Authenticity is also naturally a concern when it comes to the oldest football cards. The potential for counterfeiting here is immense, considering these cards’ high prices. Collectors must be vigilant when examining older cards, looking out for trimmed edges, color touch-ups, and reprinted surfaces.
