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BlackSoxFanOnce upon a time, in a galaxy far far away...
most cards were issued as premium items or promotional advertising to encourage consumers to buy tobacco products. People back then often watched games in suits and ties. Thus, they were likely candidates to smoke cigars and other products. Tobacco companies started to include pictures of ball players in cigarette packs.
Once kids started going to games, candy companies began to use pictures in their products to encourage purchasing by kids. In the 20's , American Caramel Company became a big boy on the scene.During the 1920s, cards would be found in American Caramel Company products as well as with ice cream. I think that strip cards and Exhibit cards both get the W designation is because they both came from penny machines during this time.
1933 - Gum cards are the thing.
Jim Burdick is the reason why things are designated the way they are. He was the most notable of early card collectors. He started writing articles in the 30's about the "hobby". It was his collection that became the Am. Card Catalog .... i think it was from 37 but might have been 36 ....
Funny thing about Burdick, aka father of card collecting, is that he didn't even like baseball (or so the story goes). He was a paper items guy and such.
Burdick did this:
N: 19th century tobacco
T: 20th century Tobacco
E: Early candy
R: Gum
T206 is the t206 b/c that's what burdick called it.
Regards,
Black Sox Fan
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