AI Snips
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Episode notes
Childhood Collection Letdown
- Dave Jamieson found a huge box of his 1980s baseball cards when his parents cleaned out his childhood closet.
- He discovered the cards were worth very little and that many former collectors were trying to unload similar collections on Craigslist and eBay.
Cards Began As Tobacco Marketing
- Baseball cards began as printed premiums slipped into cigarette packs in the 1880s to build brand loyalty.
- That marketing tactic migrated into gum and candy, turning cards into mass-popular collectibles.
Topps Turned Cards Into The Product
- Cards stayed as marketing premiums until Topps invested heavily in the 1950s and treated cards as the main product.
- By 1960 Topps admitted "the cards wagged the gum," signaling the hobby's shift into its own industry.