What are Bubble Gum Baseball Cards?

If you were a kid in the 50s, you likely had one mission and one mission only: run to the nearest store and grab Topps’ latest baseball card pack. Gum in baseball cards used to be a common practice back in the day, serving as the cherry on top of (hopefully) a great set of baseball cards. You won’t see them around anymore, but they had a larger impact on the hobby than you might realize!

How Did It Work?

Goudey Gum Company led the charge for this trend starting in the early 1930s, with Topps (then Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.) taking over in popularity in baseball cards by 1950.

Bubble gum baseball cards were a pretty simple operation. For a nickel, you could pick up sports card packs that included about 6 cards each. Inside, you’d find a brittle chewing gum stick placed neatly on your cards.

Was the gum any good? No. The chewing gum inside these cases was mediocre at best, according to most experts, but it didn’t really matter. It gave kids a reason to return to stores more often, and it even incentivized those who weren’t interested in sports card releases to try the hobby out for the first time.

Why Did They Put Gum in Baseball Card Wax Packs?

We’ve talked about this strategy’s role in creating demand for baseball cards. Let’s dive a little deeper into the reasons behind one of the most prominent sports card trends of the 20th century.

• Synergy: There was an undeniable synergy between bubble gum and baseball cards that companies were eager to tap into. Companies like Goudey primarily sold gum, and baseball cards were a way to drum up interest in their primary product.
  
  For Topps, on the other hand, bubble gum was their secret weapon to revive their flagging sports card sales and reach a wider audience. In fact, Topps used to include taffy in their card packs before switching over to bubble gum, after realizing the taffy was melting and ruining card coatings!
  

• Economic Treats: The American economy wasn’t exactly in a great spot when this trend became commonplace. Companies needed an inexpensive way to market to young buyers, and bubble gum baseball cards were the perfect answer. Gum and the cards it came with were both cheap to produce and distribute.

• Competition: Once companies like Goudey started including gum with their sports cards, brands like Topps had to match their pace with a similar offering. After all, most kids would choose to buy the pack that included gum over the one that didn’t.

Out With the Old & In With the New

Gum in baseball cards might not be a thing anymore, but baseball cards have only gotten better since then. Discover amazing baseball card sales and get unbeatable deals on the latest releases from Topps and Panini at Giant Sports Cards, the ultimate sports card store. Unbox Your Love Of The Game™ with free US shipping on orders over $199.