Top 5 Most Valuable Vintage Exhibit Baseball Cards

Produced by the Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago, these oversized cards were distributed through vending machines from the 1920s through the 1960s.

Rockhurst Auctions

The Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago produced Exhibit baseball cards from 1921 to 1966, selling them for a penny each through arcade vending machines. Because these vintage baseball cards were not sold in packs, many collectors today are familiar with the name but aren’t always sure exactly what Exhibit cards are.

Exhibit cards are larger than traditional trading cards and are slightly smaller than a postcard. Most Exhibits have blank backs and a simple black and white photograph of the player on the front. The unique method of distribution of these cards through vending machines helped make Exhibits widely available for decades.

The vending machines Exhibit cards were sold in are now bought in auctions, like this one from the 1950s. "The front of its steel case still boasts the original advertising and display cards, including examples featuring Snider, McDougald, Dropo, Campanella, Mathews and Klu." | Lelands Auctions

Exhibit cards were produced in several styles over the years, and the cards are categorized by the era and design features. The earliest Exhibits (1921–1928) feature one player per card, mostly with player names in script or cursive. The Exhibit Supply Company then created Four-on-One cards (1929–1938), which featured four different players on a single card.

More single player Exhibit cards were created from 1939 to 1946. These cards (designated as W462) are famous for including a printed greeting like "Sincerely," or "Best Wishes" alongside a facsimile signature. Some of the most popular and well-known Exhibit cards were created during the years of 1947 to 1966. These cards dropped the salutations, and included only the player's name and a facsimile signature.

This Exhibit vending machine from the 1930s shows how non-sports cards were sold by the company as well. | Lelands Auction

Dating Exhibit cards can be confusing because they have blank backs and they are usually categorized by eras (1921–1928, 1929–1938, 1939–1946, 1947–1966) instead of years. Collectors can more specifically date individual Exhibit cards by looking closely at a card’s color tint (for the early cards) or the font size and placement of the “Made in USA” text (for the later Post-War cards).

Additionally, some food issued cards (like Bond Bread or Dad’s Cookies) are labeled Exhibit because of their similar look and style, but they were not created by the Exhibit Supply Company. Today, most Exhibit cards remain relatively affordable compared to tobacco or early bubble gum cards, but some cards featuring iconic players have sold for significant prices. Below are the most valuable Exhibit baseball cards of all time.

5. Jackie Robinson Signed Exhibit #193 (Rookie Era) Beckett

Card Ladder

Sale: $16,540 (May 6th, 2023)

Total Population: 1,162

Card Info: This card was produced by the Exhibit Supply Company and sold through the penny vending machines, unlike the Bond Bread card which was distributed with loaves of bread. A major difference between an Exhibit card and a Bond Bread card is that Exhibit cards are larger and have sharp corners, while Bond Bread Exhibits are smaller and have rounded corners.  

4. 1959 Dad’s Cookies Exhibit Mickey Mantle PSA 1

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Sale: $21,600 (July 13th, 2024)

Total Population: 13

Card Info: Dad’s Cookies cards are so rare that PSA has only graded 69 total cards in the entire set. They were stapled directly to bags and boxes of Dad's Cookies in Vancouver, Canada in 1959. Because of how they were distributed, almost every surviving card has visible staple holes. This means it is almost impossible to find one graded higher than a PSA 1 or SGC 1.  

3. Babe Ruth Autographed 1926-29 Exhibit PSA 2, Auto 7

Card Ladder

Sale: $60,670 (December 11th, 2023)

Total Population: 64

Card Info: This is a rare card of Babe Ruth in his prime that somehow flies under the radar. There are multiple Babe Ruth exhibit cards from 1926-1929 that feature Babe in various poses. Unlike Ruth’s more popular 1933 Goudey cards (which are unlicensed), the Ruth Exhibit cards show The Great Bambino with a New York Yankees logo.

2. 1934 Four-On-One Exhibit Signed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, and Lefty Gomez

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Sale: $72,000 (April 30th, 2016)

Total Population: 11

Card Info: This is the key card from the “Four-One-One” Exhibit set. 1934 was a very significant year for the players on this card, as it was Babe Ruth's final season with the Yankees and the year Lou Gehrig won the Triple Crown. Even unsigned copies of this card go for high dollar amounts, as a PSA 5 recently sold for $8,300.

1. Lou Gehrig 1925 Exhibit Supply Co. Rookie (“Gray Tint”) PSA 5

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Sale: $1,030,000 (July 10th, 2021)

Total Population: 90

Card Info: This is the only recognized rookie card of the greatest first baseman ever. Since 1925 was Gehrig’s true rookie season, the light gray tint is critical for authentication. The 1926 version uses an almost identical image but is printed with a slight blue tint. A PSA 3 copy of this card recently sold for $61,000 on March 2nd.