A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card which is intended for trading and collecting. The cards began originally as premiums distributed with tobacco products, but later became very popular as inserts to bubblegum packs. Eventually, the cards became the more desirable content, and the gum, with few exceptions, is no longer included in trading card packs.
Trading cards are traditionally associated with sports; baseball cards are especially well-known. Cards dealing with other subjects are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as non-sports trading cards. These often feature cartoons, comic book characters, television series, or movie stills. They should not be confused with a trade card. The development of the Internet has brought the development of various online communities, through which members can trade cards with each other.
The value of a trading card depends on a combination of the subject's popularity, the scarcity of the card, and the card's condition. In some cases, especially with older cards that preceded the advent of card collecting as a widespread hobby, they have become collectors' items of considerable value. In recent years, many sports cards have not necessarily been appreciated as much in value due to mass production, although some manufacturers have used limited editions and smaller print runs to boost value.
