“What exactly is a trading card? It is a card typically created from thick paper, which is meant to be collected and traded. The cards usually include: a picture of a person/thing/ place, either real or fictitious, a name or description of the picture, and some type of relevant information. Trading cards actually evolved from cards known as “trade cards.” Topps Baseball Cards came out with the first baseball cards in 1951.  Back in the 1950’s they would put a strip of bubble gum in the pack of gum. Trading cards buck in the 1800’s hundreds were at first to protect a pack of cigarettes because of how stiff they were and would keep the packaging from bending.