Trade Cards

Shop our selection of trade cards for sale. Our selection of trade cards covers Victorian trade cards, antique and vintage trade cards, and more from the United States, England, and Europe. Our selection of trade cards for sale represents a type of collectible advertising. Becoming popular after the Civil War by businesses in the United States, examples of trade cards presented a fascinating look at popular culture during the 18th and 19th centuries. Trade cards originated in England during the 18th century, with tradespeople and merchants advertising their services and wares. During the late 19th century, the commercial use and lower cost of lithography in the 1870s made it possible to mass-produce trade cards in color, leading to what many collectors refer to as the “golden age” of trade cards from the mid-1870s to the early 20th century.