Over 75 years of
Trading Cards
From a Chicago candy empire to a global hobby institution — the story of Leaf Trading Cards spans generations, sports, and the enduring human desire to collect.
An Empire Built on Candy
and One Big Question.
The story of Leaf Trading Cards begins with Sol and Harry Leaf, the ambitious sons of Russian immigrants. These enterprising brothers built an empire in Chicago selling candy and gum, employing over 1,000 workers across their plants who produced millions of confectionaries every day. Sol always had his mind on one question: how do we improve our candy? The answer: make the packaging collectable! Leaf's gum company entered the trading card scene.
Sol and Harry grew up in Chicago and turned a local confectionery business into one of the largest candy manufacturing operations in the Midwest — before pivoting to create one of the most iconic trading card legacies in history.
The Debut – Three Sets, One Vision
1948 Leaf Baseball
Leaf’s trading card offerings debuted in 1948, three different sets with two sport subjects and one non-sports release. Kids could chase baseball stars, football players, and exciting scenes of high-seas piracy. 1948 Leaf Baseball featured key rookies of greats Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, Phil Rizzuto, Warren Spahn, and others alongside iconic figures such as Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Feller. What was created as gum packaging is now one of the most iconic sets in the trading card world!
Pro Set — The Modern Card Era Begins
Pro Set Football
The next chapter of Leaf Trading cards marks the beginning of a new era of cards: Pro Set Football. In 1989, Ludwell Denny founded Pro Set and created the most iconic football cards to date, with an extensive checklist and a truly modern design. 1989 Pro Set featured rookies of legendary players Deion Sanders, Barry Sanders, Troy Aikman, and others, cementing its status in the pantheon of trading card sets.
Leaf Returns – Minus the Gum
1990 Leaf Baseball
After their acquisition by Huhtamäki Oyj, Leaf Brands relaunched their trading card offerings with the 1990 Leaf Baseball set featuring the unforgettable rookie of the great Frank Thomas, continuing the tradition of producing cards featuring America’s pastime - minus the gum! Collectors were delighted to learn of the return of the cards they used to stick in their bike spokes and trade on the playground.
Razor Entertainment — A New Challenger
Razor Entertainment
The modern incarnation of Leaf Trading Cards begins with Razor Entertainment, founded in 2005. Razor’s first offering captured the excitement of professional poker, allowing fans to find autographs of Hold ‘Em legends like Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth. These early offerings hold significant appeal to poker players today, as they mark the transition of poker from hobby to career.
Razor Becomes Leaf — The Modern Era
Razor Acquires Leaf Brands & Rebrands
Razor Entertainment sought to bring more to the hobby and acquired the Leaf Brands card company in 2010 in order to better service hobbyists by using iconic card designs with the newest generation of talent. With this acquisition, Razor Entertainment rebranded to Leaf Trading Cards, and we released an exciting set in an emerging market now known worldwide - MMA! Jon Jones, Cain Velasquez, and Charles Oliveira joined the likes of Jackie Robinson and Frank Thomas in the hearts of card collectors everywhere.
Pro Set Joins the Leaf Portfolio
Leaf Trading Cards added Pro Set to our portfolio in 2020, allowing us to cross the decades of card history for connoisseurs today!