Sports cards are some of the most widely collected and highly sought after items in the world. Tobacco companies created the first sports cards in the late 19th century--they were either part of the package or they were a cigarette pack insert. Sports cards were no longer a part of cigarette packs once the American Tobacco Company had achieved market dominance.

But sports cards had a big comeback in the early 20th century when candy manufacturers and other tobacco manufacturers saw how effective they were as a promotional tool. This is thought to be, by many collectors, the "Golden Age" for baseball cards. Sports cards disappeared from the market with the start of World War I.

Bubblegum and candy companies started making cards as soon as World War I was over. With World War II--you guessed it--card production stopped because rubber and paper were being used to maintain the war effort.

The Bowman Gum Company manufactured the first baseball card sets post World War II. Topps Chewing Gum Company began dominating the market in 1951 when they began manufacturing cards. Topps would have a monopoly in 1956 when it came to creating baseball cards.

Sports cards became incredibly popular in the 1980's and with this popularity more companies began to appear on the market. While competition is healthy, the companies over saturated the market with product--most of which has very little collectible value with the few marked exceptions of limited edition pieces and other rarer sets.

The industry started to change again in the 1990s. Companies decided to produce higher end products (thus the exception started to become the norm). Companies started to insert autographed cards into packs. Upper Deck, in 1996, started the first game card within their basketball card products.

At the end of 2000, companies were creating rarer chase rares and much higher priced products were flooding the secondary markets. Sports Kings, for example, was a card set from 2007 that sold for about $400 a pack.

Overthe last 100 years, sports card collecting has changed from being a child's pursuit, to becoming a multi hundred million dollar global industry.

So why has this industry grown so very much?  Like any other hobby, many different factors motivate people to collect sports cards.  Here are a few of the primary factors fueling the hobby:

1. Fandom - It is done to show support, since almost all collectors of sports memorabilia are giant sports fans. Through collecting, a fan can show his support for any type of sports superstar, whether it be a football team, basketball star, or baseball team.
2. Sentimental Value - When you collect sports cards or memorabilia you take yourself back to the feeling of that hard won championship victory, that record-breaking home run, or that legendary slam dunk. What sports cards do, in essence, is take an event in time and freeze it forever.
3. To Connect - Autographed sports cards enable fans to connect with the athletes they most admire. In addition, people that are sports collectors get to meet and socialize with others that share their same desires. 
4. Be an Insider - Collecting sports trading cards allows you to be greater involved in the sport, aside from learning more regarding the hobby. With most cards, you will not only get pictures of your favorite players, you also get several different stats and facts about the sports they play, as well as game used memorabilia swatches, autographs, patches, and more For many, a collector turns into a sports expert.
5. Money / Investmenting - The market for sports cards has grown considerably over the years, and that is the reason that investing in sports cards, hockey shirts, baseball bats, etc. is now a smart business avenue to pursue. For proof of the market growth, look at online sports collectible auctions, online shops, and sports forums. One of the best examples in the famous Honus Wagner T-206 tobacco card, which has sold in the past for as much as $2.8 million - yes, million - dollars. Before you try to invest in sports cards, make sure you do in depth research so that you know what you are getting into.

It is the "who's who" of the best quarterbacks, counting Y.A. Joe Montana, Tittle, Sonny Jurgensen, Jim Kelly and Troy Aikman will arrive in Cleveland this upcoming week for the 30th Nation Sports Collectors Convention.

This convention will be underway on Wednesday through Sunday at the International Exposition Center. Well more than thirty thousand people are anticipated for arrival over the next five days.

This incident generally brings in more than seven hundred dealers from within the United States and abroad. Back in 2007, Cleveland hosted the event.

Directors consigned the memorabilia's worth on view at $500 million. Established on past events, sales of well over $50 million are expected.

One of all the amazing parts in this event is the card collections. The projected amount to be within the I-X Center this week along is one hundred million.

In the end, the autograph rotunda is what causes the most commotion. The thirtieth edition is as heavy as a football, specifically where the Pro Football Hall of Fame champions are in favor of.

Aikman, Kelly, Tittle, Jurgensen and Montana are preserved in Canton. Aikman and Montana collaborated to earn seven Super Bowl tournaments. Phil Simms and Joe Theismann, both being champion Super Bowl quarterbacks, will also be present.

The value of running backs arranged to show up is also terrific. Included in the list are Gale Sayers, Eric Dickerson, Thurman Thomas, Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Eddie George and John Riggins.

Aside from Brown, local football enthusiasts can anticipate Archie Griffin, Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, Cick Schafrath, Jan White, Joe DeLamielleure, Jim Stillwagon, Dick Schafrath and Mike Pruitt. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Kentucky State icon Jack Lambert is also booked to appear.

Here is a list of baseball legends who will be there: Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Bob Feller, Rod Carew, Ernie Banks, Bob Gibson, Whitey Ford and Tom Seaver.

Getting an autograph from the biggest names in sports will be pricey. The following are some price tags, not counting the parking fees and charge of admission to the event: $125; Jack Lambert football, $129; Barry Sanders mini-helmet, $149; Joe Montana football, $179; Troy Aikman football, $169; and Ernie Banks baseball, $99.