# ESCO Trading Cards: 125 Years of Pop Culture Collectibles

> ESCO, the brand that helped invent trading cards, returns with premium music sets from KATSEYE and LISA.
- Title: ESCO Trading Cards: 125 Years of Pop Culture Collectibles
- Summary: ESCO, the brand that helped invent trading cards, returns with premium music sets from KATSEYE and LISA. ESCO Trading Cards, founded in 1901, relaunched in…
- Keywords: esco, trading cards, katseye, lisa, pop culture, complex, music, collectibles, hobby, nfl, seahawks, seattle
- Source: Complex — https://complex.com/music/a/oruny-choi/esco-trading-cards-history
- Published: 2026-10-21T19:43:01.307+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: esco, trading cards, katseye, lisa, pop culture, complex, music, collectibles, hobby, nfl, seahawks, seattle
## ESCO's Origin
ESCO was founded in Chicago in 1901 as Exhibit Supply Company, credited with helping invent modern trading cards.
## J. Frank Meyer's Role
J. Frank Meyer, a printer born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1881, joined ESCO in 1907 and ran it by 1910.
## Early Arcade Machines
ESCO built arcade machines that sold postcards, horoscopes, and photos, with machines designed to take only ESCO's exact card size.
## Exhibit Card Design
Exhibit cards were postcard-sized, printed on thick card stock in sepia, blue, pink, red, or green, with movie stars getting a greeting and name.
## 1921 Baseball Cards
ESCO printed its first baseball and boxing cards in 1921, including an early Babe Ruth as a Yankee.
## 1925 Lou Gehrig Card
The 1925 set featured Lou Gehrig's rookie card, now the most valuable ESCO card ever made, selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
## Beatles and Music Cards
ESCO printed Beatles exhibit cards in 1964 as Beatlemania hit America, featuring black-and-white images of the band.
## ESCO's Decline
ESCO shifted to war production during WWII, then went dormant in 1979 after selling its machines and archives.
## 2026 Relaunch
ESCO returned in July 2026 as ESCO Trading Cards, focusing on premium music and pop culture collectibles.
## KATSEYE Drop
The ESCO x KATSEYE 'WILD' set debuted in August 2026 with 50 card designs, nine trading cards per pack, and one numbered foil card.
## LISA Drop
The ESCO x LISA 'PRESS PLAY' set launched in October 2026 with 50 card designs, nine trading cards per pack, and hand-signed autographs.
## Future Plans
ESCO plans premium boxed sets with autographs and stage-worn relics from global artists, expanding retail reach across hobby and mass markets.
## The Legacy
ESCO's 125-year history shows how collecting stars has evolved from penny arcades to modern pop culture collectibles.
## What Happens Next
ESCO aims to turn music fandom into a collecting habit with its own rules, chases, and grails, just as Topps did for baseball.
## Key takeaway

ESCO Trading Cards, founded in 1901, relaunched in 2026 with premium pop culture sets from KATSEYE and LISA.