I’m probably 20 years late to the party on this article, but I wanted to go over the differences between artist trading cards (ATCs), ACEOs (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals) and Mini ACEOs.
Artist Trading Cards
ATCs came into existence in 1997, as a way for artists to exchange work. The rules were pretty simple:
- All cards should be 2.5″ x 3.5″, which is the size of most sports trading cards (and also playing cards), and should fit into a standard trading card sleeve.
- Cards should be traded evenly, one for one, and never sold.
I started making and trading ATCs in 2002.
ACEOs
ACEOs originated in 2004. They’re the same size as ATCs, but were named Artist Cards, Editions and Originals to distinguish them from cards that are traded between artists. ACEOs are the commodified version of ATCs. They’re created to be sold.
ACEOs address the problem that ATCs created: if someone is not an artist, is not ready to exchange their work with artists, or simply has no interest in making art, but wants to collect artist cards, ACEOs offer an alternative that ATCs do not. It’s often difficult to get an ATC outside the usual one to one exchange. It’s very easy to get an ACEO, since many auction listings for them on eBay start at a dollar.
For many years, I did not participate in selling ACEOs. I preferred to have one creative outlet that wasn’t for making money, and I found a lot of joy in exchanging ATCs with other artists. I had a change of heart about this in 2026, which I discussed in this article.
Mini ACEOs
Mini ACEOs are modeled on the size of the tobacco cards of the early 1900s. They are 1-7/16″ x 2-5/8″, and fit in tobacco card sleeves. I’ve only seen a few people making these, and they’re generally more freeform about sizing than regular ACEOs.
I’ve only made one set of these so far, and I have to say, it’s quite a challenge to work in such a small format. I really hope to see more people making them.