Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and childhood nostalgia since the late 19th century. While the hobby took off nationally, some smaller communities like Anderson, South Carolina developed their own unique history with baseball cards as well.
Located in the Upstate region of South Carolina, Anderson has a population of just under 28,000 people. Baseball was immensely popular in the mill town through most of the 20th century. Many families in Anderson bonded over listening to games on the radio while kids traded and collected cards depicting their favorite players.
Some of the earliest baseball cards produced in the 1880s and 1890s featured stars like Cap Anson and Cy Young. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the hobby started to really catch on in Anderson. In 1909, the American Tobacco Company began inserting baseball cards into packs of cigarettes. This helped mass produce cards and exposed the pastime to many new young fans.
Children in Anderson eagerly awaited the arrival of shipments of cigarette packs to their local stores. They would scramble to purchase the packs, not for the cigarettes but to add to their growing baseball card collections. Some of the most coveted cards during this time included Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb.
Through the 1910s and 20s, tobacco companies like Fatima, Sweet Caporal, and Carlisle continued churning out sets that immortalized the biggest stars of the era like Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Tris Speaker. Kids in Anderson spent hot summer days trading and discussing their cards at the local drugstore or general store.
The Great Depression hit Anderson’s textile mills particularly hard in the early 1930s. Kids were still able to find inexpensive entertainment through their baseball card collections. Goudey Gum Company began producing beautifully illustrated cards in 1933 that are still highly collectible today. Stars of the day like Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig were especially popular in Anderson.
During World War II, the American card industry slowed production due to rationing of materials. But Anderson’s love for the hobby never wavered. After the war, production ramped up again. Bowman and Topps emerged as the dominant card manufacturers. Kids eagerly snapped up packs sold at local drugstores hoping to find rookie cards of legends like Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial.
In the 1950s, Topps secured the exclusive rights to produce major league cards. Their designs became more colorful and playful. Anderson kids spent afternoons at the local Little League fields, discussing stats on the back of cards featuring Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Teenagers began to appreciate the cards’ growing collectible value as well.
The 1960s saw the rise of the expansion franchises and player endorsements on cards. Andersonians added cards showcasing stars like Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, and Reggie Jackson to their collections. They also began to organize their duplicates, looking ahead to one day trading online or at conventions.
In the 1970s, the rise of flashy, artist-illustrated sets from Topps, Fleer, and Donruss made cards more like mini works of art. Anderson kids eagerly ripped open packs of the annual issues hoping for a standout rookie like George Brett or Nolan Ryan. Teenagers and adults also joined local card shows to buy and sell.
The 1980s saw cards boom in popularity. Andersonians of all ages were enthralled by the stars and statistics on flashy cardboard. Rookies of Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and Roger Clemens were especially sought after. But the overproduction of cards by many new companies also led to a crash.
Still, Anderson’s love of the hobby never wavered. In the 1990s and 2000s, collectors sought vintage Anderson-printed cards on the internet and at large conventions. Younger fans added stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, and Chipper Jones to their collections. And today, local card shops like Top Deck continue to thrive by catering to fans both young and old.
Through economic ups and downs, baseball has remained a constant source of pride and nostalgia for Anderson. And for over a century, baseball cards have been the colorful keepsakes that helped connect generations of families to America’s pastime. While the rest of the country has seen booms and busts, Anderson’s love of cards has endured through local traditions and memories made at the ballpark, general store, and living room.
