Baseball Cards in Tucson: A Rich History of Collecting in the Old Pueblo

Tucson, Arizona has long been a hotbed for baseball card collecting. With warm weather year-round and a rich baseball history in the city, it’s no wonder that the hobby of collecting baseball cards has flourished here for decades.

Some of the earliest baseball card collectors and dealers in Tucson can trace their love of the hobby back to the late 1940s and 1950s. In the post-World War II era, the production of baseball cards exploded with companies like Topps, Bowman, and Fleer all competing to win over young collectors. Kids in Tucson were swept up in the baseball card craze just like in many other parts of the country.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, informal baseball card shows and meetups would be held in Tucson. Collectors would gather at local parks, recreation centers, and hobby shops to trade, sell, and admire their collections. This helped foster a real sense of community among those who enjoyed stocking their shoeboxes with the latest stars from the National and American Leagues.

One of the pioneering baseball card shops in Tucson was The Sports Fan, which first opened its doors in 1971. Founder Joe D’Amato had been an avid collector since childhood and wanted to create a dedicated place for other collectors in the Old Pueblo to safely store, showcase, and purchase new additions to their collections. The Sports Fan would play a major role in the growth of the local hobby scene for decades.

By the late 1970s, interest in vintage baseball cards was growing nationwide as collectors began to appreciate the history and nostalgia of older cardboard. Tucson collectors were no exception, with many seeking out high-grade examples of stars from the early 20th century like Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, and Babe Ruth. This “vintage boom” was the first sign that baseball cards could be a worthwhile long-term investment, not just a fleeting childhood pastime.

As values rose throughout the 1980s, more serious collectors and full-time dealers set up shop in Tucson to capitalize on the booming market. Stores like The Sportscard Shop and Grand Slam Cards catered to those hunting for rare and valuable vintage and modern issues to add to their portfolios. Meanwhile, shows produced by the Tucson Sportscard Club and Old Pueblo Card Show drew collectors from across southern Arizona and beyond on a regular basis.

By the 1990s, Tucson had grown into one of the major baseball card hubs in the Southwest. National conventions and memorabilia shows put on by organizations like the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) regularly made stops in the city. Meanwhile, independent grading companies like BGS (Beckett Grading Services) had local representatives that collectors could easily submit their prized cardboard to for authentication and encapsulation.

Two of the biggest names to shape the Tucson card scene in the 1990s and 2000s were Sports Card Trader and The Topps Store. Both offered massive retail stores and buying services that moved cards in huge volumes on a daily basis. Their immense inventories attracted collectors from across the state and helped cement Tucson as a serious destination for anyone with an interest in sports memorabilia.

In the modern era, while online sales have reduced the need for brick-and-mortar shops, Tucson remains a hotspot for major national and regional baseball card shows. Events like the Old Pueblo Sports Card Show, held biannually at the Pima County Fairgrounds, regularly draw thousands of attendees over multi-day weekends. Here, collectors can browse tables from hundreds of vendors hunting for that one card to complete a set or find a new collection to pursue.

Several local card shops also still thrive, such as The Sports Card Shop, Grand Slam Cards, and All-Star Cards. They act as hubs for the local collecting community, hosting smaller monthly meetings and swap meets. Meanwhile, the University of Arizona campus is home to a vibrant student scene, with clubs dedicated to sports card collecting, trading, and appreciation.

With its ideal climate and rich baseball roots, Tucson seems poised to remain one of the top baseball card markets in America for many years to come. New generations of collectors are always being sparked, ensuring this timeless hobby stays alive and well in the Old Pueblo.