Cleves Baseball Cards: A Brief History of a Small Town’s Claim to Fame
Introduction
Cleves, Ohio is a small town located just outside of Cincinnati with a population of around 3,500 people. Despite its small size, Cleves gained national notoriety in the sports collecting world for being the original home of Topps baseball cards. What started as a small business operated out of a family’s garage in Cleves grew to become the largest and most iconic brand of sports and entertainment trading cards in the world. This is the story of how Cleves, Ohio became synonymous with the hobby of baseball card collecting.
The Early Years
The story began in 1938 when four brothers – Edward, Joseph, William, and Abraham Shorin – started a small confectionery business called the Brooklyn Candy Company in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to candy, the Shorins began experimenting with producing collectible items to include with their products. One of their first efforts were “magic tricks” included in gum packs. It was not until after World War II that their business took off in a new direction.
In 1947, the Shorins came up with the idea to include illustrated baseball cards with their gum packs as a promotional item. The first series featured cards of players from the National League and American League. The cards were an immediate success with kids across America and helped popularize the new hobby of baseball card collecting. Space was limited in their Brooklyn factory and the Shorins sought to expand. That’s when they discovered Cleves, Ohio.
Relocating to Cleves
In the late 1940s, the Shorins learned about an empty factory building located along Cleves-Warsaw Pike in Cleves that was available for lease. Seeing an opportunity for more production space at a lower cost, Topps relocated most of their operations to Cleves in 1951. This small town just outside Cincinnati would become synonymous with the Topps brand for decades to come.
The move to Cleves proved highly beneficial for Topps. With more room to expand, Topps was able to significantly increase production of their baseball cards. New series were issued each year featuring the latest seasons’ players. Additional sports like football and basketball were also added over time. By the mid-1950s, Topps had become the dominant force in the sports card industry and “Made in Cleves, Ohio” became a mark of quality recognized by collectors nationwide.
Cleves Becomes Card Collecting Capital
Having the Topps factory in their small town brought Cleves an unlikely fame. Baseball card collectors from around the country would make pilgrimages to Cleves just to see where their favorite cards were produced. Some would even try to tour the factory, which understandably had strict security. Meanwhile, Topps employed many local residents at the plant over the years, helping to boost the local economy.
Topps remained the sole producer of sports cards for decades, facing no real competition. One key competitor did emerge in the late 1980s – Fleer. The new brand was launched by the Fleer Chewing Gum Company and began directly competing with Topps’ baseball offerings. This ushered in the modern era of the sports card industry that featured multiple competing brands all seeking exclusive player contracts.
Transition to Other Products
By the 1990s, the sports card craze was starting to wane. In response, Topps transitioned some of its Cleves production to other collectible products like Pokemon cards, Magic: The Gathering cards, and non-sports related trading cards based on movies, TV shows, and pop culture franchises. This helped Topps remain relevant as tastes evolved beyond just sports cards.
Into the 21st Century
In 2007, Topps was purchased by The Upper Deck Company, though it maintained operations separately. The Cleves factory remained in use for several more years before Topps made the decision to close the aging plant in late 2009. Production was consolidated to other Topps facilities. This brought an end to Topps’ long association with the small town of Cleves, Ohio, which had been its production home for nearly 60 years.
Legacy and Impact
Despite no longer housing the Topps factory, Cleves retains a special place in the history of the sports collecting hobby. It was the birthplace of the modern baseball card industry and introduced millions of kids to the joys of collecting. Topps cards will always be intrinsically linked to Cleves in the minds of collectors worldwide.
The town has also chosen to embrace and celebrate its Topps legacy. A small Topps Baseball Card Museum was opened in Cleves in 2009 before the factory closed. It features exhibits on the company’s history and products. Cleves also hosts an annual baseball card show that draws collectors from across the region each year. In this way, the little town ensures its place in the story of America’s favorite pastime is not forgotten.
Conclusion
From humble beginnings producing gum-included baseball cards in post-war America, Topps grew to become a pop culture icon thanks to its long association with Cleves, Ohio. For nearly 60 years, this small Cincinnati suburb served as the production home for the sports cards that fueled the collecting passions of generations. While Topps has since moved on, Cleves cemented its legacy as the birthplace of the modern sports card industry – a story that will be remembered for decades to come by collectors around the world.
