Baseball cards have a long history in Olympia, Washington dating back to the early 1900s when the hobby first began gaining popularity across the United States. Some of the earliest documented baseball card collectors in Olympia emerged in the 1910s as children began swapping and trading cards much like many of their counterparts around the country.
While baseball had been played in the Olympia area since the late 1800s, it wasn’t until the rise of professional leagues in the early 20th century that interest in collecting players’ cards began taking off locally. Many of the earliest cards collected in Olympia featured stars from the Pacific Coast League like the Seattle Rainiers, Portland Beavers, and Sacramento Solons who were among the top minor league teams on the west coast in those days.
As Olympia grew into a larger city in the following decades, the hobby continued gaining new enthusiasts. Stores like R.E. McBride Five and Dime opened in downtown Olympia in the 1920s and became one of the first establishments to sell packs of baseball cards to local youth. McBride’s helped fuel the trading card craze and created a hub for collectors to meet, swap, and discuss the latest baseball news and stats.
By the 1930s and 1940s, Olympia was home to an active baseball card collecting scene. Many schools had clubs where kids could trade, discuss players and teams, and stay up to date on the latest releases from Topps, Bowman, and other early manufacturers. Summer baseball leagues were also popular in Olympia during this era, fueling interest in the pros. Local favorites included stars like Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Feller who all had huge followings among Olympia collectors.
The 1950s represented the golden age of baseball cards in Olympia as interest in the hobby hit new heights. The arrival of TV brought baseball into living rooms across America and inspired new generations of young collectors. Stores in Olympia like Westside Pharmacy and Johnson’s Drug became vital sources for the latest card releases and kept the local trading scene buzzing. Expos featuring cards and other memorabilia also emerged and drew huge crowds.
By the 1960s, Olympia had developed into one of the most active baseball card hotbeds in the Pacific Northwest. The rise of vintage and high-grade cards as valuable commodities took the hobby to new levels. Stores held tournaments and contests with valuable prizes to draw customers. Shows at the Olympia Elks Club and Eagles Hall were packed with collectors trading, selling, and socializing for the day. Stars of the era like Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Hank Aaron were beloved by local fans.
The 1970s saw baseball cards truly explode in popularity in Olympia thanks to the arrival of the modern era of mass-produced cards from manufacturers like Topps, Donruss, and Fleer. Kids across the city collected in droves, and the trading scene was always buzzing at schools, stores, and community events. Stars like Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan, and George Brett were local favorites. The rise of the Seattle Mariners franchise in the late 1970s as a new local team to root for also captivated collectors in Olympia.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Olympia developed a robust vintage and high-end baseball card scene as interest in valuable older cardboard skyrocketed nationwide. Local shops like Olympia Sportscards and Evergreen Sportscards became destinations for collectors seeking rare and valuable vintage cards of stars from baseball’s early eras. The rise of the internet also allowed Olympia collectors to easily trade and sell cards worldwide. Stars of the modern era like Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. were beloved by local young fans.
Today, baseball card collecting remains a vibrant part of the Olympia community. While the heyday of storefront shops has passed, the local hobby scene remains active through online groups, shows, and a dedicated collector base. Young collectors in Olympia today enjoy new stars like Mike Trout, while vintage enthusiasts seek rare gems from the earliest days of the hobby dating back over a century. Through its long history, baseball cards have remained a staple that has brought generations of Olympia fans and collectors together.
