Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and childhood nostalgia since the late 19th century. While the hobby has evolved significantly over the decades, many of the nation’s most dedicated card collectors can still be found right in Bel Air, Maryland. The small city located between Baltimore and Philadelphia has been a hotbed for baseball card collecting and dealing since the early 1950s.
Some of the first organized baseball card collecting in Bel Air can be traced back to 1953. That’s when Al MacKenzie, a 17-year old high school student and lifelong Orioles fan, decided to start keeping all of his baseball cards in binders instead of just leaving them loose in his desk drawer. His organized collection quickly grew as he traded with friends and scoured local shops for packs and singles. Word of Al’s impressive collection spread throughout Bel Air and the surrounding area.
In 1955, Al decided to try selling some of his duplicate cards to help earn money for Orioles tickets. He posted advertisements in the Bel Air Aegis newspaper offering to buy or sell specific cards. The response was overwhelming. Dozens of other local kids contacted Al looking to complete their sets or find rare cards to showcase in their own collections. Soon, Al was facilitating trades and sales on a regular basis out of his family’s garage in north Bel Air. This is believed to be one of the earliest examples of organized baseball card collecting and dealing in the region.
Throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, Al’s garage became a hub for the blossoming baseball card scene in Bel Air. On weekends, dozens of collectors would gather to peruse boxes of cards, make trades, and discuss the latest baseball news. The rise of televised MLB games during this period helped grow interest in card collecting nationwide. In Bel Air, Al and his growing circle of “card buddies” fueled the passion locally. Many lifelong friendships were forged during hours spent poring over stat lines, photos and oddball vintage cards in that cluttered garage.
In 1969, the collecting scene in Bel Air got a big boost with the opening of Sportscards Galore, the first dedicated baseball card and memorabilia shop. Located in downtown Bel Air, the store was founded by former Orioles minor leaguer Bobby “Boom Boom” Schmidt. His shop helped further organize and legitimize the hobby, giving collectors a reliable brick-and-mortar home base. Sportscards Galore is still in operation today on Main Street and remains hugely popular, especially during the summer months.
The 1970s saw baseball card collecting truly explode in popularity across America with the rise of flashy new designs, oddball promotions and the emergence of superstar players like Reggie Jackson. In Bel Air, a new generation of kids got hooked, often spending their paper route money on packs at Sportscards Galore. Many of these young collectors, like 12-year old Danny Weber, went on to amass impressive lifelong collections and remain dedicated members of the local card community.
In the early 1980s, the rise of online auction sites and dedicated sports card shows began to change the nature of collecting. While local brick-and-mortar stores like Sportscards Galore still thrived, collectors now had many more online and out-of-town options for pursuing rare finds or completing sets. The Bel Air card scene refused to fade. Local collectors continued hosting shows, facilitating trades at Sportscards Galore and nurturing new generations of fans through youth baseball leagues and card clubs at the high schools.
Today, Bel Air remains a hotbed for baseball card collecting and dealing, thanks to a dedicated multi-generational community. Sportscards Galore is still going strong after 50+ years. Local collectors like Danny Weber and his childhood friends now in their 50s and 60s continue passing down their love of the hobby. Meanwhile, a new crop of kids are getting hooked after pulling rare rookie cards from packs or completing their first complete set with help from the old-timers. Whether chasing vintage cardboard or following the latest prospect call-ups, the baseball card scene in Bel Air shows no signs of slowing down. Its roots run deep and the community spirit keeps the hobby thriving.
