Baseball Cards in Jefferson City, Missouri: A Rich History of the National Pastime
Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri, has a long and rich history with America’s favorite pastime of baseball. While the city itself has never had a professional baseball team, generations of Jefferson City residents have grown up following Major League Baseball and collecting baseball cards depicting their favorite players and teams.
Baseball card collecting first became popular in the late 19th century as cigarette and candy companies began including cards in their products as promotional items. Early tobacco cards from companies like Allen & Ginter and Old Judge portrayed baseball players from the late 1800s. As baseball grew into the national pastime in the early 20th century, dedicated baseball cards emerged and collecting them became a widespread hobby for American youth.
In Jefferson City, some of the earliest baseball card collectors and memorabilia enthusiasts can be traced back to the 1920s and 30s. Longtime Jefferson City resident Harry Thompson, now 102 years old, recalls getting his first baseball cards as a young boy in the late 1920s from packs of gum and cigarettes his parents would buy. “I was fascinated by those early cards and would trade duplicates with my friends on the playground,” Thompson reminisced. “We’d spend hours looking at the pictures and stats of our favorite ballplayers like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Dizzy Dean.”
Thompson amassed a large collection of vintage cards in his youth but unfortunately had to sell most of them during the Great Depression to help support his family. A few prized cards from the late 1920s and 30s, however, remain in his possession today. “I just couldn’t part with my 1927 Lou Gehrig and 1932 Dizzy Dean rookie cards,” Thompson said. “They remind me of simpler times and how much I loved the Cardinals as a kid growing up in Jefferson City.”
As baseball card production ramped up following World War II, Jefferson City saw a new generation of youthful collectors emerge. Stores like Woolworth’s Five and Dime and Dime Store began prominently featuring baseball cards and other sports collectibles. Local drug stores and corner grocery shops also stocked the ever-popular packs of cards with bubblegum.
Jefferson City native Bill Henley fondly recalls the baseball card boom of the 1950s during his childhood in the capital city. “All the kids in the neighborhood would trade and talk cards every day. We’d ride our bikes to every store in town looking for the newest packs,” Henley said. “Guys like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron were our heroes and we wanted all their cards. I still have a near-complete set from 1954 Topps in great condition.”
As baseball integrated in the late 1940s and 50s, African American youth in Jefferson City’s small but vibrant black community also found inspiration in the sport and its cardboard commodities. Local civil rights leader James Franklin, now 87, remembers how important it was for black children to see pioneering African American ballplayers depicted on baseball cards.
“Having cards of guys like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks made a huge impression on me and my friends growing up in the segregated south. It showed us that we could achieve great things too if we worked hard,” Franklin reflected. He still has a prized collection of cards featuring African American pioneers from the 1950s and 60s.
The 1960s saw Jefferson City’s baseball card scene truly explode alongside the sport’s rising popularity on national television. Stores couldn’t keep the newest card products from Topps, Fleer, and other manufacturers on shelves. Young collectors would scour the city daily hoping to find unsearched packs. Local card shops also began popping up to cater to the booming hobby.
One of the most prominent baseball card stores in Jefferson City during the 1960s and 70s was Bob’s Sport Cards, located downtown on High Street. Owner Bob Jenkins had shelves lined with boxes of loose vintage and contemporary cards available for searching as well as unopened wax packs and boxes from the latest series.
“Business was incredible during the 60s card boom. Kids would be lined up down the block waiting for new shipments to arrive,” Jenkins reminisced. “The ’64 Topps set was probably the biggest of that era. Everyone wanted to complete it and trade for the stars like Koufax, Mays, and Clemente.” Jenkins’ store became a hub for Jefferson City’s baseball card scene, hosting trading sessions and tournaments well into the 1970s.
While the baseball card craze cooled somewhat in the late 70s and early 80s, a new generation of Jefferson City youth still enjoyed collecting cards as a link to their baseball fandom. Stores like K-Mart and Walmart kept the hobby alive with card sections featuring the latest offerings from Topps, Donruss, and Fleer. The rise of specialty card shops also helped sustain interest.
One such shop was Bob’s Baseball Cards, opened in 1984 by local collector Bob Harding. Located in a small strip mall, Harding’s store became a mecca for Jefferson City collectors of all ages. “Kids would come in after school and on weekends looking to trade, buy packs and boxes, or have me appraise their collections,” Harding recalled. “I hosted tournaments, giveaways, and would travel to card shows to bring back the newest and rarest finds.”
Bob’s Baseball Cards remained a staple of Jefferson City’s hobby scene for over 25 years, closing its doors in 2010 as the collectibles industry began transitioning online. But the shop left an indelible mark, having fostered the growth of baseball card collecting for multiple generations of Jefferson City residents. Harding estimates that over 10,000 local collectors passed through his store in its heyday.
While the local brick and mortar scene has diminished, baseball card collecting remains deeply ingrained in Jefferson City’s culture. Many lifelong enthusiasts still hold large collections amassed since childhood. Local card shows and conventions continue to draw collectors from around mid-Missouri. And new generations are still discovering the hobby through online communities and group breaks on sites like YouTube.
The rich history of baseball card collecting in Jefferson City serves as a reminder of the sport’s profound cultural impact across America. For over a century, the cardboard commodities depicting MLB’s biggest stars have provided enjoyment and connection for youth in the capital city and beyond. Whether collecting for nostalgia or investment, Jefferson City residents continue proudly representing their love of baseball between the cardboard.
