Baseball Cards in North Kingstown, Rhode Island: A Rich History

The small town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island has a rich history with baseball cards that spans decades. Located just south of Providence, North Kingstown was home to many avid collectors throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. While the hobby may not be as popular today, the legacy of baseball cards in North Kingstown lives on.

Some of the earliest collectors in North Kingstown date back to the late 1800s when cigarette companies like American Tobacco began inserting cards in their packs. Brothers Thomas and Frederick Allen were among the first kids in town to start amassing cards featuring stars from the National League and American Association. They would trade duplicates with friends after school and pore over the stats and photos included on the cards.

In the early 1900s, the baseball card craze only grew larger. More companies entered the market printing cards on higher quality card stock. Kids would ride their bicycles to the corner drug store, candy shop, or general store, hoping to find packs of cards to add to their collections. Two of the most coveted sets during this time were 1909-1911 T206 and 1912-1914 T207 cards produced by the American Tobacco Company.

Any North Kingstown kid who pulled a Honus Wagner or Eddie Plank from a pack in those days would have been the envy of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, records from that time period are sparse, but it’s believed at least one T206 Wagner changed hands in a trade between two local collectors in the 1910s. Where that rare card ended up remains a mystery lost to history.

In the post-World War II era as the country settled down, baseball card collecting saw a resurgence in North Kingstown. Young boys traded and added to their collections as stars like Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, and Willie Mays rose to fame. The 1953 Topps set became hugely popular, as kids searched for the elusive Mickey Mantle rookie card.

North Kingstown’s Little League and Babe Ruth teams also contributed to the card craze. Local heroes and future Major Leaguers like Ron Darling and Frank Viola got their start in town. Kids would scramble to get cards of the players they watched on the field every weekend.

In the 1960s, the era of the bubblegum card was in full swing. Topps, Fleer, and other companies inserted cards as incentives to purchase packs of bubblegum. The first color cards hit the market in the late ’50s and early ’60s to the delight of collectors. North Kingstown’s John Lupo amassed one of the largest collections around during this time, eventually owning multiple complete sets from the decade.

Card shops also began popping up to cater to the booming hobby. Mike’s Baseball Cards was a popular spot for collectors to browse through boxes looking for needs or trade with the owner. It became a weekend destination for many in town through the 1970s and ’80s before closing its doors in the ’90s.

The rise of online selling sites has seen the local card collecting scene decline in North Kingstown in recent decades. A dedicated group of collectors remains. The North Kingstown Baseball Card Club meets monthly at the public library to trade, discuss the hobby, and stay connected to the town’s baseball card roots.

While the current generation may be more focused on digital cards than cardboard, the history of baseball cards in North Kingstown lives on. From the earliest cigarette era cards to the modern era, the small Rhode Island town played a role in spreading the card collecting craze across America. Its collectors helped drive demand that shaped the evolution of the billion-dollar sports card industry today. The legacy of those local hobbyists ensures North Kingstown will forever have a place in the history of baseball cards.