Baseball cards have been a staple collectible for over 150 years. Ever since the late 1800s when companies first started printing cards as promotional items inserted in products like tobacco, people have been amassing collections of their favorite players. For much of the 20th century, the main way to obtain baseball cards was either through packs sold at general retail stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, and newsstands, or by purchasing loose packs or boxes directly from the manufacturer.
In the 1970s a new type of sporting goods retailer began to emerge that specialized more in team sports equipment rather than just general merchandise – the big box sporting goods store. One of the pioneering chains in this new category was Big 5 Sporting Goods, founded in Southern California in 1955. While they originally focused more on team uniforms, shoes, and accessories, they soon expanded their offerings to include all types of sports and leisure products. This included a growing selection of trading cards for many popular sports.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, the popularity of collecting sports cards really took off. More sets were being produced with more unique and valuable cards inserted in the packs. This created a huge demand that general retailers alone could not keep up with. Seeing the opportunity, Big 5 Sporting Goods and other chains like Sports Authority, Sport Chalet, and Dick’s Sporting Goods started aggressively stocking cards in larger quantities and varieties. They offered much more selection than the corner drug store and attracted serious collectors looking to find the latest releases.
By the mid-1980s, Big 5 had emerged as one of the top retail destinations for baseball cards on the West Coast. They carried the standard card brands like Topps, Donruss, and Fleer that produced the mainstream sets. But they also had exclusive deals to carry regional brands and sets only distributed through sporting goods stores. Examples included Pacific Trading Cards, ProCards, and Pinnacle which offered unique parallels and insert sets. Big 5 also had collector-friendly services like laying out loose packs from cases on shelves for browsing rather than keeping them sealed in boxes.
Through the late 80s and 90s, Big 5 continued expanding their baseball card offerings as the hobby reached new heights of popularity and profitability for manufacturers. They stocked the mega-popular sets from this era including the infamous 1989 Upper Deck, the 1990 Topps Traded set, and the 1992 Stadium Club Ultra collection. Big 5 also carried regional brands aimed at the West Coast market like Pacific Coast League, Pacific Trading Cards Coast to Coast, and Golden West Baseball. Collectors could reliably find the latest and greatest sets first at their local Big 5.
As the baseball card market crashed in the late 90s due to overproduction, Big 5 adapted by reducing shelf space and focusing on the core brands that were staying in business like Topps, Upper Deck, and Donruss. They also expanded into the growing world of non-sports cards like Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, and comics/memorabilia. Into the 2000s, Big 5 maintained a solid selection of mainstream baseball cards while also carrying regional exclusives from companies based in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest.
Today Big 5 Sporting Goods remains one of the top brick-and-mortar destinations nationwide to find new baseball card releases. They have rededicated significant shelf space to the category as the modern renaissance of the hobby has led to record sales. Collectors appreciate being able to browse Big 5’s extensive selection of current Topps, Bowman, Panini, and Donruss sets. They also offer regional exclusives from companies like Pacific Trading Cards, Golden West, and Pinnacle. For casual collectors and enthusiasts, Big 5 provides an accessible one-stop-shop to purchase new packs and boxes without having to rely solely on online retailers. Their continued support has been important in keeping the card collecting experience alive and accessible to new generations of fans.
