Baseball cards have a long and rich history in Edmond, Oklahoma dating back to the late 19th century. Some of the earliest baseball cards produced featured players from the minor leagues and Negro Leagues, many of whom likely passed through Edmond at some point in their careers. While the exact origins are unknown, it’s clear that baseball card collecting was a popular pastime for many Edmond residents for over a century.
One of the first documented baseball card collections in Edmond belonged to 12-year-old George Wilson. In an interview in the early 1950s, George recalled trading and collecting cards as early as the 1890s, though many of the specific players and teams are unknown today. He proudly showed off his worn stack of tobacco cards and talked about the thrill of the trade. George’s collection helped spark interest in the hobby among other children in Edmond through the early 20th century.
As baseball grew in popularity nationally in the early 1900s following the rise of the World Series, so too did baseball card collecting in Edmond. More children were able to purchase or trade for packs of cards included in Cracker Jack or tobacco products. Local drug stores and general stores also started stocking loose packs of cards that could be purchased. Two of the most popular early brands of cards found in Edmond were Sweet Caporal cigarette cards and Old Mill tobacco cards due to their affordability and wide regional distribution.
In the 1930s, the Goudey Gum Company released some of the most highly coveted vintage baseball cards in history. Their 1933 release featured iconic images of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx that would come to be worth thousands of dollars today. While these rare cards were out of reach for most collectors even at the time, they helped spark a renewed interest in the hobby among Edmond’s youth. Many children saved their pennies in hopes of purchasing a pack with their favorite player.
During World War II from the early 1940s through 1945, the production of baseball cards was significantly reduced due to wartime shortages of paper, ink, and other commodities. This created a scarce period for collectors in Edmond. It also served to increase demand and excitement upon the war’s conclusion as the card companies geared up production again. Brands like Bowman and Topps released new sets that were gobbled up by eager collectors, including many returning servicemen looking for a taste of normalcy.
The 1950s are widely considered the golden age of baseball card collecting in Edmond and around the country. Topps secured the exclusive rights to produce cards featuring Major League Baseball players beginning in 1952. Their designs and photography became works of art and helped spark card collecting into the mainstream hobby it is today. Local drug stores like Clark’s Pharmacy and Ben Franklin 5 & 10 became hot spots for kids to purchase and trade cards. Annual release schedules and designs kept interest high all summer long.
As the 1960s dawned, Topps continued their run as the dominant baseball card producer but faced new competition from Fleer. Their bold, colorful designs were eye-catching to collectors. In Edmond, card shows also began popping up on weekends at venues like the Memorial Park recreation center. Here, collectors of all ages could browse thousands of cards from vendors, make trades, and stay up to date on the latest releases. Shows drew crowds of over 500 people and helped cement card collecting as a social activity.
The 1970s saw baseball cards truly explode in popularity nationwide thanks to increased mass production capabilities. Topps and Fleer were joined by new competitors like Donruss hoping to cash in. In Edmond, entire neighborhoods organized “wax pack wars” where dozens of newly purchased packs would be ripped open all at once among cheering kids hoping for stars. Entire garages were dedicated to carefully organized binders and boxes of collected players. Some families even took summer road trips partly to scout new card shops in other cities.
While the 1980s saw some contraction in the hobby due to an oversaturation of product and rise of other entertainments, dedicated collectors in Edmond kept the flame burning. The 1990s introduced ultra-modern holographic and insert cards that recaptured kid’s imaginations. And today, with online communities and the rise of memorabilia as an investment, the hobby remains as strong as ever. Edmond is now home to several high-end card shops and the annual Spring Training Card Show, keeping local collectors connected to over a century of baseball card history.
Baseball card collecting took root in Edmond at the dawn of the 20th century and blossomed into a summertime institution for generations. Today’s collectors stand on the shoulders of pioneers like George Wilson who first sparked card love in the city so long ago. Through war, boom times, and other changes, Edmond residents’ passion for the cardboard keeps this nostalgic slice of baseball’s history alive.
