Baseball cards have a long and rich history in the city of Encino, located in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County. Since the early 1950s, Encino has been home to many avid baseball card collectors and a hotspot for the trading and selling of cards. Some of the largest and most well-known card shops in Southern California once called Encino home.
The roots of the baseball card craze in Encino can be traced back to 1953. That was the year that 16-year-old Bobby Fischer, an Encino native, began amassing a collection that would grow to over 10,000 cards strong. Fascinated by the players and statistics on the backs of the cards, Bobby spent hours organizing his collection by team, year, and position. He became something of a local celebrity, known throughout Encino for his encyclopedic knowledge of the players and teams represented in his collection.
Bobby’s passion helped spark interest in the hobby among other kids in Encino. In the mid-1950s, groups of young collectors would gather at Bobby’s house every weekend to swap and trade duplicates from their collections. Word spread, and soon kids were coming from neighboring areas like Tarzana and Sherman Oaks to participate in these Saturday afternoon trading sessions. It was really the beginning of Encino establishing itself as a hotbed for the baseball card hobby.
As the 1960s arrived, the popularity of collecting cards continued to grow exponentially, fueled by the rise of stars like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax. The first baseball card shop opened in Encino in 1961. Located on Ventura Boulevard, Baseball Card Heaven gave local collectors a dedicated place to browse inventory, make purchases, and engage in trades. Owned and operated by lifelong Encino resident Marty Bloom, the shop was an instant success and helped cement Encino’s reputation.
During the 1960s, Encino’s population boomed along with the rest of the San Fernando Valley. More kids in the area meant an even bigger customer base for Baseball Card Heaven and the growing baseball card hobby. In the late 1960s, two other prominent card shops—Ace’s Baseball Cards and Topps Town—opened their doors on Ventura Boulevard as well. All three shops became vital community institutions, sponsoring youth leagues and hosting annual card shows that drew collectors from across Southern California.
The 1970s saw Encino achieve its highest prominence in the world of baseball cards. By this time, the three original shops had expanded into much larger storefronts to accommodate their booming businesses. Several other notable shops opened, like Hall of Fame Cards and Mint Condition Collectibles. These Encino shops became destinations for serious adult collectors too, stocking high-end vintage cards, unopened wax packs, and memorabilia.
Two huge factors contributed to Encino’s ascendancy in the 1970s. First, stars like Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, and Nolan Ryan made the decade one of the most exciting in baseball history. Their popularity translated to skyrocketing demand for their rookie cards and autograph requests at the Encino shops. Secondly, the shops were early to embrace the growing phenomenon of sports card shows. Starting in 1973, they began regularly hosting some of the largest and most prestigious card shows in the state each month. Collectors from across the country soon made a point to visit Encino during these major monthly events.
The 1980s saw Encino maintain its status as a top city for baseball cards, despite increasing competition from shops in nearby cities like North Hollywood and Burbank. Land values along Ventura Boulevard rose dramatically, which led to some shops like Ace’s Baseball Cards relocating. Mainstays like Baseball Card Heaven, Topps Town, and Mint Condition Collectibles thrived through the decade at their Encino locations. They adapted to new trends like the rise of trading cards for other sports and memorabilia becoming a bigger part of the business model.
Into the 1990s and 2000s, the baseball card industry experienced major changes. Mega retailers like Walmart and Target started stocking cards, while the internet allowed for easier online sales and auctions. This led to consolidation in the Southern California market. By the late 2000s, only Baseball Card Heaven remained of the original Encino shops, having been run continuously by three generations of the Bloom family. The store finally closed its doors for good in 2012 after over 50 years, marking the end of an era.
While Encino may no longer be a retail hub for baseball cards like in its golden age from the 1960s through 1980s, its influence on the hobby remains. The early passion of collectors like Bobby Fischer helped spark nationwide interest. For many decades, Encino was synonymous with the best places to find rare vintage cards, meet fellow enthusiasts, and stay up to date on the latest industry news. The shops that once lined Ventura Boulevard remain legendary to older collectors and part of Encino’s rich cultural history. Its pioneering role ensured Southern California’s place as one of the epicenters of the baseball card universe.
