Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and childhood nostalgia since the late 19th century. While the hobby took off nationwide, Traverse City also developed its own rich history with baseball cards over the decades. From the early tobacco cards to the modern era, collecting cards was a beloved pastime for many in northern Michigan.
One of the first known organized baseball card collecting efforts in Traverse City dates back to the 1930s. Local businessman Harold Johnson amassed a collection of over 10,000 cards from the early 20th century issues. He would often display parts of his massive collection in the front window of his shop downtown. This helped spark interest among the local youth in starting their own collections. Through trades with friends at school, many kids began building sizable collections of their own during the Great Depression era.
The post-World War 2 boom saw baseball rise to new heights in popularity across America. This translated to surging interest in collecting cards as well. In Traverse City, several shops sprang up catering specifically to the growing hobby. Al’s Sport Cards was the first dedicated baseball card store, opening in 1953. Owner Al Perkins had a wall of boxes organized alphabetically, allowing customers to easily find the cards they needed to complete sets. Throughout the 1950s, his small shop became a hub for the local card collecting community.
As the 1960s rolled around, two new card shops opened and helped expand the reach of the hobby even further in the Traverse City area. Bob’s Baseball Cards and Sportscards Galore set up shop downtown and in the Northside neighborhood respectively. Both featured the latest releases showcased on display walls, along with boxes organized by year and set for customers to rummage through. This made completing sets from the previous decade much more achievable for collectors. Local card shows also started being held on weekends where collectors could meet, trade and sell with each other.
The 1970s were the golden era of sports card collecting nationwide. In Traverse City, an estimated 25% of school-aged children actively collected cards during this time. The three main shops struggled to keep popular new releases in stock. Speculation rose as investors looked to complete full vintage sets to hold and resell years later. It was also common to see cards being openly traded in the playground at recess with classmates. Local newspapers even included trading card price guides and weekly market updates for readers.
As the 1980s arrived, the sports card market was booming with overproduction. While this glut led to the infamous crash later that decade, it was still a great time for collectors in Traverse City. All three shops were thriving with new expansions. Shows drew hundreds every weekend. The rise of star players like Rickey Henderson and Roger Clemens made their rookie cards highly sought after. It was also around this time that the first organized collecting clubs formed in the area. Groups like the Traverse Trading Cards Club met monthly for members to socialize and swap duplicates from their collections.
The overproduction bubble soon burst. By the early 1990s, the sports card market had collapsed nationwide. In Traverse City, only one shop managed to stay open – Bob’s Baseball Cards. They shifted focus to provide a more curated inventory with an emphasis on vintage. Meanwhile, the collecting clubs helped keep the hobby alive through their organized meets. Slowly but surely, interest rebounded later that decade with the ascent of stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. Their rookie cards found new demand.
As the 21st century arrived, sports card collecting in Traverse City looked quite different than the boom years. Only a handful of dedicated collectors remained. Bob’s Baseball Cards closed its doors in 2005 after half a century in business. The rise of internet commerce provided new opportunities. Sites like eBay allowed collectors to easily buy, sell and trade cards from all over the world. Local collecting clubs also continued hosting regular meets. Today, while the hobby is smaller, a dedicated community of enthusiasts remains. Events like the annual Traverse City Sports Collectors Show still draw collectors from across northern Michigan each summer. And cards remain a cherished link to memories of summers past for many in the area.
In the over 80 years since organized collecting began in Traverse City, the sports card industry has undergone many changes. From tobacco issues to the modern era, cards provided affordable entertainment that connected children through a shared interest. While the market booms and busts, the hobby remains deeply embedded in local history. Baseball cards are forever intertwined with memories of childhood summers and camaraderie between collectors across generations in Traverse City. The small shops may be gone, but the legacy lives on through a dedicated community that continues trading, collecting and reminiscing about cards today.
