Baseball cards have been an iconic part of American culture since the late 1800s. While the hobby took off nationwide, Manchester, New Hampshire developed a unique history with baseball cards over the decades. Located in the southern part of the state, Manchester became an epicenter for the baseball card trade in New England during the early 20th century.
Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 1800s by tobacco companies as promotional items to be found inside cigarette and chewing tobacco packages. In the early 1900s, many tobacco companies were based in larger East Coast cities like New York and Boston. However, Manchester developed a vibrant local tobacco industry of its own during this period with several smaller cigar and cigarette manufacturers calling the city home.
Two such companies, The Manchester Cigar Company and The New Hampshire Cigarette Company, began inserting baseball cards featuring current major league players into their products in the 1890s and early 1900s. While the cards did not feature the biggest stars of the day, they helped fuel growing interest in collecting in Manchester and surrounding towns. Young collectors would eagerly await the newest players to add to their collections found inside local tobacco products.
By the 1910s, tobacco companies in other regions were producing baseball cards on a much larger scale and deals were made to distribute their products nationwide. However, Manchester’s small tobacco firms still issued local baseball cards as a niche product into the 1920s. Some of the rarest early 20th century baseball cards today feature obscure players from this period produced by Manchester area companies specifically for New England distribution.
As the first half of the 20th century progressed, Manchester developed into one of New England’s largest cities and a manufacturing hub. The city’s central location in southern New Hampshire made it a convenient spot for the emerging baseball memorabilia and collectibles trade to take root. In the post-World War II era of the late 1940s and 1950s, several card shops opened in Manchester specializing in the booming hobby.
Stores like Charlie’s Baseball Cards and New Hampshire Sportscards became destination spots for collectors across New England. They stocked the newest releases from Topps, Bowman and other major manufacturers while also dealing in older vintage cards. The shops helped fuel a lively secondary market and organized the first baseball card shows and conventions in the region during this golden age of collecting interest.
Into the 1960s and 1970s, Manchester’s card stores continued to thrive as baby boomers flocked to the hobby. Some stores like Sportsworld expanded into multiple locations across New Hampshire and southern Maine, becoming a major retailer for the baseball card industry. Meanwhile, the first serious graders of cards also emerged in Manchester during this period. Pioneers like Dick Perez and John Holtz began assigning numerical grades to cards based on their condition, helping establish standards that exist to this day.
Gradually through the late 20th century, the large baseball card chain stores began to replace the mom and pop shops. But Manchester maintained a dedicated core of collectors. Stores like Hall’s Sportscards served the area for decades before closing in the 2000s. Meanwhile, the card shows and conventions never fully left the city. Events like the New Hampshire Sports Card & Memorabilia Show still attract hundreds of vendors and collectors each year to this day.
In the modern era, Manchester has seen a resurgence of its independent baseball card and memorabilia stores. Shops like 603 Cards and The Cardboard Connection have opened new locations focused on both vintage and modern products. They’ve helped introduce new generations to the hobby. Meanwhile, the city’s history with cards is commemorated through exhibits at the Currier Museum of Art and Manchester Historic Association.
Overall, Manchester developed a deep baseball card culture that spanned over a century. From the early local tobacco issues to the mid-20th century heyday of shops to today’s dedicated fan base, the city cemented its place in the history and tradition of what became America’s biggest hobby. Manchester’s impact may have been localized to New England, but it played an important role in the growth of baseball cards from a niche novelty to a mainstream collecting phenomenon.
