Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and fandom since the late 19th century. As baseball grew into America’s pastime, cards depicting players became popular collectibles and a way for fans to learn about their favorite teams and athletes. No city knows this history quite like Herkimer, New York, which became a hub for the production and collection of baseball cards in the mid-20th century.
Located in the Mohawk Valley region of New York, roughly an hour east of Syracuse, Herkimer had developed a strong manufacturing sector by the early 1900s. Several paper mills and printing presses operated in the city. In the post-World War II economic boom of the 1950s, these mills looked for new products and markets to enter. Inspired by the growing popularity of baseball cards among children and adults alike, some mills decided to get into the baseball card printing business.
One of the first was Topps Chewing Gum, Inc., which had been printing bubble gum-included baseball cards since 1951. In 1956, Topps opened a new production plant in Herkimer to handle growing demand and take advantage of the available manufacturing infrastructure. Over the next two decades, Topps would produce billions of baseball cards at this plant, employing hundreds of local residents. Other smaller regional companies also began printing baseball cards in Herkimer during this time.
The presence of major card producers in the area transformed Herkimer into a hotbed for baseball card collecting. Local hobby shops and newsstands stocked the latest releases, and collectors traded and discussed their collections with growing enthusiasm. In the summer of 1958, the first Herkimer County Baseball Card Collectors Club was founded with just 12 initial members. By the 1960s, membership had ballooned to over 200 as the hobby boomed in popularity.
The club organized meetings, shows, and conventions that drew collectors from all over New York and beyond. Major figures in the industry would sometimes visit to discuss new sets or sign autographs. Local businesses supported the club by sponsoring events or donating prizes. The club published its own newsletter to share updates and trade/sell listings. It became one of the most prominent card collecting organizations in the Northeast during baseball’s golden era.
In the late 1960s, Topps began supplementing production in Herkimer with new facilities in other states. The opening of the plant had been a major economic boost for the city, employing over 300 workers at its peak. The gradual reduction of card printing there was felt across the local economy. However, Herkimer’s status as a card collecting hub remained. Hobby shops stayed in business catering to the enthusiastic collector community that had been cultivated.
Annual card shows organized by the Herkimer club drew thousands of visitors each year looking to buy, sell, and trade. Vendors from all over the tri-state area came to peddle their wares. The 1970s saw a resurgence in baseball’s popularity that coincided with the rise of more sophisticated collectors pursuing complete sets and rare vintage cards. Fueled by this renewed interest, the Herkimer club’s membership rolls continued growing, peaking at over 500 members by the late 1970s.
As baseball card production increasingly moved offshore to take advantage of cheaper international labor in the 1980s, the local industry in Herkimer came to a close. The city’s legacy as a center for card collecting persists to this day. The Herkimer club remains active with around 300 members. Their bustling monthly meetings take place in the historic Herkimer County Historical Society building. Annual spring and fall shows still attract crowds of collectors from far and wide. Local shops like Doug’s Sportscards have been in business since the 1970s, catering to collectors both casually and seriously.
While the production side has faded, Herkimer’s deep roots in the hobby as the site of early card printing plants and a hub for collectors ensures its place in baseball card history. The enthusiastic community cultivated since the 1950s keeps the tradition alive for new generations. As one of the birthplaces of organized card collecting in America, Herkimer remains an important touchpoint for those fascinated by the intersection of sports, pop culture, and commerce through the lens of these iconic cardboard collectibles. Its legacy is cemented as baseball’s pastime became a serious hobby for many, and cards became a connection to the game beyond just the bubblegum inside.
