Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture since the late 19th century. While the hobby took off nationwide, certain cities and regions developed especially strong connections to collecting over the decades. One such community is Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas that became deeply immersed in the baseball card phenomenon from the 1960s onward.
Plano saw significant growth beginning in the postwar era as families moved to the area seeking affordable housing and job opportunities. As the population swelled, local businesses catered to the growing number of children and teenagers. Several shops opened in Plano specializing in trading cards of all varieties, but baseball in particular captured the imagination of many young collectors.
Two stores stood out as pioneers that helped foster Plano’s reputation as a hotbed for baseball card fandom and trading. Ernie’s Sport Cards was established in 1967 by Ernie Martinez, who stocked the latest packs and boxes along with individual cards available for trade or purchase. Kids could spend afternoons browsing the inventory, striking deals, and talking shop about the latest rookie sensations or record-setting performances. Within a few years, Ernie’s became a destination shop that drew collectors from across North Texas.
Another seminal store was Baseball Card Exchange, founded in 1975 by former minor league player Bob Wilson. His shop on 15th Street specialized not just in new product but also maintained a vast archive of older cardboard that collectors sought to fill out sets or find elusive gems. Wilson nurtured relationships with suppliers, enabling him to get scarce vintage materials that kept collectors coming back regularly to search for hidden treasures. Both Ernie’s and Baseball Card Exchange played pivotal roles in cultivating the pastime as Plano’s young fanbase matured.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Plano developed a well-earned reputation as a hub where dedicated collectors from around the region would converge for weekend trading events. Local card shows drew hundreds at venues like the Plano Centre and Plano East Senior High School, as aficionados perused tables displaying collections for sale or swap. It was common to encounter notable dealers who traveled between major cities, recognizing Plano as a can’t-miss stop. The thriving scene also produced champion traders who learned the ins and outs of valuation, negotiation, and completing sets through constant interaction.
As the population continued growing through the 80s, card shops proliferated to serve demand. Stores like Great American Card Shop and Plano Sports Cards joined the fray, stocking an array of sports along with non-sports options like Star Wars and Garbage Pail Kids. Meanwhile, Ernie’s and Baseball Card Exchange maintained their status as institutions. The shops nurtured generations of young collectors just discovering the hobby as well as hardcore enthusiasts constantly seeking to better their collections. Both remained family-owned operations for decades.
The baseball card boom of the late 80s and early 90s was a pinnacle era that saw Plano at the white-hot center of the frenzy. Rookie stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds generated unprecedented excitement. Mega-shops opened to capitalize on surging interest, like Great American which expanded into a 10,000 square foot mega-store. Production increased exponentially to meet demand, with new sets released at a dizzying pace along with oddball issues and parallels. For a time, Plano stores had some of the best early access to coveted products before wider distribution.
As the 90s progressed, the bubble that had driven unrealistic prices started to burst. Fewer kids took up the hobby as alternative pastimes rose in popularity. Stores consolidated or closed as the market contracted. By the 2000s, just a handful of shops remained including Ernie’s and Baseball Card Exchange, catering more to adult collectors seeking nostalgia as the youth market continued dwindling. Both patriarchs, Ernie Martinez and Bob Wilson, passed in the 2010s having left an indelible mark.
While the heyday store count is long gone, Plano preserves its legacy as a historic hub. Ernie’s lives on under new ownership, still dealing cards and hosting events decades after opening. Online groups like “Plano Sports Cards” on Facebook have thousands of members, many alumni collectors, serving as modern forums. Plano natives who came of age in the golden era remain deeply passionate about the cardboard connection to their hometown roots. The city enthusiastically supported the National Baseball Hall of Fame when it established an exhibit honoring the history and impact of baseball cards. In Plano, the hobby retains a cherished place in the community’s identity, a legacy pioneered by visionary locals who built thriving shops and nurtured generations of devoted collectors.
