Baseball cards have been an integral part of the game and culture of baseball for over 150 years. While the modern baseball card collecting hobby began in the late 19th century in the United States, the history of baseball cards in Barrie, Ontario has its own unique story spanning several decades.
Some of the earliest baseball cards produced in North America came out in the late 1880s from companies like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge tobacco cards. These early tobacco insert cards helped popularize and spread the game of baseball across the continent. While it’s unclear exactly when the first baseball cards made their way to Barrie, Ontario, it’s very possible locals were enjoying collecting and trading these early cards in the late 1800s as the sport began gaining popularity.
One of the first documented organized baseball teams in Barrie was the Barrie Athletic Club, which was playing as early as the 1890s. As the game took root in the town, it’s reasonable to assume local youth were starting to collect cards featuring their favorite big league players and teams during this period. Production of baseball cards slowed in the early 1900s after tobacco companies shifted promotions.
The modern baseball card collecting craze is generally considered to have started in 1909 with the hugely popular and iconic T206 tobacco card series issued by the American Tobacco Company. Featuring all the biggest stars of the day like Ty Cobb, Cy Young, and Honus Wagner, these colorful and beautifully designed cards helped spark a new wave of interest in collecting across North America. By this time, baseball had truly taken hold in Barrie with the formation of more organized amateur and semi-pro teams around the turn of the century.
In the 1910s and 1920s, Barrie was home to several thriving semi-pro and factory-sponsored baseball teams that competed in various regional leagues. Popular brands like Christie’s Biscuits and Barrie Foundry fielded competitive squads. This helped grow the local passion for the game of baseball in the community. During this golden age of early 20th century baseball cards from companies like T206, M101-5, and others, collecting mania was surely in full swing among Barrie’s youthful fanbase.
Local general stores like J.J. Turner’s and J.A. McLean’s would have stocked the latest packs of cards to sell. Meanwhile, the bustling trading card market allowed kids to swap and discuss their collections on playgrounds and in schoolyards. Some of the most coveted cards depicting legendary players of the deadball era like Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson were no doubt treasures to early Barrie collectors.
In the 1930s and 1940s, production of baseball cards ramped up significantly from companies like Goudey, Play Ball, and Leaf. These decades marked baseball’s rise as the national pastime in North America. In Barrie, the sport’s popularity continued growing stronger thanks to the emergence of more organized minor league and junior-level baseball. The Barrie Greyhounds played in the Ontario Baseball Association from 1934 to 1950.
Young Barrie fans in the 1930s and 40s were now able to find baseball cards much more readily at corner stores, drug stores and specialty sports card shops. Leaders Candy Store was a popular haunt for kids to pick up the latest packs of Goudey gum or Play Ball candy to hunt for stars like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams or Bob Feller. Meanwhile, the booming trading market allowed collectors to pursue complete sets by swapping duplicates with friends at school, the park or local card shows.
In the postwar 1950s, Topps emerged as the dominant baseball card company launching the modern era of the hobby. Their innovative design and wider distribution helped cards truly explode in popularity among Barrie’s youth. Little leagues and sandlot games were in full swing, fueling passion for collecting cards of heroes like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and early Blue Jays stars. By this time, Barrie even had its own semi-pro club, the Barrie Flyers, who played until 1959.
The 1960s saw the rise of many other competitive teams in Barrie like the Majors, Braves and Cubs providing local heroes for fans to collect. Ira Needles Sports Cards opened in 1965 as one of the first dedicated sports card shops in the city, satisfying demand. The 1970s arrival of the likes of Donruss, Fleer and Score in the marketplace created a boom in collecting. In 1973, the opening of the new Parkway Mall brought the hugely popular Sports Card World to attract collectors from across Simcoe County.
Through the 1980s trading card boom years led by Star, Donruss and Fleer, Barrie saw many card shops thrive. Establishments like The Sports Card Shop and Collector’s Corner catered to collectors pursuing rookies of future Hall of Famers like Cal Ripken Jr. The 1990 Upper Deck set launched ultra-premium cards and parallels that took collecting to new heights. By this time, Barrie was producing its own stars in the Blue Jays system like Homer Bush and Rob Butler.
In the 1990s, the sports card industry exploded with innovations, short prints, and autograph cards chasing huge profits. This fueled even more intense collecting passions among Barrie’s youth. The 2000s saw a rise in memorabilia cards and serial-numbered relic inserts. Popular Barrie shops like The Sports Card Shoppe and Collector’s Cache satisfied local fans pursuing pieces of their favorite Blue Jays like Roy Halladay.
Today, while the marketplace has contracted, the hobby remains strong. Barrie collectors can be found at card shows across Ontario, chasing the latest parallels and prospects in the Blue Jays system. Local shops like Collector’s Cache and The Trading Post provide a hub for the community. And in 2022, Barrie will open its long awaited baseball hall of fame and museum to honor the rich history of the game in the city and preserve memories for future generations through its archives of cards, photos and memorabilia.
Over its 150 year history in Barrie, the baseball card collecting hobby has grown into a cherished pastime that has connected generations of fans to their favorite players and teams. It has helped spread the popularity of America’s national pastime to new heights in the city. Barrie’s card collectors can look back with pride at the rich legacy and memories they have built throughout the decades.
