The History of Baseball Cards in Boise, Idaho
Baseball cards have a long and rich history in Boise, Idaho dating back over 100 years. While baseball was played in Boise as early as the 1890s, it wasn’t until the 1930s that baseball cards started gaining popularity among collectors in the city. Some of the earliest cards collected in Boise featured stars from the Negro Leagues like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, as well as legends from the early 20th century like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson.
As baseball grew in popularity nationwide following World War II, so too did the hobby of collecting baseball cards in Boise. Stores like Melaleuca Drug on Main Street and Fred Meyer began stocking wax packs of cards from Topps, Bowman, and other major manufacturers. Kids could be found trading and discussing their newest acquisitions on sidewalks, in schoolyards, and at local ballfields. Complete sets of the 1953 Topps cards were some of the most coveted possessions of boys in Boise during the 1950s.
In the 1960s, the city saw the rise of its first dedicated sports card shops. Ernie’s Sportscards opened its doors in 1964 downtown on Idaho Street. Run by Boise native Ernie Roberts, the small store helped grow the local card collecting community. Roberts organized the area’s first baseball card shows in 1967, drawing hundreds of collectors from across Idaho. Top stars of that era like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax were highly sought after by collectors in Boise.
The 1970s marked the golden age of sports card collecting in Boise. New shops like Statmaster Sportscards and Northwest Trading Cards catered to the booming hobby. More and more kids in the city collected and traded cards, filling shoeboxes and basements with their treasures. The rise of stars like Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan, and George Brett made 1970s cards especially popular. In 1974, Boise even played host to one of the first national sports card conventions, drawing over 1,000 attendees to the city.
In the 1980s, baseball card collecting in Boise reached new heights. Upper Deck, Donruss, and Fleer joined Topps as the major manufacturers. Rooftop shops and showcases sprouted up around town to meet demand. Stars of the decade like Ozzie Smith, Wade Boggs, and Roger Clemens were highly collected in Boise. The city’s card shops also capitalized on the boom in trading card values, with unopened wax boxes and rare vintage cards fetching high prices. Two local entrepreneurs even founded Idaho Sports Cards Inc. in 1981 to publish their own regional baseball card sets featuring Boise area players.
The 1990s saw national chains like Collector’s Universe and Sportscards Plus open locations in Boise. Their huge inventories catered to collectors seeking rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Pedro Martinez. The rise of the internet also allowed Boise collectors easier access to the national and vintage card markets. Sites like eBay fueled renewed interest in collecting older cardboard from the city’s past. Boise native and MLB star Barry Zito, who broke in with the Oakland A’s in the late 90s, was a highly collected hometown hero.
In the 2000s and 2010s, while print runs declined, baseball card collecting remained popular among Boise residents both young and old. The opening of Memory Lane Comics, Cards, and Collectibles in 2006 provided a dedicated hub for the local hobby scene. Stores offered chase cards of modern stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Mookie Betts to collectors. Vintage card shows and National Sports Collectors Conventions continued drawing Boise attendees seeking pieces of history from their childhood collections and beyond.
Today, baseball card collecting remains an integral part of Boise’s sports culture and history. Local card shops help preserve the legacy of the hobby that took root in the city over 75 years ago. While the stars and technologies have changed, the thrill of the chase and nostalgia of the cardboard remains as strong as ever for collectors in the City of Trees. Boise’s baseball card history serves as a reminder of how the city’s love for America’s pastime extended beyond the ballpark outfield into collectibles and memories that have lasted generations.
