CVS and Baseball Cards: A History of the Collection
CVS pharmacies have been a destination for baseball card collectors and traders for decades. Walking through the aisles of any CVS reveals racks filled with the latest baseball card releases from Topps, Panini, Leaf and others. But the relationship between CVS and the baseball card hobby runs much deeper than today’s product placement deals. Let’s take a look back at how CVS helped fuel the growth of baseball cards from the 1970s to today.
In the early 1970s, the baseball card boom was just beginning. Topps still reigned supreme as the lone mass producer of cards, but the hobby was growing beyond the pockets of just kids. As more adults started collecting, the demand increased for accessible retail locations to purchase packs and boxes. This is where CVS originally entered the scene. Known then as the Consumer Value Store, the pharmacy chain recognized an opportunity to carry baseball cards as a new impulse item at checkout.
CVS stocked the most basic assortment of Topps packs and wax boxes to appeal to casual collectors. Located next to the gum and candy, packs of 1971 Topps or 1972 Topps flew off the pegs. Kids stopping in for bandages and sodas would grab a few packs to rip open in the car. Adults refilling prescriptions might treat themselves to a wax box for their growing collections. In this way, CVS helped introduce baseball cards to new potential fans and collectors beyond the traditional sports card shop customer base.
Through the 1970s, CVS expanded their baseball card offerings annually to coincide with the new Topps Series 1, 2 and Update releases each spring and fall. As the decade progressed and interest grew, CVS added more premium products like high number packs and factory sets. This further established CVS as a go-to destination for the latest cardboard during the sport’s most exciting era, with stars like Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and Nolan Ryan achieving new levels of popularity both on and off the field.
By the 1980s, the baseball card market had exploded into a multimillion-dollar industry. Along with Topps’ dominance, competitors like Donruss entered the annual set race. Meanwhile, the arrival of sports specialty shops and card shows captured more serious collectors. However, CVS remained an accessible hub for the average fan just starting a collection or seeking an affordable rip. Stores nationwide stocked a wide assortment of the year’s Topps, Donruss and Fleer releases.
A key factor in CVS capturing such a large share of the baseball card market during this period was the pharmacy’s growth across America. With new locations sprouting up in strip malls from coast to coast, CVS placed itself directly in communities where interest in baseball was highest. This allowed the chain to effectively distribute the latest cardboard to an eager nationwide audience, whether in New York, Texas or California. It also exposed baseball cards to new potential collectors in regions like the South and Midwest as those areas became hotbeds for the sport.
Through the 1990s until today, CVS has endured as a reliable supplier of the yearly Topps Series 1 and 2 packs amidst an ever-changing sports card industry. While dedicated hobby shops cater more to serious collectors, CVS satisfies the casual fan looking to rip a few packs on a whim. The pharmacy chain also carries select offerings from brands like Leaf and Panini to appeal to those seeking something beyond Topps. Even as online retailers now dominate, walking through any CVS still transports collectors back to simpler times of browsing the candy aisle in search of cards.
In many ways, CVS helped spread the baseball card phenomenon from coast to coast starting in the 1970s. By stocking packs, boxes and sets in convenient locations nationwide, more communities experienced the thrill of the hobby. Even as specialized sports card shops arose, CVS ensured baseball cards remained an impulse purchase during routine shopping trips. This mass exposure through drugstore aisles undoubtedly helped grow interest in the sport itself. So the next time you peruse the baseball card racks at your local CVS, think of all the past collectors who first caught the bug browsing the same shelves decades ago. In the end, America’s love of baseball cards and America’s love of CVS proved a perfect pairing.
