Baseball cards have been an iconic part of American culture for over a century. While the hobby took off nationally in the late 19th century, the history of baseball cards in Dubuque, Iowa dates back to the earliest days of the collecting craze. Dubuque has long had a special connection to the hobby through its local production of cards as well as the collectors who have flourished there over the decades.
Some of the first baseball cards produced in Dubuque came from the Dubuque Card Company in the 1890s. One of their early sets from 1891 featured stars like Cap Anson and Dan Brouthers. While production was small, these early Dubuque-made cards helped fuel the growing national interest in collecting players on card stock. They proved baseball cards could be a profitable product for local manufacturers.
In the early 20th century, two Dubuque companies really took baseball card production to another level – the Dubuque Cigarette & Tobacco Company and the Dubuque Collector Card Company. The Dubuque Cigarette & Tobacco Company included baseball cards in packs of cigarettes beginning in 1909. Their cards featured stars from both major leagues and helped turn collecting into a mainstream hobby. Meanwhile, the Dubuque Collector Card Company issued sets featuring only National League players from 1909-1911. These sets are now highly sought after by collectors.
As the decades progressed, Dubuque developed a vibrant baseball card collecting community. Local card shops like Dave’s Sportscards, which opened in 1960, fueled the growth of collectors. They stocked the latest releases and provided a place for collectors of all ages to trade, sell and discuss their collections. Dubuque also became home to some of the Midwest’s first large card shows, further exposing locals to the hobby. Major shows were held regularly in the city from the 1970s onward.
Two native Dubuquers went on to make major contributions to the hobby on a national level. Bill Mastro is considered one of the premier vintage baseball card authenticators and graders in the industry through his Mastro Net Auctions. Meanwhile, Jeff Sheldon authored seminal guidebooks and checklists that helped catalog sets from the early 20th century, including many of the rare Dubuque-issued cards. Both collectors got their start in Dubuque and remain passionate about preserving the city’s baseball card history.
In the modern era, Dubuque has seen the rise of prominent local collectors. John Sendelbach has amassed one of the finest private collections of Dubuque-issued tobacco cards in the country. His exhaustive research has provided new details about production timelines and variations. Meanwhile, Mike and Jenifer Lansing have become leading dealers of vintage cards through their company, Past Time Cards. They’ve worked to keep many rare Dubuque cards in the local collecting community.
Dubuque also hosts an annual National Baseball Card Day event that is a major attraction. Held each August at the Grand River Center, it brings in dealers, authenticators and thousands of collectors from across Iowa and Illinois. The free event features exhibits on baseball card history, an autograph area and opportunities to meet industry professionals. It helps connect both longtime and new collectors to the hobby.
While national companies produce today’s modern card sets, Dubuque’s history in the industry remains a point of local pride. Museums like the National Baseball Hall of Fame regularly display cards from those early Dubuque manufacturers. The story of how this small Iowa city contributed to the growth of America’s favorite collecting pastime will continue to be shared with collectors worldwide. Dubuque cementing its place in baseball card history ensures the hobby stays an important part of the community’s cultural fabric.
