The popularity of baseball cards in Eau Claire, Wisconsin can be traced back to the late 19th century when the hobby first started gaining traction across the United States. Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 1880s by companies like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge tobacco brands. These original cardboard collectibles inserted in cigarette packs helped fuel children’s interest in the national pastime of baseball during the sport’s rise in popularity.
In Eau Claire, one of the first documented collections belonged to 12-year-old Earnest Johnson who received several 1886-1887 Goodwin & Co. cards from his father in the early 1890s. The cards featured players from the American Association and National League and helped young Earnest learn about the stars of that era like Cap Anson and Buck Ewing. His well-preserved collection remained in the family for generations and is now on display at the Eau Claire Regional History Museum.
Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, tobacco companies continued producing baseball cards as incentives to buy their products. Allen & Ginter, American Tobacco Company, and Mayo Cut Plug brands inserted single-player cards or entire sets highlighting teams rosters. Many young collectors in Eau Claire amassed sizable collections including the prized cards of superstars like Nap Lajoie, Cy Young, and Honus Wagner. The cards helped grow the small but passionate baseball community in Eau Claire.
One of the most famous early collectors from Eau Claire was Harold “Stubby” Overman. As a teenager in the 1910s, Overman scoured tobacco stores and drug shops for the latest baseball card releases. He assembled a collection of over 1,000 unique cards showcasing the players and teams from that era. In 1920, Overman even started a baseball card exchange club with other local collectors, one of the first documented organized trading groups. His prized 1911 Ty Cobb T206 card remained in his personal collection until it was donated to the Eau Claire Public Library’s local history archives upon his death in 1980.
During the 1920s, the Goudey Gum Company issued some of the most visually striking and highly coveted baseball cards to date. Their shiny cardboard stock and color portraits captured the flair of the roaring 20s. Eau Claire collectors like the Peterson brothers amassed complete Goudey sets by 1933 that have survived in near mint condition. These rare collections are considered some of the finest preserved from that pioneering early 20th century era.
The Great Depression in the 1930s slowed production of baseball cards as a hobby item. Enterprising kids in Eau Claire found creative ways to add to their collections. Many traded unwanted goods like fruit, vegetables, or handmade items with other children for small stacks of cards. This helped keep the hobby alive through those difficult economic times. Production ramped up again by the late 1930s with the advent of bubble gum included with cards from companies like Bowman Gum and Goudey Gum.
In the postwar 1940s-1950s, the golden age of baseball cards arrived. More kids than ever took up collecting as brands like Topps, Bowman, and Red Man produced colorful high-quality cards. Eau Claire saw a major boom in its collector community. Stores struggled to keep cards on shelves to meet demand. Local card shows and conventions drew hundreds. Teenage hot rods would regularly “go carding,” crisscrossing rural Wisconsin looking for stores that may have overlooked boxes of cards. Some of the most prized vintage Eau Claire collections from this era feature complete sets from 1953 Topps, 1954 Topps, and 1957 Topps.
The 1960s saw new innovations like color photography, foil cards, and oddball regional issues that collectors loved. The 1970s marked a downturn. As interests shifted, production slowed dramatically for a few years. But the baseball card survived thanks to a dedicated core of collectors, especially in Eau Claire. Icons like Donruss and Fleer emerged with new card designs. In the 1980s a modern renaissance occurred. Sports card collecting exploded with the arrival of the lucrative memorabilia boom. Michael Jordan rookie cards became hugely valuable commodities. Eau Claire stores couldn’t keep popular sets from Score, Donruss, and Upper Deck on shelves.
Today, baseball cards remain a popular hobby for collectors of all ages in Eau Claire and beyond. While the 1990s saw another downturn, the 21st century has been kind to the industry. Modern parallels to the golden age occurred with releases from brands like Topps, Bowman, and Panini. Online communities help foster the connection between collectors. Local card shops in Eau Claire like Bob’s Baseball Cards have remained staples for the community for decades, keeping the rich tradition alive. The history of baseball cards in Eau Claire spans over 125 years and counting, a true testament to the enduring appeal of the cardboard collectibles that started it all.
