Baseball cards have been a beloved hobby for collectors across the United States for decades. As America’s pastime, baseball has captured fans’ imaginations through both watching the game and collecting related memorabilia like cards. Fayetteville, North Carolina has a rich history with baseball and a thriving baseball card collecting community today.
Located in the southeastern part of the state, Fayetteville is home to over 200,000 residents and has long supported both amateur and professional baseball. One of the earliest minor league teams was the Fayetteville Highlanders who played from 1915-1917. They were followed by teams like the Fayetteville Broncos (1920s), Fayetteville Cubs (1930s-1950s), and Fayetteville Generals (1960s-1980s) who played in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer league.
With this baseball heritage, it’s no surprise that collecting cards featuring both local minor league players and major leaguers took off in Fayetteville. Some of the first shops to deal in cards included Hobby Haven, Sports Cards Plus, and Showcase Cards which opened in the 1980s-1990s. They hosted tournaments, sold new and vintage packs/boxes, and provided a place for collectors of all ages to meet, trade, and talk baseball.
These shops helped grow the hobby during the peak of the baseball card boom in the late 80s-90s fueled by sets from Fleer, Topps, and Donruss. Kids in Fayetteville could often be found riding their bikes to the local card shop, spending their allowance on the newest packs, and hoping for a big hit like a Ken Griffey Jr rookie card. The shops also sold unopened cases of sets to more serious adult collectors.
While the baseball card market cooled in the early 2000s, it remained a popular pastime in Fayetteville. Card shows started being held regularly, drawing collectors from throughout North Carolina and beyond. Some of the largest and longest running in the area have been the Fayetteville Card Show (since 1990s), Cape Fear Card Show (since 2000s), and All-American Card Show (since 2010s). Vendors fill convention centers and hotel ballrooms hawking their wares.
In addition to buying, selling, and trading, the local scene in Fayetteville is focused on several specialty areas. One is collecting cards of former Fayetteville minor league players who went on to the majors such as Cliff Lee, Jake Arrieta, and Trea Turner. Another is University of North Carolina and North Carolina State players’ cards since the schools are located nearby. Autograph and memorabilia cards signed by Tar Heels and Wolfpack alumnae are in high demand.
Fayetteville is also home to dedicated card shops that have thrived in the resurgence of the hobby over the last decade. Cardzania opened in 2010 and features an extensive inventory of new and vintage baseball, football, basketball, and non-sports cards as well as supplies. They host regular events, are an official League Sports Collectibles dealer, and have knowledgeable staff to assist collectors. Other prominent shops include All Star Cards and Comics (opened 2015) and Showcase Cards (opened 1980s, reopened 2020).
Online, the Fayetteville card collecting community connects through sites like Sports Card Forum and Facebook groups. Members sell and trade with each other, discuss the latest releases, show off their collections, and share their favorite Fayetteville baseball memories. While the internet has changed some aspects of the hobby, it’s brought collectors even closer together across the world with a shared interest in baseball cards and the city’s rich baseball roots.
With its long history of minor league baseball and strong local card shops and shows, Fayetteville, North Carolina remains a hotbed for the baseball card collecting hobby. Both casual fans and serious investors can find what they’re looking for to build their collections celebrating America’s favorite pastime on the field and in memorabilia form. Its vibrant community ensures the tradition of collecting cards from the city’s amateur and pro players will continue strong for generations to come.
