Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 130 years and Honolulu has its own rich history with the hobby. Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 1880s by companies like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge tobacco brands. These cardboard inserts featured individual players on teams from across North America.
It was in the late 19th century when baseball really took off in popularity in Hawaii. The first documented baseball game was played in Honolulu in 1879 and the sport grew steadily from there. Leagues were formed and games were regularly played at places like Waterhouse Field in downtown Honolulu in the early 1900s. Naturally, as baseball grew in popularity locally, so did the desire of Hawaiian youth to collect cards of their favorite players and teams.
One of the first major baseball card sets featuring prominent Honolulu players was the 1909-11 T206 tobacco brand series. This iconic set included cards of infielders Walter “Wally” Yokum and Walter “Jud” Wilson, who both played for the semipro Honolulu Baseball Club in the late 1900s and early 1910s. Finding high grade examples of their scarce cards in local collections is a real treat for Hawaii-based baseball memorabilia enthusiasts.
In the 1920s, Goudey and other gum and candy companies began producing colorful, larger baseball cards as premiums. Many local drug stores and corner markets in Honolulu sold these products and cards quickly became one of the most popular youth pastimes in the territory. Kids would swap, trade and track down rare players at school, the beach, ball games and more. Two Honolulu native sons who had cards in 1930s Goudey sets were pitcher Leo Kekipi and catcher Johnny Ritchey, who each had cups of coffee in the majors.
During World War II, Honolulu saw a huge influx of soldiers stationed in Hawaii through the 1940s. Baseball provided recreation and morale boosting as many military leagues and games were organized across Oahu. Naturally, the GI’s brought their baseball card collecting with them. This exposed many local children to the hobby who may not have been as familiar with it before. The war years are also when iconic sets like Play Ball and War Time cards featured additional Hawaii-connected players like Waianae native Howard Mahi.
In the post-war 1950s, Honolulu was booming as the city developed into a major Pacific port. Kids flocked to drug stores, dime stores and local card shops to buy the newest packs of Topps, Bowman and other brands. Sets from this golden era of cardboard like 1952 Topps, 1956 Topps and 1958 Topps are still popular among collectors and locals today. Hometown heroes with 1950s cards included pitcher-turned-politician Daniel Inouye and catcher-turned-coach George Kuakini.
The 1960s saw colorful, innovative designs from Topps like the 1964/65 issues that featured multi-layered cards and team/player checklists. This fueled the collector frenzy in Hawaii. In the 1970s, Honolulu card shops like Aloha Card World and Wailoa News Stand became institutions, selling new releases, unopened boxes and hosting active trading sessions. Local stars with 1970s cardboard included pitcher Dave Hudgens and infielder-turned-manager Walter “Skip” Schumaker.
In the 1980s, the introduction of sports card wax packs at supermarkets and convenience stores made collecting more accessible than ever before. Kids across Oahu could rip packs of Donruss, Fleer and Score on their way home from school. This was also when iconic rookie cards emerged for local heroes like pitcher-turned-coach Chad Cordero. In the 1990s, the sport card boom was in full swing. Honolulu saw the rise of national card shop chains like Sports Card Trader and shows drawing hundreds. Stars of the 1990s like pitcher Keoki Kamaka had their own rookie cards.
Today, baseball card collecting remains a popular pastime for many in Hawaii, young and old. While the sports memorabilia market fluctuates, dedicated collectors in Honolulu continue hunting for vintage cards of their favorite local players. Shops like Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and DaKine Sports Cards still host regular trading sessions. And the emergence of online groups has made it easier than ever for collectors across the islands to connect. Baseball cards hold a special place in Hawaii’s history and continue fueling the passion of fans today, just as they have for over 130 years.
