The history of baseball cards in Houston is a long and rich one dating back to the late 19th century. Some of the earliest baseball cards featuring future Hall of Famers were collected by young boys in Houston long before the city even had a Major League team.
The first baseball cards began appearing in the late 1880s produced by tobacco companies as incentives to buy their products. These early tobacco cards featured individual players and were a novel collectible enjoyed by many youth. By the early 1900s, complete sets of tobacco cards would be released each year featuring players from both the National and American Leagues.
As the popularity of baseball grew throughout the first few decades of the 20th century, so too did the collecting of baseball cards in Houston. Multi-generational families would eagerly await the release of the new sets each season and trade valuable cards with friends and classmates. Entire neighborhoods would get together to sort through their collections, discussing the stats and exploits of their favorite players.
During this time, Houston was still considered a mid-sized city without a Major League franchise. The closest team was the St. Louis Cardinals over 500 miles to the north. However, Houstonians developed strong allegiances to various big league clubs like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs through following their stars on baseball cards.
In the 1950s, the hobby of baseball card collecting exploded in popularity across America thanks to the advent of bubblegum cards. Companies like Topps, Bowman, and Fleer began including a stick of gum with each pack which kids loved. Suddenly every child in Houston had baseball cards and was eager to collect full sets each year in the hopes of trading for ones they needed.
It was also in the 1950s that Houston was granted its first Major League team, the Colt .45s who would later become the Astros. Suddenly, Houstonians had a hometown team to pull for and collect cards of. Future Astros stars like Joe Morgan, Jimmy Wynn, and J.R. Richard all had their rookie cards issued during this time which are now highly valuable to collectors in Houston.
The 1960s saw the rise of the modern baseball card industry. Companies increased production and added innovative designs and stats on the backs of cards. Sets grew larger each year to include over 700 cards. The competition between Topps, Fleer, and others led to experimental issues and oddball sets that are now highly sought after by collectors. It was also a golden age for Houston Astros stars with legends like Nolan Ryan, Larry Dierker, and Jim Umbricht having their best seasons.
In the 1970s, collecting baseball cards became an international phenomenon. Whether it was the allure of the flashy designs on the 1970s Topps and Fleer issues or the dominance of the Cincinnati Big Red Machine and Bronx Bombers, kids in Houston were completely immersed in the hobby. The Astros also moved into the brand-new Astrodome and began stocking their roster with future Hall of Famers like Joe Morgan and Don Sutton who were highly collectible.
The 1980s saw the rise of premium and high-end baseball cards as collectors pursued rare and valuable vintage issues along with stars of the day like Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, and Rickey Henderson. In Houston, the Astros surprised the baseball world by winning the National League West title in 1980 and 1981 led by stars like Nolan Ryan and Joe Niekro. Their cards from that era remain popular with collectors today.
The late 1980s also heralded in a dark period known as the “Junk Wax Era” as overproduction by card companies led to sharply declining values. But even still, collecting in Houston continued strong with the emergence of stars like Glenn Davis and Craig Biggio keeping interest high through the 1990s.
Entering the 21st century, the baseball card industry had changed dramatically. Mega-companies like Upper Deck and Leaf entered the scene and collectors sought autographs, memorabilia cards, and serially-numbered parallels of stars new and old. Astros players like Jeff Bagwell, Roger Clemens, and Lance Berkman were highly collected during this time. The internet also allowed for easier collecting and trading worldwide.
Today, baseball card collecting remains an integral part of the sports culture in Houston. Both vintage and modern issues can be found at card shops, memorabilia stores, antique malls, and card shows around the city. Many of the most dedicated collectors pursue complete sets and stars from the team’s rich 55-year history including legends like J.R. Richard, Larry Dierker, Mike Scott, and Jeff Bagwell. With a new generation of young Astros stars emerging, the tradition of collecting Houston baseball cards looks poised to continue for decades to come.
