Baseball cards have a long history in America dating back to the late 1800s. While the hobby took off nationwide in the post-World War II era, the tropical island locale of Key West, Florida developed its own unique baseball card culture and tradition over the decades.
Located at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys, Key West was once a bustling port city known for fishing, cigar manufacturing, and tourism. In the early 1900s, it also became something of a spring training hotspot for major league baseball teams seeking warm weather locations to prepare for the upcoming season. Teams like the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds would all hold spring camps in Key West at various points in the early to mid-20th century.
This exposure to major league ballplayers no doubt helped foster an interest in the sport among local residents. It wasn’t until the postwar collecting boom of the late 1940s and 1950s that baseball cards truly took off in Key West. Youngsters would eagerly await the arrival of new packs of cards at corner drugstores, five-and-dime stores, and cigar shops around town. Popular brands included Bowman, Topps, and Fleer.
Like kids across the country, Key West youths enjoyed swapping and trading duplicates with friends to complete their sets. The island’s isolation and small population meant finding certain hard-to-get cards could be a challenge. This led to a vibrant local trading culture, with want lists posted on community bulletin boards and ad hoc trading sessions held on weekends at places like Higgs Beach.
Over time, some Key West natives developed reputations as the best traders and “card sharks” around. One legendary figure was Jimmy “Cardz” Ferreira, who was renowned throughout the lower Keys for always having the rarest vintage cards to offer in trades. He amassed a collection said to number in the tens of thousands before his passing in the 1980s.
In the 1960s and 70s, Key West saw an influx of counterculture figures and icons like Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams calling the island home. This bohemian atmosphere was reflected in the local baseball card scene as well. Weekly games of “Skoal Baseball,” where cards were dipped in chewing tobacco juice and wagered on rolling dice outcomes, took place under the banyan trees in Truman Annex.
Meanwhile, enterprising young businessmen looked to capitalize on the baseball card fad. Shops like Ernie’s Sports Cards and Cigars and The Dugout opened in the historic Old Town district, stocking the latest releases, commons for building sets, and vintage finds in glass display cases. Ernie’s in particular became a popular weekend hangout, hosting tournaments and giveaways through the 1970s and 80s.
As the national collecting boom faded in the late 80s, Key West’s scene entered more of a lull. The tropical tourist destination was rediscovered by snowbirds and nostalgia-minded travelers in the 90s and 2000s. This coincided with the rise of the internet making long-distance trading and networking much easier. Sites like SportsCollectorsDaily and Blowout Cards featured forums where Key West collectors could virtually extend their reach.
Today, baseball card collecting remains a niche but vibrant pastime in the Florida Keys. Local shops like Good News Book Store and Coffee still stock new releases and provide a meeting place. The Key West Tropical Baseball Card Show, held each February, draws collectors from across the state for a weekend of trading, auctions, and reminiscing. Meanwhile, the descendants of pioneers like Jimmy Ferreira still surface vintage Keys finds that amaze.
Through over a century of ups and downs, baseball cards have been a constant thread woven into the cultural fabric of this unique island community. Whether connecting through face-to-face swaps on the beach or virtually worldwide, the hobby continues to bring Key West collectors together and preserve fond memories of America’s pastime.
