Baseball Cards in Lancaster, California
Lancaster, located in the high desert region of northern Los Angeles County, may seem an unlikely hotbed for baseball card collecting and trading. The town has developed a vibrant local scene centered around its card shops and shows. With a population of over 150,000 people, Lancaster has developed a solid collector base and the shops catering to them have thrived for decades.
One of the longest running and most well known card shops in Lancaster is Bob’s Baseball Cards, which opened in 1990. Located on West Lancaster Boulevard, Bob’s Baseball Cards is a spacious store featuring rows of long tables where customers can carefully examine cards, talk shop with other collectors, and work deals. Owner Bob Johnson got into the card business after retiring from a career as an electrician. He saw potential to serve the growing collector community in Lancaster and the surrounding Antelope Valley.
Over 30 years later, Bob’s Baseball Cards remains a popular gathering spot seven days a week. In addition to carrying tens of thousands of individual cards and sets available for sale from the 1950s to present day, Bob’s hosts trading card shows almost every weekend. These Saturday and Sunday shows bring in dealers from across Southern California to buy, sell, and trade with customers. Vendors pay a small table fee to set up shop for the day and move cardboard. According to Johnson, the shows reliably draw 200-300 attendees each weekend looking for deals.
While Bob’s Baseball Cards may be the biggest name, it’s not the only game in town. Just a few miles east on Lancaster Boulevard is All-Star Sportscards, which opened in 2005. Owners Gary and Melissa Rhodes got into the business after Gary’s retirement from the aerospace industry. Like Bob’s, All-Star Sportscards has a spacious storefront and hosts frequent card shows that keep the local hobby economy thriving. The shops compete but also support each other, knowing they both help grow the collector base in Lancaster.
In addition to the brick and mortar stores, Lancaster collectors also trade heavily online. Social media groups like “Lancaster Baseball Card Collectors” on Facebook have over 1,000 members actively making deals. Buy/sell/trade posts for individual cards, sets and entire collections are common. Local collectors also meet up for informal trading sessions at parks, coffee shops and other public places. While eBay remains big for moving high end cards, the local Facebook groups have become an efficient way for collectors of all levels to swap duplicates and find affordable deals close to home.
The roots of Lancaster’s baseball card scene can be traced to the 1970s, when the first collectors started to emerge during the sport’s hottest vintage era. As the hobby grew nationwide in subsequent decades, it also took hold locally. Lancaster is centrally located relative to Los Angeles and other Southern California card hotbeds like Orange County. Its affordable real estate also attracted families who brought card collecting hobbies with them. Today, multi-generational card collecting families are common around Lancaster.
Some key Lancaster collectors have developed strong vintage collections over the decades. For example, one local who wished to remain anonymous owns what is considered one of the finest Mickey Mantle rookie card collections in existence, including examples from 1952, 1953 and 1956 Topps in pristine condition. While he doesn’t sell individual cards, he does consign group lots to the local shops and shows from time to time. Another well known local is Bob S., who has pieced together complete vintage sets from the 1950s and 1960s, including several 1959 Topps sets which are among the most coveted and valuable in the hobby.
The strong local collector community in turn supports events like the Lancaster Summer Classic, an enormous 1,000 table card show held each July at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. The show draws dealers from across the country and is one of the biggest west of the Mississippi River. While the pandemic cancelled the 2020 edition, past years have seen 5,000-7,000 attendees over two packed days of trading. For serious collectors, it’s become a must-attend summer destination.
With no signs of slowing, Lancaster’s baseball card scene looks poised to keep thriving. Younger collectors are now emerging, keeping the multi-generational tradition alive. While online platforms offer global reach, the local shops, shows, and social circles provide IRL community. For Lancaster collectors, it’s as much about the social aspect as the cardboard itself. As long as that spirit endures, baseball cards will remain an integral part of the Antelope Valley culture.
