Baseball cards have long been a popular collectible item across America. As Las Vegas grew into a major tourist destination starting in the mid-20th century, it was only natural that baseball card collecting would find its way to the Strip. Over the past several decades, the casinos, hotels, and attractions along Las Vegas Boulevard have played host to numerous baseball card conventions, memorabilia stores, and displays highlighting some of the rarest and most valuable cards in existence.
One of the earliest establishments to showcase baseball cards on the Strip was the Stardust Resort and Casino, which opened in 1958. The Stardust became known for its impressive collections of pop culture memorabilia, including autographed balls, bats, jerseys, photographs and, of course, vintage baseball cards. In the 1960s, the Stardust began holding annual sports memorabilia shows that would draw collectors from across the country. Several of the earliest major baseball card conventions were held at the Stardust, helping expose Las Vegas to the growing hobby.
As Las Vegas continued to expand in the 1970s, more hotels got in on displaying baseball collectibles. The Dunes hotel-casino had a sports memorabilia gallery for many years that was a popular attraction. The Aladdin Resort and Casino featured memorabilia from various sports in its casino area. Perhaps most notably, in 1979 billionaire hotel magnate Steve Wynn opened the Las Vegas Hilton hotel (now the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino). The Hilton had one of the first baseball card shops located within a Strip hotel. Operated by J.W. Sportscards, the shop gave visitors easy access to buying, selling, and trading cards amid their gambling excursions.
The 1980s saw additional baseball card conventions come to town. In 1984, the largest card show ever at that time was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drawing over 10,000 attendees. That same decade, the Imperial Palace hotel began hosting an annual National Sports Collectors Convention that featured extensive baseball card displays and signings by legendary players. Meanwhile, the Dunes and Stardust continued holding their own memorabilia shows. With so much activity, Las Vegas was fast becoming one of the top destinations nationwide for card collectors and dealers to congregate.
As the memorabilia industry grew in the 1990s, more specialized baseball card shops opened up and down the Strip. The Stratosphere Casino Hotel had a sports collectibles store for a number of years. The Las Vegas Hilton expanded its card business into a full memorabilia superstore. And the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino launched a sports collectibles gallery within its casino. Some of the rarest baseball cards ever found also exchanged hands in Las Vegas during this decade, such as a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card that sold for over $500,000.
In the 2000s, several new baseball card conventions set up shop in Las Vegas. The National Sports Collectors Convention continued at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Card Show began holding two annual events each year that occupied the entire Las Vegas Convention Center. These massive shows would see hundreds of dealers and tens of thousands of collectors descend on the city. Memorabilia stores also proliferated with joints like the Las Vegas Sports Card Company, the Sports Card Shop, and the Baseball Card Exchange operating prominently on the Strip.
The past decade has seen a few changes but baseball cards have remained deeply ingrained in the Las Vegas culture. While some shops have closed, others like the Sports Card Shop have endured for decades. Several Strip casinos like New York-New York and Planet Hollywood have maintained rotating baseball memorabilia exhibits. Meanwhile, conventions keep drawing collectors to town in huge numbers. The National Sports Collectors Convention remains one of the largest and most prestigious annual events for meeting dealers, finding rare pieces, and participating in big-money auctions.
Over the past 60+ years the casinos, hotels and attractions on the Las Vegas Strip have played a major role in the growth of baseball card collecting and dealing. Through prominent shops, impressive displays, and massive conventions, Las Vegas has truly become one of the epicenters for the baseball memorabilia industry. Its vibrant tourist economy and central location in the American Southwest have made it an ideal place for collectors and dealers to regularly congregate. And with new generations discovering the hobby every year, baseball cards figure to remain closely intertwined with the entertainment capital of Las Vegas for many years to come.
