The small suburb of Lisle, Illinois has deep roots in the history of baseball cards. While the modern baseball card collecting hobby began in the late 19th century, Lisle in particular developed a strong local scene for card collecting and dealing in the mid-20th century.
Some of the earliest baseball card collectors and dealers in Lisle trace their start in the hobby back to the late 1940s and 1950s. During this time, the production of baseball cards exploded with the entry of new manufacturers like Topps. Kids across the country were discovering the joys of collecting cards of their favorite players and swapping duplicates with friends. In Lisle, a tight-knit group of young collectors began to emerge, holding neighborhood card shows and meets in local parks and recreation centers.
Two brothers, Jim and Bob Davis, are widely considered to be among the pioneering baseball card collectors in Lisle. Starting in 1949 at the ages of 10 and 8, they began religiously collecting cards and amassing large collections, especially focusing on stars from the 1940s and 1950s. They became knowledgeable about the values of rare cards and variations. By the late 1950s, the Davis brothers had outgrown simply collecting and had started a small dealing business, buying collections from other local collectors and selling duplicates or high-value cards.
Their basement became one of the first informal card shops in Lisle. Other early collectors like Frank Miller and the Thompson brothers would come by the Davis home on weekends, engaging in trades and purchases. Word spread quickly among the tight-knit Lisle card collecting community about the Davises’ basement “shop.” This helped foster the growth of the local scene. Throughout the 1960s, the Davis brothers expanded their inventory and customer base, cementing their place as pioneers of the hobby in Lisle.
As the 1960s progressed, baseball card collecting surged to new heights across America with the advent of color photographs on cards and the expansion of the major leagues. In Lisle, dedicated card shops began to emerge as formal businesses to meet the growing demand. In 1967, Artie’s Sportscards became the first licensed card shop in Lisle, opening in a small storefront on Main Street. Run by Arthur “Artie” Wilson, it catered heavily to the needs of collectors, stocking unopened packs, boxes of cards for sorting, and maintaining an extensive inventory of singles for sale.
Artie’s quickly became a popular weekend destination for collectors from not only Lisle but the entire surrounding region. People would flock to the shop for the latest card releases, to trade with other collectors, and get valuations from Artie on their collections. It fostered a true card-collecting community. Artie became renowned for his expertise and fair dealer prices, cementing his place as a pioneer of the sports memorabilia business in Lisle. Artie’s Sportscards thrived for over 20 years on Main Street.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, additional card shops opened in Lisle to meet the ballooning demand, like Chuck’s Cards and Bob’s Sportscards. They joined Artie’s in sponsoring local card shows that drew hundreds of collectors. Lisle truly became a hub for the pastime, with its close-knit collecting community and high concentration of dedicated card shops. Major events like the release of the iconic 1975 Topps set were cause for celebration. The shops stayed busy buying and selling as values skyrocketed on stars like Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan.
As the 1980s drew to a close, the baseball card market experienced major fluctuations that impacted shops. The overproduction of cards in the late 1980s caused a price crash. Though the market stabilized, rising costs of doing business led to the closure of Chuck’s Cards and Bob’s Sportscards in the early 1990s. Only Artie’s Sportscards remained, having proven to be the stalwart of the industry in Lisle. Through recessions and market swings, Artie’s commitment to his customers saw it prosper as the last major card shop standing.
In 2001, Artie Wilson made the tough decision to close Artie’s Sportscards after 34 successful years, citing his desire to retire. It was the end of an era for the baseball card industry in Lisle. Collectors mourned the loss of their beloved shop while celebrating Artie’s pivotal role in growing the hobby locally for decades. Today, the rich history of Lisle’s baseball card scene lives on in the memories of collectors who gather occasionally at local shops and shows to reminisce. Names like the Davis brothers, Artie Wilson, and their pioneering shops are forever etched into the story of America’s favorite pastime within the community of Lisle, Illinois.
