Baseball Cards in Longmont, Colorado: A History
Longmont, Colorado has a rich history with baseball cards dating back to the early 20th century. Some of the earliest baseball card collectors and dealers called Longmont home. Even today, the city continues to be a hub for baseball card collectors, traders, and businesses. Let’s take a look at the story of baseball cards in Longmont over the past century.
When the first mass-produced baseball cards hit the market in the late 1880s as inserts in cigarette packs and candy, the hobby started small but began gaining popularity across the United States in the early 1900s. One of the first serious baseball card collectors in Colorado was Longmont resident Harry Weber. Born in 1890, Harry became fascinated with the cards as a young boy and amassed one of the largest collections in the state by the 1920s, numbering in the thousands. He was known around town as the guy to see if you were looking to buy, sell, or trade cards.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Harry’s collection and dealings helped grow the baseball card scene in Longmont. Small groups of collectors would gather at his home or the local drug store to swap duplicates and discuss the players and teams. In the post-World War II era as the hobby exploded nationally, Longmont saw more shops and collectors enter the scene. The 1950s are considered the golden age of baseball cards when iconic sets like Topps and Bowman were released annually. Local drug stores and five-and-dime stores started stocking packs and boxes to meet the growing demand.
Two of the first dedicated baseball card shops in Colorado opened their doors in Longmont in the 1960s, cementing the city’s reputation as a hotbed for the hobby. Marty’s Baseball Cards was founded in 1962 by Marty Greenberg, one of Harry Weber’s former collectors. He offered the latest wax packs along with singles, high-grade gems, and supplies for collectors. Down the street, Bob’s Sportscards launched in 1967 and soon became the premiere destination for traders in the Front Range area. On weekends, their store would be packed with collectors of all ages browsing boxes, making deals, and talking shop.
The 1970s saw further growth and specialization within Longmont’s card scene. As the market matured, some shops focused more on supplies and accessories while others built strong reputations for their inventory of vintage and high-end cards. Meanwhile, the first organized baseball card shows began in the city. Held periodically at venues like the Eagles Lodge, these multi-dealer shows attracted collectors from across Northern Colorado. Top regional dealers also set up shop at the shows. The growing popularity of these events signified that Longmont had truly become a baseball card hub.
In the 1980s, the proliferation of sports card shows nationwide coincided with the peak of collecting frenzy driven by the arrival of stars like Rickey Henderson and Dwight Gooden. This boom was on full display in Longmont. Annual spring and fall shows routinely drew hundreds of attendees and over 50 tables of dealers. Meanwhile, the city’s shops expanded their inventory and services. Places like Swamp Baseball Cards, which opened in 1982, offered consignment sales of collections, want lists, and special group breaks of new wax at its large storefront. The rise of the internet in the 1990s allowed Longmont’s shops and traders to reach an even wider collector base.
The baseball card market experienced fluctuations over the next two decades with the rise and fall of sport-themed investments. However, Longmont’s scene proved resilient through major industry downturns. While some shops closed or changed hands, new stores also emerged. Today, a handful of brick-and-mortar outlets still proudly serve the local collector community, including Longmont Sportscards (established 1993), which has one of the largest retail inventories in the state. Periodic card shows also remain a staple on the calendar.
Online platforms have connected collectors in Longmont to a vast worldwide audience. Sites like SportsCardForum and CO Sports Cards have active Colorado-based forums where locals regularly buy, sell, and trade with each other. You can also find many collectors from Longmont active on Instagram, YouTube, and specialty auction sites. The next generation continues to be drawn in through breaks, group breaks, and box break livestreams that are a modern twist on the old pack-rip sessions at local shops.
After over a century, baseball cards remain deeply woven into the fabric of Longmont. From the pioneering efforts of early collectors to thriving multi-generational businesses today, the city’s impact on the hobby is still felt across Colorado and beyond. Whether browsing the latest releases or reminiscing about childhood favorites, baseball cards continue providing a source of entertainment, nostalgia, and community for collectors in Longmont.
