Baseball cards have been enjoyed by fans and collectors alike for over 130 years. In cities across America, local collectors would swap, trade, and purchase baseball cards amassed from packs of gum or candy. The West Texas city of Lubbock was no exception, playing host to a vibrant baseball card scene throughout the latter half of the 20th century.
During the peak of baseball card collecting’s popularity from the 1950s through the 1980s, Lubbock saw no shortage of hobby shops, corner stores, and card shows catering to collectors in the area. Among the most popular stores was Burkle’s Hobby Shop, located downtown on 19th Street. Opened in 1960, Burkle’s became a institution for Lubbock collectors, stocking packs, boxes, and individual cards from every year going back to the early tobacco era issues. Many aspiring collectors got their start regularly visiting Burkle’s to view the latest additions under glass and make trades in the back storage room.
Another iconic Lubbock shop was Al’s Sportscards, which opened in 1975 and proudly advertised as the “largest sports card store in West Texas.” Al’s became known for carrying complete sets long after they were released, as well deep runs of vintage cards dating back to the 1800s. Dozens of local collectors would flock to Al’s weekends for their legendary swap meets, where rows and rows of tables would be piled high with thousands of duplicate cards available for trading. It wasn’t unusual to see collectors spending entire Saturdays at Al’s negotiating trades and browsing through boxes.
Of course, no discussion of Lubbock’s baseball card scene is complete without mentioning Texas Trading Cards. Founded in 1981 by brothers Dale and Mike Garrett, Texas Trading Cards grew from a small Lubbock storefront into one of the largest and most important card distributors worldwide. Based on the city’s East 19th Street, TTC shipped collector supplies and traded cards across the U.S. and beyond. The Garretts are credited with helping pioneer the mass distribution model that fueled the boom years of the hobby in the 1980s and 90s. At its peak, Texas Trading Cards employed over 100 people and logged millions per year in sales.
Alongside the shops, another staple of the local scene were card shows. Some of the largest and most well-attended shows in the state were regularly held in Lubbock. The Civic Center and Hospitality Room at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center hosted quarterly shows that would see thousands flock from across the South Plains for a full day of buying, selling, and trading. Vendors from across Texas and neighboring states knew they could reliably do big business at Lubbock shows. Major hobby dealers like Blowout Cards and Pristine Auction cut their teeth attending and eventually dealing at these massive West Texas extravaganzas.
Of course, it wasn’t just adults who made up Lubbock’s vibrant baseball card culture. Youth leagues thrived, with Little League teams, clubs, and shops holding regular tournaments, contests, and events centered around collecting. Local card companies even sponsored teams and leagues. Countless future adult collectors in Lubbock got their start as kids amassing and comparing collections, looking for that elusive rookie card or error variant that would make them the envy of their peers. Some of these early collecting passions have lasted lifetimes for many Lubbock natives.
While the popularity of baseball cards has undoubtedly waned from those peak years, the legacy of Lubbock’s collecting scene lives on. Burkle’s and Al’s may be closed now, but their histories continue to be fondly remembered by generations of collectors. And Texas Trading Cards, while reduced in physical presence, still ships worldwide as one of the hobby’s most recognizable brands. Lubbock can still boast active collector clubs and swap meets today. Its decades contributing as a hub for the baseball card trade ensured this West Texas city’s place in the rich history of sports cards in America.
