The unique history of baseball cards in Medford, Oregon dates back to the early 20th century. Like many American cities and towns during this period, the popularity of baseball was rapidly growing in Medford in the early 1900s. Children and adults alike were captivated by the emerging professional baseball leagues, especially the National League and American League. Figuring and trading baseball cards became a hugely popular pastime.
Some of the earliest baseball cards available in Medford came in the forms of tobacco cards inserted in cigarette and chewing tobacco packages. Starting in the late 1880s, tobacco companies like Allen & Ginter, American Tobacco Company, and Goodwin & Company began inserting illustrated baseball cards as incentives to purchase their products. By the 1890s, the inserts gained huge popularity among youth. Tobacco shops in Medford stocked the latest card series and local kids traded avidly.
In 1909, the Edward C. Jones Company of Chicago began mass producing baseball cards as standalone collectibles for the first time, not associated with tobacco products. Their inaugural series featured over 500 retired and current players. News of the new baseball cards spread quickly. Stores specializing in candy and sports equipment were some of the first retailers to stock these non-tobacco baseball cards in Medford. They sold for a penny per pack and were an instant hit with local collectors.
Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, baseball cards thrived in Medford as the craze only grew larger nationwide. New series were released annually featuring the latest stars of the era like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Babe Ruth. Medford’s two general stores, Markum’s and Atherton’s, became major hubs for kids to browse cards and make trades. By the mid-1920s, some enterprising Medford children even began opening makeshift card shops in their homes on weekends to facilitate trades on a larger scale.
In 1933, the Goudey Gum Company issued the first modern gum-and-card packaging format, which became the standard into the 1950s. Each pack contained a stick of gum and several cards sealed tight. This preserved the cards and gum freshness. It also spurred even more collecting activity in Medford. Grocery stores carried the packs, and boys spending their allowancesfrequently chose the gum-and-card option over candy. Medford saw some early rarities emerge, like the iconic 1933 Babe Ruth card.
During World War II paper shortages impacted baseball card production greatly. From 1942-1945 only a few minor series were printed. This absence only seemed to intensify collectors’ appetites upon the war’s conclusion. The bowman Gum Company resumed regular sets in 1948. Their designs and player photography advanced noticeably. This ushered in Medford’s post-war card boom. Local dime stores, drug stores and newspaper stands now stocked boxes to be opened and traded in the backs of classrooms.
Into the 1950s, the “Golden Age” of cardboard, issuers like Topps gained prominence. Their innovative designs set the standard. Every release contained chase cards of the day’s stars like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Of course, it remained tough to pull these short printed gems in Medford. One epic find was a local boy cracking open an unopened 1953 Topps box at a drug store to pull the legendary Mickey Mantle rookie. A flurry of trade offers from around town followed.
As the 1960s rolled in, Medford’s hobby shops started catering more to card collectors. Stocking long boxes of commons and rack packs of the latest issues from Topps and Fleer. They also connected collectors with each other through bulletin boards advertising “haves” and “wants.” This made completing sets from the dawn of the hobby much easier for serious collectors in town. The arrival of an LCS also meant prices increased beyond a pack or two. Serious collecting became more of an investment.
In the 1970s, Medford saw its baseball card heritage reach new generations. As values exploded on vintage cards, local attics were scoured to assemble complete vintage sets. Some truly remarkable finds emerged, like a near-complete run of 1910-1911 tobacco cards discovered in an old trunk. Local card shows also arrived, where collectors could buy, sell and trade in bulk. An economic boom in Medford provided expendable income for many to start impressive collections featuring the stars of that era like Mike Schmidt and Nolan Ryan.
Another upswing occurred in the late 1980s sparked by the arrival of Upper Deck, Score, and Fleer Ultra premium card issues. Their quality far surpassed Topps for the first time. Promptly, Medford’s LCS expanded greatly to sell freshly-ripped wax boxes from which kids hoped to pull star rookies like Ken Griffey Jr. The values placed on rare pulls proved mind-blowing to many. Some Medford parents questioned if collecting crossed into gambling. The LCS remained a vital community hub.
Throughout the 1990s, Medford saw the sport card market truly mature into a speculative business. Supply and demand ruled all. Each year brought new investment grade “rookie cup” parallel sets featuring prospects like Derek Jeter. Some savvy Medford collectors flipped such cards for huge profits as careers took off. Unchecked speculation also led to an industry “Crash” in the late 90s. Many stores closed while the collecting landscape drastically changed.
Today, Medford’s baseball card legacy continues as both a hobby and business. Online sales transformed the landscape, as collectors worldwide can now reach each others “haves” and “wants” with ease. Meanwhile, local card shops still thrive by hosting tournaments, events and sell limited edition releases. And lucky finds of star-studded vintage cards still emerge from Medford’s past, a nostalgic reminder of this Pacific Northwest town’s deep roots in America’s favorite pastime on cardboard. The heritage of baseball cards in Medford seems destined to impact future generations as it has over the past century.
