Baseball cards have been an iconic part of American culture since the late 19th century. While the hobby took off nationally, Memphis also played an important role in the history and collecting of these cardboard treasures. From the early tobacco cards to the modern era, baseball cards have long been a part of life in Memphis.
One of the first major baseball card productions was done by the American Tobacco Company in the late 1880s. Known as the “T206” set, these iconic tobacco cards featured stars from the deadball era and helped fuel baseball’s growing popularity across the country. Memphis residents would have had opportunities to find these early tobacco cards in local shops and trade with others. The cards provided glimpses of star players that many in Memphis may only read about in the newspapers.
In the early 20th century, several new baseball card companies emerged like the Cincinnati based company, American Caramel, which produced cards between 1891-1912. These caramel cards, found in caramel candy boxes, reached Memphis through regional distribution networks. Kids in Memphis enjoyed the small candy treats and prizes of a baseball card inside. The caramel cards helped spread baseball fever in the Bluff City during segregation era before the Memphis Red Sox joined the Southern Association in 1912.
The Red Sox brought professional baseball to Memphis for the first time. Future Hall of Famers like Rabbit Maranville and Edd Roush played for the Red Sox during their time in the Southern Association from 1912-1952. Having a local pro team elevated baseball’s popularity in Memphis tremendously. Kids started following the Red Sox players and collecting any baseball cards they featured. Production of modern baseball cards boomed in the 1930s thanks to the Goudey Gum Company. Their 1933 Goudey set included Memphis native Bill Dickey, who had a stellar career as a catcher for the New York Yankees. Dickey’s hometown card was a highly coveted one for collectors in Memphis.
World War 2 impacted the baseball card industry for a few years but production resumed strong after the war. In 1948, Bowman Gum began issuing color photos on the front of cards for the first time instead of just illustrations. These vivid cards captured the eye of Memphis collectors. Bowman also featured Memphis native Willie Mays, before he made a name for himself in New York. Mays’ rookie card from 1948 is one of the most valuable in the hobby today and a point of Memphis baseball card history.
Topps Chewing Gum took over the baseball card market in the 1950s. Their colorful, durable cardboard cards in wax wrapper packs for a penny apiece were irresistible to kids. Stores all over Memphis stocked Topps packs on their shelves. Collecting and trading with friends became an obsession for many Memphis youth during this “Golden Age” of baseball cards in the 1950s. Topps cards immortalized Memphis native Stan Musial in their 1951 set during the peak of his Hall of Fame career. Musial’s hometown connection added to the allure for collectors in Memphis at the time.
As the Memphis Chicks joined the Double-A Southern League in 1960, a new generation became enthralled with collecting cards of the players hoping to make it to the majors. Future stars like Reggie Jackson, Joe Morgan, and Bob Gibson all suited up for the Chicks at one time in the 1960s. Their rookie cards are highly prized by Memphis collectors today. The city’s love affair with baseball cards only grew stronger through the 1960s as Topps continued to be the dominant force with their innovative new sets each year.
The 1970s saw the rise of many challengers to Topps’ monopoly like Fleer Gum and the Sportflix company. These new brands produced cards with action photos and multi-player cards that collectors in Memphis enjoyed exploring. The 1980 Donruss set pioneered the modern cardboard design still used today. Memphis native Pee Wee Reese was featured in many vintage cards collected locally as well. The baseball strike in 1981 dampened interest in cards for a few years. It wasn’t until the Upper Deck company revived the hobby in the late 1980s that collecting became a frenzy again in Memphis.
Upper Deck set a new standard with their premium card stock and autograph/rookie parallel sets in the late 80s and 1990s. Their technology like holograms and refractors enthralled collectors. This boom period allowed the first baseball card shops to open in Memphis. Stores like Great Scott’s and Hall’s Sportscards catered to the growing local collector base. Kids flocked to these shops on weekends to trade, buy, and sell cards featuring the rising stars of the day like Ken Griffey Jr. The 1990s also saw Memphis natives Pee Wee Reese and Stan Musial finally inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, capping their illustrious careers.
In the 2000s and 2010s, the baseball card industry has continued to evolve with the digital age. While physical card packs are still popular, memorabilia cards with swatches of jersey or autographs have become highly sought after by Memphis collectors. Online trading through websites like eBay has exploded, giving collectors a vast global marketplace. Memphis also gained its first Minor League Baseball team in this era, the Memphis Redbirds. Future MLB stars like Albert Pujols, Matt Carpenter, and Dexter Fowler all had Redbirds cards that local collectors snapped up.
Through economic ups and downs, baseball has remained a constant for Memphians. The tradition of collecting its cardboard souvenirs serves as a connection to the national pastime’s history and a source of local civic pride for native stars. Whether rummaging through attic boxes of childhood collections or hitting a card shop for the latest release, baseball cards have been an integral part of sports fandom in Memphis for over a century. Their impact on the city’s culture will surely continue for generations to come.
