Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 130 years and the hobby of baseball card collecting has a rich history in the city of Norman, Oklahoma. Some of the earliest organized baseball card collecting in Norman can be traced back to the 1950s when the hobby started gaining widespread popularity across America in the postwar era.
During this time, several local card shops and hobby stores began opening in Norman that catered specifically to baseball card collectors. Arguably the most famous of these early shops was Mickey’s Sportscards, which was opened in 1958 by former minor league baseball player Mickey Johnson. Mickey’s quickly became the premier destination for Norman-area collectors to browse racks of newly released baseball cards, trade and sell duplicates from their collections, and stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the baseball card industry.
In addition to selling new packs and boxes of cards, Mickey’s also offered services like grading cards, authenticating rare finds, and putting together complete set registries to help collectors track their progress. They also organized some of the first annual baseball card shows and conventions in the state of Oklahoma during the late 1950s and 1960s. These shows drew collectors from across the region and helped foster a real sense of community among Norman’s card collecting scene during the golden age of the hobby.
By the 1970s, Mickey’s had grown into a local institution and several more card shops had opened in Norman to meet the rising demand. Stores like Bob’s Sportscards and Sooner Sportscards carved out their own niches and customer bases. Meanwhile, Mickey’s remained the dominant force and continued adding new services like a subscription-based trade network to more easily connect collectors looking to swap duplicates. During this decade, the rise of star players on the hometown Oklahoma Sooners baseball team also kept interest in baseball cards high among Norman residents.
The baseball card market hit some turbulence in the 1980s as overproduction of cards led to a crash in values. Many shops in other cities were forced to close, but Norman’s stores adapted by scaling back inventory and focusing more on networking opportunities for collectors. Mickey’s even began organizing larger multi-day card shows that drew attendees from across the region. This helped Norman establish itself as a baseball card hub within Oklahoma during a challenging period for the industry overall.
In the 1990s, the baseball card market rebounded strongly with the rise of sports memorabilia as a mainstream collectible category. Newer franchises like Sooner Cards and Thunder Baseball Cards opened in Norman to capitalize on the renewed enthusiasm. Iconic rookie cards of stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. from this era would go on to break records in the secondary market. The boom also led to more advanced services being offered in Norman like consignment sales, grading submissions, and inventory tracking software at stores.
Today, while online sales have largely replaced the brick-and-mortar industry, Norman retains a dedicated core of local card shops. Mickey’s is still in operation after 60+ years, now owned by the family of its original founder. Meanwhile, other mainstays like Sooner Cards have evolved by expanding into a full-fledged sports memorabilia store. Norman also remains a regular host of large card shows that keep the social aspect of the hobby alive. With a history spanning several generations of collectors, baseball cards remain an ingrained part of Norman’s sports culture.
The city of Norman, Oklahoma has enjoyed a long tradition of baseball card collecting thanks to pioneering shops like Mickey’s Sportscards. During the hobby’s high points and low points alike, Norman’s stores and collectors created a supportive community that helped the industry persevere. Even as sales have shifted online, the area retains a vibrant card scene and legacy as a regional hub for the baseball card pastime. Few cities outside of traditional baseball hotbeds can claim as long or storied an association with the world of trading, collecting, and appreciating baseball cards.
