Baseball cards have been a beloved part of American culture for over a century, collecting and trading the miniature portraits of baseball players. The small coastal town of Ocean City, Maryland developed its own unique history with baseball cards over the decades as the tourist destination saw many visitors during the summer months who helped popularize the hobby.
Some of the earliest mentions of baseball cards being sold and traded in Ocean City date back to the late 1800s as tobacco companies began inserting cards into their products. General stores that dotted the boardwalk would stock packs of cards alongside chewing tobacco and cigarettes knowing the dual appeal to both local kids and visiting families. While the early tobacco era cards from the late 1800s are quite rare to find with an Ocean City connection, it set the stage for the hobby to take root in the resort town.
Into the early 1900s, drug stores and five-and-dime shops began selling loose packs of cards independent of tobacco products. This helped expose more youngsters to the allure of collecting in Ocean City. Some enterprising youngsters would even go door-to-door selling cards they had amassed to earn a little money during their summer vacations by the beach. Scrapbooks have been uncovered showing Ocean City kids of the time proudly displaying their collected players.
The golden age of baseball cards arrived in the late 1930s through the 1950s. Production greatly expanded to meet growing demand as the cardboard collectibles truly captured the national imagination. In Ocean City, this was a boon as the town saw its population swell with tourists during these peak decades. Seemingly every storefront was fully stocked with the latest series, and kids could be seen trading and bargaining on every street corner, sidewalk, and beach. Even the local B&O Railroad station had a box full for passengers alighting and embarking along the Atlantic coastline.
Two legendary local card shops first opened their doors in this era and still operate to this day on the Ocean City boardwalk. Scotty’s Card Shop, founded in 1946, and Souvenir City, which dates back to 1948, helped cement Ocean City as a hotspot for collectors up and down the east coast. Both shops pioneered vending machines right on the boardwalk full of packs that could be purchased with a coin, enticing thousands over the seven decades since. Many collectors still reminisce about finding a prized rookie card from one of “those Ocean City machines” during their family’s beach vacations.
Topps dominated the baseball card market in the post-World War II decades and closely tracked sales in Ocean City. Distribution was heavily allocated there each year and special promotional contests were even held occasionally. One such 1952 promotion saw Topps hide “winning cards” in Dubble Bubble gum packs sold at local stores. Kids who found the lucky gum wrappers won prizes from local sponsors. The hobby’s growth in Ocean City was instrumental in Topps and other companies deciding to widely expand production runs beyond the test markets of prior years.
As baseball’s popularity continued and more niche card manufacturers entered the scene from the 1960s on, Ocean City solidified its status as a hotspot for the hobby. Showcasing the town’s tourism economy, the two main card shops started their own baseball card conventions and memorabilia shows in the off-season to keep the collecting spirit alive year-round. These events drew hundreds of avid collectors for a full day of trading, reminiscing, and discovering new additions to their collections.
While the baseball card boom subsided some by the late 20th century, Ocean City is still deeply woven into the history and traditions of the hobby. Both of the pioneering card shops that opened in the 1940s-50s golden age are thankfully still in operation today. Their vintage displays and knowledgeable staff provide a direct link to those classic mid-century summers when packs could be found on every boardwalk storefront. Each summer, new generations of families and collectors are still introduced to the pastime while visiting Ocean City. Its role in popularizing baseball cards regionally and nationally ensures the small coastal town will forever hold a special place in the world of sports memorabilia.
