Baseball cards have been around for over 150 years, providing entertainment and collecting opportunities for fans of America’s pastime. One of the most iconic cities in the history of baseball cards is Phoenix, Arizona, which has deep roots in the hobby from the early days of the sport up through today’s modern era.
Phoenix first began to make an impact on the baseball card world in the late 1800s as the city started to grow due to the arrival of the railroad. In 1887, the first cigarette cards featuring baseball players were released by the American Tobacco Company and Allen & Ginter. These early tobacco cards helped spread interest in baseball across the country as more people were exposed to images of their favorite ballplayers. Phoenix was still a small town at this time, but local shops began selling packs of cigarettes that sometimes included baseball stars on the included cards. This helped get more residents hooked on collecting.
In the early 1900s, Phoenix was really taking off in population as the valley was being settled by more farmers looking to take advantage of the ample water supply provided by the Salt and Gila Rivers. More children in the growing city were being introduced to baseball through local sandlot teams. Companies like T206 started producing sets of gum and candy cards in the early 20th century, further fueling the baseball card boom. By the 1910s, stores in Phoenix were stocked with the most popular card series of the time like T206, and kids could be seen trading duplicates on street corners, igniting a craze that would last for generations.
In the post-World War 2 era, Phoenix was exploding with new residents and baseball was more popular than ever. In the late 1940s, the minor league Phoenix Giants joined the Negro American League, giving local fans their first chance to see professional African American ballplayers up close before integration. At the same time, the golden age of baseball cards was in full swing thanks to the arrival of the modern cardboard issues produced by Topps. Kids in Phoenix collected and swapped these affordable new cards with vigor. The city’s baseball card shops did booming business and local card shows started to pop up on weekends.
Through the 1950s and 60s, Topps reigned supreme and Phoenix was right there experiencing the golden age alongside the rest of the country. The city was truly baseball mad during this time period with spring training bringing major leaguers to town every year. When Topps released their iconic design with white borders in the late 50s, Phoenix collectors rushed to stores to pick up the new packs. The city hosted some of the first organized baseball card conventions in the Southwest during the 1960s as collecting grew into a serious hobby.
In the 1970s, a new baseball team arrived in Phoenix as the Milwaukee Brewers switched their spring training site to the valley. This brought even more major leaguers to town each March and helped keep interest in the hobby thriving. During this decade, oddball and regional issues gained popularity alongside the main Topps sets that local shops still stocked. Kids swapped and traded cards on the playground, continuing timeless traditions. In 1979, Phoenix got its very first minor league team as the Phoenix Giants joined the Class A California League. Having a home team to root for kept baseball’s popularity surging.
When the craze for vintage cards took off in the 1980s, fueled by the arrival of the first Beckett Price Guides, Phoenix was at the forefront. Local collectors started attending shows not just to add to collections, but also to buy and sell valuable older cardboard. Stores held in-stock vintage nights where collectors could peruse dusty boxes looking for gems. The city hosted some of the largest card shows and conventions in the Southwest during this decade, cementing its place as a hobby hotbed. In 1988, Camelback Ranch opened in the Phoenix area as the new spring training home of the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, further tying the city to the national pastime.
By the 1990s, Phoenix was a certified baseball card mecca. National chains like Comics & Cards had huge stores where collectors flocked on release day. Local shops like The Great American Baseball Card Company did booming business. Shows were packed and conventions brought collectors from across the Southwest. When the Internet exploded in popularity in the late 90s, many of the first major online card retailers and auction sites were based right in Phoenix, like StarCards and eBay power seller GreatCollections. The city hosted the sport’s largest winter meetings every year, and spring training was a yearly tradition followed religiously by local fans.
Today, baseball cards remain deeply ingrained in Phoenix culture. The city hosts some of the largest and most prestigious national conventions and shows. Online retailers like Blowout Cards call the valley home. Cactus League spring training draws sellout crowds each March eager to see stars of today and tomorrow. Local card shops like All Star Cards and Steiner Sports live on as hobby hubs. While the players and sets have changed, the bond between Phoenix and America’s pastime on cardboard remains as strong as ever. For over a century, the city has played a huge role in the business and collecting of baseball cards.
