Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture for over a century. While the hobby began in the late 1800s, it really took off in the post-World War II era as the economy boomed and families had more disposable income to spend on leisure activities. Many cities across the United States saw a rise in baseball card shops and the hobby’s popularity during this time, including the Twin Cities suburb of Roseville, Minnesota.
One of the earliest baseball card shops to open in Roseville was Bob’s Baseball Cards, which launched in 1955 at 1762 Larpenteur Avenue. Owner Bob Johnson was a lifelong baseball fan who started collecting cards as a kid in the 1930s. After serving in the military during WWII, he decided to open a small storefront dedicated to his passion. In the early days, Bob’s Baseball Cards mainly dealt in used commons from the 1950s and prior as the main vintage era sets were not readily available yet. However, Bob amassed a strong local customer base of collectors.
Through the late 1950s and 1960s, Bob’s Baseball Cards thrived as the hobby continued growing rapidly across America. Sets from Topps, Fleer, and other manufacturers were readily stocked. Bob also assembled complete team and player collections to sell. This was an era when many kids in Roseville and the surrounding communities first got hooked on collecting cards of their favorite players and teams. Bob’s became a popular weekend destination and after-school hangout. The shop helped foster card collecting as both an individual and social activity.
As the 1970s arrived, two new card shops opened in Roseville to meet the rising demand – Dave’s Sportscards at 2134 Larpenteur Avenue in 1971 and Mike’s Cards & Comics at 2215 County Road B in 1974. All three shops saw booming business as the 1970s marked the peak era of baseball card popularity in the 20th century, fueled by the likes of stars like Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, and Nolan Ryan. Sets from this decade like Topps, Kellogg’s, and Donruss are still highly sought after by collectors today.
During this time, the shops in Roseville evolved beyond just being retailers. They hosted trading sessions, organized tournaments and contests, and became community gathering spots. Dave’s Sportscards was particularly known for its Friday Night Magic tournaments, where kids could test their sports trivia knowledge and trade skills against their peers for prizes. These social aspects kept the hobby thriving amongst new generations of collectors in Roseville.
While the 1980s saw some consolidation in the baseball card industry, the three Roseville shops remained strong anchors for the local hobby scene. The rise of sports specialty card shows provided new opportunities. Mike’s Cards & Comics began regularly attending the huge National Sports Collectors Convention (NSCC) in Chicago each summer, bringing back coveted new releases, autograph cards, and deals for their customers. Dave’s Sportscards and Bob’s Baseball Cards also did booming business at the numerous Midwest card shows that sprung up across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas during this decade.
In the 1990s, the shops had to adapt to changes in the industry like the rise of premium modern parallels and inserts alongside the traditional base sets. They remained dedicated to serving collectors of all ages in Roseville. Bob’s Baseball Cards closed in 1996 after 41 years when owner Bob Johnson decided to retire. By the late 1990s, Dave’s Sportscards and Mike’s Cards & Comics were the last surviving independently owned baseball card shops in Roseville.
Entering the 2000s, Mike’s Cards & Comics had become a true institution. Owner Mike Johnson took over from his father in 1997 and renovated the storefront to better showcase new products and host events. The rise of the internet trading market presented new challenges, but Mike’s kept strong through personalized service, competitive prices, and being a place for the local community to congregate. In the 2010s, Mike’s Cards & Comics celebrated 40 years in business, a true testament to its importance as a Roseville staple and gathering place for multiple generations of collectors.
While the national baseball card market has contracted in recent decades, shops like Mike’s Cards & Comics have proven their resilience by focusing on fostering the local hobby scene. Baseball cards have deep roots in Roseville’s history and culture, starting from the early shops like Bob’s Baseball Cards. Today, Mike’s keeps the tradition alive as one of the few remaining independently owned baseball card strongholds, carrying on the legacy of the shops that helped spark countless childhood memories and fuel the passions of collectors for decades.
