Baseball Cards in Shelby, NC: A History of the Hobby
Shelby, North Carolina has long been a hotbed for baseball card collecting. Located just west of Charlotte in Cleveland County, Shelby sits squarely in the heart of baseball and NASCAR country. With a population just over 20,000, Shelby has produced several major league baseball players over the years and has a rich history with the baseball card collecting hobby.
Some of the earliest organized baseball card collecting in Shelby can be traced back to the late 1950s. Brothers Tommy and Billy Ray started amassing baseball cards as young boys in 1957. They would ride their bicycles to the local drug store and convenience stores, spending their allowance and money from odd jobs to purchase wax packs of Topps and Bowman baseball cards. By the early 1960s, they had grown their collections to over 10,000 cards combined through trades with friends at school.
One of the first hobby shops in Shelby dedicated to sports memorabilia and collectibles was Sports Fanatic, which opened in 1975. Owned and operated by Shelby native Steve Lingerfelt, Sports Fanatic became a mecca for local baseball card collectors and traders. Every Saturday throughout the 1970s and 80s, dozens of collectors would flock to Sports Fanatic to sort through boxes of loose cards, purchase wax packs and factory sets, and engage in trading with their peers. Steve helped foster one of the earliest organized baseball card collecting communities in Shelby.
In the 1990s, the rise of the Internet and online auction sites like eBay helped spread the hobby nationwide. This led to a boom in baseball card collecting across Shelby. Local card shops like The Bullpen and The Dugout opened to meet the growing demand. Weekend card shows featuring dozens of vendors selling everything from vintage to modern cards also became popular gathering spots for collectors. Notable Shelby residents like Dr. Tom Wilson and Donnie Bunton parlayed their childhood hobbies into six-figure baseball card businesses buying and selling online.
Some of the most prized possessions in baseball card collections today originated from Shelby. In 1996, a factory set of the ultra-rare 1975 Topps Traded baseball cards was discovered in mint condition in a local attic. Graded Gem Mint by the leading authentication company, the complete 21-card set was eventually sold at auction for over $125,000. And in 2005, a local man stumbled upon an unopened case of 1986 Fleer packs while cleaning out his grandfather’s storage unit. After carefully opening the wax packs, several near-mint Ken Griffey Jr. rookie cards were pulled, each valued at thousands of dollars at the time.
Today, baseball card collecting remains an integral part of Shelby’s sports culture. Stores like The Baseball Card Shop have been mainstays in the community for over 25 years. Local card shows are still organized monthly, drawing collectors from across the Carolinas. And the city’s two largest card shops, The Dugout and All Star Cards, have built national reputations by facilitating millions of dollars in online card sales annually.
Even as the hobby has progressed into the digital age, Shelby continues fostering new generations of baseball card collectors. Youth leagues and school programs encourage collecting as a fun way to learn baseball history. Local card artists like Josh Norris have gained followings for their hand-drawn creations. And annual Baseball Card Day promotions downtown bring collectors of all ages together each August.
Through its rich history spanning six decades, Shelby has cemented itself as a hotbed for the baseball card collecting hobby in the Carolinas. From its earliest organized collecting communities in the 1950s-60s to the boom years of the 90s online trading era, Shelby residents have helped spread the passion for baseball card collecting worldwide. And through its thriving local shops and shows today, the city looks to nurture new collectors for years to come. Baseball cards remain an integral part of Shelby’s sports culture and identity.
