The history of baseball cards in Slidell, Louisiana stretches back over 100 years when the hobby first started gaining popularity in the early 20th century. Located just 30 miles northeast of New Orleans, Slidell was a small town with a strong baseball tradition where collecting cards quickly became a beloved pastime for both children and adults.
Some of the earliest baseball cards produced in the late 1800s and early 1900s featured star players from the era like Cy Young, Honus Wagner and Nap Lajoie. While production was still limited in those early years, cards occasionally made their way to Slidell as children traded and kids would ask parents and grandparents to save any cards they came across. The cards were cherished possessions that fueled dreams of one day playing in the major leagues.
In the 1920s, production of baseball cards ramped up significantly as companies like American Caramel began inserting them as incentives in candy packages and gum. This helped popularize the hobby nationwide, but also made cards much more accessible even in smaller towns. Stores in Slidell began carrying wax packs containing the caramel cards, which were gobbled up by eager young collectors. Groups of kids would gather to swap doubles and chase complete sets depicting their favorite teams and players.
As the decades went on, other iconic card companies like Goudey, Topps and Bowman emerged. Their colorful and visually appealing cards depicting the heroes of that era like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio were highly sought after. Card shops started to open in Slidell where kids could buy packs, boxes and individual cards. The shops also hosted trading sessions and competitions to see who could amass the best collections. By the late 1930s and 1940s, baseball card collecting had truly taken off as a mainstream hobby in the town.
During World War 2, card production was limited due to rationing. The cards that were produced took on a special significance for those serving overseas from Slidell looking for a connection to home. Care packages containing cards were cherished. After the war, production ramped up again and the 1950s were a golden age for the hobby in Slidell. Kids flocked to stores and to the ballfields to follow their local American Legion and Little League teams, dreaming of one day seeing their own cards in packs after making the majors.
The 1960s brought a new array of superstar players to collect like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax whose cards were endlessly swapped, waxed packs still being sold at drugstores, grocery stores and card shops. In the 1970s, the rise of color photography on cards helped usher in another renaissance. Stars like Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt and Nolan Ryan had cards that looked like works of art. The first generation of children from the 1950s post-war boom were now passing on their sizable collections to their own kids, keeping the hobby thriving in Slidell.
In the 1980s, a modern business model emerged with licensing and marketing becoming central. Companies like Donruss, Fleer and Score entered the market alongside the incumbent Topps. The increased competition led to flashier designs, oddball parallel sets and special promotion cards. The junk wax era had begun, making complete sets readily available. It also oversaturated the market. Card shops in Slidell had to adapt by offering related supplies, memorabilia and older vintage cards to stay in business.
The 1990s saw an explosion in interest fueled by nostalgia and older collectors getting back in the hobby. Iconic rookie cards were issued for future Hall of Famers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones. The baseball strike in 1994-95 hurt popularity and many stores closed. Those that survived in Slidell pivoted to organize collector shows and autograph signings to keep the community engaged. In the 2000s, the internet also changed the landscape by allowing for easier collecting across fan bases. Stores transitioned to selling both online and through brick-and-mortar shops.
Today, baseball card collecting remains a strong tradition and source of community in Slidell, Louisiana even as the formats have evolved. While physical card shops have dwindled, the local hobby store stays busy hosting events and sell vintage, modern issues and memorabilia. Online groups also keep the connection between collectors alive as kids, adults and whole families continue passing down their baseball card collections and memories in Slidell for generations to come. The history of cards in the town reflects both the growth of the hobby nationwide as well as the special role it has always played in the fabric of the community.
