Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 150 years and the hobby of baseball card collecting has brought joy to many in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some of the earliest baseball cards were produced in the late 1800s as promotional items for businesses like tobacco companies, candy makers, and gum manufacturers. These early baseball cards helped popularize the sport and players across the country, including in emerging cities like Tulsa.
Tulsa’s love affair with baseball cards began in the early 20th century as the oil boom was transforming the city. As more families settled in Tulsa during this period of economic growth, youth became enamored with the baseball heroes featured on the colorful cardboard collectibles inserted in packs of cigarettes, candy, and chewing gum. Stores across Tulsa stocked the most popular brands at the time that included issues by American Tobacco Company, Goodwin & Company, and Allen & Ginter. Kids would pool their allowance money, hoping to find rare cards of superstars like Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, and Cy Young in the packs.
Through the 1930s and 1940s, Tulsa saw the heyday of tobacco era cards as brands like Goudey and Play Ball issued sets that captured the era’s biggest sluggers like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. With minor and negro league teams also calling Tulsa home, local fans developed allegiances to stars they could see play in person, like pitcher Hilton Smith who tossed for the Negro League’s Tulsa Oilers in the 1940s and had his likeness featured on a Goudey card. During World War II, card production was limited but resumed after the war.
The 1950s brought the dawn of the modern baseball card era as larger card companies like Topps gained dominance. In 1951, Topps secured the exclusive rights to produce cards with player photos and stats, a business model that still exists today. Kids in Tulsa traded and collected the annual Topps sets featuring their favorite players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and local hero Bob Lemon, a pitcher who grew up in nearby Sapulpa and broke in with Cleveland. The bubble gum inside each pack was almost as coveted as the cards themselves.
Through the 1960s, baseball card collecting surged in popularity in Tulsa and across America as the sport’s fanbase continued to grow. The city’s minor league teams, including the Tulsa Oilers and Tulsa Tigers, attracted many young fans who sought out the cards of players honing their skills in Tulsa before moving up to the majors. Iconic sets from this era like 1967 Topps and 1969 Topps are still highly valued today. Card shops also started to appear to meet the rising demand, like Bill’s Sport Cards which opened in midtown Tulsa in 1962 and is still in business today.
The 1970s saw unprecedented growth in the hobby as television exposure increased baseball’s audience and more elaborate sets captured the colorful styles and personalities of the era. In Tulsa, the rise of card shows and conventions also helped driving collecting enthusiasm. Some of the most valuable sets from this decade include 1975 Topps, with future Hall of Famer George Brett’s rookie card, and 1977 Topps, which has Dave Parker and Andy Messersmith’s coveted rookie cards. The city’s minor league teams also started selling team sets that are now sought-after by Tulsa-area collectors.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the arrival of stars like Cal Ripken Jr., Kirby Puckett, and Ken Griffey Jr. plus the birth of the baseball card industry kept the hobby booming in Tulsa. Stores that exclusively sold cards, along with card shows and conventions, flourished as collectors pursued complete sets and chase cards. The increased rarity of stars’ rookie cards like Griffey’s Upper Deck rookie also drove collector demand. Tulsa also gained a new minor league affiliate, the Drillers, boosting local interest. The city’s card shops continued to stock the latest releases to feed collectors’ passions.
Today, while the baseball card market has declined some from its peak, Tulsa still has an active community of collectors. Card shops like Collector’s Den and Tulsa Sports Cards help preserve the hobby’s history and introduce new generations to the allure of the cardboard. Online groups like Tulsa Sportscard Club also foster connections between local collectors. Vintage cardboard from Tulsa’s minor league history remains a popular niche. And the joy of finding that long-elusive card still brings excitement for collectors in Tulsa, just as it has since the earliest days of the hobby over 150 years ago. Baseball cards remain a cherished part of the city’s sports memorabilia scene.
