Mr. D’s Baseball Cards began as a small hobby shop located in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming in the 1970s. The owner, Daniel “Mr. D” Peters, had a lifelong passion for collecting baseball cards and memorabilia. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, he decided to pursue his dream and open up a store focused entirely on baseball cards.
In the early days, Mr. D’s Baseball Cards was just a small storefront located in a strip mall. However, Mr. Peters worked tirelessly to grow the business. He spent hours researching the latest trends in the hobby, networking with other collectors and dealers, and sourcing new inventory. While the overhead was low in those early years, business was not always easy. Baseball cards were still a niche hobby, and Mr. Peters had to work hard to attract customers.
Some of Mr. D’s earliest suppliers included Upper Deck, Donruss, and Fleer. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, these companies were just starting to mass produce baseball cards and bring the hobby into the mainstream. Mr. Peters would drive long distances to card shows, sometimes traveling as far as Denver or Salt Lake City to purchase new releases directly from the manufacturers. He would then bring these sets back to sell at his store.
Slowly but surely, Mr. D’s Baseball Cards began to gain more recognition in the Cheyenne community as the premier destination for collectors. In addition to carrying the latest sets, Mr. Peters also amassed a large inventory of vintage cards dating back to the early 20th century. He was quickly becoming one of the top experts on vintage baseball memorabilia in the Rocky Mountain region. Word of mouth from satisfied customers helped the store continue growing.
By the mid-1980s, Mr. D’s Baseball Cards had outgrown its original small storefront. In 1985, Mr. Peters was able to lease and renovate a much larger space – around 2,500 square feet – in a strip mall on the outskirts of downtown Cheyenne. With the added room, he was able to greatly expand his inventory and proudly display autographed jerseys, balls, photographs and other memorabilia alongside the card selections. The relocation helped kickstart another period of growth for the business.
At its new location, Mr. D’s also began regularly hosting baseball card shows and buylist submission events on weekends. Collectors from across Wyoming and nearby states would come to trade, sell and socialize. The store became a true community hub and gathering place. Mr. Peters was also a pioneer in utilizing early online commerce. In the mid-1990s, long before most brick-and-mortar shops invested in e-commerce, he launched mrdsbaseballcards.com to expand his customer reach.
While the late 1980s and early 1990s saw a giant boom in the baseball card industry, fueled by the spectacular rookie cards of Ken Griffey Jr. and others, Mr. D’s continued operating with the same small business values and personal touch that had defined it since day one. As mega retailers like Sportscard Shop and Beckett’s descended on the scene, Mr. Peters stayed focused on excellent customer service over flashy advertisements or expansion. His low-key regional approach resonated strongly with collectors.
Throughout the 1990s, Mr. D’s also gained a reputation as a top seller of authenticated, high-grade vintage cards. Mr. Peters spent years cultivating relationships with authenticators to ensure every valuable card that passed through his store could be legitimately verified and graded. With the explosive rise of the vintage market in the late 90s, this foresight positioned Mr. D’s perfectly to facilitate large vintage card transactions between enthusiasts and burgeoning mainstream collectors.
Entering the new millennium, Mr. D’s Baseball Cards had long since cemented its place as an institution. Daniel Peters continued running the store into his late 60s, now assisted by his two sons who had grown up in the business. By the 2010s, three generations of the Peters family had devoted their lives to the hobby through Mr. D’s. While the baseball card industry experienced its ups and downs, the shop remained a steady presence. It maintained its reputation as a hallmark of the Cheyenne community and Rocky Mountain card scene.
In 2019, with Mr. Peters nearing his 80th birthday, he made the bittersweet decision to sell Mr. D’s Baseball Cards after almost 50 years of ownership. By that point, multiple generations of children in Cheyenne had grown up visiting the store alongside their parents. Countless lifelong frienships and card swaps had been fostered under its roof. The new owners vowed to carry on the shop’s legacy of exceptional customer care and community involvement.
To this day, Mr. D’s Baseball Cards continues Mr. Peters’ vision as both a premier inventory destination and gathering space. Old-timers and newcomers alike still journey there seeking the latest releases alongside conversation and camaraderie. Through decades of resilience and commitment to its customers, Mr. D’s has cemented its place in hobby history and as a true pillar of the Cheyenne community. Its legacy is a testament to the impact that a small, passion-driven business can have when guided by strong personal values of service and expertise.
