S&S Baseball Cards: A West Virginia Institution
Nestled in the small town of Ravenswood, West Virginia lies a local treasure that has been a staple of the community for over 40 years. S&S Baseball Cards, owned and operated by Sam and Sue Brown, has become a iconic destination for collectors far and wide seeking out vintage and modern cardboard treasures. While the sports card industry has seen massive retail chains come and go over the decades, S&S Baseball Cards continues to stand the test of time as an independently owned Midwest gem specializing in all things related to the hobby.
Sam Brown had always enjoyed collecting cards as a kid growing up in Ravenswood in the 1950s and 1960s. After graduating high school, he ventured out to explore the U.S. but the small town always called him back. In 1978, with nostalgia for his childhood collecting days still strong, Sam decided to take a chance and open a small sports card shop in a strip mall on Main Street. With his new wife Sue by his side, the two worked tirelessly to get the fledgling store stocked and presentable to welcome customers. On a drizzly Saturday in May of 1978, S&S Baseball Cards opened its doors for the very first time.
Those early years were a struggle as Sam and Sue worked to establish a customer base and develop strong relations with distributors. Space was tight in that little storefront with boxes stacked nearly to the ceiling. But Sam’s extensive knowledge and passion for the hobby shone through and began to gain the new shop a solid following. Word of mouth from dedicated collectors spread news of the treasure trove that could be uncovered during trips to S&S. By the mid 1980s, the store was thriving and in need of more room to operate. So in 1987, Sam and Sue took a big leap of faith and purchased a larger stand alone building on the outskirts of town that still serves as the store’s home today.
Upon walking into S&S Baseball Cards today, it’s like stepping back in time to the glory days of the sports card boom during the late 80s and early 90s. Nearly every inch of the 10,000 square foot facility is packed to the brim with boxes organized by sport, set, and year. Long time customers still reminisce about the days where finding that elusive chase card was like winning the lottery. While the bubble has long since burst, Sam has kept up with trends, investing heavily in vintage stock from the 1950s through the 1980s. On any given shopping trip, a visit of rummaging through boxes can yield forgotten gems that take collectors down memory lane.
In addition to its impressive on-site inventory, S&S Baseball Cards has also cemented its place as a premier online retailer. While the store still handles the bulk of its business via in-person visits, the website launched in the late 90s has allowed Sam to expand his reach and fill want lists from collectors across the U.S. and overseas. Through diligent scanning of collections and relentless purchasing of entire collections, Sam’s digital database of over 2 million individual cards is a one-stop-shop for virtually any want list imaginable. While it may take days or even weeks to fulfill an order by shipping from Ravenswood, collectors appreciate and expect nothing less than perfection from packing to prompt communication from Sam and his dedicated staff.
Beyond stocking cards old and new, Sam has also established S&S as the premier place in the tri-state area for supplies, memorabilia, and general hobby advice. With the explosion of non-sport releases in the 90s, Sam expanded to keep up with trends – providing boxes, pages, scanners, and accessories from the biggest manufacturers. For aspiring artists, S&S also sells sketch cards, stock, and more to help fuel local creativity. On the memorabilia side, Sam’s personal collection acquired over decades lines the walls and cases – including signed balls, bats, jerseys and more from baseball’s greatest eras. Perhaps most cherished by loyal customers is Sam himself – always quick with a story or fun fact to share about the players and sets he’s spent a lifetime loving.
Now in his seventies, Sam has no plans to slow down or pass the torch anytime soon. While some predicted the store wouldn’t last beyond those early struggling years, S&S Baseball Cards has endured through multiple sports card booms and busts thanks to hard work, honest dealings, and a genuine passion that still drives Sam every single day he opens the doors. His impact on cherishing the hobby and preserving its history is immense. Stepping through the doors is like a portal back to simpler times, when card collecting was akin to a neighborhood past time bringing friends and family together. In an age of impersonal online giants, S&S stands as a proud reminder of the mom & pop shops that helped sprout legions of fans. Their place in hobby history is secure, and future generations will continue to visit Ravenswood seeking the treasures and tales that only Sam can provide.
