The One Million Baseball Card Collection in Ballwin, Missouri

Nestled in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri is a 1.3 million square foot warehouse known for housing the largest privately owned collection of baseball cards in the world. With over one million individual cards, this trove of baseball nostalgia located in Ballwin is truly a sight to behold. The owner, Maurice “Junkyard Willie” Sieloff, began collecting cards as a child in the 1960s and amassed his massive collection slowly over the decades. In the 1990s, as the value of vintage cards skyrocketed, Sieloff realized he had an American treasure on his hands.

Rather than sell off his prized collection piecemeal, Sieloff decided to share his love of the game and cards with others. In the early 2000s, he renovated the warehouse space in Ballwin to accommodate visitors and properly store and display his ever-growing collection. Under strict climate control and security measures, the cards are preserved for generations of baseball fans to appreciate. The collection spans over 150 years of baseball history from origins in the 19th century to modern day. Rarities abound with specimens including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth rookie cards, and many more iconic pieces in pristine condition.

Beyond the extreme value of individual cards estimated in the tens of millions, it is the sheer scope and depth of Sieloff’s One Million Baseball Card Collection that makes it truly unique. Organized by team, player, year, and brand, the collection acts much like a living baseball encyclopedia. Visitors are welcome to peruse the stacks and shelves, pausing to admire heroes of the game past and present. For serious collectors and casual fans alike, it is purely awe-inspiring to take in the magnitude and diversity represented in one location. Sieloff employs full-time staff to constantly catalogue, organize, and maintain his prized assets, preserving them for future generations.

While general admission is free, appointments are required to tour the facility due to space limitations. Private tours and event rentals are available for an additional fee. For those unable to visit in person, Sieloff features select items from the collection on his website and has authored books and documentaries about his preservation efforts over the decades. Proceeds from tours and multimedia projects go toward continued expansion, care, and cataloguing of the collection. It is Sieloff’s fondest hope that this treasure trove of baseball nostalgia housed in Ballwin, Missouri will educate and inspire lovers of America’s pastime for years to come. Truly one of the most impressive sports collections in the world is right in America’s heartland, thanks to the dedication and passion of Junkyard Willie Sieloff.

The Million Baseball Card Collection in Ballwin, Missouri

Nestled in the suburban St. Louis town of Ballwin, Missouri sits one of the most impressive baseball card collections in the world. Amassed over 50 years by retired sales manager Jerry Myers, the collection contains a staggering one million baseball cards that span the entire history of the sport. From vintage 19th century tobacco cards to modern era inserts and parallels, Jerry’s collection showcases the incredible growth and popularity of baseball cards as a hobby and an investment.

Jerry first became interested in baseball cards as a young boy in the 1960s. He would purchase wax packs of Topps cards from the corner store with his allowance money and began organizing them into shoeboxes. As he got older, he would trade and buy cards from other collectors to fill in the missing pieces and variations for his growing collection. Throughout high school and his career, Jerry always made time to frequent card shows, shops and online auctions to find rare and unique cards to add to his holdings.

In the late 1980s, Jerry committed to building the largest private collection in existence. He began cataloging each card on detailed spreadsheets and installing custom shelving units in his basement to organize and store the ever-expanding mass of cardboard. By the mid-1990s, Jerry had amassed over 100,000 cards and decided to turn his full basement into a climate-controlled card “vault” with dehumidifiers, fans and UV lights to preserve the condition of the fragile pieces of history.

Some of the highlights of Jerry’s one million card collection include:

An 1880s Old Judge cigar store tobacco issue card of George Wright considered the “Mona Lisa” of cards valued at over $2.8 million.

A 1916 M101-4 Babe Ruth Sporting News rookie card from his time as a pitcher, one of only a handful known to exist in excellent condition.

A complete set of the pioneering 1949 Bowman set including stars like Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller and Ted Williams.

Nearly complete runs of the iconic 1952, 1955, 1957 and 1959 Topps sets which jumpstarted the post-war hobby boom.

Rare parallel and parallel insert rookie cards of every major modern star like Ken Griffey Jr, Derek Jeter, Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Trout.

Authenticated game-used and memorabilia cards of Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan and others signed directly on the cardboard.

Uncut sheets, proofs, sample packs and assembly line detritus from Topps, Fleer and Donruss spanning 6 decades of production.

In addition to the cards themselves, Jerry has amassed mountains of pop culture ephemera related to the sport over the years. This includes thousands of vintage baseball magazines, team yearbooks, ticket stubs, programs and other signed memorabilia. He even owns original artwork, ad proofs and graphic designs used on some of the most iconic baseball cards ever made.

Since retiring a decade ago, Jerry has opened his collection to fans and researchers by appointment. He enjoys sharing the untold stories behind each rare find and piece, imparting his immense knowledge of the player, the card issue and its historical significance. Several documentarians have filmed segments at Jerry’s “Million Card Vault” to showcase his one-of-a-kind collection. He also hosts an annual open house each baseball season where hundreds flock to glimpse cards they may never see anywhere else.

While digital platforms like Topps BUNT and Hearthstone have pushed physical cards to the sidelines for younger collectors, Jerry’s epic assemblage stands as a proud testament to the trueorigins and decades-long popularity of the baseball card industry. For any fan of the game and its vibrant card culture, a visit to the Million Baseball Card Collection is a pilgrimage worth making to witness history packaged in fine-print cardboard. With Mr. Myers diligent care, his labor of love will be preserved and shared with future generations of baseball enthusiasts for many years to come.