Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and childhood for over a century. While the hobby has grown exponentially nationwide, several towns across New Jersey have their own unique history with baseball cards as well. Fair Lawn is one such community that has seen its local card shops and collectors shape the popularity of cards within its borders.
Some of the earliest card shops in Fair Lawn date back to the late 1960s and 1970s. Two shops in particular – Fair Lawn Sportscards, which opened in 1969, and Mike’s Baseball Cards, which opened in 1973 – helped fuel the initial baseball card boom in the township. During this time, the advent of color photos on cards in the late 1960s had sparked renewed interest in collecting among both children and adults. These shops capitalized on this enthusiasm by stocking the newest wax packs, boxes, and singles from the major card companies like Topps, Fleer, and Donruss.
On weekends, the shops would see dozens of eager collectors of all ages come through their doors, searching for the stars and rookie cards of the day to add to their collections. Local youth baseball and softball leagues also helped spread the card collecting hobby. Teams would often do group visits to the shops, with parents in tow, after games and practices. Throughout the 1970s, these shops in Fair Lawn helped turn card collecting from just a childhood pastime to a more serious hobby for many in the township and surrounding areas.
Into the 1980s and 1990s, the shops evolved with the growing sophistication of the hobby. Along with stocking the latest retail releases, both Fair Lawn Sportscards and Mike’s began to focus more on singles, higher-end sets, and memorabilia in addition to packs and boxes. This allowed more advanced collectors to target specific cards they needed to complete sets or build around favorite players. The shops also started to host monthly trading card shows on Sundays that would draw collectors from all over Bergen County. These shows became major community events that further boosted the popularity of cards in Fair Lawn.
During the height of the baseball card boom from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, it was estimated that over half of Fair Lawn’s youth were involved in collecting to some degree. The two flagship shops were doing record business as collectors chased after coveted rookie cards and stars of the era like Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, and Cal Ripken Jr. Prices soared for the most desirable vintage and modern issues. At local card shows, it was not uncommon to see six figure deals go down between serious adult collectors. This “Golden Age” firmly cemented Fair Lawn’s reputation as a hotbed for baseball cards in North Jersey.
The bubble would burst by the mid-1990s as an overproduction of cards watered down the hobby. Both Fair Lawn Sportscards and Mike’s Baseball Cards struggled as the frenzy subsided. While they managed to stay in business, their shops became more niche suppliers for the remaining hardcore collectors. Through the 2000s, fewer kids were getting into cards as video games, movies, and other entertainment rose to dominate youth culture. By the late 2000s, both shops had closed their doors for good as the local market could no longer support full-scale card stores.
While Fair Lawn may no longer have dedicated card shops, the legacy of cards lives on. Many former collectors who grew up frequenting places like Fair Lawn Sportscards and Mike’s still maintain collections as adults. Some have gone on to become respected dealers and authenticators themselves. Local card shows also still occur a few times a year. The Fair Lawn Library has archived many vintage publications, price guides, and materials related to the township’s baseball card history. For those who came of collecting age in Fair Lawn’s heyday, cards remain a cherished connection to their childhood and a piece of the community’s shared pop culture past. Though the industry has changed, the memories and collections persist as an integral part of the fabric of the town.