Tag Archives: francisco

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS BASEBALL CARDS

Leave a reply

The San Francisco Giants have a long and storied history that dates back to when the franchise was established in 1883 as the New York Gothams. Since then, the team has undergone name changes and relocated from New York to San Francisco, but it has remained one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. A key part of chronicling this history over the decades has been through baseball cards featuring Giants players.

Some of the earliest baseball cards produced in the late 19th century featured New York Giants players like Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, and Roger Connor. These tobacco cards from companies like Allen & Ginter and Old Judge were trade cards inserted in cigarette and candy packages as a marketing gimmick. They helped spread awareness and popularity of professional baseball during its early years. Some of the rarer early Giants cards from this era have become highly valuable collectibles today.

In the early 20th century, the rise of dedicated baseball card companies like American Tobacco’s T206 set established standardized sizes and card stock materials. Giants stars of that era like Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, and Mel Ott appeared on these classic tobacco era cards. As the team relocated to San Francisco in 1958, Topps continued producing the standard size modern cards that are still collected passionately today. Hall of Famers like Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal, and Gaylord Perry all had iconic cards issued during the Giants’ West Coast era.

One of the most valuable San Francisco Giants cards ever produced was the 1965 Topps Willie Mays rookie card. Even though Mays debuted in 1951 with the New York Giants and had already established himself as a star, Topps curiously chose to designate his 1965 issue as a “rookie” card, making it one of the most sought after in the hobby. In near-mint condition, a Mays ’65 rookie consistently sells for well over $100,000 today. Other notable early San Francisco-era cards included the 1960 Topps Willie Mays with an action photo from his legendary over-the-shoulder catch, and cards showing the Splendid Splinter Barry Bonds’ first seasons with the team in the 1980s.

Into the modern era of the 1990s and 2000s, collectors sought out rookie or memorable cards of Giants greats like Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Buster Posey. Bonds’ career with the Giants included several milestone season accomplishment cards like his 2001 Topps record-breaking 73 home run season. Lincecum’s dominant 2008 rookie season resulted in a valuable card market for his Topps offerings that year.

Through their history in both New York and San Francisco, the Giants franchise has appeared on dozens of different card issues from many producer companies aside from just Topps as well. Some standout non-Topps Giants cards include 1933 Goudey Giants stars, 1956 Topps Koufax rookie card which also features Giants on the reverse, and 1973–75 Parker Brothers cloth sticker cards showing vintage photos of long-ago Giants. The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie is also hugely popular partly due to featuring Giants on the back.

As the Giants won World Series championships in 2010, 2012, and 2014 in recent years, the cards of postseason heroes like Edgar Renteria, Sergio Romo, MadBum Madison Bumgarner, and Hunter Pence gained strong collector attention. Bumgarner’s game-saving performance and rare complete-game shutout in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series instantly elevated the value of his contemporary rookie and prospect cards from a few years prior. Newer Giants stars featured on sought-after modern issues include Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Evan Longoria.

For dedicated Giants fans and collectors, assembling a complete collection spanning the franchise’s card history from New York to San Francisco offers a visual scrapbook of over 130 years of baseball memories and achievements. With iconic players, unforgettable seasons, and the nostalgia attached, vintage and modern San Francisco Giants cards alike remain a cherished link to the past for collectors around the world today. As long as the Giants franchise continues winning and debuting future stars, their baseball cards will keep chronicling the story for future generations to enjoy.

BASEBALL CARDS SAN FRANCISCO

Leave a reply

Baseball cards have a long and rich history in San Francisco, dating back to the earliest days of professional baseball in the late 1800s. Some of the most iconic baseball franchises like the New York and San Francisco Giants have called the Bay Area home for over a century. The popularity of collecting baseball cards grew alongside the game itself in San Francisco.

In the late 19th century, the first baseball cards started appearing as promotional inserts included randomly in packs of cigarettes. Companies like Allen & Ginter and Goodwin & Company produced some of the earliest baseball cards during this period featuring star players from major league teams. While the cards were produced nationally, many of the players featured played for teams located on the West Coast like the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League.

As baseball grew in popularity in the early 1900s, more specialized baseball card companies emerged to meet demand. T206 tobacco cards produced between 1909-1911 are considered some of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards ever made. Many of the players whose rare T206 cards fetch millions at auction today played for teams that called San Francisco home at that time like the Seals, Pirates, and Giants.

In the 1950s, the modern era of baseball cards began with the introduction of bubblegum cards by the Topps Company. These affordable packs of cards with a stick of bubblegum inside helped spark a new generation of young collectors. As the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers both relocated to California in the late 1950s, baseball card collecting also took off among Bay Area youth. Stores in San Francisco saw bubblegum cards fly off the shelves as kids traded the newest cards featuring their hometown Giants and Dodgers.

The 1960s saw the rise of several notable San Francisco-based card shops that fueled the booming hobby. Card collectors would flock to places like Bob Lemons Sporting Goods, The Card Collector, and Barry Halper Collections to browse the latest releases, trade duplicates, and find back issues to complete sets. Many of the top collectors in Northern California during this era got their start frequenting these pioneering shops as kids.

In the 1970s, the San Francisco Giants emerged as perennial contenders that captured three World Series titles. Stars like Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, and Gaylord Perry achieved legendary status among Bay Area fans. Their colorful Topps and Donruss cards from that era remain extremely popular with collectors today, especially those depicting the Giants’ championship seasons. During this golden age for the team, card collecting reached new heights of popularity in San Francisco and throughout Northern California.

The rise of sports card conventions and shows began in the 1980s, giving collectors a new way to buy, sell, and trade with other hobbyists. Some of the earliest and largest shows developed in the Bay Area, like the San Jose Sports Collectible Show. Today, it’s one of the longest-running and most prestigious annual shows that still draws thousands each year. In the late 80s, the trading card speculative boom heated up as investors drove up prices of rare vintage cards. Stores in San Francisco were at the center of the frenzy as collectors looked to cash in on the rising values.

In the 1990s, the internet opened up new frontiers for baseball card collecting. While local card shops still thrived, collectors could now complete sets and find even the most obscure vintage issues through online marketplaces and auctions. Websites run by Bay Area collectors became essential online hubs where fans worldwide could come together over their shared interest. Today, San Francisco remains home to some of the top vintage card dealers and authenticators that service a global collecting community online.

As the Giants won three more World Series titles in the 2010s, a new generation of fans in San Francisco was sparked to the hobby. Cards from those championship seasons remain in high demand. While the way people collect has changed, the tradition carries on as baseball cards continue connecting Bay Area fans of all ages to the rich history of America’s pastime. Modern issues featuring homegrown stars like Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford ensure baseball cards will remain an integral part of sports culture for years to come in San Francisco and throughout Northern California.