Wes Baseball Cards: A Nebraska Tradition of Trading Since 1968

Tucked away in the College View neighborhood of Lincoln, Nebraska sits Wes Baseball Cards – a local institution that has been bringing baseball card collectors and traders together for over 50 years. What started as a small, passion project for owner Wes Kruger has grown into one of the largest and longest-running card shops in the Midwest.

Wes was born and raised in Lincoln and was first introduced to the hobby of baseball card collecting as a young boy in the 1950s and 1960s. He loved searching through packs of cards looking for stars like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and would spend hours organizing and cataloging his collection. As he got older, he began frequenting the few local shops in Lincoln that sold cards. He noticed that none of them focused solely on baseball cards or had a dedicated space just for collectors and traders to gather.

In 1968, with collections booming in popularity during the heyday of the original Topps sets, Wes decided to take matters into his own hands. He opened up a small “card corner” inside his father’s antique shop located near 27th & Vine in Lincoln. It was just a few shelves and boxes dedicated to cards, but it was the first locally-owned shop specifically for baseball cards. Word quickly spread through the tight-knit Lincoln card community and before long, Wes was hosting impromptu trading sessions every Saturday afternoon.

More space was soon needed as Wes’ small card corner grew tremendously over the next few years. In 1971, he decided to go all-in on cards and opened his first dedicated Wes Baseball Cards shop at a street-level storefront nearby at 27th & G streets. It was only 600 square feet but felt like a home run for collectors. The old-timers still remember the electric atmosphere of that early shop, packed wall-to-wall with collectors of all ages exchanging stories, advice, and of course, cards.

As the 1970s rolled on, Wes continued expanding his inventory and store size to keep up with the ballooning popularity of the hobby. He cultivated strong relationships with the major card companies like Topps, Fleer, and Donruss to get coveted new releases and oddball vintage items. Soon, Wes Baseball Cards wasn’t just the premier game in town – it had become a must-visit destination for enthusiasts across the Midwest making sports card pilgrimages. Many lifelong friendships were forged during this era that still continue today.

By the 1980s, cards had truly exploded into the multibillion-dollar business it is today. Trying to keep up with escalating rent prices downtown, Wes made the move to his current 45,000 square foot location at 5201 S. 48th Street in 1984. The spacious new digs allowed Wes to offer much more – including extensive wax box break sessions, autograph signings with big leaguers, and even yearly baseball memorabilia auctions that attracted bidders from across the country.

Through highs and lows of the hobby over the past few decades, one thing has remained constant – Wes’ dedication to his customers new and old. His legendary customer service and encyclopedic knowledge of the minutiae of the card world has kept fans coming back, as has his outstanding consignment program that has rediscovered and brought valuable vintage rarities back to enthusiasts’ hands. While internet sales have taken a chunk of local shops’ business in recent years, Wes Baseball Cards remains a supremely vital anchor for the vibrant Lincoln card collecting community.

Today at age 79, Wes has passed the daily operations of the shop off to his two sons but is still a frequent guest at the shop, always happy to lend his counsel and reminisce about memorable moments from his over 50 years in the hobby. With no signs of slowing down, Wes Baseball Cards continues preserving and growing one of the last true card “hangouts” left. Both young and old fans are making memories and living out the hobby under one roof – ensuring the tradition will carry on for decades to come. From its humble origins as a card corner to its current status as a Nebraska institution, Wes Baseball Cards’ impact on the state’s sports memorabilia community has been immeasurableHere is an 18,000 character article on Wes’ Baseball Cards in Lincoln, Nebraska:

Wes’ Baseball Cards: A Lincoln Institution for Over 35 Years

Tucked away in a small strip mall on N 27th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska lies a local treasure – Wes’ Baseball Cards. For over 35 years, Wes Ostdiek and his dedicated staff have been providing the Lincoln area with a huge selection of sports cards and memorabilia. What started out as a small hobby shop in the 1980s has grown into Lincoln’s premier destination for all things related to collecting cards, autographs, and rare game-used merchandise.

Wes first got the idea to open his own card shop after years of attending shows throughout the Midwest as a dedicated hobbyist and dealer. He saw there was demand for a serious brick and mortar store in Lincoln that could offer customers the ability to browse through thousands of cards on a daily basis. In 1987, he took the leap and opened up shop in a small space on 27th Street. At first, it was mainly Wes by himself running the store. But it didn’t take long for customers to take notice of his expertise and massive inventory.

Within a few short years, Wes outgrew that initial location and expanded to a much larger storefront just down the street. This allowed him to truly showcase his entire stock in a well-organized manner. Walls were lined with long boxes organized by sport, level, and year. Showcases displayed the high-end rookie cards, autographs, and game-used memorabilia. It became a hobbyist’s dream destination. Wes also began stocking everything a collector could need – supplies, binders, plastic sheets, magazines, and more.

By the early 1990s, Wes had established Wes’ Baseball Cards as the premier sports card shop in Nebraska. Customers would travel for hours just to peruse his inventory. Many lifelong friendships were also forged as collectors of all ages congregated at the store on a daily basis to swap stories and cards. Wes prided himself on knowing each customer by name and helping them track down specific wants. On top of being knowledgeable, he was also fiercely honest and fair in all his business dealings. This earned him tremendous loyalty among the collecting community.

As the sports card boom continued through the 1990s, Wes expanded his store yet again to keep up with escalating demand. He brought on additional full-time staff to help customers. Repack boxes and factories were stocked with the latest and most popular products. Wes also began doing shows on weekends to reach more collectors. No job was too big or small. He was known for personally helping even the youngest customers find interesting commons to fuel their newfound passions. Many local collectors today still reminisce about fond memories from their earliest visits to Wes’ shop as children.

While the sports card market experienced ups and downs over the decades, one thing that remained constant was Wes’ dedication to his customers. He weathered the storm of the downturn in the late 90s/early 2000s that saw many smaller shops go out of business. Wes adapted by expanding his focus beyond just cards into related memorabilia, autographs, and vintage equipment. This helped diversify his offerings and develop new collector segments. Throughout it all, he continued providing the same outstanding customer service and expertise that was a hallmark of Wes’ Baseball Cards.

Today, Wes’ has been in the same massive location on 27th Street for over 20 years. It occupies a prominent spot in Lincoln’s hobby scene. Three full-time staff members help Wes on a daily basis. The selection of vintage and modern sports cards, memorabilia, and autographs is the most extensive in the state. Customers still come from hours away to sift through boxes or peruse the immense glass showcase collections. Consignments from estates and collections also provide a steady stream of unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Prices are always fair whether you’re a first-time buyer or high-end collector.

Beyond the store, Wes has also established himself as a leading authenticator, grader, and consultant within the sports collecting world over the past 35+ years. He’s handled private assignments for auctions, museums, Sports Illustrated, and prominent personal collections. His expertise is trusted implicitly in the hobby. Wes also still attends shows around the Midwest most weekends to represent his shop and connect with the collecting community face-to-face. After over three decades in business, Wes’ Baseball Cards remains as passionate and integral to the scene as ever before.

For Wes Ostdiek, it’s been an incredible journey from hobbyist to Nebraska icon. But what’s kept him consistently successful for so long is his dedication to his customers, unmatched expertise, and pure love and passion for the hobby he’s cultivated. Wes plans to keep Wes’ Baseball Cards running strong for many years to come – continuing his mission of helping fans of all ages fulfill their sports collecting dreams. The shop on 27th Street stands as a true Lincoln landmark and reminder of the joy this unique hobby has brought to generations of Cornhusker State collectors.

Baseball cards have a long history in Lincoln, Nebraska dating back to the late 1800s when the hobby first began gaining popularity across the United States. Some of the earliest baseball cards produced featured players from Nebraska-based minor league teams that called Lincoln home for part of their season.

In the early days of organized baseball in Lincoln, the city was home to minor league teams that competed in various lower level professional leagues from the 1880s through the 1950s. One of the first teams was the Lincoln Tree Planters who played in the Nebraska State League starting in 1889. While few records remain of baseball cards from this early era, it’s possible some cards may have been produced locally to promote the Tree Planters and other early Lincoln teams.

As baseball card production became more widespread starting in the late 1880s with the advent of mass-produced cigarette cards, more Lincoln-related players began appearing on cards. Teams like the Lincoln Railsplitters of the Western League in the 1890s put Lincoln on the baseball map and some of their stars likely received baseball card treatment. The cards from this era are quite rare as the hobby was still in its infancy.

In the early 20th century, Lincoln was a hotbed of minor league baseball. The city was home to teams competing in the Western League, Central League, Western Association, Western League and Western League again between 1902 and 1950. Dozens of future major leaguers got their start in Lincoln during this golden era of minor league ball. Stars like Bob Gibson, Bob Lemon, Ken Holtzman and more all played for Lincoln minor league squads at some point in their careers. Their rookie cards featuring their time in Lincoln can still be found in collections today from sets issued in the 1930s-1950s.

While the production of baseball cards was centered in large metropolitan areas, Lincoln card collectors of the 1930s-1950s era could still find cards of their hometown Lincoln players with a little effort. Sets from the time like Goudey, Play Ball and Bowman featured many players who spent time in the minors with Lincoln teams. Regional tobacco brands also sometimes included Lincoln players in their baseball cards inserted in cigarette packs.

In the post-World War II era, Lincoln’s minor league teams drew well as affordable family entertainment. Stars of the day like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and more honed their skills against Lincoln competition. Their rookie cards remain some of the most coveted in the hobby given their Hall of Fame careers. For Lincoln fans, finding a card of one of their hometown heroes going on to MLB glory was a thrill.

The 1950s saw the end of the golden era of minor league baseball in Lincoln as teams came and went in various lower classification leagues. But the baseball card hobby was booming nationwide thanks to the advent of modern printing techniques. Iconic 1950s sets like Topps, Bowman and Red Man captured the final years of future MLB stars playing in Lincoln before the farm system changed.

In the 1960s, Lincoln’s minor league affiliation shifted to the Pacific Coast League’s Hawaii Islanders who used Lincoln as a spring training site. While no regular season games were played, the team drew Lincoln baseball fans interested in seeing PCL action. The Islanders roster included stars like Jim Lefebvre and Nolan Ryan during their time training in Lincoln. Their rookie cards from the 1960s are still prized by collectors with a Lincoln connection to the team.

The 1970s saw the end of minor league baseball in Lincoln for decades as teams consolidated at higher levels. But the baseball card hobby kept growing nationwide thanks to the rise of the hobby’s modern golden era sparked by the arrival of the pioneering 1973 Topps set. While no longer home to any pro teams, Lincoln card collectors could still find cards of Nebraska natives who made it to the majors. Icons like Bob Gibson, Bob Lemon and Gene Garber had roots in the Cornhusker state.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the baseball card boom saw unprecedented growth. Mainstream retailers like drug stores and supermarkets got in the baseball card business. While Lincoln no longer had any direct connection to pro ball, local card shops catered to collectors. Sets from Fleer, Donruss, Upper Deck and more could be found in Lincoln shops, fueling new generations of Cornhusker state card fans. Regional stars like Darin Erstad and Todd Helton kept Nebraska on the map in the hobby.

Today, Lincoln remains home to a dedicated baseball card collecting community. While the city hasn’t hosted pro ball in decades, local card shops like Nebraska Sports Cards keep the hobby alive. Vintage Lincoln minor league stars and modern Nebraska natives are still collectible and bring back memories for longtime Cornhusker state card fans. Events like card shows draw collectors from across the state regularly. Although the teams are gone, the legacy of baseball cards in Lincoln lives on in the collections and memories of dedicated collectors in the city and state.

Baseball cards have been a staple of the sports and collecting scene in Lincoln, Nebraska for over 125 years since the earliest days of the hobby. From minor league stars of the late 1800s to modern Nebraska major leaguers, cards collecting remains an important connection to the baseball heritage of the Cornhusker state capital city.