The most important thing when mailing baseball cards is to properly package and protect the cards to ensure they arrive safely at their destination. Here are the key things to keep in mind:

Use the correct mailing materials. Baseball cards should always be mailed in a rigid and protective case or container. Cardboard is preferable to paper envelopes as it provides sturdier protection against potential crushing or bending. Consider purchasing a baseball card mailer, a rigid plastic or cardboard case specifically designed for safely transporting cards. Baseball card pages or sheets can also work provided they are inserted within another protective outer package.

Pad the interior of the mailing package. Fill any empty space within the container with padding material to limit movement and cushion the cards. Bubble wrap, foam peanuts, air pouches, paper, or tissue paper all make good padding options. The goal is to have the cards fully surrounded on all sides by a padding material so they cannot shift around during transit. Ensure no sharp edges exist within the package that could potentially cut or damage the cards.

Use sturdy packaging tape. Heavily tape all seams, edges and openings of the mailing container using packaging tape strong enough to withstand transit without tearing. Duct tape can work even better than standard packaging tapes. Place tape over the edges of the cardboard as added reinforcement at stress points.

Include a backing board. For added protection, place a stiff cardboard backing board behind the cards before sealing the container. This provides an extra layer of sturdiness and prevents inward bending of the container should it get crushed from the outside during shipping.

Secure extra cards between sheets of penny sleeves or toploaders. Any loose single cards should be inserted between protective sheeting to avoid damage from bending or abrasion within the larger package. Consider heat-sealing plastic sheeting around cards for enhanced protection.

Clearly label the package exterior. Write “Baseball Cards – Do Not Bend” or similar clearly on multiple sides using permanent marker. This alerts handlers to the delicate contents and gives instructions to avoid crushing or bending the package in problematic ways during transit. Be sure mailing labels are placed where they won’t obscure these content instructions.

Purchase appropriate postage and Insurance. Weigh the fully packaged baseball cards to calculate correct postage based on weight and destination zone. It’s usually worth the small additional cost to insure the package for its full estimated value of the cards in case of loss or damage during shipping. Registered mail or certified mail with delivery confirmation can also provide more traceability and protection assurance.

Send during optimal times. Baseball card mailers should avoid sending packages during extreme hot or cold weather conditions if possible as temperature changes may cause excessive expansion or contraction stresses on the packaging materials. Sending early in the week provides more buffer time should delays occur. Provide a return address in case the package needs to be rerouted or returned for any reason.

Communicate delivery updates. Keep the recipient informed if you are able to track the package through its journey. Provide estimated delivery windows and notify them of any potential delays right away so issues or concerns can be addressed promptly if the cards don’t arrive as expected within a reasonable timeframe. This open communication helps minimize the chances of items getting lost without notice.

Proper packaging takes more time upfront but provides peace of mind knowing valuable collections will be carefully protected every step of the transit. With some care taken to cushion, reinforce and clearly label the mailing container, baseball cards shipped using these best practices should arrive safely at their destination almost every time. Let me know if any part of the process needs more explanation!

The tradition of collecting and trading baseball cards dates back to the late 1800s when cigarette and tobacco companies began including baseball cards as promotional inserts in their products. Throughout the early 1900s, companies like American Tobacco Company, Goodwin & Company, and American Caramel Company produced and distributed millions of baseball cards to customers. For many young fans living outside major league cities, accessing and trading these coveted cards could be difficult.

This began to change in the 1950s as the hobby of baseball card collecting started to explode in popularity across the United States, fueled by TV broadcasts that brought the national pastime into living rooms across America. While regional drug stores and specialty shops sold wax packs and boxes of the latest baseball cards, the limited distribution meant that not every kid had equal access. It was during this era that several entrepreneurs came up with the innovative idea of direct baseball card mail order clubs that helped fuel the booming hobby and democratized the collecting experience.

One of the earliest and most prominent baseball card mail order clubs was started in 1953 by Joel Shapiro, known as the “King of Baseball Cards.” Based in Brooklyn, New York, Shapiro’s Sportscard Guarantee Service allowed anyone to join his club and receive monthly shipments of assorted baseball cards straight to their mailbox. For an annual fee of just $2, members received 12 packages over the course of a year containing 30-50 random baseball cards from Shapiro’s vast inventory. The cards covered both current seasons as well as vintage issues dating back to the tobacco era.

Shapiro’s innovative club was a huge hit with collectors across the country hungry for new cards to add to their collections. Within a few years, he had signed up tens of thousands of members and was shipping out hundreds of thousands of cards each month. His success helped inspire copycats and competitors to launch their own baseball card of the month clubs. One such club was Sportscard Digest, started in 1960 by Bill Haber out of his parents’ basement in Brooklyn. Like Shapiro, Haber offered monthly shipments of assorted baseball cards to subscribers. His club grew rapidly as it tapped into the booming market.

In the 1960s, two brothers from Maryland, Phil and Bill Taylor, took the baseball card mail order club model to new heights with their Sportscard Club of America. Based in Baltimore, the Taylors offered memberships starting at just $3 for 6 monthly packages containing 60-100 random baseball cards in each shipment. Within a few years, they had signed up over 100,000 members, making their club one of the largest and most successful in the country. Like their competitors, the Taylors sourced cards from their extensive inventory that spanned both current seasons and vintage issues.

The success and popularity of baseball card mail order clubs exploded in the late 1960s as the hobby reached new levels of fandom and collecting interest. By this point, there were dozens of competing clubs all vying for a share of the growing market. In addition to the established names like Shapiro, Haber, and the Taylors, many new operators launched clubs out of their homes or local shops. Some of the larger clubs included Sportflics out of New York, which had over 200,000 members at its peak, and Bowman Gum’s Baseball Card Club that boasted a membership of over 500,000 collectors by the early 1970s.

For a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee ranging from $2 to $10, depending on the club, young fans could receive curated shipments of baseball cards delivered straight to their mailbox. This allowed anyone, no matter where they lived, to join in on the booming hobby and build their collections. The cards included in the packages covered the entire spectrum from current rookie stars to legendary players of the past. Subscribers looked forward to each new package, not knowing which players or coveted vintage cards they might receive. The mail order clubs helped democratize the hobby and brought the joy of collecting baseball cards to thousands of new fans across the United States.

While regional and national card shops continued to sell packs and boxes, the baseball card mail order clubs remained extremely popular well into the 1970s and 1980s. By this point, membership in the largest clubs numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The direct baseball card market began facing new challenges as the speculative bubble of the late 1980s card boom started to burst. Many of the smaller clubs folded amidst industry consolidation and changing collecting trends that favored chasing specific star players over assembling general collections.

Two of the longest surviving baseball card mail order clubs were Sportflics, which ceased operations in 1990 after over 30 years in business, and the Sportscard Club of America, which finally closed its doors in 1996 after four decades of monthly mailings. Their demise marked the end of an era when collecting cards was primarily a mailbox hobby. While online retailers like eBay later helped fuel renewed interest, the golden age of baseball card mail order clubs in many ways represented the pinnacle of direct-to-consumer participation in the beloved pastime of collecting baseball’s finest on cardboard. Their innovative monthly membership models democratized the hobby and brought untold joy to generations of young fans across the country.