Baseball Cards in Meredith, New Hampshire: A History of the Hobby
Meredith, New Hampshire has a long history with baseball cards and the hobby of collecting them. Situated on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire, Meredith and the surrounding Lakes Region have been a hotbed for baseball card collectors and hobbyists for decades. While the roots of baseball card collecting in Meredith can be traced back to the early 20th century, it was in the 1970s and 80s that the hobby really took off locally. During this time period, many shops in the downtown area of Meredith catered specifically to collectors by stocking new packs, boxes, and supplies to support the booming interest in the pastime.
Some of the earliest baseball card collectors in Meredith trace their interest back to the 1930s and 1940s. Cards from sets issued during this era like 1933 Goudey and 1939 Play Ball were highly coveted by many young collectors just starting out. It was not until after World War II that the hobby started to gain more widespread popularity in the area. As baseball resumed as the national pastime in the postwar years, more and more kids in Meredith became fascinated with collecting and trading cards featuring their favorite players and teams. Local variety and candy stores helped fuel this growing interest by stocking the newest card releases to sell.
The 1950s saw baseball card collecting really start to explode in Meredith and across the country. Iconic sets from this decade like 1952 Topps, 1954 Topps, and 1959 Topps are still considered some of the most desirable among collectors today. It was also in this era that the first hobby shops catering specifically to collectors started to open in larger cities. In smaller towns like Meredith, the local drugstores and general stores still reigned supreme as the go-to sources for new packs. Kids would flock to these shops, anxiously awaiting the latest shipments to arrive and scramble to purchase boxes and packs with their allowance money.
By the 1960s, collecting had fully cemented itself as one of the most popular hobbies for children and young adults across America. Major sets released each year by Topps had distribution networks that reached even the smallest of towns. In Meredith, shops like Bill’s Variety on Main Street and Johnson’s Drug Store had become collector hubs, stocking not just packs but also wax boxes, binders, plastic sheets, and other supplies to properly store and showcase collections. Local card shows also started popping up on weekends where collectors of all ages could gather and trade, buy, and sell with others. Stars of the era like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Sandy Koufax adorned the treasured cardboard in the collections of Meredith’s most avid hobbyists.
The 1970s represented the golden age of baseball card collecting in Meredith and around the country. Interest and participation in the hobby reached an all-time high. New sets were being released twice annually by the 1970s from Topps and new competitor companies like Fleer. These included the hugely popular 1973 Topps, 1975 Topps, and 1979 Topps issues. Meredith’s shops worked tirelessly to stock all the newest releases. Places like The Candy Shoppe on Main Street and Frank’s Sport Cards over in Laconia’s Weirs Beach area became essential weekend destinations for collectors seeking out wax packs, boxes, and supplies. Local card shows grew exponentially in size with collectors coming from hours away to trade. Stars of the era like Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan, and George Brett adorned the treasured cardboard in collections across Meredith.
In the 1980s, collecting remained strong in Meredith despite competition from other hobbies and interests arising. Landmark releases like the iconic 1981 Topps Traded and Flagship sets kept the hobby buzzing. The market was starting to become flooded by the overproduction of cards in the late 1980s. By 1991, the baseball card bubble had fully burst due to market saturation and an industry in crisis. Many local hobby shops in Meredith and around the country were forced to close. Dedicated collectors remained, focusing more on older, vintage cardboard from eras past that retained strong value.
Today, baseball card collecting remains a beloved pastime for many in Meredith, both young and old. While the heyday storefront hobby shops are long gone, the spirit of the hobby lives on. Local card shows still take place seasonally where collectors can buy, sell and trade. Online groups also keep the local collecting community connected year-round. Vintage Meredith collections from the 1950s-1980s remain some of the most prized in the hobby. And today’s youth are now pursuing cards from the modern era, hoping to complete sets featuring current stars like Mike Trout, Christian Yelich and others. Through its ups and downs, baseball card collecting has remained a historic and beloved part of Meredith’s local culture and memories for generations of hobbyists.