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BASEBALL CARDS MOUNT

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Baseball cards are a beloved hobby for many collectors. Properly storing and displaying baseball card collections can be a challenge. That’s where baseball cards mounts come in – they provide an organized way to securely store cards while showing them off.

There are several different types of baseball cards mounts available. One of the most basic is plastic sheet protectors. These are inexpensive plastic sheets that have adhesive on one side. You simply place a baseball card in the sheet protector and seal it to protect the card. Sheet protectors are good for short term storage but aren’t ideal for long-term archiving. Over time, the adhesive can dry out and cards can become stuck or damaged trying to remove them.

A step up from basic sheet protectors are magnetic baseball card mounts. These utilize small round magnets on the back of each mount. Cards are slipped into clear plastic sleeves that have corresponding magnets. The sleeves can then be arranged on a magnetic sheet or board. Magnetic mounts provide protection while allowing easy removal of cards. They also make it simple to rearrange collections. Strong magnets close to the cards could potentially cause issues over decades of storage.

Premium long-term storage options include screw-down baseball card pages. These have clear plastic sleeves that cards slip into. The page then closes via small screws in each corner, compressing a rubber seal tight around the card. When properly closed, screw-down pages create an airtight barrier protecting the card from environmental damage for decades. They also make it easy to access large collections. They require more effort to open/close compared to sheet protectors or magnetic mounts.

Another great storage method is baseball card binders. Multi-pocket pages slip into standard 3-ring binders. Cards go into fitted sleeves that slide easily in and out of the pockets. Binder storage keeps related collections together and allows for expansion as the collection grows. Pages can also be customized by team, player, year, etc. Binders don’t always lay as flat when closed compared to screw-down pages, potentially causing longer term warping issues.

For premium display, many collectors opt for baseball cards display cases. These come in various styles like wall-mounted wood cases, free-standing glass cases, and baseball shaped cases. Cards are fitted into individual sleeves or slots for protection. Display cases showcase high-value collections in style. They are a major investment and don’t allow for easy access to stored cards like binders or magnetic mounts provide.

In addition to the storage and display options above, some collectors get creative with homemade mounts. Common DIY projects include shadowboxes, baseball stitch-patterned frames, display cubes with small magnetic tiles inside, and baseball memorabilia/card collages. Getting crafty can result in truly unique displays for treasured pieces of a collection. Homemade mounts may not provide the same long-term protection as commercial products designed specifically for cards.

When choosing a baseball card mount system, there are several factors to consider including budget, size of collection, need for portability, long-term storage goals, and desired display features. Sheet protectors and magnetic mounts provide affordable options for casual collectors. Screw-down pages and binders excel for long-term organized storage. Display cases create impressive centralized showcases. With so many great choices, any collector is sure to find the perfect mounts to properly house and flaunt their baseball card collection for years to come.

BASEBALL CARDS MOUNT PLEASANT SC

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Baseball cards have been a beloved part of American culture for over a century. From the earliest tobacco cards of the late 1800s to the modern trading cards found in packs of baseball snacks and memorabilia, baseball cards have captured the imaginations of fans both young and old. The Lowcountry region surrounding Charleston, South Carolina has long been steeped in the tradition of baseball. From the Negro Leagues teams of the early 20th century to the modern Charleston RiverDogs minor league franchise, the Holy City and surrounding areas have a rich baseball history. Mount Pleasant in particular has developed a vibrant community of baseball card collectors, traders, and enthusiasts.

Located just east of Charleston across the Cooper River, Mount Pleasant is a bustling suburb that has grown exponentially in recent decades. Along with new residential and commercial developments, the hobby scene in Mount Pleasant has flourished as well. Several dedicated baseball card shops have opened to serve the growing local collector base. Mount Pleasant Cards and Collectibles was one of the first shops to cater specifically to the baseball card community when it opened in 2005. Owner Bill Johnson had been collecting cards since childhood and wanted to establish a dedicated place for collectors on the Charleston area to meet, trade, and showcase their collections.

Mount Pleasant Cards helped foster the local scene in the early days. Weekly trading nights and monthly meetups gave collectors a regular place to socialize and pursue their hobby together. As more people got involved, other shops began to take notice of the demand. In 2010, a former comic book store rebranded as Sports Card World Mount Pleasant to focus exclusively on trading cards of all sports, but with an emphasis on the hot market for vintage and modern baseball cards. Their larger storefront and frequent promotions helped grow the collector base even more. By the mid-2010s, over 200 dedicated collectors were active in the Mount Pleasant area through organized meetups and online Facebook groups.

A major development came in 2016 with the opening of The Card Shack, located in a prominent spot along Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant. Owners Jeff and Melissa Davis had decades of experience in the hobby and wanted to create an “ultimate baseball card destination.” They stocked an immense inventory that included thousands of individual vintage and modern cards, unopened wax packs and boxes from across baseball card history, autographed memorabilia, and more. The Card Shack’s large size, wide selection, and enthusiastic staff made it a magnet for collectors throughout the Southeast. It quickly became a premier hotspot for the baseball card community in Mount Pleasant and beyond.

In the years since, The Card Shack has hosted signings with former MLB stars, annual National Baseball Card Day celebrations, and large vintage card shows that draw hundreds of attendees. They also operate a robust online store and maintain one of the most extensive social media presences of any card shop nationwide. This level of promotion and community involvement has kept the hobby buzzing strongly in Mount Pleasant. The town’s three dedicated card shops, active Facebook groups, and large collector base have made it one of the top baseball card destinations in South Carolina.

Vintage cards from the earliest 20th century tobacco issues through the 1980s are a particular strength among Mount Pleasant collectors. The coastal Charleston area was an early adopter of baseball and many early 20th century tobacco cards survived in local collections. This rich history has filtered into today’s scene, where collectors seek vintage greats like Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson. High-grade examples of iconic 1950s and 1960s Topps issues are also prized, like the iconic 1952 Topps set. Modern collectors enjoy building complete rainbow foil and parallel sets from the current era as well. Autographed memorabilia and unique vintage memorabilia are also strongly represented in local collections.

Mount Pleasant’s baseball card community is also very active in the broader national hobby landscape. Local collectors frequently travel to major card shows around the Southeast like Atlanta and Charlotte to buy, sell, and trade with collectors from other regions. They also take part in large national conventions hosted by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett grading services. Mount Pleasant cards shops are PSA Authorized Dealers as well, allowing local enthusiasts to easily submit cards for professional grading and encapsulation. This high level of involvement ensures the Mount Pleasant scene stays plugged into current trends and maintains strong ties with collectors elsewhere.

As baseball itself has surged in popularity again in recent years, so too has interest in collecting its historic cards. Mount Pleasant was an early local hotbed and remains one of South Carolina’s strongest baseball card communities. With dedicated local shops, an active collector base, involvement in the national hobby scene, and roots in Lowcountry baseball history, Mount Pleasant looks poised to keep its baseball card tradition thriving for years to come. Its shops, groups, and collectors are preserving the pastime while introducing new generations to the allure and history captured in these small pieces of cardboard.

MOUNT STERLING BASEBALL CARDS

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Mount Sterling, Kentucky has deep roots in the world of baseball card collecting. Located in Montgomery County, this small town has developed a tradition of producing notable collectors and stores that have made significant impacts nationwide. For decades now, Mount Sterling has cemented its place as an important hub for those pursuing the hobby.

Perhaps the most famous collector to hail from Mount Sterling is former corporate executive James McCarthy. In the 1970s and 80s, McCarthy amassed what was considered the finest collection of Honus Wagner cards in existence. Through meticulous searches at flea markets, antique stores, and auctions across the country, McCarthy managed to track down over a dozen examples of the legendary T206 Honus Wagner. Many of the cards he found were in poor condition, but a few graded out as gem mint examples. McCarthy’s collection became the stuff of legend in the baseball card world. In the 90s, he loaned pieces of his collection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, where they were put on display for visitors to marvel at. Though McCarthy has since passed away, his collecting renown still resonates today.

Another prominent collector from Mount Sterling was Bob Clayton. In the 1960s as a young boy, Clayton discovered his love for accumulated cards. He would ride his bicycle around town checking convenience stores, drug stores, and corner markets for new packs to open. Clayton amassed a collection with a strong focus on 1950s and 1960s Topps cards. He assembled full sets spanning multiple years that were kept impeccably stored and organized in binders. Word of Clayton’s collection spread throughout Kentucky collector circles. By the 1980s, he had developed a local reputation as the go-to source in the area if someone needed a specific card to complete a set. Clayton enjoyed helping fellow collectors for many decades up until his retirement. Today his vast hoard of vintage cardboard remains largely intact.

Mount Sterling was also home to some pioneering baseball card stores. In the 1970s, Donny’s Sportscards was opened by Don Smith Sr. Located downtown on Main Street, Donny’s gave locals a dedicated place to browse for cards, shop for supplies, and find the latest releases. It swiftly became the hangout for the area’s card-collecting scene. Donny’s hosted trading sessions, organized group shows and carpools to larger conventions, and kept an inventory comprised of collections they had purchased wholesale. The shop kept the hobby buzzing in Mount Sterling throughout the 1970s and 80s. Donny’s set the standard for how a specialty card store should operate in a small town.

Building upon Donny’s popularity, Scott’s Sportscards opened in 1983 and was run by Scott Baker. Based just outside of city limits, Scott’s attracted collectors from all of central Kentucky. They specialized in taking in large collection purchases that they would then break down and sell piecemeal. This recycling of collections ensured there was constant fresh inventory being put on the shelves. Scott’s soon rivaled Donny’s as the top destination, hosting even larger meetups, multi-table trading events, and special in-store appearances. In the late 80s, the town was truly a baseball card mecca. Visitors from much larger cities would make day trips just to check out the selections at Donny’s and Scott’s.

The golden era continued into the early 90s as J&D Cards opened its doors downtown as well. Owned and operated by Jeremy Wilson and Dan Barker, the shop leaned hard into the emerging sphere of sports collectibles beyond just cards. Memorabilia, autographs, and unopened product became a bigger part of the business model. J&D Cards collaborated with local businesses to improve the profile of the hobby. They sponsored youth and adult baseball leagues, cooperated on special promotions, and even helped launch Montgomery County’s first card show convention center. By the late 90s, the trifecta of Donny’s, Scott’s, and J&D had Mount Sterling buzzing constantly with collector traffic.

While the national baseball card market has undergone ebbs and flows in subsequent decades, Mount Sterling managed to maintain its identity as a strong regional hub. Donny’s Sportscards remained in business under new ownership until 2010. Scott’s Sportscards shifted to become more of an antique and memorabilia mall in the 2000s but still prominently featured cards. And J&D Cards stayed dedicated to the hobby. Modern online shopping trends have impacted brick-and-mortar businesses everywhere, but Mount Sterling’s collecting heritage perseveres. Periodic large shows still take place in the area. Local collectors keep trading and reconnecting at hobby shops and card shows.

Mount Sterling left an indelible mark on the baseball card industry during the peak era of the 1960s through 1990s. Prominent hometown collectors like James McCarthy and Bob Clayton set the standard for diligent accumulation. Pioneering shops like Donny’s, Scott’s, and J&D Cards kept the community buzzing and demonstrated how small town America fully embraced cards. Even amid changing collecting tides, Mount Sterling’s tradition endures for those still seeking to reconnect with past days pursuing the cardboard pastime. The town’s impact cemented its place in card collecting lore for generations to come.