The history of baseball cards in Fort Myers, Florida is closely tied to the city’s deep connection to the game. As one of the original spring training homes for major league teams starting in the early 20th century, Fort Myers developed a strong baseball culture that included a vibrant local collecting scene for baseball cards.
Some of the earliest mentions of baseball cards circulating in Fort Myers date back to the 1910s when the Boston Red Sox first started holding spring training in the city. Local newspapers from that era include advertisements for shops in downtown Fort Myers selling packages of baseball cards alongside gum, candy, and other snacks popular with young fans. With major league players now in town every March working out at their spring facilities, it didn’t take long for the card collecting craze to catch on among local youth.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, more teams began using Fort Myers as their spring base such as the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. This further fueled the growing passion for baseball in the community and the growing popularity of collecting player cards. In the pre-World War II years, the most coveted cards for Fort Myers collectors included stars of that era like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Pie Traynor. Swap meets were regularly held where kids could trade and discuss their collections.
The postwar boom in baseball card production in the late 1940s and 1950s coincided with Fort Myers truly establishing itself as the spring training capital of the Grapefruit League. At one point in the 1950s, over half the teams in the majors held camp in and around Fort Myers. With this unprecedented concentration of talent in town every March, it’s no wonder baseball cards were a top collectible for local children. Production was in full swing from companies like Topps and Bowman producing colorful new sets year after year with the biggest stars of that era like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.
Fort Myers card shops did a booming business during this golden age. Popular stores like Andy’s Hobby Shop, Ernie’s Sporting Goods, and Bill’s Cards & Comics became vital community hangouts for collectors. They stocked the latest card releases and hosted trading sessions and meetups. Some shops even hired local youth to help organize and catalogue inventory, providing some early work experience. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, these stores helped foster Fort Myers’ strong baseball card collecting culture.
In the 1970s, as the hobby began to take on a more serious collecting approach with the rise of graded cards and emphasis on investment potential, dedicated card shows emerged in Fort Myers. Some of the earliest and largest in the area were held at the old Fort Myers High School gym. Hundreds of collectors would gather twice a year to buy, sell, and trade with dealers from across Florida and beyond. Finding key vintage cards of Fort Myers spring training stars was always a top priority for local collectors at these events.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Fort Myers saw the hobby truly explode in popularity. Mass produced sets from Donruss, Fleer, and Score kept pace with demand. Local card shops multiplied to meet it with stores like Great Scotts, Gametime USA and Paradise Comics opening new locations. Major card shows drew thousands. The city’s connection to spring training was stronger than ever, with over half the teams still calling Fort Myers home each March. New stars like Cal Ripken Jr. and Mark McGwire kept the area’s collectors excited.
Fort Myers continues to have an extremely active baseball card collecting community. Monthly meetups attract hundreds while annual mega shows like the Fort Myers Baseball Card Show each January are among the largest and most prestigious in Florida. Local stores like Paradise Comics and Great Scotts are still going strong after decades in business. Meanwhile, online communities like the Fort Myers Sports Card Collectors Club Facebook group have connected a whole new generation of enthusiasts. And with seven MLB teams still flocking to the city each spring, the area’s deep love affair with baseball, players, and their cardboard representations shows no signs of slowing. Baseball cards have been an integral part of the Fort Myers sports scene and culture for well over a century.