Baseball Cards in Quincy, Illinois: A Rich History of the National Pastime

The city of Quincy, Illinois has a long and storied history with America’s favorite pastime of baseball. Nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River in Western Illinois, Quincy developed a strong baseball culture beginning in the late 19th century. As the popularity of collecting baseball cards grew nationwide in the early 1900s, Quincy became intertwined with the hobby through its local businesses and the cards of players who called the city home. To this day, Quincy remains passionate about the sport of baseball and appreciates its baseball card collecting roots.

One of the first documented baseball card businesses in Quincy was started in the early 1920s by Herb and Louie Benes, brothers who owned the Benes News and Novelty Store downtown. From their storefront, the Benes brothers sold many of the most popular baseball cards of the era directly to eager young collectors in Quincy. Sets from companies like American Caramel, Candy Manufacturing Company, and Goudey Gum were steady sellers. The Benes News and Novelty Store helped foster the baseball card hobby in Quincy during its early growing period.

In the following decades, other card shops and hobby stores in Quincy helped further popularize baseball cards. Places like Quincy Hobby and Card Shop, Wigwam Cards, and Quincy Sportscards gave local collectors a dedicated place to browse through boxes of new releases and trade with others. Major sets from Topps, Fleer, and Donruss found many buyers in Quincy. Stores also sold unopened boxes of packs so collectors could try their luck at pulling a sought-after rookie or star player.

Quincy developed its own connection to baseball through native sons who made their mark in the major leagues. Pitchers like Earl Henry, Jack Knott, and Gene Bearden all called Quincy home and had their own baseball cards collected eagerly by locals. Their accomplishments and cards added to Quincy’s baseball lore. Other Midwest-born players like Bob Uecker of nearby Joliet, Illinois and Stan Musial of Donora, Pennsylvania also found many cards in the hands of Quincy collectors due to regional ties.

In the 1980s, Quincy’s baseball card scene thrived with the sport’s surge in popularity. Television coverage grew through ESPN while blockbuster films like The Natural reignited fans’ passion. Major card companies pumped out new sets at a record pace to keep up with demand. Quincy’s card shops did a booming business and hosted active baseball card shows where hundreds would gather to buy, sell, and trade with vendors and each other. The city’s card collecting community was in its heyday.

As baseball cards transitioned to the modern era of the internet and online auctions, Quincy’s brick and mortar card shops began to disappear. The city’s love of collecting never faded. Today, Quincy remains home to an active baseball card collecting scene, just in a new online form. Social media groups like Quincy Baseball Card Collectors connect hundreds of enthusiasts locally and beyond. Online group breaks where boxes of new cards are opened and randomly distributed still foster excitement. Local card shows also continue with smaller, dedicated crowds.

Quincy’s long baseball history is remembered through its local legends immortalized on cardboard. Places like the Quincy Baseball Hall of Fame preserve memorabilia and honor native sons. New generations are now pursuing vintage Quincy-connected cards of players like Earl Henry and Stan Musial online. Though the shops have closed, the baseball card hobby lives on in Quincy, a reminder of simpler times when the city could find community at the local card store counter. Quincy’s deep roots with America’s pastime on the field continue to blossom through the cards off it.

Baseball cards have been a beloved hobby for collectors across the United States for over a century. In the city of Quincy, Massachusetts, located just outside of Boston, baseball cards have a rich history and remain a popular pastime for both young and old residents alike. Quincy has been home to many dedicated baseball card collectors, shops, and shows over the years.

Some of the earliest baseball card collectors in Quincy can be traced back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when the hobby first started gaining widespread popularity. During this time, tobacco companies like American Tobacco began inserting baseball cards into cigarette packs and packages as a marketing technique. Excited young boys in Quincy would eagerly await finding cards of their favorite players from the recently formed National League and American League in their smokes. Word quickly spread among friends about valuable finds, igniting card collecting as a fun competitive activity.

Through the early decades of the 20th century, baseball card collecting remained a beloved hobby for many Quincy children and adults. It wasn’t until the late 1950s that the first known baseball card shop opened in the city. In 1957, Quincy resident John Mullin established Mullin’s Sport Cards at 258 Hancock Street in order to cater specifically to the growing local demand. Mullin’s became a popular hangout where collectors could browse racks of cards, check pricing guides, and trade and sell with one another. The shop helped further cement Quincy’s reputation as a baseball card hotbed in the region.

During the 1960s and 1970s, baseball card collecting in Quincy truly exploded in popularity alongside the rise of the city’s beloved Red Sox dynasty teams. With stars like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Jim Rice, interest in collecting cards of the local heroes was at an all-time high. Numerous shops popped up around Quincy like K&K Sportscards and Quincy Sportscards to meet demand. Meanwhile, Mullin’s Sport Cards continued going strong, cementing its status as the longest running baseball card shop in the city’s history at over 50 years.

In the 1980s, the baseball card boom reached new heights with the emergence of the mass-produced wax pack and increase in card shows nationwide. Quincy was fully immersed in the craze, with its shops doing a bustling business in sales and trades. Some of the most desirable vintage cards and star rookies changed hands in Quincy during this time. The city also began hosting its first organized baseball card shows in local VFW halls and community centers to bring together the huge collector community.

Into the 1990s and 2000s, while interest in sports cards as investments waned somewhat, the hobby maintained a dedicated following in Quincy. Mainstay shops like Mullin’s continued operating alongside newer additions like Quincy Cards & Collectibles. The city’s shows also grew larger and more frequent. Today’s Quincy collectors can choose from vintage offerings or chase modern parallels and autographs at these local businesses. Meanwhile, the Quincy Historical Society has archived many collections documenting the history and passion of baseball card fandom in the community.

In the modern era, Quincy remains an epicenter for baseball card collectors and activity in the region. While internet sales impacted brick-and-mortar business, Quincy Cards & Collectibles has thrived by providing a comfortable local gathering place. The shop hosts regular group meets, break case sessions, and special signings that draw collectors from miles around. Quincy also plays host to two major annual shows each year that bring in thousands of attendees and hundreds of vendors. These shows are a testament to how deeply rooted the baseball card hobby remains in the community.

For over a century, Quincy, Massachusetts has been at the forefront of the baseball card collecting hobby. From the earliest tobacco era through modern parallels, the city’s passion for the cardboard has been unwavering. Through dedicated collectors, longstanding shops, and large-scale shows, Quincy has cemented its legacy and influence. Its rich history serves as a proud reminder of how baseball cards have brought joy to generations and created communities of fans across the country. Quincy’s story reflects the universal appeal of the simple pleasure found in collecting, trading, and admiring the stars frozen in time on a piece of cardboard.

Baseball cards have a long history in Quincy, Illinois dating back to the late 19th century. As baseball grew in popularity across America following the Civil War, the production and collecting of baseball cards also took off. Some of the earliest baseball cards featuring Major League players were issued in the 1880s by tobacco companies as promotional items included in their cigarette and chewing tobacco products.

In the small town of Quincy, located along the Mississippi River in western Illinois, baseball had become immensely popular by the late 1800s. The city was home to several independent minor league and semi-pro baseball teams during this era, including the Quincy Ravens who played from 1886-1891. While these early Quincy teams did not have official baseball cards produced of their players, the popularity of baseball card collecting was growing nationwide. Many young boys in Quincy began amassing collections of tobacco era cards showcasing stars from the National League and American Association.

The first decade of the 1900s marked the golden age of tobacco era baseball cards, with nearly every major chewing tobacco and cigarette brand issuing sets that captured the likenesses of top players. In Quincy, businesses like local drug stores and tobacco shops began stocking these baseball cards. They quickly became a hot commodity for the city’s youth. Some of the most coveted sets for Quincy collectors included ones issued by companies like T206 White Border, T205 Gold Border, and Sweet Caporal. Landing rare and valuable cards of superstars like Honus Wagner or Nap Lajoie was the dream of many a young Quincy card collector.

The rise of the modern baseball card industry began in the late 1930s with the introduction of bubble gum in packs by the Goudey Gum Company. Their 1933 Goudey baseball card set featured photos of major leaguers on the front and stats on the back. This innovative design caught on and Goudey followed up with several additional sets through 1941. In Quincy, the Goudey cards were a sensation among both kids and adults. Local drugstores and candy shops stocked the gum and card packs, fueling the collector boom. The Goudey sets helped transform baseball cards from a niche tobacco product into a mainstream collectible hobby.

After World War II, several new companies like Bowman, Topps, and Leaf jumped into the baseball card business. They signed exclusive contracts with players, ushering in the golden age of modern sets that spanned the 1950s-1980s. In Quincy during these post-war decades, baseball card collecting truly took off. Local hobby shops and drugstores stocked complete sets and boxes to feed the growing demand. The 1954 Topps set was especially popular, as it marked the first time color photography was used on a mass produced baseball card set. Kids in Quincy traded, collected and organized their cards with vigor.

One of the most prominent baseball card collectors to emerge from Quincy was Larry Fritsch. Beginning in the late 1950s as a young boy, Fritsch amassed a collection of over 500,000 individual cards, including many rare and valuable vintage tobacco and modern era specimens. He became a leading authority on the history of baseball cards. Fritsch authored numerous magazine articles and books on the hobby. He also traveled around Illinois giving lectures and seminars on collecting. Fritsch helped inspire many other young collectors in Quincy to pursue the hobby with passion and dedication through his influential work.

In the 1970s, the baseball card boom truly exploded in Quincy. Stores couldn as hardly keep popular sets from Topps, Kellogg’s, Donruss and Fleer on shelves. Local card shows also started popping up, where collectors could buy, sell and trade with others. The 1973 Topps set stood out as one of the most impactful, as it marked the debut of a young phenomenon named George Brett. Brett would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, making his 1973 rookie card extremely coveted. In Quincy, Brett’s rookie was a must have for any self-respecting collector.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the baseball card craze continued unabated in Quincy. The rise of superstar players like Cal Ripken Jr. and Ken Griffey Jr. during this era only served to further fuel the collector boom. Exclusive and premium sets from Upper Deck also gained widespread popularity. In 1991, the company revolutionized the industry by being the first to use glossy stock and incorporate foil stamping, holograms and embossing into their cards. The “Upper Deck Effect” was huge, with their cards flying off shelves in Quincy.

While the baseball card market has declined some since its 1990s peak, the hobby remains an ingrained part of sports culture in Quincy. Local card shops like Quincy Card Collectibles have helped preserve the pastime for new generations. The store, which opened in 1986, hosts frequent trading card shows, autograph signings and special releases that draw collectors from around the region. Online groups have also formed to facilitate connecting collectors in Quincy and beyond for trading, discussing the latest industry news, and reminiscing about the golden years of the hobby. For over a century, baseball cards have brought joy and provided a special connection to the national pastime for many in Quincy. Their history in the city is deeply rooted and sure to continue engaging collectors for years to come.

Quincy was a small town in Massachusetts that was once home to a thriving baseball card company in the late 19th century. Though relatively unknown today, Quincy baseball cards played an important role in the early development of America’s pastime.

The Quincy Baseball Card Company was founded in 1885 by brothers Eli and Ezra Hawkins. Originally from Maine, the Hawkins brothers had settled in Quincy after stints working in shoe factories across New England. Sensing an opportunity in the growing baseball card craze that had taken hold following the rise of professional baseball leagues in the 1870s, Eli and Ezra decided to go into business printing and distributing baseball cards featuring players from the major leagues.

At the time, most baseball cards were produced in larger Eastern cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia by larger publishing companies. But the Hawkins brothers believed there was an untapped market, especially among young baseball fans, in smaller towns and rural areas that were not being well-served. Their goal was to produce affordable packages of cards that could be easily sold and distributed to general stores across New England and beyond.

The Quincy Baseball Card Company’s first set was issued in 1886 and featured 50 individual cards highlighting stars from the National League and American Association. Some of the earliest Quincy cards included future Hall of Famers like Cap Anson, Pud Galvin and Kid Nichols. Cards sold for 5 cents per pack and included the player’s name, team and a small engraving or sketch of the player.

Most early baseball cards were printed using a basic lithographic process on thin cardboard stock. The Hawkins brothers experimented with newer techniques and decided to use a chromolithographic process which allowed for more detailed, colorful images on a higher quality paper substrate. This gave Quincy cards a distinctive look and feel that set them apart from other brands.

In the late 1880s, Quincy Baseball Cards issued several popular multi-player sets highlighting individual teams from the National League. These included the 1886 Chicago White Stockings set (predecessor to the Cubs), 1887 Detroit Wolverines set and 1888 New York Giants set. The detailed renderings of popular ballclubs and players helped further publicity and sales for Quincy in key baseball markets.

The company reached its commercial peak in the early 1890s as interest in baseball reached new heights across the country. Quincy issued lengthy 147-150 card sets each year from 1890-1893. Under the guidance of Eli Hawkins, who oversaw business operations, the company established relationships with general goods distributors throughout New England and eastward into Canada. Quincy cards could be found for sale in shops from Boston to Bangor to Montreal.

During this time, Quincy began issuing specially themed and promotional subsets. One of the most collectible was an 1893 “Queen of Diamonds” ladies subset which featured 12 female avatar players dressed in late Victorian-era attire. Other subsets highlighted All-Star teams, rookiecards, or players traded during the previous season. Exclusive local distribution deals were also inked with shops in larger cities.

The boom years would not last. Increased competition from larger card manufacturers like Allen & Ginter, Old Judge and Goodwin affected Quincy’s marketshare. Meanwhile, a financial panic in 1893 slowed the overall economy. The Hawkins brothers continued operations but scaled back production over the mid-1890s as profits declined. Their last known baseball card set was issued in 1896 featuring players from the National League and Western League.

After Ezra Hawkins passed away in early 1897 at the age of 62, Eli decided to retire from the baseball card business after over a decade at the helm of Quincy Baseball Card Company. He closed up shop and used the remaining funds to help other family members start new businesses in the area. Over the next 20 years, Eli worked in various civic roles boosting local industry in Quincy. He passed away in 1921 at the age of 85, largely forgotten save for his pioneering role in the early baseball card trade.

While short-lived, Quincy Baseball Cards made an impact on collectors for generations to come. Their innovative techniques and widespread distribution helped foster America’s growing passion for the game. Today, surviving Quincy cards from the 1880s and early 1890s are highly sought after by serious collectors. In auctions, premium examples can fetch well over $10,000 depending on condition and player featured. Through online databases and hobby publications, the story of the scrappy underdog company from Quincy that took on the big city card makers continues to inspire new fans of the vintage cardboard culture.