Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture and childhood memories for generations. In Simi Valley, baseball cards have a long history dating back to the early 20th century. While the modern baseball card collecting craze may seem like a recent phenomenon, locals in Simi Valley have been amassing baseball card collections and frequenting shops that sell cards for decades.
Some of the earliest baseball cards from the late 1800s and early 1900s featured stars from that era like Cy Young, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. As the decades progressed and more players emerged, the baseball card industry grew. In the post-World War II era of the 1940s-1960s, Simi Valley was transitioning from a rural agricultural town to a bedroom community for people working in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Many children in Simi Valley grew up collecting and trading these vintage cardboard treasures during this time period.
The 1950s are considered the golden age of baseball cards. Iconic sets from Topps, Bowman and others featured the greats like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron on the cardboard. Kids in Simi Valley eagerly awaited the release of the new sets each year and would hunt through packs, hoping to find stars or complete their collections. They would meet at local ballfields, schools and shops to trade and discuss their cards. Some of the shops in downtown Simi Valley like Sam’s Sport Cards and the 5 & Dime became hangouts for collectors during this era.
The 1960s saw innovations like the first color photos and multi-player cards. Simi Valley kids collected cards from the 1960 Topps set that had colorized photos for the first time. They also enjoyed the 1966 Topps set, known for its psychedelic designs and multi-player cards showing two or more players together. The first baseball card conventions also emerged during this decade, as the hobby continued to grow nationwide as well as locally in Simi Valley. Kids there would attend early card shows with their parents to buy and sell cards.
In the 1970s, the baseball card boom continued as new players like Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt and Nolan Ryan achieved stardom and appeared on cards. The rise of specialty or hobby shops catering specifically to collectors took off during this decade as well. In Simi Valley, stores like Bob’s Baseball Cards opened in 1973 and became a mainstay in the area, offering the latest card releases to a growing collector base. Throughout the turbulent 1970s, the simple joy of collecting cards served as an escape for many kids and brought the Simi Valley community together around their mutual interest.
The 1980s saw the golden age of sports cards come to an end as overproduction caused the market to crash. But kids in Simi Valley kept collecting through it all, hoping to find the next big star. Icons like Ozzie Smith and Roger Clemens had their rookie cards released in 1981 and 1984. The rise of sports specialty stores continued as well. The Sports Card Shop opened in Simi Valley in 1982 and offered a wide array of supplies, trading cards and memorabilia under one roof. Throughout the 1980s, the city’s youth could often be found browsing the latest releases and discussing trades at shops like Bob’s and The Sports Card Shop after school and on weekends.
In the 1990s, the baseball card hobby experienced a massive resurgence thanks to the arrival of superstars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Cal Ripken Jr. Their iconic Upper Deck rookie cards from the late 80s/early 90s skyrocketed in value. A new generation of kids in Simi Valley grew up collecting again. Stores thrived once more, and the city hosted its own baseball card show each summer. The 1990s also saw the birth of the internet, which allowed collectors to connect globally. Kids in Simi Valley used early message boards and sites to trade cards, talk about the hobby and find other enthusiasts.
Today, while the physical baseball card shops of old have mostly disappeared, the hobby remains alive. Current stars like Mike Trout and Fernando Tatis Jr. adorn the newest card designs from companies like Topps, Panini and Bowman. Simi Valley still has passionate collectors of all ages who enjoy searching packs, collecting stars and building sets from years past and present. Online groups allow today’s generation to trade, discuss and share their love of cards. And every spring, the memories and nostalgia are reignited as a new season begins and a fresh wave of cards hits the market, capturing the excitement of America’s pastime for collectors in Simi Valley and beyond for another year.
Baseball cards have been an integral part of Simi Valley’s history and culture for over a century. Generations of local youths have grown up collecting, trading and discussing their favorite players featured on the cardboard. While shops have closed, the hobby lives on with today’s generation of enthusiasts in Simi Valley. The simple joy of collecting has connected communities and brought baseball fans together for decades.