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DO THEY STILL MAKE BASEBALL CARDS

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The main companies that still produce baseball cards are Topps, Panini America, Leaf Trading Cards, and Press Pass Collectibles. Topps remains the dominant player in the baseball card market, holding the exclusive license to use Major League Baseball trademarks on their cards. This allows them to use team logos and uniforms on their designs. Topps continues to release their core base set every year, along with many special themed and insert card sets. Their flagship product is still the flagship Topps Series 1 release each spring that contains the base rookie and star player cards for that upcoming season.

Panini America has seen growth in recent years with their acquisition of the Donruss and Leaf brands. They are now the main competitor to Topps and also hold licenses from the MLB Players Association to use player names and likenesses. Panini’s main baseball sets tend to have a more flashy and memorabilia-oriented focus compared to Topps’ classic cardboard design. They have found success with inserts featuring players’ autographed bats and jersey swatches. Leaf Trading Cards produces more high-end vintage-style releases marketed towards longtime collectors.

The baseball card market has notably declined from the unprecedented boom period of the late 1980s. This was fueled by speculation and high demand which drove up prices especially for iconic rookie cards like the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. With the overproduction of cards during this time and lack of new collectors entering the hobby in the ensuing decades, the market contracted. Sales of packs at retail stores and the number of hobby shops selling individual cards declined sharply. This was also impacted by the rise of digital collecting with video game cards and a perceived lack of investment potential compared to other assets.

Baseball cards have retained a dedicated core collector base and have seen renewed interest from both casual and investor-minded collectors in recent years. This has been spurred by record-breaking auction sales for historic cards like the T206 Honus Wagner, increased focus on autograph and memorabilia technology in cards, and growing nostalgia for collecting. The market remains smaller than its peak but sales have stabilized. The introduction of short-print parallel cards and limited ‘hits’ inserted randomly in packs at low odds has maintained the chase and gambling aspects of the hobby that many fans enjoy.

Meanwhile, independent producers like Press Pass Collectibles have emerged to help diversify the market. They focus on specialty releases with unique aesthetics and creative ideas beyond the traditional cardboard backs. Products like their Star Wars x MLB mashup sets have found success by appealing to collectors of multiple interests. Digital and online platforms have also become an important channel, with companies selling directly to consumers worldwide and connecting the collecting community through social media. Sports cards in general are being embraced by a new young fanbase that may drive future growth.

While the baseball card industry is far from its unprecedented boom period in the late 20th century, production and collecting of cards featuring players, teams and themes related to America’s pastime of baseball remains a vibrant and diversifying hobby today. Steady interest from casual and dedicated fans has allowed Topps and Panini to thrive as the main producers while independent brands carve niches and digital avenues open new possibilities for communities of collectors to share their passions for the enduring baseball card tradition.

DO THEY SELL BASEBALL CARDS AT WALGREENS

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Yes, many Walgreens pharmacy locations do sell baseball cards. Baseball cards have been a popular collectible item in the United States for decades, especially among young sports fans. While major hobby shops and specialty sports memorabilia stores offer the largest selections of new and vintage baseball cards, general retailers like Walgreens provide a convenient local option for casual collectors or kids looking for affordable packs to rip open.

Baseball card sales represent a small but notable revenue category for Walgreens. Most stores allocate a small display area, usually located near the front registers alongside other inexpensive novelties and impulse buy products. Space is limited so selections tend to focus on the most popular modern brands and players that appeal to a broader audience. The nearby checkout location also allows impulse purchases which is a factor in their positioning within the store.

Typically the baseball card selection at Walgreens includes a modest offering of the current year’s Topps, Panini, and Leaf branded trading card products. Available items usually span both the flagship Topps Series 1 and Series 2 baseball card sets as well as special theme and insert variations from those brands. Retail prices tend to be inline with national MSRPs, with individual packs retailing between $1-5 and larger boxes of 12 packs or ‘hobby packs’ of 36 cards selling for $10-30 depending on the specific product line.

Beyond the newest release season, Walgreens also tends to carry some backstock of card products from the prior 1-2 years in more limited supply. This helps address any late season interest in older products or allows Walgreens to continue satisfying basic customer demand throughout the year between annual release cycles. The backstock selection varies by individual store based on sell-through rates so choices can be inconsistent.

In addition to booster packs and factory set boxes, Walgreens may also offer some accompanying merchandise like trading card binders, toploaders, and plastic card savers to house collections. The assortment of these ancillary supplies is much more limited than the selection available through dedicated hobby shops and websites. Individual packs of regional niche brands like Bowman Draft Picks may occasionally be mixed in as well depending on what the distributor provides.

Beyond traditional cardboard trading cards, some Walgreens also test niche offerings like collectible sticker and memorabilia card variants as promotions or exclusives. These special releases are intended to drive additional interest and widen appeal beyond the core baseball card collectors. Packaging is designed with bright eye-catching graphics to attract browsing customers.

As a supplement rather than replacement to larger hobby retailers, the baseball card selection at most Walgreens is designed for impulse purchases during regular shopping trips or last minute needs. Space constraints mean they lack the depth of inventory or breadth of hobby supplies available elsewhere. Their widespread national footprint in local neighborhoods provides a convenient option for casual customers or those quickly putting together trade packages. Due to the secondary nature of cards as a product category in their stores, individual Walgreens may vary significantly in what specific card products they carry based on local demographics and sell-through rates. Some stores may only allocate minimal shelf space while others choose to expand selections based on proven customer demand. Overall though, most major Walgreens locations carry at least some basic trading card stock, providing a familiar retail network option for this popular collectible category even if selections are abbreviated compared to specialty suppliers.

The answer is yes – many Walgreens pharmacy stores do offer a small selection of the most in-demand and broadly appealing modern baseball trading card products. Space and selection limitations mean they cannot compete with dedicated hobby shops but satisfy casual collectors. Their large national presence makes them a widely accessible local purchase option to supplement core retailers serving more serious long-term collectors and investors.

DO THEY STILL SELL BASEBALL CARDS

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The baseball card industry remains a lucrative business, with millions of packs sold every year. While the popularity of baseball cards may have declined from the peak in the 1980s and 90s, their cultural impact and following among collectors persists.

Several major companies still produce and distribute baseball cards worldwide. The top two producers are The Topps Company and Panini America. Topps has been the dominant brand in American sports cards since the 1950s and still holds the exclusive license to produce MLB player cards each year. Their flagship products include the annual Topps Series 1, 2, and Update Sets. Panini America has emerged as the largest challenger to Topps in recent decades through licensing deals with other professional sports leagues. They produce popular MLB card lines like Donruss, Contenders, and Immaculate Collection.

In addition to the big companies, there are also many smaller independent publishers selling niche baseball card products through hobby shops and direct to consumers. These include companies like Leaf, Upper Deck, TriStar Productions, Inception Cards, and more. They offer specialized sets focusing on rookie cards, parallels, autographed memorabilia cards, and throwback vintage designs.

While most packs are still sold through traditional retail channels like hobby shops, drug stores, and supermarkets, an increasing share is being purchased online. E-commerce sites like eBay, Amazon, and Steiner Sports have become major marketplaces for both new and vintage baseball cards. Online auctions allow collectors to find rare cards and complete sets more easily from a global pool of sellers. Card shops have also adapted by boosting their online storefronts and using social media to reach customers.

Many local card shows remain very popular gathering spots for collectors and dealers as well. Multi-day extravaganzas like the National Sports Collectors Convention draw tens of thousands of attendees annually and feature exclusive card releases. Smaller one-day shows are held routinely in most major cities, serving as vibrant social hubs for the baseball card community.

In terms of who is collecting, the demographics have broadened well beyond the stereotypical image of the adolescent boy. Fueled by the growth of online communities and social media groups focused on the hobby, baseball card collectors today span all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Many lifelong collectors from the 80s and 90s boom have passed on the tradition to their own children and grandchildren as well. Younger generations are also discovering the joy of the hobby through online platforms, nostalgia for the sport, and the financial upside of rare card investments.

On the collecting side, focus has expanded beyond the traditional model of simply assembling full sets. New strategic approaches include chasing parallel and serially numbered insert cards, autographed memorabilia relic cards, card condition grading services, and long-term investments in highly valuable vintage and rookie cards. Services like PSA/DNA authentication help protect collectors and raise values for coveted certified cards. Through patient collecting, savvy investors reap huge returns by acquiring seminal cards that have since rocketed up dramatically in price.

As an example of escalating values, a recent sale at Heritage Auctions saw a rare 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card sell for over $12.6 million, shattering sports collectible records. Other icons like a T206 Honus Wagner, 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle, and 1909-11 T206 Wagner have also changed hands for north of $1 million in recent years. These eye-popping prices reflect not only the cultural popularity of these players, but also heightened demand from affluent collectors treating cards as an alternative asset class.

While the heyday of mass packaged baseball cards may have passed, the combination of nostalgia, fandom, investment potential, and community experience ensures that collecting will remain an integral part of baseball’s broader culture for the long-term future. Both new and vintage cards continue finding eager buyers and fueling a multi-billion dollar international industry. As long as MLB and its stars remain in the national spotlight, baseball cards will stay closely intertwined with the sport as highly sought collectibles that activate memories and spark conversations among baseball fans worldwide.

WHEN DID THEY STOP PUTTING BUBBLE GUM IN BASEBALL CARDS

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The tradition of including small pieces of bubble gum in baseball card packs began in the late 1930s and lasted for several decades, but the inclusion of gum eventually ended in the late 1980s/early 1990s as the baseball card industry changed dramatically. There were several factors that led to the demise of bubble gum in cards.

In the late 1930s, the American Chicle Company, which was a leading gum manufacturer, began including baseball cards as a promotion for its Bubble Gum brand. This helped drive sales of both the gum and cards. In the post-World War II era, the baseball card market boomed in popularity among children and collectors alike. Most major gum and card manufacturers of the time, such as Topps, Fleer, and Bowman followed the model of including ball cards and small pieces of gum together in wax-wrapped packs that sold for a low price, typically around a nickel or dime. This became the standard promotional model for the baseball card industry for several decades through the 1950s-1980s peak of the card collecting hobby.

Signs that the inclusion of gum was coming to an end started emerging in the late 1980s. One major factor was the decline of the traditional baseball card companies as the industry consolidated. Topps had dominated the baseball card market for years but faced new competition from larger entertainment corporations that got into the baseball card business, such as Fleer (owned by Phillies owner Roly DeLyon) and later Donruss and Upper Deck. Larger and more marketing-savvy entertainment conglomerates like The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Entertainment began acquiring traditional card companies. This led to business model experimentation as the large corporates sought higher profits than the traditional model could provide.

Another major issue was the rising costs and liability associated with including gum with cards. Food production requires strict guidelines and quality control which increased packaging and manufacturing costs. There was also the risk of potential lawsuits if children choked on gum or got cavities from excessive gum chewing while collecting and trading cards. In an increasingly litigious environment, the gum inclusion opened card makers up to potential liability. Some manufacturers like Fleer had already stopped including gum in the late 1980s over these food safety concerns.

At the same time, the baseball card market was peaking in the late 1980s. Overproduction led to a spectacular crash in the early 1990s as the speculative bubble of skyrocketing rare card values abruptly deflated. With falling profit margins in this down market, card companies sought to cut costs wherever possible. The inclusion of gum was an obvious place to reduce expenses. Without the promotional need to drive gum sales either, the tie-in became less necessary from a business perspective.

In 1991, industry leader Topps ended the tradition when it discontinued including gum with its baseball cards due to profit pressures. Other manufacturers soon followed suit. While some smaller regional brands held onto the gum inclusion for a short time more, the baseball card industry transitioned to a non-edible model. This brought an end to an era where children could simultaneously enjoy chewing bubble gum and sorting through their newest baseball cards acquired from the corner store. Instead, cards would now be sold sans gum in thicker plastic packaging designed for storage and protection of the card collection within. This marked a symbolic end of an innocent time for a generation of baseball card collectors.

Changing economics, industry consolidation, increased costs and liabilities, coupled with the early 1990s baseball card crash were the factors that led card manufacturers to drop the time-honored tradition of including small pieces of bubble gum within baseball card packs. It brought closure to an iconic promotional model that had successfully driven the growth of the baseball card hobby for decades. While the inclusion of gum was a fond memory for many collectors, it became an unnecessary inclusion as the industry professionalized and modernized operations in the early 1990s’ changing marketplace.

WHERE DO THEY BUY BASEBALL CARDS NEAR ME

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Local card shops are often the best place to start your search for baseball cards. These are smaller, independently owned stores that specialize in trading cards of all kinds. They’ll have large inventories of new packs, boxes, and singles from the latest baseball card releases. You can also often find older vintage cards for sale or trade at local card shops. The owners and other customers tend to be knowledgeable about the hobby and can give you advice on building a collection. You may need to do some searching online to find a card shop located conveniently close to your home.

If you live in or near a major city, there is a good chance there will be dedicated sports card shops you can visit. For example, in New York you could check out Times Square Cards, Hollywood Sports Cards in Los Angeles, or Chicago Sportscards in Illinois. These types of large card shops will have an extensive selection from virtually every baseball card company and year. You may find rare vintage cards available individually or as part of group lots at urban sports card stores.

In addition to local shops, many large hobby stores and chain retailers have baseball card sections. Places like Hobby Town, Michael’s, and Barnes & Noble will carry the latest packs, boxes, and supplies from Topps, Panini, Leaf, and other big brands. While their baseball card inventory won’t be as extensive as a specialized card shop, these stores provide convenient access to new sealed product if one is nearby. Product may be more limited at hobby stores compared to card shops, though.

Online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon are where you’ll find the largest selection of individual baseball cards available for purchase. Virtually any card from any set is attainable with a few clicks. Condition can vary widely, so read item descriptions carefully and check seller reviews. Be aware of shipping costs that can eat into savings on low cost cards ordered individually online. Reputable online card shops include Steel City Collectibles, BlowoutCards.com, Dave & Adam’s Card World and Cardboard Connection.

Auctions provide another way to buy baseball cards, especially higher priced rarities, memorabilia cards, and complete sets. Major auction houses with sports memorabilia sales include Heritage Auctions, Lelands, and Goldin Auctions. You can browse current and past auctions online before placing absentee bids or attending an event. Just factor an auction’s buyer’s premium fee into your estimated cost. Consignment shops may also sell cards they acquire through auctions.

Baseball card shows serve as another marketplace full of variety. Admission usually ranges between $3-$10 and allows access to hundreds of vendors selling all types of cards spread out across rooms of a hotel, convention center or similar event space. You never know what you might find at a reasonable price with some dedicated card show browsing. Schedules for regional shows are often available on hobby websites.

Walmart, Target and big box stores carry introductory card products but won’t compare to the selection available at specialty shops. Still, their prices on packets and boxes can be lower than anywhere else. Department stores are mainly meant for casual fans or gifting cards rather than serious collecting. Major retailers allow impulse purchases of new product without travelling far.

With diligent searching online and asking employees at any local hobby or collectibles shops, you should be able to find reliable sources for baseball cards in your local area. Factor in convenient locations versus variety of inventory available when choosing where to shop. Building relationships with knowledgeable sellers also helps unlock better deals, especially for older and rarer cards furthering your collection over time.

DO THEY MAKE BASEBALL CARDS ANYMORE

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While physical baseball cards may not sell in the enormous quantities that they once did during the height of the card collecting boom, the hobby remains quite popular. Most major card manufacturers like Topps, Bowman, Panini, and Upper Deck continue to produce new baseball card sets on an annual basis for both the professional major and minor leagues. These cards are available through a wide variety of retail outlets like hobby shops, big box stores, drug stores, and online retailers.

Some of the most popular annual card releases still come from Topps, who has held the exclusive Major League Baseball license since 2008 after losing it briefly to Upper Deck in the late 80s/early 90s. Topps produces several different sets each year featuring the latest season’s rookie cards and stars. Their main flagship product is the Topps Series 1 release issued around March which kicks off the new season. Other Topps sets include Allen & Ginter, Stadium Club, Heritage, Chrome, and Update Series.

Bowman is also a major player in the baseball card market. As a subsidiary of Topps, they have the exclusive rights to MLB prospects and minor leaguers. Their main prospects set captures the best young talent in baseball either before they make the majors or as rookie cards. Panini currently holds licenses for the NBA, NFL, and college sports but also produces baseball sets focused on specific teams or subsets of veterans. Upper Deck still hangs around as well with licensed retired player and special releases.

While physical card collecting remains popular, many are now doing so in a digital form through apps and online platforms. Industry leader Topps produces expansive digital sets that can be collected through their Bunt and Topps apps. These feature motion bubbles, autographs, and special virtual parallels not found in physical releases. Companies like Panini also offer “hits” in their Team USA, Contenders, and other sets in digital form that can be added to virtual collections.

The rise of trading card non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has exploded in baseball. Topps was an early pioneer by releasing several 2021 seasons as limited series NFT card drops. Individual star, rookie, and rare card NFTs now fetch thousands or even millions of dollars in auctions. Other competitors like Candy Digital, Sorare, and blockchain companies continue growing the market for digital/crypto baseball collectibles.

Even though direct sales of sealed wax packs or boxes at retail may have decreased over the decades, repack boxes and loose pack assortments remain popular impulse buys on store shelves. Sports card and memorabilia stores thrive by selling singles, higher-end sets, and supplies to the collector base. Online auction sites have also taken a huge share of the secondary market, allowing collectors globally to trade, purchase, and sell cards at will.

Despite predictions of its demise during the ’90s implosion, organized baseball card shows are still regularly scheduled across the United States each weekend. These multi-day events have dealers from across the country wheeling and dealing in the buying, selling, and trading of cards at organized tables under one roof. Everything from commons to rare Hall of Famers changes hands, keeping the social and business community built around the hobby thriving.

Nostalgia clearly remains a driving force as well, proven by the popularity of products like Topps Archives, Heritage, and Bowman Sterling which revisit classic designs from the past. The industry has evolved to still serve the original collectors who fuel nostalgia while also tapping into new audiences through digital opportunities, star rookie chase cards, and novel products blending sports and entertainment. While physical card collections may become more consolidated over time, new generations of fans are continually being exposed through evolving mediums that will likely sustain the industry for many decades to come. After surviving bubble boom and bust cycles, baseball cards seem here to stay as a beloved companion to America’s pastime.

While the heyday output and mass marketing of the 1980s is ancient history, baseball cards continue finding new generations of collectors through both traditional and innovative new avenues on an annual basis. Manufacturers, hobby shops, conventions, auctions sites, museums and unofficial organizations all play a role in sustaining the business and social communities that have surrounded card collecting since the late 19th century. Both physical cards and their digital brethren seem assured of engaging sports fans and investors for a long time to come.

DO THEY SELL BASEBALL CARDS AT CVS

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While CVS is primarily known as a pharmacy, they do offer a selection of sports memorabilia and collectibles, including baseball cards. The baseball card selection varies greatly depending on the individual CVS store. Stores located in areas with higher interest in baseball are more likely to devote shelf space to cards compared to locations in regions where baseball is less popular.

Most CVS stores carry at least a few current baseball cards but the selection is typically quite limited compared to hobby shops, card shops, or the sports sections of big box retailers. Customers generally will not find box breaks, blasters, hangers, or retail mega boxes of the latest baseball card releases at CVS. Their stock tends to focus on older and less sought after singles, commons, and value packs from the previous few years rather than the newest and most in-demand products.

That said, dedicated baseball card collectors may occasionally stumble upon a gem among the discounted commons if searching CVS cards. For casual collectors or those just looking to reminisce, CVS can offer a convenient browsing experience. They also provide the option to purchase packs, boxes, or loose cards alongside prescription refills or other daily essentials.

In terms of specific brands carried, customers will most commonly find Topps, Bowman, Leaf, and Donruss baseball cards in CVS stores. Premium brands like Stadium Club, Ginter, Allen & Ginter, Heritage, and Acuna are very rarely if ever seen on their shelves. The cardboard is usually in worn condition from being handled by many customers over time. Slabbed or graded cards are virtually non-existent at CVS.

Among the years represented in their baseball card assortments, the early 2010s tend to be the most readily available with some variation occurring based on local interest. Examples include 2011 Topps, 2012 Topps Update, 2013 Bowman, etc. Occasional 90s and 2000s singles can also turn up. Pre-1990s cardboard is exceptionally uncommon aside from a few dusty commons that lingered unsold for decades.

International customers hoping to purchase cards during visits to American CVS locations may encounter difficulty due to licensing restrictions between countries for some sports products. Not all CVS stores participate in online marketplace sales for collectibles so certain items visible on their website may not be available in specific branch locations.

While CVS isn’t typically a go-to destination for avid baseball card collectors, their shelves provide a low-stakes browsing experience. Casual fans of the sport can occasionally find fun nostalgic cards or affordable packs to enjoy. But serious hobbyists seeking the newest and most coveted sealed products or singles will achieve much better selection and pricing through specialized shops instead of CVS. Their baseball card assortments are best suited for impulse purchases or last-minute gifts rather than focused collecting.

DO THEY SELL BASEBALL CARDS AT WALMART

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Baseball cards have been a popular collectible item in the United States for decades. The hobby of collecting cards and trading with others started in the late 19th century as a way for baseball fans to learn about their favorite players and teams. Today, the excitement of chasing rare cards and building complete sets remains strong. With Walmart being one of the largest retailers in the country, it’s no surprise that they carry baseball cards to meet demand from customers.

While the baseball card aisle or section may not be huge at Walmart compared to specialty card shops, they do maintain a decent stock of current and past year products. In the sports department, near other trading cards like football and basketball, Walmart sells new sealed packs, boxes, and specialty releases from the major manufacturers – Topps, Panini, Leaf, etc. This is where you’ll find the latest series like Topps Series 1 and Topps Chrome along with limited retail only items. Prices are reasonable, usually at or below MSRP so kids and casual collectors can rip packs affordably.

For built displays of individual cards, you’ll need to check the toy section. Here Walmart keeps wax pack remnants and factory sealed card bundles organized by year and set on spinning racks. Common years like 2020 Topps Update and 2021 Topps Heritage are consistently in stock alongside classic 1980s and 1990s releases for nostalgic collectors. The selection isn’t exhaustive, but the essentials and popular current products tend to be readily available. Repacks of sorted commons and parallels are nice cheaper options too.

The baseball card aisle may shrink during off-seasons, but leading up to Opening Day and during the summer months, Walmart brings out more product. Limited edition promotional packs exclusive to the big box retailer surface periodically as well. And through August and September, retailers like Walmart clear out remaining stock of the current season at discounted prices to make room for next year’s sets. Holidays also see baseball-themed gift packsappear.

Overall, Walmart isn’t the first destination diehard collectors check for the rarest hits. They provide a reliable introduction to the hobby for many. With multiple restocks weekly nationwide, basic supplies and new releases circulate at affordable prices. And through online searches of individual store inventories, more sought after older items can sometimes be found. While a smaller selection than dedicated card shops offer, Walmart fulfills the baseball card needs of casual consumers competently. Their steady availability makes them a practical stopping point any time a craving to rip packs strikes.

Yes Walmart does sell baseball cards. Their selection is smaller than specialty retailers but ample for casual collectors and kids. Current packs, boxes and year-end bundles can be found reasonably priced alongside some classic sets. Through consistent stocking and seasonal selections, Walmart ensures baseball card fans have accessibility to feeding their hobby year-round when the itch to rip hits. Their widespread presence positions them as a go-to source for on-the-go or last minute additions to any growing collection.

DO THEY STILL PUT GUM IN BASEBALL CARDS

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The tradition of including chewing gum with baseball cards originated in the late 19th century when baseball cards were first introduced as a marketing tool and promotional item by the manufacturers and sellers of chewing gum and cigarettes. By providing appealing collectible cards along with their products, gum and tobacco companies were able to generate interest in their brands from children and adults alike who enjoyed collecting and trading the cards. Over the following decades as baseball cards grew into a major sports collectibles phenomenon, the inclusion of gum with packs of cards became an established part of the experiences for countless people who began assembling their treasured collections through regularly purchasing bags or packs of cards paired with sticks of gum.

Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the practice of bundling gum with baseball cards started to decline significantly for a few key reasons. One factor was the rising awareness around that time of the substantial health risks associated with chewing gum, especially for children who represented a primary target market and consumer base for baseball cards. There were growing concerns that providing gum along with cards could be encouraging unhealthy chewing habits in young fans and collectors. The material composition of gum posed sanitation issues when left adhered inside card packaging or stuck to the fronts and backs of the cards themselves over time. This gum residue risks damaging and diminishing the value and conditions of the prized collectibles.

A major practical consideration that drove the phasing out of gum inclusion was the dwindling profitability of the business model for card manufacturers. Withskyrocketing costs to obtain exclusive baseball card licenses and contracts from professional leagues and player unions, combining gum, which has very thin profit margins, with each pack of cards cut heavily into the potential revenue and net profits achievable from card sales. The perishability of unsold gum inventory left sitting in warehouses or store shelves represented a waste of resources. Eliminating gum from the equation allowed companies to focus on the primary collectibles aspect of the business and optimize their pricing strategies.

By the early-to-mid 1990s, only a small handful of mainstream baseball card manufacturers like Fleer and Leaf still offered a very limited number of series or subsets that included bubble gum, typically just one stick per pack. But these remaining gum-inclusive offerings were phased out by the late 1990s. Some smaller regional or independent card companies producing niche subsets experimented with bundling unique gum varieties into the late 1990s/early 2000s, but their products represented a tiny portion of the overall baseball card market.

Amid the post-gum era that has now persisted for over 25 years, certain brands have testing limited runs or subsets paired with non-chewable novelty confections like hard candies to inject some nostalgic fun while avoiding prior gum-related issues. But for the most important national brands dominating the multi-billion dollar sports card sector today such as Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, and others, bundling actual chewing gum with packs of baseball cards is definitely a thing of the distant past.

It’s also worth noting that while gum has vanished from packaged baseball cards, nostalgia for that era has kept some independent nostalgia-focused vendors in business producing low-print run reprints of classic 1970s/1980s card designs bundled with period-appropriate bubble gum for adult collectors seeking a blast of retro fun and memories. The mainstream big league commercial sports card industry has very conclusively moved away from gum inclusion due to profit, sanitation, and public health concerns and has been a gum-free zone for card enthusiasts, young and old, during this new century so far.

So in conclusion, with full awareness raised of the health issues combined with reduced profitability from candy partnerships, the sports memorabilia powerhouses responsible for the lion’s share of modern baseball card production have decisively abandoned the traditional practice of bundling gum with packs of cards that date back to the earliest emergence of the collectibles hobby over a century ago. While niche novelty releases still experiment, the standardized baseball card product found on mass retailer shelves today remains 100% gum-free after over 25 years without any sign of that changing in the foreseeable future based on current industry and consumer trends.

WHERE DO THEY BUY BASEBALL CARDS

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Baseball card shops: Dedicated baseball card shops are probably the best place to find the widest selection of cards. These shops focus exclusively on buying, selling, trading, and collecting baseball cards. They’ll have cards from the current season all the way back to the very first issued baseball cards from the late 1800s. Serious card shops will be organized by sport, team, player, year, and set to make browsing large collections easy. Many will also offer supplies for storing, organizing, and protecting card collections. Local card shops can be found in most cities, and there are also large regional and national card shop chains.

Sport card shows/conventions: Periodically throughout the year, typically on weekends, large sport card shows are held where dozens or even hundreds of vendors rent tables to sell cards. These shows are great places to spend a day browsing thousands of cards under one roof from many different sellers. Vendors may haveCommons, stars, memorabilia cards, autographed cards, and more. Prices can range from pennies to thousands depending on how rare a card is. Show schedules can be found online. Major cities often host larger annual conventions that are essentially just very large card shows.

Online sports auction sites: Websites like eBay allows anyone to sell cards they have listed in online auctions. This opens up the potential buyer pool to a huge international audience. On eBay, you’ll find commons, stars, memorabilia, autograph cards, complete sets, and more – often at competitive auction prices. Make sure to check seller feedback. Some other card auction sites include HeritageAuctions.com and Lelands.com.

Big box retailers: Larger retailers like Target and Walmart usually carry some supply of baseball card packs, boxes, and occasionally loose packs in their toy aisles. These will include only the most recent few years of cards from the Topps flagship set. Prices tend to be a bit higher than at dedicated card shops.

Online card shops: Fully online shops like DaMgmTradingCards.com, SteelCityCollectibles.com, BlowoutCards.com sell cards. Selections rival local card shops with thousands of cards searchable online. Shipping cards safely is an important skill for online sellers. Reputable ones offer grading service authentication too.

Peer-to-peer sites: Sites like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, Letgo and Craigslist allow anyone locally to sell cards they have. Selection is random based on users in the area. Meeting in public, bringing a friend, and checking condition closely is advised for safety when purchasing from individuals.

Card shows, online auctions sites, and dedicated shops will offer the widest selections across all price points. Local card shops offer convenience for handling and researching cards in-person before purchase which beginners may prefer. Web stores have huge searchable inventories but require shipping. With ample research into sellers, any of these can become a baseball card buyer’s first stop.