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BASEBALL CARDS VERMONT

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The history of baseball cards in Vermont dates back over 150 years to the late 1860s when the first baseball cards began appearing as promotional materials for tobacco companies and other brands. While the baseball card collecting craze didn’t truly take off until the late 1880s and early 1890s, some of the earliest examples of baseball related memorabilia and collectibles originated from companies based in Vermont.

One of the first known examples of a baseball related trading card came from the Allen & Ginter tobacco company, which was located in Richmond, Virginia but distributed its products throughout New England including Vermont. In 1886 and 1887, Allen & Ginter released sets of tobacco cards featuring photos of famous baseball players on the front with advertisements on the back. Examples of early stars featured included Cap Anson, Jim O’Rourke, and Dan Brouthers. While these sets predated the more famous “T206” tobacco era of the early 1900s, they helped plant the seeds for baseball card mania that would soon follow.

Speaking of the iconic “T206” tobacco era of the early 20th century, Vermont actually had a small role to play. The American Tobacco Company, which issued the ultra-popular and valuable T206 set from 1909-1911, had several subsidiary cigarette brands that were quite popular in Vermont including Fatima and Sweet Caporal. While these brands did not specifically feature baseball players on their cards, they undoubtedly contributed to the rising interest in collecting that helped fuel the baseball card craze during its golden age.

In the late 19th/early 20th century, Vermont was also home to several regional tobacco brands that experimented with baseball cards as promotional incentives. One such company was the M.J. Brennan Cigar Company located in St. Albans. In 1887, Brennan issued a set of 25 promotional cards featuring baseball players from major league teams of the time such as the Boston Beaneaters and New York Giants. While crudely produced compared to later issues, the Brennan cards helped spread baseball card mania to local Vermont collectors and players.

During World War I and the 1920s, the production of baseball cards slowed significantly as the tobacco industry tightened promotional budgets. The popularity of the hobby remained strong, especially in baseball crazy New England. Small local shops in Vermont towns like Burlington and Montpelier sold loose packs of older tobacco era cards to collectors. Magazines like “Tip Top Weekly” also featured baseball content and occasional cards in their issues found on Vermont newsstands and in drug stores.

The Great Depression of the 1930s brought another lull to the baseball card industry as disposable income dried up. But Vermont remained a hotbed of baseball fandom and many families in the state supplemented their diets by growing their own tobacco for cigarettes and occasional trading cards. Kids would swap and trade whatever scraps of cards they had accumulated, keeping the hobby alive during some of its leanest years.

The next major boom for baseball cards in Vermont came in the post-World War II era as the American economy rebounded stronger than ever. In 1948, the Bowman Gum Company issued the first modern style design of cards that could be found in wax wrapped packs alongside sticks of gum. Bowman’s sets in the late 1940s and 1950s featured the up and coming stars that Vermont kids grew up idolizing like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Sandy Koufax. The cards were a huge success everywhere, including the Green Mountain state.

During the 1950s, Vermont was also a hotbed for the early card shows and conventions that helped grow the hobby into a mainstream American pastime. Some of the earliest documented card shows were held in Burlington and Montpelier, drawing collectors from around northern New England. Local drugstores and five-and-dime stores continued stocking the newest Bowman, Topps and Fleer releases that Vermont kids eagerly awaited and traded at school.

The 1960s saw the rise of the first serious vintage baseball card collectors, including many in Vermont who amassed large collections of 19th century tobacco era stars. Magazines like “Sport Magazine” and the “Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide” were regularly purchased by Vermont collectors looking to value their collections. In the late 1960s, the Vermont city of Rutland hosted one of the earliest major card shows and conventions on record, drawing over 1,000 attendees.

By the 1970s, baseball cards had truly become a mainstream hobby enjoyed by kids and adults alike all across Vermont. The rise of specialized card shops in the 1970s brought a new level of expertise to the state. Stores like Burlington Card World and Magic Mountain Cards in Rutland helped fuel the boom years of the 1970s led by the massively popular Topps and Kellogg’s 3D baseball sets that could be found on shelves everywhere in the Green Mountain state.

In the 1980s, Vermont was swept up in the junk wax era excess along with the rest of the country. Kids traded garages full of commons from the era’s plentiful but largely worthless sets. The boom also introduced new generations to the hobby. Card shops stayed busy and card shows packed convention centers across Vermont. Icons of the era like Donruss, Fleer and Score kept local collectors happy.

The modern era of the 1990s-present has seen Vermont’s role in the hobby evolve. While local card shops have struggled against online competition, dedicated “brick and mortar” shops like Burlington Card World have endured. Vermont also became home to some of the Northeast’s top vintage and high-end card auction houses like Grey Flannel Auctions. Major card shows still occur annually in Burlington and Rutland. And today’s collectors have access to an amazing array of vintage and modern product hailing from Vermont’s long and storied baseball card past.

While a small state, Vermont has played an important role in the history and growth of the baseball card collecting hobby spanning over 150 years. From some of the earliest known examples to modern mega conventions and auction houses, the Green Mountain state helped fuel various baseball card booms and introduced generations to the joy of the pastime. The roots of card collecting run deep in Vermont.

BASEBALL CARDS RUTLAND VERMONT

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Baseball cards have long been an iconic part of American culture and childhood nostalgia. For the small city of Rutland, Vermont, baseball cards have also played an important role in the local economy and community. Rutland developed a rich history with baseball cards that spanned much of the 20th century.

Some of the earliest baseball card production in Rutland can be traced back to the 1930s. At the time, the city was home to the small but ambitious Rutland Baseball Card Company. Founded in 1931 by brothers Harry and Lou Marson, the company saw an opportunity to capitalize on the growing popularity of baseball across the United States and the rising collectibility of memorabilia related to the sport like photographs and cards.

Starting with humble beginnings producing cards out of a small factory, the Rutland Baseball Card Company gained momentum through the 1930s by securing licenses from major league teams and players. Some of their earliest and most prized issues included 1933 Goudey Baseball and 1934 Goudey Baseball. These sets helped introduce many star players of the era to young collectors. By 1937, the company had grown to employ over 50 Rutland residents at the factory.

However, World War II brought challenges as raw materials became scarce. The Marson brothers decided to shift production to war goods to support the effort. This pause in baseball card production was brief but helped the company gain valuable new printing skills. After the war ended, the Rutland Baseball Card Company was well-positioned to hit the ground running again as interest in the sport surged among returning GIs and baseball card collecting boomed across the country.

One of their most iconic post-war issues was the 1948 Bowman Baseball set, which featured stars like Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, and Stan Musial on the cards. Demand was through the roof. To keep up, the Rutland factory expanded its operations and workforce throughout the late 1940s and 1950s. At its peak, it directly employed over 200 Rutland residents and had a significant economic impact on the whole community. The factory became a major local employer and taxpayer.

During this golden era for the company, sports stars of the day like Mickey Mantle even visited the factory on occasion. Their appearances drew crowds and were featured in local newspapers. This helped raise the profile of the city for its role in the baseball card industry. For many kids in Rutland at the time, working at the factory after school or in the summer was a coveted job and a way to be a part of the booming business.

The 1960s brought new challenges as the baseball card market became more competitive. Large conglomerates like Topps emerged and undercut prices. The Rutland Baseball Card Company struggled to keep up and was acquired by a larger corporation in 1967. Production continued in Rutland for a few more years but ultimately the factory was closed in 1972. By that point, it directly employed around 50 workers and its loss was a blow to the local economy.

But Rutland’s legacy in the industry lived on. Former employees went on to work for Topps and other major producers. The city itself also became ingrained in baseball card collecting lore. Today, vintage sets and individual cards produced by the Rutland Baseball Card Company in its heyday remain highly sought after by collectors nationwide. Auction prices for some of the scarcer issues continue to climb.

While the factory is long gone, its history is still remembered fondly by many in Rutland who feel the baseball card boom of the post-war decades shaped the identity of their city. A small museum exhibit pays tribute to the role the Rutland Baseball Card Company played. And the current generation of collectors appreciates how a small Vermont city became an important early hub for an industry that has endured and brought enjoyment to many over the decades. The legacy of Rutland’s baseball card pioneers continues to resonate in the world of sports memorabilia.

BASEBALL CARDS STORE VERMONT

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Baseball Cards in Vermont: A Rich History of the Pastime

Baseball cards have long been an integral part of American culture and fandom, tracing their origins back over a century. In the small New England state of Vermont, baseball cards have found a dedicated community of collectors preserving the history of America’s favorite pastime. Whether searching antique stores, visiting local card shops, or connecting with other collectors online, baseball enthusiasts in Vermont have numerous opportunities to build their collections and share their passion for the great game.

Some of the earliest baseball card stores in Vermont date back to the 1970s and 1980s, when the hobby first exploded in popularity during the era of the “wax pack.” Pioneering shops like Bob’s Baseball Cards in Burlington and Card World in Rutland helped fuel the initial baseball card craze, stocking packs, boxes, and supplies for collectors just getting started. These stores hosted frequent trading sessions where kids could swap, sell, and evaluate their newest acquisitions face-to-face.

As the decades passed, a new generation of specialized card shops emerged. Places like Topps Town in South Burlington and Diamond Kings Collectibles in St. Albans focused exclusively on sports cards and memorabilia, amassing extensive back stock and rare vintage inventory. They also introduced collectors to the growing world of autographs, unopened wax, graded cards, and unique one-of-a-kind items. Events like autograph signings and group breaks of unopened product kept the hobby exciting and engaging for devotees of all ages.

While the internet has since transformed how many collectors research, trade, and build collections, local card shops remain an invaluable resource. Browse bins packed with affordable commons and stars from every MLB era, get expert opinions on condition and value, and connect with a vibrant community of fellow fans. Annual baseball card shows are also a major tradition, like the long-running Vermont Sports Card & Memorabilia Show held each April in Essex Junction.

Of course, dedicated collectors have scoured Vermont for cards since the earliest tobacco issues of the late 1800s. Countless rare finds have been unearthed in antique stores, flea markets, and estate sales over the decades. The Green Mountain State was also home to several pioneering card manufacturers that helped shape the industry. In the 1880s, The Allen Brothers Company of Montpelier produced some of the earliest American trade cards featuring baseball players. Nearly a century later, Topps had a plant in Bennington that produced millions of cards for the company’s popular 1970s and 1980s sets.

For serious vintage collectors, a pilgrimage to the shelves of Vermont’s better-known antique malls can yield treasures. At the vast Champlain Valley Exposition complex in Essex Junction, dealers have uncovered true gems amongst piles of newspapers, magazines, and ephemera for over 50 years. In Manchester, the sprawling Antique Mall has been a hotbed of rare finds since the 1970s, with dedicated sports memorabilia dealers scouring estates nationwide to stock their booths.

Online, Vermont’s tight-knit card collecting community has found new ways to share their passion on social media platforms and specialty sites. Facebook groups like “Vermont Sports Card Collectors” boast hundreds of active members trading, discussing the latest releases, and organizing in-person meetups. Websites run by dedicated collectors, including VermontSportscards.com, serve as hubs to showcase collections, track down hard-to-find regional parallels, and research the state’s rich baseball card history.

From its earliest tobacco issues to modern digital platforms, baseball cards have been an integral part of sports fandom and collecting culture in Vermont for well over a century. Whether searching local stores, shows, auctions, or connecting online, enthusiasts in the Green Mountain State have built upon the state’s proud tradition of preserving baseball’s history in cardboard form. And with new generations now taking up the hobby, the future remains bright for baseball card collecting in Vermont.