As museum-goers soak up wall-to-wall classic Americana, there’s a certain sentiment to be felt.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum’s latest addition knocks hard on the door to the past, evoking nostalgia through the story of baseball cards.
The lead curator for “Shoebox Treasures,” John Odell, said they answered a calling for a sole exhibit on baseball cards. He said it couldn’t just be rows of cards in a case, but needs to be a full show—from 19th-century tobacco cards and gum company sets to today’s pricey keepsakes. The exhibit, housed across 700 square feet on the third floor, shines a light on the history, design and production of the cards. It explores the craze of the 1980s that transformed the hobby into a multi-million dollar industry—through the climbing value of old cards and the demand for new ones.
The museum’s total collection holds about 200,000 cards, and the immense support for the exhibit allows ongoing cataloging and conservation of the cards that are loved by people of all ages.
“Shoebox Treasures” features about 2,000 of those on display in vertical drawers. The exhibit is divided into four primary themes: the history of baseball cards, the evolution of card design, how and why fans of all ages collect baseball cards, and cards considered “holy grails.”
For the ultra-sentimental experience, visitors can spin a bicycle wheel with a baseball card placed in the spokes and remember back to that click-clack of bike-riding on summer nights, the pavement lit only by street lamps.
“Shoebox Treasures” will be an ongoing exhibit and is included with regular admission. For more information, email Sales Manager June Dolhun go to baseballhall.org.
Photos by The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
For more behind the scenes looks check out 7 museums you need to visit now.
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