Cameron began his collection two years ago, and now he has almost 1,000 cards. "I buy new cards probably every other week," Cameron said. "Depends how much I get for my allowance."

While his father collects baseball cards, a hobby that originated in the 1800s, Cameron is drawn to a different genre of trading cards. His card of choice is Yu-Gi-Oh.

The cards, which are based on a Japanese cartoon, are traded through a series of battles between collectors. Each card has a different value, and players battle each other in order to further their collection. Cameron’s interest mirrors this new generation of card collectors. Yu-Gi-Oh is only one of several trading cards that has emerged over the past several years.

Today, collectors find store shelves lined with everything from Pokemon cards to NASCAR racing cards. But, for decades, there was only one type of card that drew collectors—baseball cards.

The hobby first came into being in the late 1800s, when men in suits, smoking cigars filled baseball stadiums. Since the game of baseball was considered a “gentlemen’s” sport, it was no surprise when tobacco companies started including pictures of baseball players in cigarette packs.

As the nation transitioned from a rural to an urban society, more youth were seen organizing neighborhood ball games. It also became more common to see young people at the ballpark or in the trees just outside the ballpark, straining to watch their favorite players. The nation’s young baseball fans began to take over the card collecting industry.

Instead of appearing in cigarette packs, baseball cards became a promotional tool for candy companies. In 1915, cards were found in boxes of Cracker Jack, and would later be coupled with ice cream, candy bars and bubble gum. In 1933, baseball cards became known as "bubble gum cards."

Today, card manufacturers continue to market to youth by selling cards of their favorite cartoons or cards that double as games, such as Yu-Gi-Oh. And yet, some young people have withdrawn from card collecting. Grand Forks, N.D., native John Price, who has actively collected cards for nearly 20 years, fears the gradual price increase in cards is driving away the younger generation of collectors. "The cost of the hobby is getting to be too much for kid collectors," Price said. "Unless your parents give you a really good allowance, you probably can’t afford it."

As with stamps, coins and other collectibles, cards are now collected by a number of serious collectors. After card companies began including valuable autographed cards in packs, baseball card collecting became less of a hobby and more of an investment. Today, some collectors sell their extra cards and use the profits to buy more cards, while others are dealers who sell their cards to make money.

Bemidji, Minn., native Jennifer Renollette and her husband travel to card shows nearly every weekend. Boasting more than 75,000 cards, Renollette said she mostly sells her cards for profit. There are a few, however, that she said she may have a hard time selling, like her nearly 1,000 Michael Jordan cards.

Throughout the history of card collecting, the various types of cards have become as diverse as the crowd of collectors themselves. The hobby of card collecting may come full circle, and once again be most popular among the older, wealthier crowd.

For now, however, both young and old collectors flock to card shows. The scene has branched into nearly every interest imaginable. The final push toward the younger generation may keep the hobby alive for generations to come.