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View Full Version : Whatever happened to your card dealer of the past?


darkhorse9
04-09-2012, 03:04 PM
When I was a kid...my collecting word opened up when I started getting sale sheets from Jim Elder of Odessa, Florida.

I've often wondered whatever happened to him. I'd like to thank him for opening up the world of 1955 Bowman's, Red Backs, PCL popcorn cards and other relics for me when I was a kid.

Anyone know what happened to Jim Elder?

Anyone else remember the dealers that opened their world and what happened to them?

novakjr
04-09-2012, 03:47 PM
Of all the dealers from my childhood, most of them are out of business. Of the two that are still in business, one really doesn't deal with cards anymore, but still sells his old inventory while focusing on comics...The other one, deals more in magic cards and video games nowadays. Occasionally, he'll have a good deal, but overall I don't think he understands the hobby anymore, and can be somewhat difficult to deal with based on his assumptions..

One of my favorites in the area closed, but he still does a couple of shows a year. We keep in touch, and I always have a fun time picking through his inventory when our paths do cross..

toppcat
04-09-2012, 05:16 PM
Marty Perry and Bob Sevchuk of Baseball Card & Collectors Exchange in Hicksville, NY were my first experience. Marty is still around I believe, possibly doing mail order or just shows. Sevchuk moved to Arizona a passed away a long time ago. That was a great store and home to the famous T206 Gretzky Wagner find, the 53 Uncut Topps find and tons of other cool stuff.

CharleyBrown
04-09-2012, 06:34 PM
Can't remember the last name of my dealer, but first name was Dan... he eventually merged with Joe's card shop in Wappingers Falls, NY, and then I believe left the business. He drowned in the Wappingers Creek about 10-12 years ago.

Volod
04-09-2012, 09:33 PM
When I was a kid...my collecting word opened up when I started getting sale sheets from Jim Elder of Odessa, Florida.

I've often wondered whatever happened to him. I'd like to thank him for opening up the world of 1955 Bowman's, Red Backs, PCL popcorn cards and other relics for me when I was a kid.

Anyone know what happened to Jim Elder?

Anyone else remember the dealers that opened their world and what happened to them?

Just wondering how long ago you were a kid because I went to school with a guy named Jim Elder in the 1950's,
- probably not an uncommon name - although have no knowledge of him since then.

saltire
04-10-2012, 07:36 AM
When I re-entered the hobby in the early 1990s, I had to use mail order and pre-ebay auctions to boost my collection since I live overseas.

I remember picking up a lot of great stuff from Solomon Cramer, who ran terrific regular auctions. I think my best pickup from Solomon was a lot of about 35 autographed Tigers cards from 50s-early 70s for only about $20. The lot included several of the 1968 team (though not necessarily on a 1968 card) - Kaline, Horton, Lolich, Freehan, Brown, Hiller, Wert, Stanley, Tracewski, Dobson, Wilson, Lasher, Patterson, McAuliffe, Matchick, Price and best of all Joe Sparma and Mayo Smith.

Solomon seems to have dropped out of the hobby shortly after ebay established themselves.

novakjr
04-10-2012, 10:44 AM
Oh, I completely forgot one. There is a third still in business in my area. He was always a sporting goods/card shop, and pretty much stays open because the local schools use him for letterman's jackets. His current card inventory pretty much consists of trying to sell his leftover early 90's wax at original value. Boxes upon boxes of '92 Donruss for $35/box...

Also forgot about a newer one that opened up in the past 10 years in Willoughby. It's a pretty solid shop, mostly newer stuff, but occasionally can find a deal on some vintage, and he's pretty good for 60's and 70's singles for set building... I think he's the lone solely sports-card shop in the area..

Brianruns10
04-10-2012, 10:50 AM
What happened to the dealers of the past?

They got eaten up by the ones working now. Seriously, some of the guys I see making the rounds at these shows see look as if they're barely mobile...

Rich Klein
04-10-2012, 12:57 PM
I talk to him on occasion through AOL Chat. He is now running his family buisness,

Regards
Rich

saltire
04-10-2012, 03:04 PM
I talk to him on occasion through AOL Chat. He is now running his family buisness,

Regards
Rich

Thanks for the update, Rich. If you don't mind, perhaps next time you talk to him you could ask if he recalls dealing with a guy in Scotland, and if so tell him hi from Glenn!

Exhibitman
04-11-2012, 06:45 AM
Out of business or dead, I guess...

Volod
04-11-2012, 12:40 PM
What happened to the dealers of the past?

They got eaten up by the ones working now. Seriously, some of the guys I see making the rounds at these shows see look as if they're barely mobile...

Which ones - the buyers or the dealers?

zljones
04-11-2012, 01:52 PM
HI Stamps and Coins for me out of Clarendon Hills, Illinois when I used to live in Hinsdale. They are long gone and the building is torn down and replaced. My last memory was going down there with $35 in 1991 at the age of 10 trying to score a Hank Aaron card. These guys talked me into buying a 62 Topps Sphann instead since I did not have enough for Aaron. I did not know who Warren Sphann was back then, so when I told my mom I spent all my money on a guy I knew nothing about because the shop owners talked me into it, my mom was furious and went down there demanding they return my money. These guys were in their mid to late 20s back then and they refused to refund. I never went back.
When I moved to Romeoville in my teen years, I remember Gold Glove. they were a great business, very honest, ok prices, nice guys til they went belly up in the late 90s-early 2000s I think.:(

theseeker
04-13-2012, 01:52 AM
I first discovered there was such a thing as a full-time card dealer by noticing a tiny ad in the back of a Street and Smith's Baseball annual. The ad was placed by none other than Kit Young out of San Diego, CA. It opened up a whole new world as before then I, along witrh all my friends, only knew of grocery and variety/candy stores as suppliers.
Is Kit Young still around? I know the shop still is doing business but, like Larry Fritsch Cards, it's a shell of it's former self. Also wonder about the Card Collectors Company. I know it went under not long after new ownership but, what about the original owners? I know Joseph Pasternack is selling whats left of the old CCC Reprint sets on Ebay. He had his own internet site, Champions of Sports, but no longer maitains it.
And that brings me to one more question.....While we all know what happened to whats left of the old dealers-- they reduced overhead by selling on the internet. But why are most of them now choosing Ebay as there main source of sales rather than their own website?
One of the last holdouts was Dean's Cards. For the first time he has a ton of listings on Ebay. Going out of business? Not that I'd miss him, just curious.

Jerry G
04-13-2012, 09:07 AM
I remember receiving his mimeographed auction sheets in the early 1970's. There were no pictures and scans were unheard of. I mailed in lots of bids, but only had two wins. The wins were my first two 1933 Goudey Babe Ruths. I stretched my budget and got 'em for 25 bucks each.

At some point the auctions quit coming and I never heard of him again.

Jayworld
04-13-2012, 01:57 PM
I began ordering from Richard Gelman's Card Collector's Company about 1977 when I was 10. I remember ordering T206 cards in poor condition for 50 cents each, and also filling out my 1977 Topps sets (he offered all singles at different price points), as well as buying lots of cards (he would offer lots of 25, 50 and 100 different from various years). That's how I started my 1976 Topps set.

I also ordered from Donn Jennings out of Alabama, as I received his catalog about once every other month in the late 1970s.

Others that come to mind were the Mid-Atlantic Coin Exchange (dealt in lots of Bowman cards), Hal's Nostalgia, and of course, Renata Galasso.

I never ordered from Larry Fritsch cards, even when he advertised (full page ads) in Baseball Cards magazine and SCD back in the early 1980s. I always thought he was too high, and he sold his sets for at least $3-5 over other dealers at the time.

Best deal I ever got from a catalog dealer; $9.99 postpaid 1979 Topps mint set from Leon Rock. Still have the set. Also paid $3.50 for the Wonderbread Battlestar Galactica set from Leon. Have no idea what happened to him or the others, although I did read somewhere that Larry Fritsch bought out the Card Collector's Company stock....

Digital Man
09-02-2015, 01:01 PM
Realize this is an old thread but thought I would post anyways. I also used Jim Elder back in the early 70's as well as Gar Miller from N.J. and the The Trading Card Co. out of Dearborn, Michigan.

What's really sickening is I kept many of their pricelists and when I'm in the mood to cry I'll pull them out and pine for the days when a 52 Mantle could be ordered through the mail and delivered for $5.00. My budget for cards back in the late 60's early 70's was (4-5) cents each and although any Bowman or Topps from the 50's was readily available, their prohibitive pricing of 25 cents per card was simply too much for me. I was looking at an order form I filled out but never submitted from the early 70's listing 1966 Mays, Frank, Brooks and Yaz .... 9 cents each.

Fortunately I bought my entire collection at these prices and have never sold or traded any of them. Like all of us ........ I just wish I had bought more.

Hot Springs Bathers
09-02-2015, 01:21 PM
I believe that Jim Elder or part of his family is still operating on eBay under jimelder01 and jimelder02? Florida address and all their listings were for vintage programs. I contacted them before an auction last year and received a very nice response.

As of last check you can google Gar Miler and he operates a website that resembles some of the old price lists dealers mailed out.

I bought a ton of cards from Gar back in the 1980's with a great system. I would mail him what I could afford, usually $25-30 and he would fill my T205 and T206 needs. It was exciting because I never knew what I was getting every 2-3 weeks. We then moved on to Bowmans. He always gave me great bargains and was/is just a super nice fellow.

Rich Klein
09-02-2015, 01:21 PM
When I re-entered the hobby in the early 1990s, I had to use mail order and pre-ebay auctions to boost my collection since I live overseas.

I remember picking up a lot of great stuff from Solomon Cramer, who ran terrific regular auctions. I think my best pickup from Solomon was a lot of about 35 autographed Tigers cards from 50s-early 70s for only about $20. The lot included several of the 1968 team (though not necessarily on a 1968 card) - Kaline, Horton, Lolich, Freehan, Brown, Hiller, Wert, Stanley, Tracewski, Dobson, Wilson, Lasher, Patterson, McAuliffe, Matchick, Price and best of all Joe Sparma and Mayo Smith.

Solomon seems to have dropped out of the hobby shortly after ebay established themselves.

I talk to Solomon every once in a rare while (he even reads these board on occasion) and he is happily married (I forgot if any kids yet) and running his rental car business. I'll tell him you said hello

KCRfan1
09-02-2015, 03:22 PM
My favorite was Jim Roy, of V&J Baseball Cards. The V and J were the first letters of his daughters first names. Jim was a barber, and ran a barber shop in Riverside MO. He had a small glass case with some cards in it that would sell from time to time. Slowly he transitioned more to cards and less on cutting hair, eventually moving to a busy corner in North Kansas City, Antioch and 72nd Street. He always had the basics, but Jim would come up with some of the coolest stuff around. I remember his display of a complete set of Transogram figures that he had spread out over a glass shelf in one of the cases. I heard he eventually sold his collection, but not sure what happened to him otherwise. I hope he is doing well.

runbrett
09-02-2015, 07:17 PM
During the 1970s I had three great avenues for purchasing old cards in Chicago and through the mail.
1. A flea market at the drive-in near 74th and California. There was a guy who must have been at least 80 years old. He always had old cards including 1961 Topps in homemade cello packs. Almost every pack had Billy Williams or Wille Mays on top. He was there every week for years.

2. The famous Sports Collectors Store on Archer Avenue - also near California Ave. I remember when one of us asked for a 1963 Fleer Clemente, which we all ended up buying. They pulled out a box with at least 200 of them. Most of the guys involved in that store were seen regularly at shows throughout the years. They had everything and lots of it. I'd spend all of my money and walk/run home - seven miles.

3. Someone in the neighborhood got an address for a guy who used his typewriter to create a list of cards for sale. We regularly bought from Russell D. Walters from Michigan. I don't know why he used his middle initial. Getting those cards in the mail made for a great week. I have always wondered what happened to him.

glynparson
09-02-2015, 08:23 PM
of my early collection came from a gentleman named Vince at Renninger's antique market in Adamstown PA. Vince unfortunately passed away when i was 16 or 17 years old. I still miss him even though that was 25+ years ago. One hell of a nice guy, great prices, and tremendous knowledge. His wife sold dolls she retired about 4-5 years ago not sure if she has passed on as well. Truly lovely people and i thank him for helping develop my passion for cards. PS I am friends with Solomon Cramer on Facebook he is currently in Europe on a hell of a nice trip.

RTK
09-03-2015, 05:16 AM
I never really bought too many cards from shops when shops began to emerge but I did go to three stores; one had a decent selection of cards though not enough to fill the huge former furniture store it was housed in. Later, I found out it was a front for dealing drugs. Another shop is still open however it has turned to selling kids gaming cards more than baseball. The last shop is still open and thriving. The son has taken over from the father who passed away. They had a couple tables at the national show in Rosemont.

K-Nole
09-03-2015, 07:27 AM
As a child, i ordered from "San Diego Sports Collectibles"

Anybody know anything about where they are now?

ALR-bishop
09-03-2015, 07:32 AM
A salute to Tom and Eddie in Austin, or wherever they are now

stlcardsfan
09-03-2015, 11:58 AM
Walter Abe of Foster City, CA. As a 9 year old I ordered a 1975 complete set from him (with Mom's help). Still have it. Bought a bunch of stuff after that as well.

savedfrommyspokes
09-03-2015, 12:04 PM
As a child, i ordered from "San Diego Sports Collectibles"

Anybody know anything about where they are now?

I also ordered from them in the 80s and I have often wondered what happened with SDSC too, I loved their ads
that appeared in hobby publications throughout the 80s. A couple decades later, through about
2005, I bought some great pre-70 lots on a regular basis from them. I only
stopped because I was saving for a new house and my first son was on
his way. For several years, about once a month, I would receive an email with a
list of a 1000+ cards and a price...a quick "thank you" and a payment followed.
SDSC was a huge factor in helping me complete my late 50s-60s sets.

About 8-9 years ago, after I had stopped buying these great lots, I
spoke with Jeff Kling, a long time ebay seller who passed away about a year ago, about SDSC. He mentioned that the original owner of SDSC was liquidating his inventory and leaving the business. As I had stopped buying these "liquidation lots", Jeff seemingly replaced me as SDSC's go to liquidation "buyer". I am not sure how long Jeff continued purchasing from SDSC.

I am hard pressed to remember the name of SDSC's original owner (Dave
perhaps?), as when I looked up the transaction details from my old
paypal payments to SDSC, there was not a name there, just SDSC.


More recently, there was another company with the same name, but they seem to sell more memorabilia than cards. The company name may have been sold by the original owner to this more recent company.

brian1961
09-03-2015, 12:12 PM
I first ordered cards through the mail with Wholesale Cards Co. of New York/New Jersey, run by Bruce Yeko. I think he eventually stopped in the 80s maybe; I read where a barn fire took all of his remaining inventory, which was probably a massive loss considering he dealt in sports and non-sports cards.

I also dealt with The Trading Card Co. of Farmington Hills, Michigan. They had excellent customer service. I well recall the time in the late 60s I ordered a group of about forty 1962 Topps baseball. Among the cards I selected was #200, Mickey Mantle. Somehow, I'd lost my original during a family move. I had even forgotten what the card looked like. They did indeed send me Mickey, for only eight cents. That's what they were charging for 62s then. Hate to say it; that shot of Mick is awful and forgettable, but it was nice to get the Mantle anyway. Funny how some things you just don't forget.

In the 80s I believe The Trading Card Co. sold out to a Chicago-area sports collecting store conglomerate, with Don Steinbach being one of the principal owners. ---Brian Powell

Griffins
09-03-2015, 03:16 PM
I started buying from Card Collectors Company from about '72 thru '76, it was a better alternative to getting yelled at my the old guy at the only card store in town, Adco.
I've still got a couple of catalogs around. I used to order T206's for .50 each, and if you bought a dozen their choice they'd often put in 2nd tier HOFers like Bender, Bresnahan, Clarke, etc. One time they sent a Uzit back, which I promptly flipped for $10.

Some of the local dealers back then that I've often wondered about were Jim Nowell, Gavin Riley and Steve Brunner. Merv Williams was another one that was really nice to kids, I've heard he's doing well living in the desert.
Fred Copp, Gar Miller, Ed Budnick, CS Perry, Ray Hess, John Spalding, Bob Rathgeber were some of the ones I recall dealing with back then. Gar was still selling as of a few years ago, Clay Hill is still in the hobby with SCP, and Irv Lerner is selling rings instead of cards but still there. I figure most of the others probably sold out, but would be interested in hearing about news, especially the first few on my list.

ALR-bishop
09-03-2015, 03:22 PM
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img065.jpg

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img064.jpg

stlcardsfan
09-03-2015, 03:53 PM
I know you have posted this before, Al. Unbelievable.

campyfan39
09-03-2015, 04:46 PM
Paul Snow who was set up at the NC fairgrounds. Great guy and very fair and honest. Was hooked when my Dad bought a 59 Skowron from him in early 1980's. He and his wife always wore matching colors.
I was able to catch up with him last year and interview him for my book. He was happily retired, still married and still matching his wife's outfit. He currently doesn't own a single card. Since retiring he settled down and became a Christian which IMO was pretty cool to see.

chris6net
09-03-2015, 11:10 PM
What I remember as a young collector in the late 70,s was a dealer Larry Gladstone from Oceanside NY. I kept his business card with a positive notation. I remember him being one of the younger dealers at that time. I got back into the hobby big time after a 20 year break and I purchased some items from Painthistorian and was pleasantly surprised that it was Larry and his wife and they were still in business. The only thing that upset me was the shipping charge as I pass his house every day when I go to work.
He is a class act
CN

Laxcat
09-04-2015, 09:00 PM
A salute to Tom and Eddie in Austin, or wherever they are now

Al

Tom is my father. My collection is put together from his. Did you ever make your way to the SA store?

ALR-bishop
09-04-2015, 09:05 PM
I lived in Austin from 85 to 90 and bought a bunch of stuff from that store. On what was then north side of town, right ? Austin Sports Collectibles ?

Laxcat
09-04-2015, 09:10 PM
I lived in Austin from 85 to 90 and bought a bunch of stuff from that store. On what was then north side of town, right ? Austin Sports Collectibles ?

Sports Collectibles of Austin. Correct. Was North, now barely central. I was the annoying kid running around on Saturdays.

sox1903wschamp
09-05-2015, 12:31 AM
My favorite was Jim Roy, of V&J Baseball Cards. The V and J were the first letters of his daughters first names. Jim was a barber, and ran a barber shop in Riverside MO. He had a small glass case with some cards in it that would sell from time to time. Slowly he transitioned more to cards and less on cutting hair, eventually moving to a busy corner in North Kansas City, Antioch and 72nd Street. He always had the basics, but Jim would come up with some of the coolest stuff around. I remember his display of a complete set of Transogram figures that he had spread out over a glass shelf in one of the cases. I heard he eventually sold his collection, but not sure what happened to him otherwise. I hope he is doing well.

Can't believe someone remember's Jim Roy on this board. That's great. I would head to the Riverside barbershop to buy and sell with Jim. His wife was always around in the business. They really grew fast and moved up to 72nd and North Oak and ditched the haircuts. I know you said Antioch but pretty sure it was North Oak but Antioch is close. They had a location and moved a few doors down when they outgrew that. He was definitely a product of the card explosion of the 80's into the early 90's.

KCRfan1
09-05-2015, 08:59 AM
Can't believe someone remember's Jim Roy on this board. That's great. I would head to the Riverside barbershop to buy and sell with Jim. His wife was always around in the business. They really grew fast and moved up to 72nd and North Oak and ditched the haircuts. I know you said Antioch but pretty sure it was North Oak but Antioch is close. They had a location and moved a few doors down when they outgrew that. He was definitely a product of the card explosion of the 80's into the early 90's.

You are absolutely correct, N Oak and 72nd. From a business perspective, Jim was certainly in the right place at the right time.

PowderedH2O
09-06-2015, 10:58 AM
A great store that I used to go to was "Lake Worth World of Baseball Cards" in Lake Worth, Florida. The owner was a guy named Scott Winslow (if I remember correctly) and he was a nice guy who was great to deal with. I first went there in 1984 and I remember buying a 1958 Topps Willie Mays for $15. I bought probably $10k from him, and sold probably $10k to him over a three year span or so. He would have a television on watching baseball, so you could watch the game while you were perusing the inventory. I joined the Air Force in 1988, and when I came back to South Florida in 1995, the store was gone. Too bad, because it was a great place to hang out, talk baseball, and buy cards. He was a fairly young guy (30?) in 1984, so he might still be around dealing baseball cards somewhere...

gnpaden
09-06-2015, 08:49 PM
My LCS which has been around for 22 years is closing his doors October 1st. I've been going here since I was a little kid and it's kind of sad. Local shops are hard to find and now even harder, but these guys just can't hang like they used to. Not sure what I'm going to do with my spare time/disposable income now.