Al Rosen - Mr Mint - Passes

[Cooptown]

http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/long-time-card-dealer-alan-rosen-passes-away/

[btcarfagno]

http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/long-time-card-dealer-alan-rosen-passes-away/

I was told never to speak ill of the dead. So...

Tom C

[bobbyw8469]

This is sad news....whatever ill malice people have towards him nonwithstanding...

[arcadekrazy]

My only interaction (cold call asking if would sell one single 1952T high number) with him (when I was 12) was very pleasant (I've read everything else and saw him "at work" at a Philly show in 2000, so I know "what" he was). May his soul be at peace and may his family find solace in this most difficult time.

[bigtrain]

I had some dealings with Mr. Rosen many years ago. He was
an interesting character to say the least and he was involved in
some amazing finds.

[rhettyeakley]

I have spoken about my unfortunate experience with Alan in the past but with this news I only wish comfort for his loved ones. He was certainly a character.

[Gmrson]

RIP Alan. Thankfully I have nothing but positive memories from our times at many of the same shows in the 80's and early 90's.

[zimp]

Always had great dinners with Al.....Great guy outside of the hobby

[Econteachert205]

Always a thrill to watch him price items at the big Rhode Island show that ended last year.

[GrayGhost]

he did a lot of business w a friend and helped me make a sale. Put hobby in the mainstream. rip sir

[rjackson44]

i used to go to his auctions in montvale at his office.always very nice to me ..he had an ego but like it was said a character rip mr mint

[oldjudge]

He was certainly a character, but by promoting himself he also promoted the hobby. I would say the two people most responsible for the high dollar value of cards today are Alan Rosen and Bill Mastro. My condolences to all of Alan's family and friends.

[Rookiemonster]

Rip mr mint!

[BruceinGa]

Never knew him, just remembered his ads. Rip

[jbsports33]

He will be missed, even though sometimes it was tough to deal with Mr. Mint - it was always interesting - and have to say the last one at this past Boston Show was one of the better ones - God Bless

[pherbener]

I was doing shows as a freshman/sophomore in college back in 1985/86. I remember him coming to a small show I was doing(Phillipsburg NJ. I think) I remember He bought a T205 Cobb from me and a 52 Bowman Mantle and a few other cards. Treated me well and fairly. RIP...

[Brian Van Horn]

I dealt with Al Rosen on a couple occasions and had no problems. My condolences to his family.

[ebrehm]

Oh jeez, so sorry to hear that. Basically decent guy, despite his rather abrupt personality and infamous self-promotion and so on. As far as doing baseball card deals, I have to say I trusted him more than quite a few others I remember from the old days (1980's). RIP Mr. Mint.

[njdunkin1]

I saw him in person at a Rosemont show once. We took a photo together, which he called "the Money Shot". He probably was holding 10k in $100 bills :]
My condolences to his family. I can hope and pray he found the only Way before he passed.
NJ

[Rich Klein]

Al was, as many of us are, complicated. I happened to like him a lot and I never had a bad business experience with him.

Al did a ton for the hobby and he was perfect for the 1980's and all those collections he unearthed.

More thoughts when I post in the SABR Baseball Card Blog, but if there is a good side to this, I heard from a couple of mutual friends who I had not heard from in a couple of years so we could share our tall tales.

Regards
Rich

[jcmtiger]

He was the salesman of all salesmen Saw and talked to him at many Michigan card shows in the in the 1980's and 1990's.. Abrasive yea, but a great promoter.

No one like him for sure.

Joe

[campyfan39]

Responsible for some great finds of the hobby. RIP

[jcmtiger]

He was certainly a character, but by promoting himself he also promoted the hobby. I would say the two people most responsible for the high dollar value of cards today are Alan Rosen and Bill Mastro. My condolences to all of Alan's family and friends.

+1

Joe

[clydepepper]

My only personal experience with Mr. Rosen was in 2014 when I called the number listed on one of his ads to ask advise.

I was first shocked that a secretary did not answer - then, he was very pleasant and patient with my novice knowledge.

He let me know that the price I was mentioning was a good one for the item I had in mind. That, along with my own limited research, let me feel comfortable enough to make the purchase - and since then, the sale prices of the same item in the same condition have appreciated quite a bit.

I did not ask too much of him, just his honest opinion as someone who has been in the hobby for many years and did not have a 'stake' in the transaction.


He was also reputed to be involved in my 'White Whale' story, but when I asked him, he did not remember it.


THANK YOU, SIR!

Rest In Peace

- I regret never calling him back and thanking him for his input.

[Vintagecatcher]

Most people who have been in the hobby for years at some point crossed paths with Al Rosen, "Mr. Mint," and his reputation certainly preceded him.

I remember his prominent ads in SCD years ago. He also always had the first table as you entered the Shriner's Auditorium show in Wilmington, MA.

I never bought anything from or sold anything to Mr. Mint, but I do have a story.

At one of the GBSCC/Shriners Sports Card and Memorabilia Shows I walked in carrying a box of memorabilia. Mr. Mint immediately dashes out from behind his table, and asks what I have in the box. After telling him I have some memorabilia to sell he reaches into the box, and grabs an early League bat with an acorn knob. He then precedes to say nice bat, and tosses it back into the box from about 3 feet away. The bat landed with a thud, but was luckily not damaged.

That's my Mr. Mint story.

Patrick

[Kevin Savage]

Over my many years in this hobby, I have always tried to study those who have had great success. Part of it was selfish- I wanted to be successful too. But part of it was a genuine intrigue as to how many different people could take so many different paths, have different personality traits- and yet end up- at or near the top of the field. I have always tried to "cherry pick" what I thought were the positive attributes of each individual- and hopefully build those "parts" into my own business. Al Rosen was one of those guys I studied.
My take on Al is that he was a very smart- hi IQ colorful man with a big personality, who was an expert on how to size up people, situations, and of course baseball cards! He was the best I have ever known in this business at branding himself. To sooooo many people- he was Mr.Mint. He published books- and self promoted. He ran thousands of ads- and was willing to travel anywhere to buy the newest biggest best collections. He was the face of the baseball card business for a couple of decades- and I think should be remembered for his business savy, his tireless energy, and his uncanny ability to "get the deal done".
For many years my booth was next to his at the annual May Pittsburgh Show run by J. Paul. I could see the look on many people's faces as they approached his booth. They wanted to meet the closest thing to a "celebrity" the card industry had to offer. He would sign his book for these people- and thank them for stopping by- and in one of the best conversational transitions I've ever witnessed- "ask them if they had anything for sale". I don't know how many pictures he took with people- He was always holding the cards- and "those people" always holding the cash- and a signed copy of his book.
I was never in the "Al Rosen inner circle"- so I do not pretend to be his best friend or confidant. I just hope this hobby - at this time - can remember the positive attributes of Al- and the color he added to this hobby. I will miss him.
Rest in peace Alan.

[savedfrommyspokes]

RIP Mr Mint


http://www.beckett.com/news/alan-mr-mint-rosen-passes-away/

[Duluth Eskimo]

I am still vividly remember the 52 find and his follow up ads in SCD. Saw him many times at shows and as many have said, he was the ultimate salesman and promoter. He was always asking people what they had for sale and scanning the show floor for more stuff to buy. I also agree that he did more to help the hobby than just about anyone. It was always interesting when he was set up by the front door.

[bdecsports]

I have had the privilege of knowing Al for 28 years, and even though we were competitors at most shows across the country, we had a mutual respect for each other, which forged into a long-lasting friendship. Al was always self promoting himself & his business, but that also gave great positive exposure to the entire hobby, which we all have benefited from in the past & will continue to benefit from in the future. Over the years, Al was always looking for loyalty in his hobby friends & the people he dealt with. My thoughts & prayers are with his family (Marni, Blake & Jenny), along with his best friend & best right-hand man, Dave Czuba. Al will be sorely missed in the hobby – Rest in Peace “Mr. Mint”

Bryan Dec

[tedzan]

The first I met Alan Rosen was at a Show in Kenilworth, NJ in 1981. We were set-up at adjacent tables at this show. He was sort brusque in
his behavior dealing with the public; but, he also could be mild-mannered and funny.

I recall several "walk-ins" with newer stuff (back then) first came to my table which I was not interested in, so I passed them on to Alan. He
purchased most of these cards, and then gave me a commission for sending the walk-ins over to his table.

There are numerous stories that I can tell regarding Alan. But, I'll limit it to 2. In 1984, at the Atlantic City show, he had a 1949 Bowman PCL
set (36 cards) for sale (very, very rare). He told me I could have it for 2K. I told him I had spent most of my $$$$$. So, he asked me what I
had to trade. I told him I had 50 - 1982 Topps Traded sets. We did the trade, and I was very happy.

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend Alan's book, titled "TRUE MINT". It details all his major finds (1981 - 1994). It is a great read.


GOD Bless Alan's soul....and comfort his family.


TED Z
.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Never met him but i remember reading a sports illustrated article about him and the mantles....the next show i bought a few Mantles from the 1960s..

[hangman62]

definitely a hobby legend

recall watching him sitting at his dealer table at the big shows...intently eyeing the door like a hawk ,when customers walked in... wanting to grab them first if they looked like they had something good to sell...
I seem to recall some promoter purposely moved his table elsewhere..because other dealers complained.. he was getting first/unfair shots at the walk in stuff

im sure he pissed off many dealers over the yrs with his brashness, pushy-ness, ego, etc... but never had problems with him

how about that period where morons were lining up to get him to sign baseballs because he was mr mint ..wow really ?

[brian1961]

Rest in peace, Mr. Rosen. My sincerest, deepest condolences to his wife and family. I'm so sorry for your devastating loss.

I did not have many dealings with Mr. Rosen. Some downers, and as I wrote, you really needed to approach him with a certain humility to get anywhere. Be that as it may, when I reflect on my collection, the majority of the finest, most cherished baseball cards in my collection have a provenance that may be traced directly, or indirectly, to Alan Rosen.

He was a true giant to the hobby from the early 80s on, and for a long, long time. Yes, he was a character. A self-promoter, par excellence.

So? He did it right. Some of you guys speak of self-promotion as if it was a sin.

He spent an absolute fortune on all those weekly full-page ads in the pages of SPORTS COLLECTORS DIGEST. Those ads were innovating, outlandish, and flat-out unforgettable. They got into the minds of almost everybody in the hobby when the thought of, "who could I sell my cards to?", or "I found these old boxes of unsold baseball cards. You think they're worth anything? You're telling me to call Mr. Mint? What kind of a name is that? Oh, that's his moniker, and his real name is Alan Rosen. What's his number?"

He sold collectors all kinds of great cards, and when the time came to sell, they would often turn back to Mr. Mint to do the work of re-selling them.

Yeah, I had a few bad experiences with Mr. Rosen. He was churlish, but the good far outweighed the bad and ugly.

When researching my book, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, Mr. Rosen was one of the men I sought out to interview. Alan very willingly gave of his time and knowledge in a lengthy phone conversation, at his convenience of course, which is only right. He unloaded to me all he knew about the scarce and beautiful 1953-55 Stahl-Meyer Franks gems. He gave me some extremely good insights on these cards, and some valuable anecdotes. I got the conversation on tape so I would quote him precisely. Very gracious and very helpful. I salute him.

Both his books are well worth reading, full of interesting, excellent insights, and the stories of his finds---priceless!

Mr. Mint will never be forgotten; that's for sure.

---Brian Powell

[Stonepony]

Sorry to hear this. He was very fair and kind in dealings with my dad

[Tripredacus]

I only knew of him from advertisements. As a result, my friend and I would refer to Al Rosen (the guy who played on the Indians) as Mr Mint as well. :D

[Yoda]

I confess that I bought some cards from him when he was wholesaling his card purchases among dealers. Always cautious, but never regretted buying anything from him. Do remember Alan appearing on the Today show shortly after the Boston '52 Topps find, flashing beautiful copies of Jackie, Pewee, Eddie Mathews and, of course, the Mick in front of Jane Pawley's astonished face. I am sure he helped build the Mantle card to the iconic stature it holds today.
I hope Doug Allen and Bill Mastro spend a moment to remember Alan and his role in helping to make the baseball collectibles hobby into the mega business it is today.

[SteveMitchell]

Kevin has said it well and, from all I can tell 2,000 miles away, he is learning his lessons well. He runs a first-class auction business and as do the people he has hired to represent him.

In my view Mr. Mint was much as Kevin has portrayed and, generally, we would do well to emulate the best we see in others. My sympathies to the Rosen family and my thanks to Kevin Savage.

Over my many years in this hobby, I have always tried to study those who have had great success. Part of it was selfish- I wanted to be successful too. But part of it was a genuine intrigue as to how many different people could take so many different paths, have different personality traits- and yet end up- at or near the top of the field. I have always tried to "cherry pick" what I thought were the positive attributes of each individual- and hopefully build those "parts" into my own business. Al Rosen was one of those guys I studied.
My take on Al is that he was a very smart- hi IQ colorful man with a big personality, who was an expert on how to size up people, situations, and of course baseball cards! He was the best I have ever known in this business at branding himself. To sooooo many people- he was Mr.Mint. He published books- and self promoted. He ran thousands of ads- and was willing to travel anywhere to buy the newest biggest best collections. He was the face of the baseball card business for a couple of decades- and I think should be remembered for his business savy, his tireless energy, and his uncanny ability to "get the deal done".
For many years my booth was next to his at the annual May Pittsburgh Show run by J. Paul. I could see the look on many people's faces as they approached his booth. They wanted to meet the closest thing to a "celebrity" the card industry had to offer. He would sign his book for these people- and thank them for stopping by- and in one of the best conversational transitions I've ever witnessed- "ask them if they had anything for sale". I don't know how many pictures he took with people- He was always holding the cards- and "those people" always holding the cash- and a signed copy of his book.
I was never in the "Al Rosen inner circle"- so I do not pretend to be his best friend or confidant. I just hope this hobby - at this time - can remember the positive attributes of Al- and the color he added to this hobby. I will miss him.
Rest in peace Alan.

[ElCabron]

I guess when you die, you become someone else. Because this guy was a total scumbag. Sorry, everyone. You can hate me now, but once I'm dead you'll be posting what a great guy I was.

-Ryan

[RichardSimon]

He banned me from his auctions because I questioned an autograph he was auctioning that was definitely bad.
He tried to buy a Babe Ruth signed ball from me at a show. When I turned down his offer he gave me a look that would curdle milk. For years afterwards he would never look at me at a show.
I agree with Ryan above.

[Fred]

Well, there goes the Mr. Mint Kumbaya Tour.....

[mrvster]

I spoke with him the first time this year.......he was very pleasant......very nice to me......we had a conversation about his wagners .......he was sincere :)

sometimes this hobby gets very intense....

remember, we cant take any of this with us......they are just wordly possesions....


the very short time I spoke with him, he put a smile on my face....


..rest in peace Mr. Mint...

my sympathy to his family for their loss...

[Rich Klein]

Kevin has said it well and, from all I can tell 2,000 miles away, he is learning his lessons well. He runs a first-class auction business and as do the people he has hired to represent him.

In my view Mr. Mint was much as Kevin has portrayed and, generally, we would do well to emulate the best we see in others. My sympathies to the Rosen family and my thanks to Kevin Savage.


Agreed on Kevin learning lessons well and also Kevin is well on his way to sainthood for having one Richard P Blandford on staff for nearly 20 years now :)

(That's a joke son!)

[RCMcKenzie]

I dunno that someone's obituary is the time to be a tough guy. The only time I dealt with Ryan, I got a bunch of caramelo deportivo's all stuck together off of eBay and I took them apart and put them in penny sleeves and top-loaders.

[buymycards]

I have only had one meeting with Mr. Rosen, at the National in Chicago a few years ago. He was very kind, very patient, and I appreciated his advice.

Rick

[slidekellyslide]

I will always remember his ads in the SCD, but there was a time that I was a way from the baseball card hobby and had turned my attention to vintage toys and all of the sudden there he was again popping up weekly in my Toy Shop magazine. He was trying to corner the market on vintage carded Star Wars figures. He even tried to start up a grading company for action figures with Josh Velinsky of Plastic Dreams in New Jersey. They failed, but the idea was carried forward by AFA. He did make a significant find in the toy hobby too, he had a knack for making "finds". He found unopened cases of Star Wars 12 back figures. In that hobby that is akin to finding unopened cases of 52 Topps baseball.

[vthobby]

I spoke with him the first time this year.......he was very pleasant......very nice to me......we had a conversation about his wagners .......he was sincere :)

sometimes this hobby gets very intense....

remember, we cant take any of this with us......they are just wordly possesions....


the very short time I spoke with him, he put a smile on my face....


..rest in peace Mr. Mint...

my sympathy to his family for their loss...

Very well said MrVster!

Even if you thought he was a jerk or you did not have good dealings with him, there is NO QUESTION that he raised awareness and prices for the truly rare pieces out there. He was also an incredible marketer. How else do you explain the 1952 find? The 1955 Bowman find? And I'm sure many others. He was fun to watch, fun to be caught up in the emotion and craziness of this hobby. That itself is worth the price of admission.

He will forever be remembered by hobbyists and I am glad he brought that passion to the hobby as it got me motivated many years ago. RIP "Mr. Mint".

Peace, Pap

[turtleguy64]

I was fascinated by his SCD ads in years past.In his auction listings ,he would always say "Bought these from a show guy....." I practically drooled at his printed auction offerings.Finally took the plunge and bought a partial 1958 bb card set.They were exactly as described.Paid a lot but they were so beautiful to behold,got PSA 8's on many of them.Then he calls me and says that buyer of the 1969 partial bb set could not come up with the money.Would I like them,he would knock a few hundred off.Boy,did I jump at that chance.And like the '58s,I got a ton of high PSA grades for the better cards.Yes,he rubbed many people the wrong way but in some manner he made himself into a hobby icon.My prayers to his family.His "finds " will forever live in the hobby lore.RIP,my friend.

[bobbvc]

Say what you will, and I only have vague memories of him at a show or two when I was very young, but I learned a lot from his book. Also, we seem to be losing more "characters" than we're gaining these days.

[dchamp515]

1988 I saw my first Mr. Mint Ad buying 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan for $50.
I couldn't believe a card a year and a half old was worth that much.
I brought a 800 ct. box of pack fresh cards with 4 Jordans to a card shop and got a whopping $175 in trade. Got a bunch of off grade 75 minis.
I sure wish I never saw his Buy Ads.

[jerrys]

Known Alan since his first National setup in the 1984 NSCC in Parsippany, NJ. I never had any business dealings with Alan but once when he ran phone auctions I was on the phone to make a bid on a baseball card when a voice said "the auction is over" - an abrupt hang-up. His auctions ended at exactly midnight.
RIP
I added some other characters with a picture of Alan from 1999 - I do not recall where this show was held.

259437

259438

259439

[bobw]

Some of the photos look like they are from the old Ft Washington show

[rdixon1208]

Never knew him. I did see this video years ago (on this forum) and it kind of stuck with me. Seems like the guy was a real POS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNgJXt7cMY

[rhettyeakley]

Never knew him. I did see this video years ago (on this forum) and it kind of stuck with me. Seems like the guy was a real POS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNgJXt7cMY


That is pretty tough to watch! :(

[Bkrum]

Not the way I would have wanted to sell my lifetime collection. I always steered clear of the guy at conventions.

[Rich Klein]

Based on the people Jerry photographed, I's day the show was the 1999 National in Atlanta. By then, that was the only show the Barnings were setting up at.

[slidekellyslide]

Never knew him. I did see this video years ago (on this forum) and it kind of stuck with me. Seems like the guy was a real POS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNgJXt7cMY

About the 2 minute mark he throws a game used 1950s Braves jersey on the garage floor into a bucket and the old man about has a heart attack because he uses the bucket for changing his oil. Then unbelievably he apologizes to Rosen. Notice how he flips through those albums of 1940-60s baseball/football cards like he's flipping through an album of 1987 Topps. I could not stand by if someone came into my house and was treating my stuff like that.

[Bkrum]

If some guy humiliated me by taking a picture with $100 bills draped around my neck I would walk out the door. I suppose he advanced the hobby in some odd way but never was my cup of tea.

[mightyq]

''''THE BIGGEST PIECE OF CRAP EVER""" what he done to that guy on youtube was plain robbery and manipulation, they tried to keep him at bay with humor, and stupid dry wit. Rosendouche also turns the pages like a novice, what he is trying to do is convey to paul that this isnt a big deal to him. once he blurted out the first set offer and got no resistance he was off to ripoffville. the other jerk wad's did the same. karma is a bitch, i hope they get it back 10 fold. to even put this on youtube you gotta be so full of yourself that you dont see wor care what the blow back might be.......

here is my mr. rosendouche story.......i bid in his 2001 auction, i spend $12,500.....i was buying from him since 82, spent trunk fulls of money. anyway it's october 2001, he calls me at work and tells me i was the underbidder in an auction somebody wont pay on, i tell him i do not want the item, i spent my limit. meanwhile i am whispering because we are having a moment of silence for a bunch of friends who died on 9/11, tears are rolling down my face, tell him very nicely i gotta go, he starts screaming at me, he dont give a shit about my moment of silence, i am fuc%%$g him, that i am this and that, and i am now banned from any future auction. the jerko%% even sent me a letter saying so...sorry a bad man died, so what. no legend in my mind, a bully rotten human being....so happy he lived long enough to see that 52 topps find to be worth obscene money.....what idiot doesnt sit on 10 mantles and a dozen high number runs, shows you he really didnt have a clue....

[vthobby]

''''THE BIGGEST PIECE OF CRAP EVER""" what he done to that guy on youtube was plain robbery and manipulation, they tried to keep him at bay with humor, and stupid dry wit. Rosendouche also turns the pages like a novice, what he is trying to do is convey to paul that this isnt a big deal to him. once he blurted out the first set offer and got no resistance he was off to ripoffville. the other jerk wad's did the same. karma is a bitch, i hope they get it back 10 fold. to even put this on youtube you gotta be so full of yourself that you dont see wor care what the blow back might be.......

here is my mr. rosendouche story.......i bid in his 2001 auction, i spend $12,500.....i was buying from him since 82, spent trunk fulls of money. anyway it's october 2001, he calls me at work and tells me i was the underbidder in an auction somebody wont pay on, i tell him i do not want the item, i spent my limit. meanwhile i am whispering because we are having a moment of silence for a bunch of friends who died on 9/11, tears are rolling down my face, tell him very nicely i gotta go, he starts screaming at me, he dont give a shit about my moment of silence, i am fuc%%$g him, that i am this and that, and i am now banned from any future auction. the jerko%% even sent me a letter saying so...sorry a bad man died, so what. no legend in my mind, a bully rotten human being....so happy he lived long enough to see that 52 topps find to be worth obscene money.....what idiot doesnt sit on 10 mantles and a dozen high number runs, shows you he really didnt have a clue....

Marty,

During a solemn moment of silence at work for friends that died at work.........you answer your phone?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?
That baffles me.

Peace, Mike

[hangman62]

yea

that story seems like it has been molded in a fashion to make it seem one sided

[DICKTOWLE]

2 years ago at a show, I was with my son Adam and a man yelled Towle get over here, it was Allen in a wheelchair. He said just wanted to tell me good luck with your company "gonewiththestain". We shared the story of when he wanted to work with me and why he came up with magic bottle of liquid to remove stains on the back of card, we had a great laugh over that. He was a gentle giant speaking with my son I.

Yes he was rough over the years to a lot of people, but at the end of the conversation, he hugged me from the chair and like Al saying " now get the hell out of hear with a smile" This is our memories of the true "MR MINT":)

[conor912]

I never knew the guy, but even as a kid seeing his ads I thought he came off as a sleazy used car salesman type.

Personally, I fail to see how someone so obviously in it for the money and not the cards was really that good for the hobby at the end of the day.

[1952boyntoncollector]

I never knew the guy, but even as a kid seeing his ads I thought he came off as a sleazy used car salesman type.

Personally, I fail to see how someone so obviously in it for the money and not the cards was really that good for the hobby at the end of the day.

Well hobbys that dont make any money are never as popular has hobbys that can show big money even if its only a small percentage of people making money...

Im sure we will be seeing an auction of his items within 2 years...

[ngnichols]

I never knew the guy, but even as a kid seeing his ads I thought he came off as a sleazy used car salesman type.

Personally, I fail to see how someone so obviously in it for the money and not the cards was really that good for the hobby at the end of the day.

I'm first and foremost in it for the money. I like finding bad-ass cards and getting them to people who truly want them and are willing to pay me for my time/efforts to get it to them. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate them any less than you or anyone else. It just means that I'm not emotionally attached to them. I just ask people to respect what I have available and the effort I've gone through to get it.

I never knew the guy personally and have only heard stories about him. After seeing that YouTube video, I don't think he and I would get along too well. I don't care who I'm talking to, I always treat people's cards/items with respect and don't just throw stuff around. It's not mine until I hand them cash and I handle things in a way that represents that.

[slidekellyslide]

Well hobbys that dont make any money are never as popular has hobbys that can show big money even if its only a small percentage of people making money...

Im sure we will be seeing an auction of his items within 2 years...

Does he have anything? He liked to flip stuff immediately.

[Fred]

Jake L, there are a few different ways to look at Mr. Mint and what people believe he's done "for the hobby".

He did help to bring card collecting to the forefront but if you were a true collector and didn't care about the value of cards and you're on a limited budget then that attention only made it harder for you to collect because of the price escalation that took place when all that attention was brought to the hobby.

It turned from a hobby to a business and a lot of the fun went with it because now if you truly loved the cardboard, your dollar didn't go as far after all of the attention that was brought to it.

This is not to say that without Mr. Mint the price escalation wouldn't have come around.

I guess the sad part about all of the attention is that it brought all of the low life ass holes into the hobby. This resulted in a lot of manipulated value to the hobby which made the hobby less fun for the true collector.

My thought is that a true collector is someone that doesn't look at their collection as a "portfolio" but rather something that gives them joy when they look at it. Ooops, I hope I didn't open a can of worms and step on some peoples egos. :p

[conor912]

Jake L, there are a few different ways to look at Mr. Mint and what people believe he's done "for the hobby".

He did help to bring card collecting to the forefront but if you were a true collector and didn't care about the value of cards and you're on a limited budget then that attention only made it harder for you to collect because of the price escalation that took place when all that attention was brought to the hobby.

It turned from a hobby to a business and a lot of the fun went with it because now if you truly loved the cardboard, your dollar didn't go as far after all of the attention that was brought to it.

This is not to say that without Mr. Mint the price escalation wouldn't have come around.

I guess the sad part about all of the attention is that it brought all of the low life ass holes into the hobby. This resulted in a lot of manipulated value to the hobby which made the hobby less fun for the true collector.

My thought is that a true collector is someone that doesn't look at their collection as a "portfolio" but rather something that gives them joy when they look at it. Ooops, I hope I didn't open a can of worms and step on some peoples egos. :p

This.

[Rich Klein]

I'm first and foremost in it for the money. I like finding bad-ass cards and getting them to people who truly want them and are willing to pay me for my time/efforts to get it to them. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate them any less than you or anyone else. It just means that I'm not emotionally attached to them. I just ask people to respect what I have available and the effort I've gone through to get it.

I never knew the guy personally and have only heard stories about him. After seeing that YouTube video, I don't think he and I would get along too well. I don't care who I'm talking to, I always treat people's cards/items with respect and don't just throw stuff around. It's not mine until I hand them cash and I handle things in a way that represents that.

Nate:

Knowing you as I do, although you state (And I'll agree) that profit if your primary motive, you are also friendly and honest to your customers on the buying/selling part of this business.

One of the major differences between you and Al is that Al was a salesman/vest-pocked coin dealer before going into sports carts and you work with customers who are on the high-end of the socio-economic ladder. As such, you apply your people and customer service skills to the people who come to your table at shows and Alan created and then a schtick to maintain.

Alan would have been with his name recognition an asset to my shows and you are an asset to my shows because of how your comport yourself.

Regards
Rich

[chris6net]

Having many dealings with Rosen in the 80's and early 90's I always thought he was an asshole. But one day in the early 90's when I saw him berate an elderly gentleman at one of the Philly Shows who had a box of cards to the point where the man was shaken and thought he might need medical assistance. As morbid as it sounds he was not a good man in his prime and am not sad at hearing of his passing.
As per my religion I hope he is in a better place.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Jake L, there are a few different ways to look at Mr. Mint and what people believe he's done "for the hobby".

He did help to bring card collecting to the forefront but if you were a true collector and didn't care about the value of cards and you're on a limited budget then that attention only made it harder for you to collect because of the price escalation that took place when all that attention was brought to the hobby.

It turned from a hobby to a business and a lot of the fun went with it because now if you truly loved the cardboard, your dollar didn't go as far after all of the attention that was brought to it.

This is not to say that without Mr. Mint the price escalation wouldn't have come around.

I guess the sad part about all of the attention is that it brought all of the low life ass holes into the hobby. This resulted in a lot of manipulated value to the hobby which made the hobby less fun for the true collector.

My thought is that a true collector is someone that doesn't look at their collection as a "portfolio" but rather something that gives them joy when they look at it. Ooops, I hope I didn't open a can of worms and step on some peoples egos. :p

right when there were more non pure hobbyist out there the National conventions were 5x+ more fuller than they are now. Not saying one way is better than the other but cant deny that price escalation was not in part because of guys like mr mint and non pure hobbyist. There are many many hobbies out there with a bigger percentage of hobbyists that we dont see in the news with major 'finds'....


i came across this post from a josh evans who said in part about mr mint..

However, you must put Alan Rosen in proper historical perspective
This guy “made” the baseball card business
On the money side he made money for all of us
He made your stuff worth more
He brought countless new people into the field
He brought out of an attic that card you sold last week

On the “stuff” side he drew out a ton of cards
Tons
The stuff that now sits in your collection and you love

He (and others) did the work that we all now draw benefit from
Yes he benefited too but he still deserves his due
You should see the other side

Those are saying he was a jerk I cannot disagree with
I have had more fights with Alan then just about anyone
He attacked me with a baseball bat at a show (true)
And I am sure I did plenty to antagonize him through the years

But after all these years we have forgiven each other and moved on and we are now friends again
We have both mellowed (thank God)

I guess my point is you don’t have to like him
But you should respect him on some level
And anyone that thinks that Alan is still not a force in this business does not have a clue
If he is a joke than he will probably have the last laugh

[drcy]

Jake L, there are a few different ways to look at Mr. Mint and what people believe he's done "for the hobby".

He did help to bring card collecting to the forefront but if you were a true collector and didn't care about the value of cards and you're on a limited budget then that attention only made it harder for you to collect because of the price escalation that took place when all that attention was brought to the hobby.

It turned from a hobby to a business and a lot of the fun went with it because now if you truly loved the cardboard, your dollar didn't go as far after all of the attention that was brought to it.

This is not to say that without Mr. Mint the price escalation wouldn't have come around.

I guess the sad part about all of the attention is that it brought all of the low life ass holes into the hobby. This resulted in a lot of manipulated value to the hobby which made the hobby less fun for the true collector.

My thought is that a true collector is someone that doesn't look at their collection as a "portfolio" but rather something that gives them joy when they look at it. Ooops, I hope I didn't open a can of worms and step on some peoples egos. :p

PSA Registry

[brian1961]

Over the last few years a few things occurred to me regarding Alan Rosen and the public he served, and that served him.

Here was a man that really hadn't accomplished a whole lot in his life, became a baseball card collector, and a collector that was so fastidious and fanatical about condition someone tabbed him as "Mr. Mint", which in turn became his moniker and he used it for his business. In the early 80s, he sold his beautiful collection, and began buying and selling nice cards.

Right place at the right time.

He began his flamboyant full page-ads in the pages of SPORTS COLLECTORS DIGEST. They worked. He was abrupt. He could be the rudest jerk on planet EARTH. Yet, he bought the good stuff, and he sold that good stuff. The stuff cardboard dreams are made of.

He had the great stuff, and you did not come at him with any attitude of dominating the meeting. He controlled, 'cause he had the stuff dreams were made of. You better behave yourself, or he'd cut you off at the ankles, and he could do it, too.

'Cause he had the cards.

After a few years, he made millions doing this. Some guys thought they could just be brusque right back, or take a tough stance. MR. MINT RAN HIS BUSINESS AS A FIEFDOM!!!!---AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT! He wasn't some shlockmeister, or your usual used-car salesman. Hardly. Comparing it with our world, he sold vintage racing sports Ferraris, Mercedes-Benz, and Alfa-Romeos. Yet, some guys treated him as if he was a used car salesman selling twenty-year old non-entities.

In general, he didn't need you or your money. He had collectors up to his nostrils that were more than willing, and glad to pay his price, and shuffle through all the shit he put them through.

'Cause he had the most desirable cards, et al, to be found in the USA. He had major suppliers combing through collections everywhere, with their ears to the rail, should any word of a find come about.

Granted, he treated a lot of people terribly. The YOUTUBE video of his buying an elderly gentleman's collection made me wince over and over again. As I wrote before, his life is full of good, bad, and ugly; just like you and I. To our hobby, without him, we'd be a whole lot less than we are, unless you're strictly a collector-type that enjoys crumb bums. That's ok; it really is. But Mr. Mint didn't deal in crumb bums, did he?

His flash, his ads with the gargantuan nose caricature of him, and his wads of C-notes got people to finally look for what they had been keeping for decades, whether it be a case of 1952 Topps high numbers, boxes of 48-49 Leaf high numbers, a coffee can with virtually gem mint World Series press pins starting with the first year they made them, Baltimore News Babe Ruth cardS, and what became eventual PSA-graded MINT and GEM MINT T-206s, early Topps and Bowmans, and all sorts of hysterically desirable, beautiful, and rare, cards, coins, et al that became the highlights of our collection. Several of my Mr. Mint pristine gems were once prized pieces Mr. Mint sold to someone else, then eventually were consigned right back to him. I was then privileged to buy them from THE MINT MAN, whether from one of his famous phone auctions, or outright at a show.

You were eventually dealing with a multi-, multi-millionaire. You really think Mr. Mint's gonna take any guff from the likes of you, or I, or anyone else? Come on.

Maybe you, or someone you care about, suffered terribly from Mr. Mint, and you will never let it go. Berating elderly gentlemen, making a little girl cry---Alan Rosen should have been slapped both ways half a dozen times!

So, in the end, as I wrote in my book, I try to keep an attitude of gratitude.

Again, my condolences to his wife, son, and daughter.

---Brian Powell















.

[Stampsfan]

What a great synopsis. Thanks Brian...

[conor912]

Ha...you said crumb bums.

[mightyq]

Marty,

During a solemn moment of silence at work for friends that died at work.........you answer your phone?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?
That baffles me.

Peace, Mike

If you knew my business mike you wouldn't be baffled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I worked on the New York Mercantile exchange, we traded commodities, crude oil, gas, home heating oil, etc etc....the trading floor is filled with booths for each company, in each booth there could be 20 phone line's sometime's more. It was custom during a minute of silence to pick up a ringing phone to stop the ring, and answer it in a whisper and explain the circumstance, also This was a world wide market. Ignoring the call wasn't wise. A big order could be at the end of that phone, and when the minute was over needed to be executed. If i spoke with rosen it was for maybe 15-20 seconds . Your attempt at trying to trivilze my action's during this "solemn moment" is disgusting!!!! I hope your not baffled any longer mike, but you never know.

[conor912]

Crumb bums. Yup....still funny.

[BeanTown]

.

[2dueces]

In the end it was Rosen who offered big bucks (at the time) for old pieces of cardboard in the 80's. So instead all that material going out with the trash it came to the market place. How many cards in our collections are there because of him? Even if they never touched his hands? Like him or hate him, he helped start the boom.

[BeanTown]

In the end it was Rosen who offered big bucks (at the time) for old pieces of cardboard in the 80's. So instead all that material going out with the trash it came to the market place. How many cards in our collections are there because of him? Even if they never touched his hands? Like him or hate him, he helped start the boom.

Disagree. Yes he was a master self promoter and got the best tables right by the front door of shows. He just bullied many unsuspecting people and family members as they walked into a show to sell a loved one's estate. Back in the 80s that was pretty much the only way to do it, other than going to the local card shop as there was no Enet. He used cash as his weapon and used car salesman tactics like if you walk away from me I'll pull my offer. Then pressure people when they should have gone to the next row down to most likely get offers twice as much or at least higher.

Then he would go to his downline like a pyramid scheme of his dealer network to sell everything he bought at a pre determined mark up and the dealers had to buy it all, no matter what it was. I think the mark up I heard back then was 20 percent. The dealers just had to move the stuff ranging from cheap wax to rare 19th century items. Everyone made tons of money because of the clubbing the original seller or estate took when they unfortunately took the first offer and was bullied into selling. I think all the cards in the hobby that we collect still would have made it into our collections as I don't see family members just "throwing" cards in the trash.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Disagree. Yes he was a master self promoter and got the best tables right by the front door of shows. He just bullied many unsuspecting people and family members as they walked into a show to sell a loved one's estate. Back in the 80s that was pretty much the only way to do it, other than going to the local card shop as there was no Enet. He used cash as his weapon and used car salesman tactics like if you walk away from me I'll pull my offer. Then pressure people when they should have gone to the next row down to most likely get offers twice as much or at least higher.

Then he would go to his downline like a pyramid scheme of his dealer network to sell everything he bought at a pre determined mark up and the dealers had to buy it all, no matter what it was. I think the mark up I heard back then was 20 percent. The dealers just had to move the stuff ranging from cheap wax to rare 19th century items. Everyone made tons of money because of the clubbing the original seller or estate took when they unfortunately took the first offer and was bullied into selling. I think all the cards in the hobby that we collect still would have made it into our collections as I don't see family members just "throwing" cards in the trash.

I dont think you or I would of sold to him that way. People go to pawn shops and ripped off too instead of selling on ebay. Some people dont want to go around and haggle to 4 dealers. Afterall they are at a CARD SHOW. Its not like they didnt have options, seller is to blame for being taken advantage of at a CARD SHOW not the seller

Now if mr mint heard someone died and went to the widow's house unsolicited and got the widow to sell her late husband's T206 collection before she had any outside advise at all thats an example at the polar opposite of buying someone's cards a CARD SHOW

In addition, it appears from your comment the other dealers were 'forced' to buy the cards at set prices but later on said 'everyone made tons of money...." so i not so sure any of these dealers would be complaining...if you forced me to accept a deal in which i would make a nice profit later i know i wouldnt complain..

[BeanTown]

Good point Jake and agreed the seller should assume liability as well. Pawn shop was a good reference to. I'm a little bias as my one and only time bidding in one of his auctions around 2001. Al screwed me over as I was the only bidder on many high end lots. Then I noticed he shut his auction down earlier than what was advertised. So the next day when I called him to get my winning total he said I'm lucky he will even sell to me for my opening bid and then I made the mistake of asking him how come he shut down the auction early and asked him why am I lucky??? Then he promptly said FU and he doesn't have to explain anything to me and he isn't going to honor any bids as he hung up the phone.

After reading Ryan's post and some other posters expierence with him, I can say that they are not alone in the feeling. He may have become a better person after the Enet came around but I'll never know. Plus, I'm sure he was loved by his close friends and dealer network as I do think he had a big personality that he could apply differently depending on his mood and who he was entertaining.

RIP and Al would as I believe he would approve of this thread because of this motto. "If they are talking good or bad about you, then that's good! When they stop talking about you then you have to worry and rethink your approach." Al was a master self promoter with that theme IMO

[bbcard1]

There was a time, albeit a brief one, when you could not be stupid enough not to make money on baseball cards. I mean a 50 cent pack could yield a $5 card and there were buyers for that. It was a relatively brief time and Rosen rode the wave.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Good point Jake and agreed the seller should assume liability as well. Pawn shop was a good reference to. I'm a little bias as my one and only time bidding in one of his auctions around 2001. Al screwed me over as I was the only bidder on many high end lots. Then I noticed he shut his auction down earlier than what was advertised. So the next day when I called him to get my winning total he said I'm lucky he will even sell to me for my opening bid and then I made the mistake of asking him how come he shut down the auction early and asked him why am I lucky??? Then he promptly said FU and he doesn't have to explain anything to me and he isn't going to honor any bids as he hung up the phone.

After reading Ryan's post and some other posters expierence with him, I can say that they are not alone in the feeling. He may have become a better person after the Enet came around but I'll never know. Plus, I'm sure he was loved by his close friends and dealer network as I do think he had a big personality that he could apply differently depending on his mood and who he was entertaining.

RIP and Al would as I believe he would approve of this thread because of this motto. "If they are talking good or bad about you, then that's good! When they stop talking about you then you have to worry and rethink your approach." Al was a master self promoter with that theme IMO

The auction issue you are bringing up is entirely a different area i was commenting on. I was commenting about his buying practices you commented on at card shows. I wouldnt be happy if i was treated like you say you were in the 'auctions'

[Kenny Cole]

Never a fan. But I didn't absolutely detest him like I did the Bruces. RIP and condolences to his family.

[drcy]

"Kindness is my religion"-- Dali Lama

[Buythatcard]

I don't think he bullied anyone. He was just an aggressive salesman and he was very good at what he did. He paid sellers what many dealers would not pay.

It's up to the seller to just walk away if they are not happy with the deal. If they can find someone to make a better offer, then its up to them to find that deal.
I have been ripped off many times from dealers but I can't blame them. I have to blame myself for not walking away.

I never met Mr. Mint but I respected what he did. I have never seen anyone do what he did.

[ullmandds]

i think I have a baseball card of good old Mr Mint somewhere????

[1952boyntoncollector]

I don't think he bullied anyone. He was just an aggressive salesman and he was very good at what he did. He paid sellers what many dealers would not pay.

It's up to the seller to just walk away if they are not happy with the deal. If they can find someone to make a better offer, then its up to them to find that deal.
I have been ripped off many times from dealers but I can't blame them. I have to blame myself for not walking away.

I never met Mr. Mint but I respected what he did. I have never seen anyone do what he did.

I always find it interesting when i see someone about to sell a card for say $300, and someone else says the seller is getting ripped off but wont make an offer on the card. Its easy to say the someone is getting ripped off if you are arent going to be topping the offer. Same thing in fantasy baseball!:o

[Steve_NY]

I heard about Al's passing several days ago and was immediately sad that another one of my competitors is gone.

In the 1970s, Al was just one of us out there trying to make a buck. Back then, he was always a friend who bought from me and sold to me.

Then he created the Mr. Mint persona and hit big-time pay dirt with aggressive marketing. He was a great spokesperson for the hobby and made some spectacular deals.

I mostly have fond memories of our dealings. But do I have stories? Of course I do, but they will also remain as memories. They don't belong here.

It really saddens me that some of you always find that this is the place to air your grievances when it is just too late to make a difference anyway.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Steve S.

[Leon]

Nice write up, Steve. I have to agree that there is a time and place for everything. When someone passes away is not the time to air dirty laundry, in my opinion.
I only met Al once or twice so only know what has been told. I am sure he had great friends and family just like the rest of us. No doubt, he was a character!! RIP Mr. Mint.


I heard about Al's passing several days ago and was immediately sad that another one of my competitors is gone.

In the 1970s, Al was just one of us out there trying to make a buck. Back then, he was always a friend who bought from me and sold to me.

Then he created the Mr. Mint persona and hit big-time pay dirt with aggressive marketing. He was a great spokesperson for the hobby and made some spectacular deals.

I mostly have fond memories of our dealings. But do I have stories? Of course I do, but they will also remain as memories. They don't belong here.

It really saddens me that some of you always find that this is the place to air your grievances when it is just too late to make a difference anyway.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Steve S.

[talkinbaseball]

Mr. Mint,

I had one dealing with Alan Rosen at a Cranston,Rhode Island show many many years ago, we were set up. I had purchased an almost complete set of the Hockey year of Bobby Orr's rookie from our famous store owner in CT, Neal Sakow. I went up to Mr. Mint, he flipped through the pages, i told him it was not complete, he looked at me, gave me a very fair offer at that time and we were both very happy.

John

[steve B]

I heard about Al's passing several days ago and was immediately sad that another one of my competitors is gone.

In the 1970s, Al was just one of us out there trying to make a buck. Back then, he was always a friend who bought from me and sold to me.

Then he created the Mr. Mint persona and hit big-time pay dirt with aggressive marketing. He was a great spokesperson for the hobby and made some spectacular deals.

I mostly have fond memories of our dealings. But do I have stories? Of course I do, but they will also remain as memories. They don't belong here.

It really saddens me that some of you always find that this is the place to air your grievances when it is just too late to make a difference anyway.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Steve S.

That's pretty much why I've held off posting for so long. I've mixed feelings about Mr Mint, but it's not the place or time for much of it.

I met him very briefly when he had a table at one of the Halls shows. I was helping out with one of the tables right near his. While my style could best be described as the exact opposite of his (With the exact opposite financial rewards fwiw) Seeing him in action for a few hours and also during the downtime when things were slow was very interesting. He put on a GREAT show! And that was exactly what some people wanted even if they didn't know it. One whole showcase with no cards, just cash, and his own armed guard standing by. But I was close enough to be sort of in on a few conversations during slow times later on, and mostly just listened to him discussing cards with other dealers. What I saw was a guy who really knew his cards and was fairly happy to discuss them with other people who he knew also knew cards.

I also saw a guy who wanted to spend, but only on the right stuff, or for the right deal and who readily referred people to the right dealer for stuff he didn't want. An aspect that I don't think was seen all that often because it was done quickly and quietly. Quick glance, "It's not for me but see X, he'll give you the best offer. " Maybe that was because of the small size of the show, I don't know.

And he was a big part of getting stuff out of attics and into the hobby.

The rest I may have mentioned before, and doesn't really belong here, so maybe another time.

Steve B

[EasyTex]

I was always curious as the decades passed; does anyone know if Al kept any of the primo 52 Mantles? The topic must have come up often in certain circles.

[Rich Klein]

As far as I know, Al sold all the cards from the famed 52 deal. Remember he bought and sold cards, did not keep them