Welcome to N54BB, Please introduce yourself!

[Ladder7]

.

[Jacklitsch]

Steve Murray


Age 66
Semi-Retired Real Estate Lawyer (That should explain the semi-retired label)

Navy Vet 1961-1964 Signalman

Married 35 years
Three Children
Two Grandchildren

Claim to fame: Was present at Wrigley Field on May 12, 1970 when Ernie hit his 500th home run.

Primary collecting focus on Pacific Coast League

[ChrisStufflestreet]

Chris Stufflestreet.

I live in Jacksonville, FL but was born and raised in a tiny town in Upstate NY.

I've been a collector since age 5 (1978), beginning with Star Wars cards and moving to baseball cards the next year. Still remember to this day pulling a Thurman Munson card from a wax pack about 2 days after his plane crashed (and still own that very card). I am an "armpit" collector, as it fits in quite nicely with my budget.

I am a veteran of the U.S. Army (served during the Gulf War). I was a satellite technician for Uncle Sam, which became an entry into my current method of paying my bills: I'm a communications technician for Comcast. Although that really looks like a fancy way of saying I'm a "cable guy" I also work on all of Comcast's other products (telephone, internet, even business services).

I hold a bachelor's degree from the State U. of New York in communication and have slowly been working on a master's degree in leadership for the past two years.

I have also designed two websites from the ground up. One lists every hit single (45 RPM) and Top 40 LP from the 1970s -- my other illness -- and the other is a list of vintage baseball card sets (link below). I have written a (now out-of-print) booklet on the history of our hobby as well as several magazine articles and have threatened to write more when I feel the world is unaware of what I'm about to unleash...

Most of all, I have been married to my wife for 13 years and am the proud father of a little girl named Melissa who will turn 11 next Friday. She just finished having a blast at the National, where she was proud to annoy her (Yankee fan) Dad by insisting on wearing her Red Sox jersey.

[Rich Klein]

Including myself are fans both of old cards and old music. Please post link to your music websites

Regards
Rich

[ChrisStufflestreet]

Here's my music site link. It's on Geocities right now and will be moved next month before Yahoo shuts that host down.

[scooter729]

Scott Sarian
36 years old, also Boston born and bred
Married with one "child" (the very hairy one pictured in my avatar, a Wheaten Terrier named Murphy)
Currently unemployed Finance guy (anyone with any Finance jobs in Boston, let me know!), finishing up my Masters at BU right now

E and T cards are my thing these days, but always take a look at anything pre-war and am always interested for the right price! (I most certainly swim in the sea of mediocrity in the E and T ponds!)

Red Sox are my favorite team; for those in the Boston area, I'll be on two episodes of a new NESN show beginning in October called "The Batter's Box", a Red Sox based trivia show!

[Rich Klein]

An very obsucre song called "Long Lonesome Highway" hit #12 in 1970 by Michael Parks; and it was the theme for "Then Came Bronson" starring -- Michael Parks.

You can add that to your top 20 TV themes list

Rich

[NATCARD]

My Name is Jeff Weisenberg
I have been a full time and pert time dealer in sports cards and memroabilia for 30 years. I worked and was head buyer for Rotman Collectibles/Auctions from 1978 to 1995. In 1995 I left to start my own company National Card Investors which I still run part time today. I specialize in pre 1980 sports related material.

[birdman42]

I'm Bill Todd

Age 53

My wife couldn't care less about baseball, but still we've been married 20 years.

I'm an editor for a publisher in Rockville Maryland, focusing on health and medicine. I have a freelance business on the side writing indexes for medical texts and review guides.

I have a '62 Senators yearbook, so I must have been 5 when my dad took me to my first game, but i don't remember anything about it except how incredibly green the field is when you walk into the stadium. I still get that thrill whenever I walk through the gate and see the field, even at the minor league Frederick stadium.

I didn't start out as an armpit collector, but, as someone said in the "Why don't you post?" thread, I couldn't afford some of the cards I have now (at least in that condition). So, I've decided to pay more attention to the "well-lovedness" of a card rather than just its pristine beauty.

All along I've concentrated on Washington cards. It didn't take long to fill out many of the major postwar sets, but there are still scattered cards I need--mostly because I can't see paying $3 postage for a $2 card.

So I've just been puttering along, picking up an item here or there. While I won't be adding a Johnson anytime soon (they're among the items that I bought years ago that I wouldn't buy now), I can get a kick out of finding that Milan P2.

Bill

[yoyot1]

Tom Auchter

32 years old, married with two young boys, live in Durham, NC.

I started collecting vintage cards in 2000 after I got a job out of college. Initially just T206 (29 to go...), but also anything else I can get my hands on cheaply, I've got cards from a couple dozen of the various pre-war sets. Most acquisitions are via ebay, but I've traded with a few people over the years. Actually just now returning to collecting after about a 3-4 year hiatus while work and family life took most of my time. Before the break I mainly lurked on the collecting message boards that preceded this one, so I recognize many of the names here.

Most of my cards are beaten up to some extent, but I still love them. Have grand visions of passing them down to the boys years from now.

[ethicsprof]

barry arnold, 58 years next month.
married 25 years this month.
Professor for nearly 30 years---a number of different fields along the way,
including philosophy, religious studies, interdisciplinary humanities,
allied health, life sciences, biology.
Medical ethics and psychoanalysis are my specialties.
Written around 25 articles over the years, authored one book(ethics)co-authored
another(ethics), and edited 11 volumes on psychoanalysis.
I also have a counseling practice, limited to those in health care and psychotherapy.
Alumnus of Davidson College,Rice University, Emory University.
T206 is my game but also do packs and type collecting.
Have been with this board 5+ years and will never leave.
best,
barry

[Dustanh1]

Dustan Hedlin
27 years old
I live in Peru, IL...I have lived in small towns in IL all my life.
I am a Supervisor at a PetSmart distribution center in Ottawa, IL.
I have a BS in Elementary Education, graduated from Western Illinois University in 2005.
I have no kids, and I'm not sure if I want to have any. Maybe one in a few years.
Along with collecting pre-war cards, I enjoy collecting autographed baseballs, hard to find cards of alumni from the University of Michigan football and basketball teams.
I like to read anything from sports books to philosophy to war novels to Calvin and Hobbes.
I am a die hard U of Michigan football fan. I have more fun watching them than I ever have watching the Cubs.
I have been to all 30 MLB stadiums, except for new Yankee Stadium and the new Mets park. Going to those next year.
Now that my friends and I have hit all the MLB parks, we are working on all the college football stadiums in the Big 10. We have been to 5 of the 11. We also intend to get to random bigger programs, like USC, Texas, Oklahoma, etc. We went to the Florida Auburn game in the swamp 2 years ago when Auburn won on a last second FG. I paid $75 for a student ticket and a student ID.
My favorite color is blue and my favorite food is tacos.

That is all.

[David W]

Dave Williams, age 46 Warsaw, Indiana.

I own a janitorial and packaging supply company. I am married with 5 children, 4 daughters ages 9 to 18 and a son age 7. My 18 and 14 year old daughters are High School soccer players for Warsaw HS. They just won their first game 9 to 0. I still play softball and soccer somewhat competitively, but gave up basketball a few years back.

I was raised in Central Illinois, and am a die hard St. Louis Cardinal fan, and have over 200 unique Lou Brock cards and memorabilia. I am currently working on obtaining cards of the top 10 at each position all time for the Cardinals.

I am an active member of the Warsaw Wesleyan Church, we have also been foster parents for about 15 years, taking in around 100 children over that span.

I am a graduate of Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana with a degree in business.

[robedits]

Rob Ray
51 YO;reside in Brooklyn, NY
Married ,no kids
Been working in television for 30 years.
Currently senior editor at a major cable network that is about to merge with another major cable network (not public news yet so I can't mention specifics).
Have done everything from editing to directing to voice-over announcing to character voices on TV and commercials. Now it's only commercial/program editing as I look towards retirement (hopefully not forced retirement,though) in the near future.
PLayed college baseball (Hofstra) on scholarship;injury put the kaibosh on that dream! Enjoy going to minor league games all over the country with my wife.
Mom's uncle was old-time Brooklyn pitcher Nap Rucker. Visiting him down south when I was a mere lad (he was elderly but still sprite) pushed my interest in baseball history and collecting.
Don't collect much of anything anymore;have focused mostly on selling my collection for the last 12 years (most of it is gone).I began with a collection of my dad's Goudey cards,and some leftover childhood Topps cards...way back in 70s. Upgraded almost every Topps set (54-80) over the years;sold most of them over time. Had some unopened tobacco packs a dozen years ago,too,wish I still had them. Along with since-sold collection of unopened
50s-70s baseball and non-sports material;all gone.
Love lurking here...it's like a veritable online candy store for vintage history buffs like myself. First site I flip to while "warming up" at work in the morning is this one right here. Love it. Love reading and envying what everyone owns and collects/sells here.

Andrew Woodfin
29yrs old
Married 6 yrs, 2 Kids both girls 4yrs and 18 months

Collect primarily T205's (against my wifes will) and some others if the mood Strikes right.

Assosiates Degree in Structurial Engineering, CAD Degree, alot of life lessons

Own a construction company, do Dish network and Direct Tv installs when works slow (alot lately)

Seem to be very opionated and outspoken. Very passionate about my collecting (sure some have noticed)

[E93]

I have been collecting since childhood in the mid-'70s.
Primary interests are pre-WWI including E cards, N cards, and T206s. Increasingly I am getting interested again in Topps cards from the '50s and '70s
I am a patriotic veteran peace activist with several tours of duty that have resulted in numerous arrests for acts of civil disobedience.
I have been a professor of philosophy and religion (specializing in Indo-Tibetan Intellectual History) since 1999.
Author of one book, co-author of another (forthcoming early 2010), editor of a third, author of more than 20 articles on Buddhist thought and practice, and translator for the Dalai Lama among others.
JimB

[Rich Klein]

Male
49
Looking for full-time work (am doing some part-time ventures, would prefer to stay in the hobby)
Hobby Expert so to speak
Edited Beckett Almanac from 1996-2007
Interests: Information and Knowledge

Regards
Rich

[Rick Froman]

Rick Froman from Auburn, Washington. I will be 64 next month. Married for 40 years. Two children and three grand children. I am a mainframe computer programmer who has worked at Pemco in Seattle for 29 years. I collect a lot of different cards sets and get fixated on finishing once I have started. I am currently working on the 56 Topps (need 4 more) and the E120 1922 American Caramel set of which I need 4 or 5 more. I grew up a Giant fan and still remember seeing Mays when the Giants played the farm team here in Tacoma. I still have many of the cards I collected from my childhood days and most of them are still in pretty good condition.
I sincerely enjoy reading the entries on this site. They have given me a world of information that I could not have picked up any place else. Thank you.

Rick

[cliftons8]

Mike Brockman
44years old
Married 18years with 3 children ( 2 girls and a very active 8 yr old boy)
Undergrad at Murray State University in western part of Ky.
Veterinary School at Auburn University (WAR EAGLE) Graduated 1991
Born and raised in Louisville, Ky. and practice small animal medicine here.

Altough I have collected cards since 1974, I bought my first tobacco card at the National in Atlanta in
1992. I have been to every National since.
I now collect n172, Bf2, R312, T202, T205, T206, M101-2, HoF cards, various E cards, Old store model
bats, Player endorsed Pre WW2 gloves in origianl box, Cabinet cards, 14" Mini Bats, and anything else
that catches my eye. I can't seem to stay focused, so I don't have any complete sets.
I would like to get other vintage collectors in this area together for a meet and greet sometime in the near future.

[KentRobinson]

Hi, I am Kent Robinson, a small budget collector living in Colorado Springs for the past 8 years. I'm 55 years old, married for 31 years, with 2 grown kids, a graduate of the University of Iowa. I presently work for the USPS as a letter carrier after working for 20 years for a fulfillment company in Des Moines, Iowa.

I joined Net 54 probably 2 years ago and have used this site to educate myself on the hobby and also to read and enjoy the stories. I have only viewed until now, mainly because I don't have anything to say and, with a limited budget, most of the discussion is interesting but not relevant to me.

My collecting interests have really narrowed over the past 3 years due to my wife being laid off from her job and family health issues. I started collecting in the early 1990s as my oldest son started taking an interest in sports. I started with cards but after about 5 years started branching off into more oddball memorabilia, mainly books, board games and Des Moines, Iowa/Western League baseball memorabilia.

My collecting now is almost strictly limited to Western League, Iowa and Des Moines vintage baseball stuff, from the 1920s through the 1950s. ( I lived in Des Moines for almost 35 years, thus the interest in Des Moines)

I find this site fascinating and enjoy tremendously reading the posts.

Thanks to all involved!

[Writehooks]

Turning 53 tomorrow, which will mark my 35th year as a "serious" collector. Like most up here in the Great White North, my collection was originally rooted in hockey cards and memorabilia, but about 20 years ago I decided to concentrate almost exclusively on vintage boxing. Photos, posters and other ephemera have become my main focus, with a heavy emphasis on '60s heavyweights. A sportswriter by profession, I've had the privilege of interviewing and getting to know many of the guys I grew up cheering for, which adds a nice dimension to my collecting.

Between working, watching TV and feeding my collecting habit, I've managed to author five books in the past nine years (working on a sixth). Took a hiatus from the daily grind in 2004-05 to spend 14 months in Beijing as a sports columnist for the largest English-language publication in Asia.

[mets41]

I'm Dan Paley 58 (in 3 days). I'm in suburban Philly and remember the "Philly Show" in Willow Grove and at it's previous location in the Chestnut Hill section of Philly. I collect Met and Seaver items and deal part time.

[Zek]

I'm Rob Garcia, 41
New York City
No wife, no kids (no headaches *snicker*)
Currently a Data Center supervisor
I'm an Ichiro fan and have been dabbling in tobacco cards every now and then for a few years now, but I still consider myself a neophyte. I am very interested in tobacco horse racing cards. My favorite set is the 1938 Wills' Cigarettes Racehorses and Jockeys.

Currently collecting T206 Bergen (batting) backs. I don't have the same kind of bankroll most of you have, so my collection is extremely limited.

I usually lurk and learn.

[teetwoohsix]

Clayton Jessup,age 38,live in Las Vegas.I am new to this site,and just love it!!I also love the T-206 set,am currently building my collection (have a long way to go).I own around 40 now,all graded SGC or PSA,and have a few E-cards,Goudey's,and 1 1915 Cracker Jack.My wife and I are hardcore Dodger fans,before moving to Las Vegas 6 years ago,we lived 15 minutes from Dodger stadium.That is one of the things we miss the most-Dodger games.I am a city bus driver here in Vegas.It's nice to meet you all,thanks for all your time and knowledge!!!

[Doug]

I'm Doug, age 28, near Cincinnati, OH (no wife or kids). I've been collecting on and off (currently off ) For about the past 11 years. I was a viewer/infrequent poster to the original Full Count board when I started collecting in 1998. I started collecting 1952 Topps with my first experience with pre war cards being T206s. I've also collected N172s, '50s-'60s Topps along with some other random cards thrown in.

[Myachelydra]

John Spano

37 years old. I have been married eight years and have a daughter and son and a Jack Russell Terrier that turned ten yesterday.

I started collecting in 1978 and have never stopped. I started pre-war stuff in the mid-80's. I collect football and baseball...pretty much anything from the 19th century until today. My current focus is football HOFers, Colgan's Chips, and anything else that looks good to me.

[bbcard1]

Todd Marcum, partner in an ad agency in Roanoke Virginia. Once interview with Rich Klien to be a writer at Beckett...probably turned out better that I didn't get the job (it was for Hockey, which isn't my main interest).

A former shop owner and show promoter, I have not actively dealt in cards since 1993 or so when I sold my shop.

I am 48 and I coach aau baseball, with little effect, truth be told. My son is a power hitting third baseman who looks more like a football player at 14 years old, 5'11 and a muscular 175. He has the collecting bug as well. We normally go to shows in Chantilly and the Moeller show Thanksgiving weekend. I also have a wonderful daughter, great wife and a redbone hound.

I have collected pre-war cards for a very long time....my first T206 was a Snodgrass. While I collect some new cards...I got this weird thing where I collect serial numbered cards, numbered 001/100 or 01/50 or 0001/2500 and Marshall University former players...picked up a 1955 Ashland Oil Marshall College Big Green set last year at Cincy. Looking forward to the national in Baltimore next year...I have been to three previously...Atlanta, Atlantic City and Houston.

I still pick up pre-war, but i have to have a hankering for it. Most of the things I need are pretty expensive and it seems that putting it in college fund is more sensible.

I also like to play APBA baseball, old-fashioned dice version...anyone else?

[Kalineman]

Nick Edson
55 years old. Married 33 years. 3 kids, 2 grandchildren.

Set up at my first hobby show in Troy, MI in 1972 at age 17. Wrote a monthly column for Baseball Hobby News for years. Hosted a seminar called The Good Olds Days Of Collecting at the first Chicago National.

Was a daily newspaper sports editor for 24 years and was elected to the Michigan Basketball Hall of Fame as a writer in 2004. Produced a book of my favorite 50 columns called Beyond The Games a couple years ago.

Started collecing at age 6 in 1959 and my folks kept all my cards went I went off to college. Later sold all my Bowman sets to Charlie Conlon to help finance a new house. I've completed my Glendale set and now I'm working on a raw Diamond Stars set.

[thenavarro]

I am Mike Navarro, from Texas.

I am the County Auditor for Ellis County, TX. I'm also a CPA and graduated from the University of Notre Dame. GO IRISH!!

I'm a lifelong fan of the Texas Rangers, that hopes that I get to witness a Texas Rangers World Series victory before I leave this planet. I'm a lifelong fan of the Fighting Irish, and look forward to the day we ascend to the National Championship again.

As far as collecting, I enjoy pursuing and obtaining HOF and legends signed rookie cards.

Mike

[robedits]

Rob Ray
50+;happliy married;residing in Brooklyn, NY
Senior Video Editor for major cable television network
Graduated Hofstra University in 1980
Been in "the biz" since 1980....and hope to hang on 'till retirement at 60!

Also: part-time commercial voice over announcer and actor;musician and avid fast-pitch softball player despite my bad back and awful knees.

Grand-nephew of Nap Rucker (turn of century underrrated Dodgers pitcher)
Love all things baseball (history,vintage cards,APBA tabletop baseball)
Major lurker on N54...at one time had large vintage card collection and unopened wax collection 50s/60s... all of it has been sold;or almost all of it over the years.

Life is good! Net 54...the first place I visit in the morning before starting my day!

Edited to add: one of the few who would actually ADMIT to being a life-long Mets fan.

[ksabet]

Hello,

I am Kiya Sabet

33 y/o married with one kid and one on the way.

I am a writer and collector.

I was born in Buffalo and raised in FL.

I had over 25,000 cards from the 1980s and early 1990s that I sold for a Walter Payton RC PSA 6.

Now I enjoy putting sets together and learning everything I can about vintage cards.

[HeroesOfSport]

My name is Will Jaimet, and I have been in this business since I was 8 years old. Over the past few years I have made a living buying and selling on ebay under the id: Rose-City-Sports. I recently had my first child at the end of last year, and it raised my level of responsibility so I decided to create an auction house. Heroes of Sport was created this year, and our first auction is going to take place November 18th-December 1st.

I began our auction so we could treat people the way I always wanted to be treated. I look forward to getting to know everyone on here, and please let me know if you need anything!

Sincerely,
Will J

[refz]

Danny Grimes

27 yrs old, married, 1st child due any day now. Been collecting baseball cards for 20 years now. I want to thank my father for getting me into the older cards at an early age. i remember him opening up a beckett, and showing me the price diffrence between his fifties mantles' compared to my eighties will clarks' and mattinglys'.

I currently collect Hal Chase type cards and trying to do a t206 back set.

[zork1974]

Nice fish Bill!

[Jcfowler6]

My name is Jon. I have been collecting cards for 32 years. I still remember my dad bring home two packs of Topps football cards when I was 5. I soon jumped into the Star Wars cards. I am currently compiling as many cards of 1909 Pittsburg Pirates as possible and enjoying it a great deal.

I am 37 and am a branch manager for Citi. I have a great wife
and 4 kids that I love very much.

[rfurnish]

I found this post and thought that I would dust it off.

I'm Ron Furnish and am 44 years old. Born and raised in Cincinnati, but live in Virginia Beach now. I do make it back for Opening Day each year though. When I'm not working on my t206 set, I'm usually working out, hiking, painting, traveling, or doing something with my daughter or girlfriend.

[sreader3]

I’m a forty-two year old patent attorney living in Boulder, Colorado with my beautiful wife, sports crazy son (11) and outgoing daughter (8). I spent the better part of my first four decades in southern California and have engineering and law degrees from USC. My wife insisted that the entire family become good skiers after we moved to Colorado and everyone has except me. I am hoping to change that this winter. I am also the coach of my son’s 0-8 basketball team. Enough said about that.

I started buying Topps baseball in earnest in 1977 and really got the collecting bug when a card store opened in my hometown in 1981. I proceeded to squander most of my limited collecting budget on recent junk (anyone need a dozen Will Clark rookies?), but managed to pick up a nice T206 Lajoie (Portrait) at the 1986 National that is still with me. I dropped the hobby cold in the late ‘80s to focus on school and develop some semblance of a social life, but picked it back up again in 2003 by accident when I searched eBay on a whim for “T206” then bid on and won a copy of Hoffman (St. Louis) for about twenty bucks.

You could say I got hooked after that. I catalogued almost all completed T206 auctions on eBay over the next three years and wrote a treatise on the set. I stumbled across this fine site while doing that research and still troll around here every once in a while.

I am slowly stitching together a T206 set in PSA 5 and am a little over 40% complete. I also am trying to get one vg-ex or better copy of every Hall of Famer (insofar as possible) and dabble in T207 and M101-4.

Thanks to Leon for all he does to keep the Net54 community strong.

Scot Reader

[JDGball]

Jason Dietz, 29, Frederick Maryland- with wonderful wife of 8 years who supported me in this collection world- yes she complained sometimes. We have 3 children- 8, 6, and 9m. I am Deaf collector- vary from baseball to boxing to football to golf and deaf schools athletic program.

I am active in my children's sports activities. I am the head coach for my son's U-10 basketball team, same goes for my daughter's 6-8 YMCA basketball. I also trains my 9 months old son, speciality in crawling!

My first T206 was Dummy Taylor Sovereign- I got it from my best friend who collected Taylor too when my oldest was born. That was the beginning of my T206 collection. Beside Taylor and its different backs, my favorite card is Addie Joss. Something about him, I dont know the word for it.

I loved the Monster so much that I cursed at it, threatened to sell it, and refused to buy it for a while but came back once again. Right now, I am not on speaking terms with the Monster.

I enjoyed this forum so much that I begin my day checking out!