Contacts at the Hall of Fame?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Does anyone here have any good contacts at the HOF?

After visiting for the first time this week and seeing their displays, I would like to discuss donating some items.

Please let me know. Thanks!

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Posted By: john/z28jd

I wear glasses but i guess since i need a new prescription by now, wearing good contacts would make me want to donate something too.

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Posted By: Jay

Hal--I would suggest contacting Jane Forbes Clark's office. She is the Chairman of the Board and I'm sure her office could direct you to the right person.

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Posted By: Jeff O

Tom Shieber is a SABR member and a real class act. I went out to lunch with him last time I visited the Hall (seven long years ago...). I believe he is now the Curator for New Media, so he would likely be a great contact. I don't have an email for him handy, but you should be able to get a hold of him through the Hall.

His specialty is baseball photos and photo identification.

Jeff

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Posted By: Rick

Would be feasible to have a sport cards museum?

Would enough people visit?

It would be great if such museum existed...maybe non profit...just enough money from donations and admissions to pay for rent and a few employes?

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Tom Shieber. A good guy. We had some dealings when the HOF decided to use a recording of an arrangment of mine for brass band of "The Red Stockings March" in their 19th century wing.

As far as card museums go, there is one in Los Angeles which I never knew about. It's private, quite large and simply jaw dropping. The Mastro guys took two busloads of us there during the National. Cards, bats, balls, uniforms, ad pieces. Quite a bit of football as well. A collection worth millions. I'm sure insurance and and security are big issues - and expenses. One of my fellow forum members will remember the name of the owner of the collection.

One of my friends, Mike Piller, had a showing at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History for several weeks 10-12 years ago. Tremendous high end examples of mainstream issues, mostly 1910-1960s. All ungraded. He hired two guys from a local card shop to curate it for him. I don't think the general public turned out in great numbers.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Below is the personal website of the webmaster for the HOF. He probably has an email there.

http://www.danholmes.com

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Posted By: barrysloate

The museum belongs to Gary Cypres. He is one of the hobby's super people.

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Posted By: Rick

does he have a website?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

any others?

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Hal

For many years, my contact with the HOF was a fellow avid BB card collector, Don Howard.
However, I haven't seen him in a year, or so. I believe he has retired from his position with
the HOF. He certainly had more of an appreciation for our kind of stuff, and its significance
to the HOF. Whereas, I'm sure the current "bigwigs" do not.

If I can contact him, I will email you and you can take it from there.

T-Rex Ted

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hal.

I suggest you not donate anything to the National Baseball Museum.

Years ago I obtained a baseball contract, it was for Pepper Martin, for him to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. His 1934 contract. Pepper Martin's Gasehouse Gang contract. When I opened the box and held it, I got goosebumps. I called the fellow who sold it, a name most of us know and trust, and he was concerned that I'd called, fearing something was amiss. I told him how great it was, how happy I was, and that maybe I should send it to Cooperstown.

He paused for a long time, and then said, "Frank, please don't do that. The Hall of Fame has lots of stuff, too much stuff. If you give that contract to them, it will end up in a box in the basement, and might be seen rarely if at all. If you keep the contract, you can show it to people, so they can share in the excitement of seeing it."

I believed what Mr. Lipset told me that day. And I now have the contract on loan to The St. Louis Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Ernie Orsatti's bat, a 1934 game 7 WS ticket, and some other stuff. The stuff has been there for years. The Curator is a really nice, careful lady, my stuff is safe with her, and thousands of people see the items each year.

So Hal, please retain ownership, and at worst loan items for display. And if the National Baseball Museum won't display the stuff, look around for other places. I had a bunch of cards on display a few years ago at the Louisville Slugger Museum. I think Lew was right, though. And I think he still is.

Frank W.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

HAL

A big....DITTO....to what Frank W. just very elaborately said. He is absolutely
telling you how it really is.

It will take more effort, but if you can find the little (or big) town museums
associated with items you want to donate or lend; you will find the curator
and the people there much more appreciative.

I have donated items to a couple such museums and derived a certain sense
of satisfaction that they were in the right hands. I received official letters of
appreciation and when I visited these museums was met with very friendly
and very cordial greetings.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

A non-blood related relative of mine has the uniforms and glove
of his dad who played in the minors in Wisconsin and down south
circa 1910s-30s. While obviously the material wasn't suitable for Cooperstown,
I told him that the local small town museusms, historical
societies or colleges from where his dad played would likely love to display
the uniforms, and they'd probably be displayed front and center.

I sent him a copy of the 'The Glove Collector,' a quarterly newsletter by
baseball glove guru Joe Phillips, and my relative said he didn't realize
people collected that kind of stuff.