Sad News Bruce Paynter

[Rich Klein]

In case you are not familiar with Bruce - he and his wife Bonita promoted the 1983 and 1989 Nationals which were the 2 best Nationals I ever set up at.

I just saw this on FB and am personally devastated by this note I just saw on FB:

Our hearts are shattered and broken today a we learned that our friend, Bruce Paynter, has passed away (on the left) at 68. Our purple is much more blue than usual as we try and wrap our heads around this huge loss. Northwestern Wildcats will never be the same and we hope your mom and dad greeted you with big smiles in Heaven. Bonita we are sending you all of our love. ������ Godspeed dear sweet friend.

Regards
Rich

[LeftHandedDane]

Bought a lot of cards from Bruce and Bonita at the old CSCA shows at the Hillside Holiday Inn back in the day - late 70's and early 80's. They were very nice to a kid collector like me back then. RIP Bruce.

[oaks1912]

Very sad news, but thanks for posting Rich. Bruce hosted what I still consider to be my favorite National in 1983. Rest in peace

[marzoumanian]

A stunner. So sad. I met Bruce in the late 1980s and remember the great National he ran at the Hyatt in downtown Chicago in 1989. A kind, sweet man who truly devoted himself to the hobby in its nascent years. Over the years I bought some very nice baseball cards from him. I had many a great conversation with him about cards, the Chicago Blackhawks, and his favorite former Hawk player, the great Marion Hossa.
Bruce easily could have written a book about the early days of the hobby and all the characters he knew (including, gulp, Bill Mastro).
Thank you, Bruce, for your integrity and your wisdom on hobby issues. You (and your wife, Bonnie), touched many lives. We are all grateful and better for it. RIP.

Mark Arzoumanian
Chicago

[Tony Gordon]

I was a card-carrying member of the Chicago Sports Collectors Association back in the late 1970's. I remember the regular newsletters from Bruce. Those early shows at the Hillside Holiday Inn were epic. I was just a kid and had to beg and beg my dad to drive me to the shows. He'd drop me off, go to work, and I'd spend all day at the show. It was heaven. Thanks to Bruce, I've had a life-long affection for vintage sports cards. RIP.

[Rich Klein]

A quick tribute I penned last evening

https://gogts.net/kleins-korner-mour...-of-the-hobby/

Rich

[CurtisFlood]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

A quick tribute I penned last evening

https://gogts.net/kleins-korner-mour...-of-the-hobby/

Rich

Thanks Rich, that is a nice tribute to a friend to many.

[whitehse]

I remember Bruce and his wife from the old Hillside Holiday Inn shows in Chicago. I was just a teenager at the time but loved those shows and think about them all of the time. If I knew then what I know now........

Back in 1979 I started having a card show in my garage with my dad and an older friend who had some great vintage sports cards. Bruce was so kind to me when I called him to get ideas as to how this "show" should be run. I believe I probably spent an hour on the phone with him as I tried to absorb everything he was telling me while trying not to talk over him with the bajillion questions I had.

Bruce and his wife Bonita would definitely be on the Chicago area Mt. Rushmore of hobby related people who helped to make Chicago the hotbed of collecting activity that it remains today.