Hobby history: Pictures of the first National, 1980

[trdcrdkid]

Just about a year ago, on February 4th of last year, Leon posted the 12-page program from the first National Sports Collectors' Convention in 1980 in Anaheim, which he had won in a Leland's auction. It's very interesting reading. That post is here:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=217608

In the comments, somebody asked if there were pictures from that first National. I replied that there must be, but I wasn't sure if any of the hobby publications that were around at the time published any. The Trader Speaks didn't have anything significant, but Dan Dischley generally didn't cover shows. I subsequently looked through Sport Fan, whose editor Bob Jaspersen usually attended the big shows and published lots of pictures and detailed stories. He had planned to go to the 1980 Anaheim National, but had to cancel at the last minute for health reasons. I also dug through my boxes of Sports Collectors Digests from that time, but couldn't find any significant coverage of the National, though it's possible I missed something because my issues from 1980 are disorganized and split among several boxes.

The other hobby publication active in 1980 was Baseball Hobby News, but I don't think I had the relevant issues a year ago, so I couldn't check. Now I do, and while organizing my BHNs tonight I came across the October 1980 issue, which has a 4-page spread on the first National, with lots of pictures. The first picture below is of the front page of section 2, with a poster from the show signed by a bunch of the attendees. Then come page 47, 48, 49, a better picture of the two photos that are split between pages 48-49, and page 50. I also have the August 1981 BHN with lots of stories and photos of the second National in Detroit, which I can post later if people are interested.

[horzverti]

I like the kid wearing the hat which reads, "I BUY BASEBALL CARDS".

[OldSchoolBaseball]

I remember this was my first show as a 14 year old kid. We drove 4+ hours down to Southern California (a family friend took me) on Friday night and spent all Saturday at the show.

This was overwhelming - I couldn't believe how many cards and tables and people. The local comic/card shop was all I had to base my knowledge of this "little" hobby, I thought.

Don't recall what I bought except, in the live auction, I picked up a 1969 Lew Alcindor for $11.

By 1983 I was no longer collecting and by summer of 1984 I had sold everything for $400. Recently found an old polaroid of my "good cards" in a handmade display case (circa 1982).

Wish I could go back!

[LuckyLarry]

“Collectors came from as many as 26 states to attend the seminars. They attentively listen to Steve Brunner discuss how to remove ink from cards.”

”How do you get tape off cards? If you were at the seminars you learned how from Stan Marks who used Toluene and prayed that it would work. It did, much to his relief.”

[sycks22]

Originally Posted by horzverti

I like the kid wearing the hat which reads, "I BUY BASEBALL CARDS".

+1. I was about to write that.

[ErikV]

This was my first show ever. Needless to say, as a twelve-year-old and a card
collector, I was in heaven. There was something for everybody, or so it seemed.

I remember a dealer by the name of Kovak. Unfortunately for me, the front of
his table was the meetup spot for my brother and I. When my brother and I
caught up to each other and were showing off our wares to each other, he
screamed at us to get lost, putting it mildly.

Very fond memories of that show. I wish the powers to be who run the National
would keep in mind that there are collectors across the entire country and bring
this show back to SoCal for once, just like the one that started it all. Ok, I'm
off my soapbox. Thanks for letting me share.

ErikV

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by sycks22

+1. I was about to write that.

Me too. If I ever get to a National, I am getting a similar hat.

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by ErikV

This was my first show ever. Needless to say, as a twelve-year-old and a card
collector, I was in heaven. There was something for everybody, or so it seemed.

I remember a dealer by the name of Kovak. Unfortunately for me, the front of
his table was the meetup spot for my brother and I. When my brother and I
caught up to each other and were showing off our wares to each other, he
screamed at us to get lost, putting it mildly.

Very fond memories of that show. I wish the powers to be who run the National
would keep in mind that there are collectors across the entire country and bring
this show back to SoCal for once, just like the one that started it all. Ok, I'm
off my soapbox. Thanks for letting me share.

ErikV

I wonder how many other members of this board were at that show. I also went to my first card show that year, but it was one of the Chicagoland Sports Collectors shows, I think at a hotel near O'Hare. I bought a saran-wrapped lot of 1956 Topps cards in about G-VG condition with Koufax on top for something like $15, and it had another Koufax inside! Word on the floor was that somebody had bought an unopened pack of 1952 Topps high numbers and found a Mantle inside, but I don't know if that was true. Once I get my SCDs from that time more organized and accessible, I should go through them and see if I can find any record of such a thing happening.

[Jayworld]

Great pictures! Wow, Carroll Plunk from the Dallas Gold and Silver Exchange; that's a name I have not encountered in about 35 years or so. Last ran into Carroll at a local show at the Commons of Lockwood in Garland, Texas, about 1981. I remember being offered a 1956 Mantle at the show for $60...

I bought a 1951 Bowman Jim Hegan signed card from Carroll; still have it...

[Rich Klein]

Carroll still lives in the DFW area, a couple of my dealers have occasional contact with him.

Regards
Rich

[nrm1977]

Neat~!

[Griffins]

This was my last show for 30 years- I set up and sold off my collection, and took a break until 1999.

[Rookiemonster]

This is truly awesome I wish I had a camera in the 90s when I was a kid at card shows.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Really cool stuff. I went to shows in the baltimore/washington d.c area at that time and used to go to a card store called 'house of cards'

[Jeff Alcorn]

That's me at 21 years old on the right in the first photo standing next to Gavin Riley. Frank Barning of Baseball Hobby News wanted a picture of any of his staff writers that were in attendance to pose together.

It was a great show- I got an E135 of Joe Jackson from John Spalding for $25.00 and a lot of 80 1967 Kabaya-Leaf Japanese baseball from Hall's Nostalgia for $24.00 amongst other cards.

[Jayworld]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alcorn

That's me at 21 years old on the right in the first photo standing next to Gavin Riley. Frank Barning of Baseball Hobby News wanted a picture of any of his staff writers that were in attendance to pose together.

It was a great show- I got an E135 of Joe Jackson from John Spalding for $25.00 and a lot of 80 1967 Kabaya-Leaf Japanese baseball from Hall's Nostalgia for $24.00 amongst other cards.

Wow, Jeff - $24 for a lot of 80 Kabaya-Leaf cards. That was a fantastic buy! Especially now when one considers that finding a non-graded K-L is tough on eBay....

[painthistorian]

This is an amazing and historic post..I just noticed that I signed the national convention brochure cover when I was 18 years old, I am now 55 and can actually read my script signature name back then, many hobby long timers on the cover of that newspaper, now I scribble and write like a doctor! I do still have my name tag and badge!
Great Show, Great Memories, Great Hobby!

[sterlingfox]

As the National will be in my hometown in 2018, I have between now and then to track down an "I BUY BASEBALL CARDS" cap.

Oh, and Larry, I still want that R311 Gehringer if it ever turns up

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

Really cool stuff. I went to shows in the baltimore/washington d.c area at that time and used to go to a card store called 'house of cards'

Jake, you are remembering Bill Huggins' card shop, which is still in existence today in Silver Spring, MD. Of course, Bill is better known in the hobby these days for Huggins & Scott Auctions.

[brob28]

Great stuff David thank you for sharing. I attended the 2nd show in Plymouth the following year as a 13 yr old - please post what you have on that show as well.

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by brob28

Great stuff David thank you for sharing. I attended the 2nd show in Plymouth the following year as a 13 yr old - please post what you have on that show as well.

I posted BHN's coverage of the 1981 National in Plymouth on the thread linked below, but it hasn't gotten as much attention as this thread:

http://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=235356

[paulcarek]

The kid in the "I Buy Baseball Cards" hat looks like Ogilvie from The Bad News Bears. Could it be him?

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by paulcarek

The kid in the "I Buy Baseball Cards" hat looks like Ogilvie from The Bad News Bears. Could it be him?

No, Ogilvie was played by Alfred Lutter III, and the caption identifies the kid in the hat as Drew Skarupa. A quick Google search reveals that he graduated from high school in 1984, majored in math at UCLA, and is now chief financial and operating officer of a company called ReadD. Here's his LinkedIn page, and his e-mail is drewskarupa@gmail.com.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewskarupa

[trdcrdkid]

Here he is, then and now:

[Jason]

Great read!

[Leon]

Thanks again David, Great stuff...

[trdcrdkid]

Ahead of the National this week, I thought I would bump this thread of pictures and articles about the first National, back in 1980 in Los Angeles. Things have changed a little bit in the last 38 years, but some things don't change.

[peterose4hof]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

Ahead of the National this week, I thought I would bump this thread of pictures and articles about the first National, back in 1980 in Los Angeles. Things have changed a little bit in the last 38 years, but some things don't change.

Thanks for bumping this thread. I missed it the first time around.

[DaveW]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

Things have changed a little bit in the last 38 years, but some things don't change.

I love that somebody signed the cover as Babe Ruth. I think he only signs balls these days

[Den*nis O*Brien]

....one enjoyable thread and read !!

[Enfuego]

I can't wait for my opportunity to attend the national...

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Enfuego

I can't wait for my opportunity to attend the national...

It can be a bit overwhelming sometimes, in a good way!!