Come on Jim, you are only 78. You have 20 more left in you easy.

Rog that but by then I will have forgotten why I have all this stuff!!

We lost a great collector this week. My Dad passed away on Tuesday 3 months after his 95th birthday. He was a huge Detroit Tiger collector especially Al Kaline. He was a WW ll vet and a great American. I loved our trips to the National Convention and his last one was in Chicago in 2017. I took him to the Net 54 reception in his wheelchair and he had a blast meeting some of the members. He collected right up to the very end as we sat on his bed and looked at cards on the day before he passed. What a great hobby we have that brings a bond between a dad and his two sons. Godspeed Dad, going to the National next year wont be the same. So if you see a 57 year old guy walking around the National with tears in his eyes please stop and introduce yourself. Thanks!

So sorry to hear about your dad but, pleasant memories are there, and that is important.

So sorry for your loss. While there is bitter pain in losing your Dad I am absolutely sure you know how lucky you are to have had him with you so long and him be such a great influence in your life. And that he got some joy from attending a Net54 dinner makes me happy too. And if you were here right now you would see another 57 yrs old guy shed a tear for your dad. May he rest in peace and happy collecting.

Sorry to hear about your loss, Mike.

Your Father sounds like he was a great man!

Hey Mike,
I am really sorry. I hope you feel truly blessed and thankful that your dad lived to be 95, which means you got to spend a great deal more time with him than many, if not all, of us got to spend with our own fathers. That is really a huge gift.
Hang in there.

--elm

Attachment 350957I bought a lot in a recent auction that had a number of older hobby magazines etc. I was going through the box and almost fell out of my chair. My Dad is on the front of the Sport Hobbyist magazine from 1975 along with Gates Brown. I remember going to that show and getting Gates autograph. My Dad passed away last November and I will tell you that photo brought back a ton of great memories and a few tears as well. Four days after that box of magazines arrived I lost my second biggest supporter of my collection as my Mom passed away on April 13th. I can’t thank them enough for all of the encouragement they provided in my collecting pursuits.

Bill Latzko for sure!

There hasn’t been a post here in awhile so I thought I would revive it. Major influences from some of the “ hobby pioneers “. Earlier this year I won a lot of 138 different (1970-1983) Trader Speaks magazines from REA. I previously had read those magazines as a young collector along with SCD and after hauling them all over the country decided to throw them all away in the trash in the early 90’s. In the batch from REA there were a number of the issues that were addressed to Lionel Carter and John Stommen that must have come from their personal collection. For whatever reason I have been buying up older hobby publications and having a blast reading through them. Also, a big shout out to Dan Dischley for keeping the Trader Speaks running as long as he did and Leon for keeping this forum moving forward!! Who are your big influences in the hobby?

Steve Mitchell, Buck Barker and Dick Dobbins, Mark Macrae later on.

My great great uncle played ball dor the 1921 Yankees as their center fielder in the 1921 World Series so it was in my blood. Also I was a victim of the 1969 Cubs heartbreak that made me a lifetime fan or the Cubbies. Had to have cards of my idols growing up. In the 2000’s went to Cubs camp for 5 times and know many of the retired Cubs personally. Went to Lee Smiths induction into the 2019 class furthering my Cub extravaganza. That is how I got into and continue into collecting.

I really enjoyed reading through this thread. Always nice seeing stories like this.

My Dad, for getting me started first and foremost. Mostly Junk Wax and Modern Stuff at the time, then eventually into vintage. Telling me stories about who put what cards in their Bike Spokes growing up. Taking me to shows early on, starting off a very small vintage collection. Centered around Mickey Mantle, Carl Yazstremski, Willie Mays, guys he grew up seeing. Baseball is what connects us, I think I took appreciation of the hobby a little bit further than him because I'm a big history buff but he got me started.

This entire forum has been a positive impact on my collection, I've had some great interactions and transactions with all different people on here. I'm looking forward to making more, I guess you can say it's a positive impact on my collection but a negative impact on my wallet!

Specifically dealers, I would probably have to say George Mollyn and Ted Zanidakas. Ted I don't believe I purchased anything from you in the past, but you've been very helpful to me, never hesitating to answer an email. Ted also confirmed the fact that It was George I purchased from many years ago. George was very kind to a young kid and had no problem explaining the ins and outs of the cards I was asking about. I remember that interaction fondly.

I've seen some of the good things and bad things about this hobby, I can safely say though I've spoken to and met some great people. I'm looking forward to collecting for a long time, and hopefully passing it along to my children when I settle down.

Huge shout out to
 

Mark Macrae-

Probably the nicest guy I've ever met in the hobby, a fountain of knowledge that is super personable, and combines all of the passions of a long-time collector with the sensibilities of a fan and a dealer :). I've purchased so much from him over the years, and feel like I've learned so many things about the PCL and Zeenuts in particular by asking and learning - largely starting a little over a decade ago when our family moved from the East Coast out to the best coast. It's been a love affair of all things PCL since, from the stories to the players, and especially the cards. I am so thankful for everything Mark has taught me over the years.

And helping me find a few neat pieces, too :)

Bill Latzko: smart, honest and fair.

TedZ
 

Ted Z made me a 1949 Bowman fanatic.

Mark Macrae
 

I agree with this. Mark is great to deal with and has a lot of cool stuff and is very patient with buyers like me.

Terry Knouse

Bill Brodhead for all his T206 knowledge & good deals.

Biggest influence in my collecting was the Strongsville Holiday Inn Sportscard Show in Cleveland. I remember going to the shows in the 80s through the late 90s and being overwhelmed by the volume of different sets back then. Nothing like the shiny stuff now. I decided that rather than building sets, I would collect exclusively vintage Cleveland Indians/Naps.

I have had three major influences in my collecting life. First, it was my mother who took me to my first show in 1973 and never complained about my spending money on my cards while I lived at home and for giving me money twice to make major purchases.

There was a gentleman by the name of Wes Schleiger of Wes's Hall of Fame. At age 14 he took me under his wing and pretty much taught me the hobby. He gave me a job helping him sell at our monthly baseball card shows and at the conventions. I never made a lot of money working for Wes, but just the experience of being around all of those baseball cards. To this day, I was blessed by his acquaintance.

Finally, this gentleman has been forgotten in the hobby, but he was one of the big dealers of the late-70s and early-80s: Mark Christensen. If you have the first printing of the Becket Baseball Guide you'll see his buy ad. Mark wasn't into baseball and we gave him grief for that, but he hired me to help him with mail-order business and then with his store. At times the relationship was contentious, but he trusted me and I had the joy of working at several of his locations full-time until I left to go into teaching. A few bad breaks finally ended his sports collectibles business, but if he ever sees these words I thank him from the bottom of my heart for that opportunity.

Influence
 

My Mom was my biggest influence. She was a Detroit tigers fan and watched the games up until the day she died. I would go to the grocery store with her and she would let me pick out the Post cereal boxes. I could look at the backs and get the cards I needed. She also ate Raisin Bran which had some of the tougher cards. When I sold my collection (Topps 1955 to 1984) to buy a house with my 2nd wife, I kept the Post Cereal cards and restarted collecting later on.

That being said, I have met many great dealers and collectors along the way. Chuck Brooks, Lloyd and Carol Toerpe, John Stommen, Denny Eckes, Kevin Savage, Dr. McAvoy, Mark Smith, Johnny Hustle and JD Heckathorn. I have had a great many good experiences throughout my years as a collector.

With Thanksgiving here tomorrow….
 

Thought I would throw this thread back out. I would add Danny Phillips and “Hockey” Greg to my list. Both great guys and really knowledgeable collectors.

I see I responded in this thread 5 years ago, but this post is still accurate today. I haven't talked to Bob in quite a while but Matt and I have become good friends through collecting and have very similar tastes and interests. He completely changed the way I look at cards. Many do the same thing these days, but my ideal card may be lower grade than some would consider, but with centering and overall eye appeal that transcend the grade.

I should add that as for dealers, I've probably bought more cards from Don, of Don's cards, than anyone else. Including one today. He has certainly had a very positive impact on my collection, as have Brady and Jeff who were mentioned earlier, and Sean Bassik.

I would have to tip my cap to Lew Lipset, When I re-entered the wonderful world of baseball cards and bought a few cards from him, we became friendly. He really drew me into pre-war, since i was a Topps and Bowman 50's guy, and provided me with much helpful advise how to set up and run a proper retail dealership, which became full Count for those who remember it. He also advised me who to watch out for.
I still use his books as a reference tool.
Lost contact with Lew. Hope he is doing well.

+1 for THEE Old Judge, Jay Miller

I got into collecting Old Judge and other 19th century cards about 2 years ago...

I was researching Net54 one day and came across a post of his and reached out blindly not sure if I'd even get a response. When he did, I was ecstatic to see some of the impossible to find treasures he made available to me. But honestly what stood out more was how responsive he was to what I'm sure felt like some very basic questions at the time.

Jay is a tough SOB when it comes to negotiating ("ok...go buy the other one"...he says about cards with zero public sales ever haha) but a really good dude that helped me build a collection I absolutely cherish.

Thankful for you buddy.

Looking forward to finally meeting in person one of these days!

Happy Turkey Day all!

It's funny looking back on this thread.

In the time that I last posted, I hadn't had the opportunity to buy from Ted, and I fixed that at the Philly Show. Bought a very nice 1950 Bowman Phil Rizzuto.

Ted's great. Especially in person. Very pleasant, extremely knowledgeable, happy to talk cards, great deals, etc. He actually sold me the Hindu back Powers with the purple number back stamp in my avatar many years ago. It's the only Hindu I've ever seen with that stamp by the way. And he gave me a great deal on it.

I would say over the last 20+ years I've been collecting and learning about prewar cards, Ted has been an influence on me as well. Even if he doesn't know me that well. ;)




.

individual dealers from my beginings
 

Josh Evans and Rob Lifson with a nod to Mike Aaronson

Love of the Game
 

My parents instilled a love of baseball for me. Growing up, family time consisted of watching the Texas Rangers games while doing any activity. We may not have been fully invested in the game, but it was always a part of our night.

As far as cards go, ever since getting back into the hobby since August of last year, the Net54 community has been invaluable into my card knowledge, pre-war history, and helped fuel the card fire!

I've also been super grateful for folks like Mike Moynihan and the Benchclear media team for helping me understand general hobby knowledge. Being local, Mike was kind enough to meet me for lunch and let me pick his brain. I can't get enough of the vintage card YouTubers... amazing resources.

Thanks Net54 crew- hope everyone has had a great thanksgiving!

Matt

My wife. She doesn’t “get” the hobby, but she is supportive.

Thought I would try to breathe some life back into this thread after reading the “whatever happened to these dealers” thread. Really enjoy hearing and learning about these folks.

I'll add something.

For me, it was the kids in the neighborhood, because they collected and traded (this was the shoebox era), so I started doing that too.

Currently, the influence is my younger son, who's 6. He's not really interested (yet) in baseball, but just asked me to bring home some of my old baseball cards, which I keep at work.

It's a different world now, because in many areas the electronic has replaced the physical. We probably don't have kids in the neighborhood trading cards from shoeboxes. Just talking about it makes me sound ancient (sorry, ancient board members). But I'd be thrilled to pass on the interest in collecting. We'll see.

My mother took my older brother to meet Steve Sax and left me at home. Thus leading me to chase cardboard encounters instead of real ones! It has left the older me with a bunch of junk wax, but my kid self enjoyed it so much.

I don't know how I found Net54 a decade ago, but I remember a post by TheCatsPajamas about press photos and that led me down a new road and it has been so fun and rewarding.

When I came across a 1920 Branch Rickey photo of him down in Texas for Spring Training, a trip that led to his development of the modern farm system, it captivated me to learn more about Rickey and his many innovations and developments from the farm system, to the integration of baseball, to the required use of helmets in 1953, to the development of analytics. The history and discoveries are what drew me to photography and Net54 has been the biggest influence by far. Such a wealth of information and cool people.

https://live.staticflickr.com/1737/2...d88c0fed_z.jpg

You all right here on Net54 had a positive impact on my collection. Without Net54 I may not have continued down the path of pre-war. Now 58, my biggest accumulation years was when I was in my late 30's and 40's. I slowed down my purchases in my 50's as general life and family expenses took priority. But I always kept and treasured what I had - thank goodness. I was so fortunate to have most of my stuff when the pandemic hit and prices went to the moon. I still have everything and am saving it all for retirement.

David McDonald (Kawika)
One of the coolest and most interesting collections I’ve ever seen. Dave has an eye for the rare, obscure, and cool poses within some cool sets. Some of the favorite cards in my collection I first saw scrolling David’s collection as a kid. Plus he had some stellar Buck Weaver items.

Ted Golden
Ted was the first focused black Sox collection that I ever saw and he built a behemoth. Many years later, I am still chasing the overall size and quality of his black Sox collection.

My best friend John got the whole thing started. I had given away all of my 1970 Topps baseball cards to one of his brothers a couple of years prior, since I was then a "cool" teenager. At 15, I didn't want anything to do with sports cards, that is until Johnny told me they were worth money. Even then, it was pretty secretive. I would peruse some mailing lists from the few dealers in the country back then and order whatever I could afford. I just loved the idea of having old baseball cards of Hall of Fame players that were so old I had never even seen them before, but I still didn't want anyone else to know. Awkward, crazy times those were back in the '70s! You could land a Clemente rookie in high-grade shape for $5.

Duane Munoz.. my neighbor stoked my passion for cards in 1990. I was 14 and he was my mid 30's neighbor. He would take me to card shows on the weekends and to autograph signings.

He took me to signings for Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, James Worthy, and Vlade Divac one year.. I always had a blast going to shows with him and seeing his collection. his den was like a museum to me..

Sadly, I lost contact with him after about a hear as my mother moved away form the neighborhood.

Jay Wolt

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Mr Kellogg and the 1972 All Time Greats 3-D set.

Barry Sloat

As we wind down another year and get our sights set on new goals for 2025, let’s hear who has been a positive influence on your hobby journey.

Wayne Justl

A gracious and generous human.

I give my wife the full credit for starting my collection. I asked her around 1990 if I could start collecting baseball cards. I needed something to do in my limited spare time. Of course, she said yes. Bless her soul. She said "but you don't even follow sports". I still don't. :o So when she asked me to clean up my cards, I told her was all her fault. :D

If I had to pick one name, it would be Angelo Savelli.

I collected all kinds of cards as a kid in London, Ontario from 1959 to 1965. They all went by the wayside when I went off to a boarding school run by Franciscan fathers in Kennebunkport, Maine for grade nine. But the memory of the cards I'd once had never left me. I’d often think back to my collecting days and wish I still had my CFL and other cards even when I was in my late teens but I thought that there was no way I could ever reassemble what I’d had as a kid. I thought they were all lost forever and could only live on in my dreams. Then came an article in the Canadian Magazine supplement to the Saturday London Free Press in 1969 or so. It featured Angelo Savelli of Hamilton, who was described as the world’s biggest card collector with every card ever produced. (Much exaggerated of course. He could have told the reporter that he had every Topps Sports card ever issued.) Angelo had evidently started buying sports cards in 1948 and never stopped. The article filled me with an incredible longing for the cards I’d once had, cards that I thought were now lost in the mists of time. Nostalgia/curiousity prompted me to buy a few packs of the 1971 CFL, 1971-72 NHL and 1972 CFL cards over the next couple of years or so. (I actually felt a bit sheepish and embarrassed buying little kids’ cards at the time!)

Flash forward a few years to 1979. I had finished university and had been working in Toronto for a couple of years. I'd discovered that the big city had four comic shops, two of which carried old gum cards as well. I was a super confident young man by then and didn't give a tinker's damn what anybody else thought of me so I set out to reacquire the treasures of my formative years.

Dedicated card shows didn’t make an appearance in Toronto (and perhaps anywhere in Canada) until about 1986 and they were then really low budget affairs held in less than first class halls/meeting rooms. It was at one of these card shows that I then met Angelo Savelli where he had set up to sell cards. Here he is with his son at a Scarborough(eastern Toronto) card show circa 1986:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/85c5...2d88b47450.png

We quickly became friends and a couple of weeks later I visited him at his home in Hamilton where I bought a set of the first series of the 1969 Topps Football cards from him. (This was back when I thought I could have every card Topps had ever issued!)

Just a few years thereafter in the late 1980's newspapers and other media sources started running stories about the prices fetched by the T206 Honus Wagner and 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards and card collecting absolutely exploded in popularity with the general public. By about 1992 or so Angie himself opened a "King of Cards" store on Barton Street in Hamilton which I'd visit on occasion. His store was actually on the way (maybe a two mile walk) to Ivor Wynn Stadium from the GO train stop in the magnificent old Hamilton Harbour CN station. After any Hamilton Tiger-Cats game I could then walk briskly to the old Greyhound station on Cannon Street and catch the last Lakeshore GO bus which would let me off after 45 minutes or so right in front of my house in SW Mississauga.

On one of my visits to Angie's store circa 2000, I learned that he was keeping his T206 Honus Wagner card in his safety deposit box at the bank. When I asked whether he ever thought of selling it since he couldn't exactly derive any delight from owning it when it was locked away at the bank, he replied "Every day, Vay, every day." Within six months to a year, he had done exactly that with a sale of all his sports cards but Hockey and CFL to a big California dealer.

But it was at the big semi-annual Toronto Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo in 2005 or so where I saved one of his binders full of expensive hockey cards from the 1920’s and 1930’s from a thief. I noticed that a tall young fellow at the other end of Angie’s table had scooped up what appeared to be one of Angie’s binders and walked off briskly down the aisle. Angie himself was on the other side of the table and was in no position to give chase so I set off after the fellow myself. I caught him before he got to the door of the hall and said “Excuse me, but is that your binder?” Much to my surprise, the fellow just said no and shoved the binder into my hands. While I stood there gawking for a second or two, he swiftly made his exit through the door. Oh well. I’m not in the business of apprehending thieves anyway, but I’d managed the most important detail which was getting Angie’s binder back for him. Angie though thought I should have somehow detained the guy as well!

Sadly Angie passed away on March 16th earlier this year.

:(

Bill Latzko
Great guy
Honest and knowledgeable

There have been several Houston sportscard storeowners and dealers who have been generous and welcoming over the course on my collecting hobby dating back many decades.

Larry Dluhy, who I met in the early 70s when we both worked at the old Houston post. He turned to cards as a full-time occupation and he's still involved. Larry was always a pleasure to converse with.

The Nelkin family, Harold, Lillian, and their sons Teddy and Todd whose Southwest Houston store was almost a second home to me for many years.

Finally, one of this site's advertisers, Daryll Zingaro, the owner of Sportscards of Houston, puts on regular shows in west and north Houston. I've sold off a large part of my collection so I don't make it across Houston to Daryll's shows like I used to. And I miss my visits with him. He sold me almost all the starter lots of the 50s and 60s sets I chased and so much more. He was always looking out for my card needs and was a valuable 'ear' when I was contemplating a large purchase. Daryll and his family are just good folks.

Wow, I missed this thread, and it's been revived several times. Just really enjoyed reading through everyone's stories...


Easy for me...Jack Leatherman...a retired school teacher from Lake Stevens...met him at a Mariners baseball game (which was crazy to travel an hour away to meet someone who lived super close) and he gave me at 12 years old a few written on 63 Fleer cards. They may have been 100 years old. I would meet regularly with Jack for the next 15 years until he passed. He was a wealth of knowledge and really taught me what little I know.

Also, I will add like many here, Leon and net54. Like most I left the hobby in 1991...and came back around 2012ish...found this place, and it's truly been an inspiration and has driven how I focus my collection. So many great people here, so willing to share...love it. Thanks all, Merry Christmas!!!

I have missed threads many times until they pop up again.
It's great to see a lot of members have been influenced by the forum. All of our members are the ones to get credit. I have certainly learned a lot over the years. And still seem to learn something new almost every day.
And a fitting image below...

Mark Dehem
 

I went to Mark Dehem’s funeral today. He will be missed and it certainly leaves a huge void here in the Michigan collector community. He and his brother Jim have been a huge positive influence in my hobby life. He will be missed but never forgotten. Rest in Peace Mark!