It is with Unimaginable Sadness that we have lost our Dear Ted Zanidakis
 

The Hobby has lost an Amazing Pioneer! Ted was an Icon here and judging by my last thread he was very well liked and respected. Ted moved on to Baseball Card Collecting Heaven tonight, just a few days before he was scheduled to come home.

I am a wreck as I am sure many of you will be too....

We weren't expecting this but as you all know, nothing in life is a Gimme.

I will post details of the services and where to send condolences once the family gives me the ok.

Teddy, I love you to Death! I sure hope you are in Peace my dear friend.

Sincerely,

Dan Mckee

That's horrible news. One thing we can all say is that he will be fondly remembered for all the comradery and the well articulated incredible articles/posts he made. It's a testament to Ted that he was always willing to share his knowledge and enjoyed doing it.

We're all going to miss Ted. A heartfelt condolence to his family on this board and nearest and dearest to him.

Rest in Peace Ted.

Never met Tedbut know his reputation. Definitely a loss for the collectors word. RIP Ted.

That is so sad. Ted was awesome.

Such horrible news. Although I never met him, he always seemed like such a nice man willing to share his knowledge. RIP Ted

Saw Ted every year when he came to Cooperstown.
A great guy with a wealth of knowledge.

RIP guy
I will always remember the days we ate pizza at Dominic's in Newtown and traded many T206 cards.

drew

RIP Ted Z
 

I have been fortunate enough and had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Ted along with Dan at several Philly shows. Ted was always so enthusiastic about this Hobby. He was truly a gentleman and will surely be missed. Rip Teddy Z.

Regards
John P

So very sorry to hear this. Ted did so much for the hobby. He will truly be missed.

Very sorry to see this. I never knew Ted, maybe exchanged a few messages over the years, but I could always tell by his posts and by the posts of others that he was a truly great, genuine human being. Always willing to share his immense knowledge, to encourage other collectors, and to engage in this hobby with incredible enthusiasm. I suspect this is the way he lived his life in general, and I am sure he will be missed by all who knew him, and by many who didn't. RIP Ted Z.

I'm devastated.

Life is fragile. Let's be nice to one another. I should work on that myself.

Not a great way to start 2024! :(

RIP, Ted!

A sad day, truly a gut punch to this sub and the hobby in general. Will never be another one like Ted. So generous with his time and amazing knowledge.

RIP and condolences to Teds family.

Needless to say. Very sad news indeed. I just talked with him yesterday, and planned on checking in regularly. My thoughts and condolences going out to Charlotte, Zoe and Ron, as well as the rest of his extended family. I met Ted on my first trip to Willow Grove in '83 and we formed a fast friendship. One that is treasured forever. Here is a picture of Ted, myself, Jack & Bev Urban at one of Kit Young's Hawaii shows in the 90's

He will be missed, just one of those periodic reminders, take the time to chat with those you can, time is finite. I mourn the many conversations I never got to have with Ted.

So very sorry to hear this. Ted and I had many wonderful exchanges. I also have many of his cards in my collection. This one hurts.

Dang...I was looking forward to his return to posting here. Our paths never crossed, but you could tell on the forum here that he was passionate about our hobby, and was so incredibly willing to share his knowledge, thoughts and theories...definitely a collector's collector.

Thanks Ted, we will miss you!


Brian

Very sorry to hear this.

Damn. This sucks. Ted was a GREAT guy. Super nice, loved to chat and always happy to help. Plus, he is a t206 legend. This is a huge loss. I am very sad. My heart goes out to his family. Thanks Ted for all the advice and chatter- I hope there is a t206 Wagner waiting for you in heaven.

The glow of Ted's passion for cards was inspiring and visible to all. What a loss.

David

I can’t even fathom the wealth of knowledge he had. Always, always so willing to share his knowledge and teach the next generation of collectors. His T206 threads were always so informative. RIP

I met Ted once in Cooperstown. He had no idea who I was, but exactly and willingly showed me a stack of Near Mint T206 cards he had. He handed them to me at let me hold them.
He didn't have to, he was just excited to share the hobby with me.
Rest well, Ted.

My deepest condolences to all of Ted’s family and friends. He was a true gentleman and scholar, with boundless enthusiasm for the hobby and such great willingness to share his immense knowledge. Few spanned so many eras in the hobby. And he always had a kind word to share. RIP.

Oh man that's horrible. RIP Ted. You will be missed a ton.

Such a great man....
 

I am writing this with a lot of sadness . Just horrible news. Ted has called me every month or two, for almost the whole time the 2009 version of this s/w has been in use ..He always has me put a dot, or take a dot out of, a title to fix some of his threads. And we got to catch up on cards and so forth....It was our way of staying in touch other than the forum itself and the few shows we have been to together. I am going to miss that among other things....

He and Charlotte were the best hosts ever, several years back, when I stayed with them for 3-4 days. We had some great times I will never forget. RIP my friend...and condolences to Charlotte and the rest of the family. A sad day for the hobby.
.

UGH....

This is heartbreaking. Ted was one of the nicest collectors I have met along this journey, he had some amazing stories and his knowledge of the hobby and sets were unparalleled.

A bout a year ago he invited me down to spend some time with him and his family. I had my own health issues going on and could not fly but was hoping that I could get down over the summer :(

Thank you Ted for the wonderful conversations and stories over the years.

You will be missed.

C

Very sad news. I will miss our T206 discussions at Cooperstown.

Met him in LA, and instantly knew he was a great in the Card world. Was very helpful, and bought few things from him then. He was pack collector like I, and will miss him. RIP peace fellow card guru.

Very sad. A nice man. Met him 2x. Loved to help and educate people. RIP. He loved those Leaf cards.

Rip
 

Didn't know Ted personally but he seemed like a great guy and was a champion of the hobby...Jerry

This is truly heartbreaking. May Ted forever walk in the field of dreams with his loved ones.

I only met him once in Cooperstown several years ago, and was able to purchase a few T206’s from him.

I always enjoyed reading his posts, and learned so much from them.

R.I.P. Ted. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

Was also never fortunate enough to meet him in person but one of the first things I got from the board was that Ted’s posts were must reads. Unbelievable amount of knowledge. RIP

Terribly sad news. I never met Ted in person but he was always kind and generous in our exchanges on here. I still have the card he sent me for winning one of his trivia quizzes. RIP and condolences to his family if they are reading this.

I’m so sorry to hear this news. I met you and Ted at one of the first Philly shows after Covid.

May he Rest in Peace.

[emoji120][emoji120][emoji120]


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Gut punch
 

That's what it felt like when I read the post. I did not know Ted well, but we shared several conversations about the hobby over the past 4-5 years both in person and by email. He was a genuinely "good guy" who contributed a wealth of knowledge to any who would ask. I will miss him. Condolences to family and friends.

Rest In Peace, it was a pleasure knowing him and talking T206s with him.

Will truly be missed but always remembered in the hobby.

Lee

If a man can be measured by the way people who knew him talk about him, then as a person, Ted was a Hall of Famer. Rest in peace.

Oh, no!

So sorry to read the title of this thread.

Best wishes to Ted's family, and his friends, starting with you Dan, thank you for keeping us updated on your friend.

We lost a legend, that's for sure.

Oh wow!!!! A sad day for sure! Will miss all the T206 updates and back and forths.
RIP

Just an encyclopedia of knowledge. RIP.

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RIP to Ted Z

Did not know him, but his knowledge and wisdom preceded him.

Grateful for Ted and we can all hope to follow his zeal, passion, and great legacy in card collecting and life

A great man indeed. Will be praying for family and friends during this time.

As knowledgeable as Teddy was in the card hobby, he was even a better person. This is a sad day for the entire hobby. May he rest in peace.

Ted, this forum hasn't been the same during the many weeks you have been unable to post, and it won't be the same in the future. I'll always remember how much you cherished the T213-1 card of Matty that I traded to you many years ago. RIP, Ted.

Oh no, really sad news. Ted and I go back probably 20+ years. Spent time together at some of the Philly shows, and we met up in person a few times in New York & New Jersey to do T206 rare back trades. What a legend in the hobby, a wealth of knowledge as many above have said, and just a really kind man. Rest in peace, my friend.

Horrible news, RIP

Oh no. Ted was a hobbyist in the truest sense and so encouraging and gracious to me about T206 research. I am glad to have known him and to have had the chance to break bread with him a couple of times at a National several years ago. I know how proud he was of his family, his work as a Lucent engineer, and the articles he wrote about the 1948 Leaf set. His lifelong passion for baseball cards—especially his beloved T206–was simply unmatched. A Net54 Hall of Famer for sure. RIP my friend.

Really sad day for the hobby...he was always there to help since my first days of coming around here. I've learned so much from his posts...he will truly be missed by all. Prayers for the family...

Ted was always so nice to me and happy to talk every time I saw him. I truly appreciate the joy he brought to our conversations.

My condolences to Charlotte and all of Ted's friends and family.

Rest in peace.

Rip ted will be missed

:(

RIP Ted.

Ted Z
 

So sorry to see this legend go..... he was always kind and generous with his knowledge. Who else had the original 1952 Topps Mantle with the wrapper and other cards in the pack intact still since he opened it as a youngster? In his spirit, Id like to take this opportunity to thank all the people on here Ive done deals with over the last 10 years..... and offer my heartfelt regrets at the few times I through ignorance or poor communications have made some people frustrated or angry. I will try to do better..... thanks Ted for your great example.... RIP

Had some wonderful discussions on the forum and I remember the nice gift he sent this last summer like it arrived yesterday. Sadly, like many of you we had not met in person but I had hopes that perhaps I could get that done. Unfortunately I have missed my chance.

In the many years I have been visiting this forum there are several we lost that forever changed the group. Ted will certainly be in that list.

Rest well.

So sad!
 

Danny:

I know this is so tough for you. And all of us.

Teddy's contribution to the hobby can not be overstated.

Will truly miss him.

Oh no, that is really sad news. I didn't have the privilege of knowing Ted personally but I greatly enjoyed the generous way in which he shared his amazing knowledge on this forum. RIP Ted

Sad, sad news. RIP Ted.

Total gut punch reading this. The collecting world lost a giant.
Prayers and Strength to Charlotte and the rest of Ted's family.
RIP to a Legend of the Hobby

Prayers to Ted's family
 

Great hobby legend and a better person.

Patrick

Horrible news! RIP Ted.

I am also devastated by this news, especially since unfortunately Ted and I lost touch the last few years. I’m still not entirely sure why, perhaps a little stubborness by each of us, but I always assumed we would one day patch things up. Sadly that won’t happen.

Ted and I met about 1984 when he called me late one night to buy a few 1949 Bowmans from my SCD ad. And wasn’t I shocked and thrilled to discover that he was the guy who wrote the inspiring article in Baseball Cards magazine about the set. We became close friends for many years. Our discussions, our get togethers, our regulars trades and deals, dinners with the wives, became a major part of the rest of our lives. We may have disagreed about some things but we always moved past it.

I will miss you Ted and if it was my fault that we hadn’t spoken the last few years then I take full responsility for it and I apologize. I should have worked a little harder to make things better. RIP my friend.

I am one of the many folks that will miss Ted. Such a wonderful person and a tremendously knowledgeable individual on T206 cards in particular. My deepest condolences to Charlotte and family.

I'm speechless.

Ted and I go back over thirty years, and in that time whenever I would see him he would greet me with a smile and we would talk on and on.

My sincere condolences to his family and friends. The hobby has lost one of its true great ones.

RIP Ted.

I'm so sorry to hear this...my thoughts and prayers are with you Dan I know he was a dear dear friend to you. May he rest in peace with the Eternal Lord Jesus. God Speed.

Terrible news to start my day---He will be missed immensely here on the Board & by those that knew him in person! Rest In Peace, Ted!

Very sad to hear this. RIP Ted.

Ted z
 

Though I am very frequent reader of this site, according to the records, I haven’t posted here since 2011. I need to talk about Ted’ s death . This is an awful way to start 2024. Teddy Z and I first met back in the Stone Age at the willow grove shows in the late 70’s..along with his faithful companion, Ralph Triplette. They were both purists, actually hobby scientists, always on the lookout for card news. I’d get a note from teddy about the newest 49 bowman variations they had found, or some other obscure minutiae. I was putting together doubleheader sets..they were studying backs of cards for irregularities. I didn’t quite understand their passion at the time. Heck, I was hunting for a nice 52 Mathews or George Crowe . As the years went by , I finally got it. ☺️ Over the years He and I did deals . He’d just send me a bunch of 49 highs..and id buy them. Sometimes id meet him in cullowhee NC at Ralph’s place to buy cards and he oversaw the disposition of Ralph’s collection over many months. We do one show a year. (The national) and he was one of a small handful of hobby characters I always looked forward to seeing. A very sad day, indeed. Teddy Z will be missed. Kit Young

I hate to hear this. RIP, Ted.

Sad news Ted will be greatly missed

I am truly heartbroken and devastated.

I met Ted for the first time at one of the Cooperstown shows, that he would set up in the small room at the Cooperstown Veterans Club. I was finally able to reconnect with him, when I came to this forum, as an adult in 2019. We had many conversations over email, though looking back on it I very much regret not getting his phone number and being able to talk to him on the phone. We spoke of the Old Yankees players, baseball cards, life, etc. It was the thing that always amazed me about this hobby, that it could bring people young and old together

I was able to see Ted again, at the Philly Show, post Covid. In the past we had many conversations about Phil Rizzuto, Ted explained to me how they didn't live to far from one another at one point. In a very fitting manner, he happened to be selling a raw 1950 Bowman Phil Rizzuto card, which I happily purchased from him. It was a nice way to culminate meeting again, and being able to discuss the hobby.

2023, was a bit of a mess for me, numerous family issues, and life issues got in the way of me being able to participate in the Hobby, and my conversations with Ted unfortunately lessened. When I saw the good news a few days ago, I was hoping that I'd be able to see Ted in Person again, or at least speak to him through email or an eventual phone call. This is a stark reminder to not take life for granted, cherish your friends and loved ones and that life is truly too short.

Ted was an incredible man. I will sorely miss him, and our conversations. You wish men, like Ted, could live forever, with the amount of kindness he was able to show to so many people. If there is a collection occurring for his funeral expenses I will gladly participate.

Ted, enjoy the great big Card Show in the sky. Where you're able to endlessly talk about the hobby we love so much, with so many others.

- James

Words simply cannot explain nor placate the loss of Mr. Zanidakis. His passing goes beyond that.

Rest in Power Sir, the collecting world has lost one of its finest.

Regards,

Butch.

This outpouring of love and support is all you need to see to know how much of a treasure he has been to the hobby and this Net54 forum family. You will be missed Ted Z!

For some reason, I get this sense that Ted is in a better place now and that he has been given the answers to all his theories on T206 and every other set he pontificated about. May we all strive to be a little like Ted each day!

I never personally met Ted, but as I was getting into T206 I'd pour over his wonderfully detailed articles / threads about the set and its complexities. I was (and still am) amazed at the depth of knowledge he possessed. A true scholar and from what I can gather an even better gentleman.

RIP, and thank you.

Ted
 

Oh my what a loss to the hobby. His knowledge and kindness to help will be greatly missed. Prayers for his family.

I will miss seeing his posts.

May he rest in peace, and may all who knew him be comforted.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ted. But his posts always made me smile. His knowledge of the hobby was second to none and I certainly learned a lot from his wisdom. Rest in peace Ted. We sure lost a good one.

Terrible news, may he rest in peace.

You will be missed Ted. You were an absolute treasure on this site. I never met you in person, but enjoyed numerous conversations here. Rest in Peace. Prayers to your family.

Chad

This is very sad news. I’m praying for comfort for his family and friends.


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Rest in peace, Condolences to the family.