Net54baseball.com Forums

Net54baseball.com Forums (http://www.net54baseball.com/index.php)
-   Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions (http://www.net54baseball.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   Long time coming (http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=366372)

pbspelly 11-11-2025 08:38 PM

Long time coming
 
2 Attachment(s)
As some of you know, I'm related to the Billy Sullivans (Jr. and Sr.), which is why I collect their cards and memorabilia. I started collecting 30 years ago, and by now I have almost every issue they were part of (that I know of, anyway). But for all that time, one card in particular has eluded me, an R329 Clopay Foto Fun card of Billy Jr. from 1938. I have been looking for it for 30 years, and never even saw one for sale until this week, when I spotted one on eBay and snagged it. It is a definitely a peculiar issue, where the card owner had to actually develop the picture themselves from a negative, and then put it in a sleeve designed to look like a picture frame. I don't know who Bob Sturgeon was (and kind of wish he hadn't written his name on the sleeve frame), but I am grateful to him for preserving the card of my grandfather.

In a slightly strange twist, I got a new garage door a couple of years ago, and it was made by Clopay. Yes, the same company that put out the Foto Fun card in 1938. They are still in business, and are now one of the biggest manufacturers of garage doors in the US.

ValKehl 11-11-2025 09:16 PM

Paul, great pickup - congrats! Fortunately, the Bob Sturgeon kid didn't write his name on the card. You should be able to acquire a clean frame, even if you have to acquire a different card with it, and then switch frames.

pbspelly 11-11-2025 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ValKehl (Post 2549547)
Paul, great pickup - congrats! Fortunately, the Bob Sturgeon kid didn't write his name on the card. You should be able to acquire a clean frame, even if you have to acquire a different card with it, and then switch frames.

Yeah, I was thinking about doing that.

Thanks

Jay Wolt 11-11-2025 09:24 PM

Paul Congrats!

Cooper1927 11-11-2025 09:35 PM

That is a great story and awesome ending!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TCMA 11-11-2025 09:38 PM

Congrats! So happy you snagged one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

spec 11-11-2025 10:09 PM

Paul,
So happy you finally got your Clopay of Billy Jr. It's nicer than mine, so it worked out for the best.

hammertime 11-12-2025 05:14 AM

Very cool, thanks for sharing! I actually co-op'ed at Clopay in Cincinnati when I was in college.

MuncieNolePAZ 11-12-2025 07:18 AM

Congrats!

Powerright46blast 11-12-2025 09:59 AM

Congrats!! Awesome story. It's all worth it in the end.

CollectingAmericasPastime 11-12-2025 11:36 AM

Great story and congrats on the pickup!

Scott L. 11-12-2025 11:53 AM

Fantastic story......congratulations!!!!

commishbob 11-12-2025 04:47 PM

Nothing like nabbing that long-sought white whale to a prized collection. Congrats!

And in this case, while it might be an unpopular opinion, having a long-ago collector's name on it makes the 'card' that much cooler in my eyes.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:14 AM.