Posted By:
bruce dorskind
I became a serious collector of rare baseball cards in 1974
and still have correspondence from the early days with
historic collector/dealers like Gar Miller, Bob Richardson,
Joe Michaelowitz. Buck Barker and Frank Nagy.
When I wrote to tjhem about super rare type cards that
I wanted like Four Base Hits, Kalamazoo Bat Cabinets
and Just So---they all said there were only two people
who get for you- if you were willing to pay
Rob Lifson
and Bill Mastro
The late George Lyons was a dealer then (but Rob was his major source)
At my second Philadelphia show in 1975 - I arranged to meet
Rob- who would later attend Wharton (where I had graduated in 1973)
and bought four near mint cards; I paid a record total price of $3000
and so began a 30+ relationship
Four Base Hits
Just SO
NY Kalamazoo Bat
and a Yum Yum
To this day, still have three of the four cards- all in near mint condition
Rob is the most knowledgable dealer I have ever worked with.
He knows cards, he knows value and most importantly he knows
where the bodies are buried.
The only regrets I have are not buying some of the items he offered
me very early on- like a mint cracker jack poster (8,000) or
near mint Lajoie (5000)
With Rob...where there's a bill (1000+) there is a way.
And unlike most of the dealers - he understands what customers want
and how to make money---this is now a business-which everyone forgets.
Bruce