Wagner provenance. Anyone know?

[TCMA]

Hi guys, I'm looking for some information regarding this auction from 1974.

Can anyone confirm which Wagner exactly Rick Barudin was selling here? I *think* this was my father's first Wagner, that he bought in 1972 and then sold to Barudin when he found the Jumbo Wagner in July, 1974. Looking to confirm that the card shown below is the same card Barudin sold in this auction. Please let me know if you have the info. Thanks!

[familytoad]

I find it interesting that the card's one sentence description touts the card as in "very good condition with top and sides all trimmed off"

This was evidently prior to anyone using the term VG as a standard self-grading term.

I suppose dealers in 1974 would not use the term "authentic" that was designated on the TPG slab later on. I have see old descriptions use the term "original"

Anyway, Andrew...not meaning to divert your initial question. I mentioned in the thread about living in the same city that that the Jumbo Wagner was found in 1974, which is the extent of my provenance knowledge

Sure sounds like you might have found the same card being sold that was later slabbed!

[Rich Klein]

Rick died perhaps a decade ago, his partner Buddy still operates a Sports store in New Jersey the last time I checked.

You might actually be able to talk to Buddy to see if he remembers anything about that card. I know, it was a ton of years ago, when I was at Beckett, and I casually mentioned about how he was a co owner of the 1st BB Card store in America, our editor lit up and said, go interview him right now over the phone, which I did.

He remembers things like this and is a big NY Rangers fan as well.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/buddys-sports-corner-paramus

Regards
Rich

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Rick died perhaps a decade ago, his partner Buddy still operates a Sports store in New Jersey the last time I checked.

You might actually be able to talk to Buddy to see if he remembers anything about that card.

Thanks for the info, Rich . I will absolutely get in touch with him and see if he remembers any of the circumstances surrounding the two cards. Would love to know more before I actually get to see the Jumbo Wagner for the first time at the National this weekend. It was sold when I was five and I have no real recollection of seeing it.

Also, there might just be another store that predates Rick and Buddy's. Are you familiar with Sports Nostalgia, which was located in Upper Saddle River, NJ? My father was a partner in that store along with Bob Laughlin, Bill Himmelman (former official NBA historian), Pete Henrici, and Lew Eskin. As far as I know they opened in 1972. Their store then moved to Cooperstown in 1974/75 and became Baseball Nostalgia, which Pete Henrici still operates today. He'd be able to tell you the exact date they opened Sports Nostalgia.

[Rich Klein]

I was an active collector in those days in NJ and as far as I remember Sports Corner opened up in the Antique Mall in Montvale a couple of years before Sports Nostalgia opened their store on 17 up in North Jersey.

There was a nice guy named Danny Marucci (sic) who worked at that store and I have not seen or heard about him in about 30-35 years, do you have any updates on him.

Rich

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

I was an active collector in those days in NJ and as far as I remember Sports Corner opened up in the Antique Mall in Montvale a couple of years before Sports Nostalgia opened their store on 17 up in North Jersey.

There was a nice guy named Danny Marucci (sic) who worked at that store and I have not seen or heard about him in about 30-35 years, do you have any updates on him.

Rich

Sports Nostalgia...was that at the garden state plaza mall???? I also remember a crummy store in the basement of the bergen mall off rt 4?

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

I was an active collector in those days in NJ and as far as I remember Sports Corner opened up in the Antique Mall in Montvale a couple of years before Sports Nostalgia opened their store on 17 up in North Jersey.

There was a nice guy named Danny Marucci (sic) who worked at that store and I have not seen or heard about him in about 30-35 years, do you have any updates on him.

Rich

Hmm, I can ask my dad and Pete about Danny. I'm sure they'd have some info. There is an add for Sports Nostalgia in the September, 1974 issue of Sports Scoop. Will post some pics in just a bit.

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Sports Nostalgia...was that at the garden state plaza mall???? I also remember a crummy store in the basement of the bergen mall off rt 4?

According to the ad I have it was located at 328 State Hwy #17 (Northbound) in Upper Saddle River.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by TCMA

According to the ad I have it was located at 328 State Hwy #17 (Northbound) in Upper Saddle River.

that could be it...back then part of the mall was outside as was this bb card store. I bought my first t cards there...still have them!!!

[TCMA]

[ullmandds]

nope...that's not the one I'm thinking of. not sure if I ever went to that store as a kid.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

http://www.yelp.com/biz/buddys-sports-corner-paramus

Regards
Rich

YIKES - some nasty Yelp reviews there! It makes me sad when the few brick-and-mortar card shops - especially one in a high-profile area like a shopping mall - can't have any customer service skills. I think it's great that a shop can still exist in a mall, and potentially attract new folks to our hobby. But when the folks working there have such a negative attitude and bad customer service abilities (assuming the reviews are accurate), it casts a horrible light to our hobby, and keeps potential new collectors from joining the hobby. Too bad people don't realize that a little attitude adjustment can go a long way sometimes.....

[Rich Klein]

It was Danny Marcella not Marucci. My memory takes a while sometimes.

[Rich Klein]

The one in Paramus Park was the Sports Corner handled by Rick and Buddy.

Before Paramus Park they were in the baseman (antique mall section) of the Bergen Mall which is where they moved after Montvale.

Rich

[mrmopar]

Dredging up on old thread, but I made my first trip to Cooperstown this past week and Baseball Nostalgia was the first shop we came upon, as we parked near Doubleday Field. Instantly it reminded me of what shops should look like (in my mind at least), although it would be nice to see a little more organization. However, not knowing what you'll find in a box or stack of items is also exciting. I just had limited time, so I was not able to look through everything.

I asked the guy running the shop if it was affiliated in any way with TCMA. I knew TCMA was out of NY at some point and with all of the TCMA related items they had, I just assumed there was some sort of connection. I don't know if this was a sore subject or he didn't want to talk about it, but the best I could get was "one of the partners". I felt uncomfortable pushing him for more, as he seemed uninterested in a discussion of any kind, so I let it drop.

I didn't catch his name and it didn't have any names on the business card, but he was a shorter guy, balding and kind of had a higher raspy voice (from the few words he spoke).

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

I didn't catch his name and it didn't have any names on the business card, but he was a shorter guy, balding and kind of had a higher raspy voice (from the few words he spoke).

Sounds like you spoke to Pete. He’s one of the most knowledgeable guys you’ll ever meet when it comes to info on the HOF and early TCMA issued cards. Pete and my dad have co-owned Baseball Nostalgia since 1974, though my dad only visits during HOF Weekend nowadays.



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