re: Frank Barning -- slightly OT

[Rich Klein]

As some of you may know; before I went to work for Beckett Publications in 1990; I had been doing a lot of work with Baseball Hobby News.


I wrote some articles; set up with the ubiquitous fish bowl at many shows within a 2 hour range of NY City to get votes for their contest and hawked papers through many NJ stores.

Recently; I contributed a nice rememberence to those days at BHN through my column (at least until I run out of rememberences) at SporteCollectorsDaily.Com

In return, I got a tremendous email from Frank; who has been blogging for years now and is ready to start blogging about his baseball card days both as a child and from his time at BHN. Frank does have one advantage over me; he can write with eloquence. Trust me; I'm very honored to have insipired Frank to return to his hobby roots.

In our email chats; he is looking to increase readership of his blog, and frankly this is a great board to publicize him

So: Here is the link to his blog; hope you enjoy reading his (and other long-time hobbyists stories). The lead story is currently one written by one Mike Berkus, father of the National.

http://barnstormingwithfrankbarning.blogspot.com/

Regards
Rich

[chris6net]

I had a relative that helped run a monthly BB card show at the Golden Gate Motel in Brooklyn for several years in the 70,s and as a teenager I helped set up the show and my face got well known so many dealers would ask me to sit their tables while they went to get something to eat and I would usually get "paid" in the form of a card that I needed. I remember Frank and his wife Vivian when they started their paper BHN. They were 2 of the nicest people at the shows. I knew they relocated from Nassau County to San Diego but it is great to hear that Frank is doing well. CN

[Rich Klein]

Rich

[rc4157]

It's good to hear that both Frank and Vivian are doing well, while I never met either of them, my uncle used to sell/distribute the Baseball Hobby News in this part of Ohio. I helped him and as I remember, I was paid in cards.

It was interesting work doing cold calls on hobby shops and showing them the BHN as well as card packs to sell. We started off with giving them some freebies and then they were hooked as they saw how easily both the cards and the BHN would sell.

Good memories.

RC

[jcmtiger]

Frank & Vivian setup at the Plymouth, Michigan many times. My daughter's photo was in one issue from one of those shows.

Joe

[Steve D]

Rich,

Thank you for posting that. I lost track of Frank and Vivian when they stopped selling on ebay a few years ago. I met both of them when they moved to San Diego in 1982, and would see them at all the shows in/around town, and would usually find something interesting to buy from them.

I've yet to meet two nicer people in the hobby.

It's great to see they're both doing well.

Steve

[U240robert]

Nice to hear they are doing well.
I haven't thought about Baseball hobby News in years
I started collecting as a 10 yr old in '76
and kept it up until the 1990's.
I got back into it 5 or so years ago.
Pretty much kept alot of my cards.

I read everything possible back then
missed the publications.

[toppcat]

Thanks for posting this Rich-I always enjoyed his columns and articles and remember BHN well. Glad he and Vivian are doing well.

[Wite3]

I was interviewed by Frank for SCD years ago when he was doing his collectors corner column. Great guy and i met him a couple of times at bigger shows (incl. the national). Glad to see he is coming back.

Joshua

[Kalineman]

For many years, I was fortunate enough to write a monthly column in Baseball Hobby News called The Inside Pitch. I got to know Frank and Vivian well and they were first-class people. Frank and I would often have long coast-to-coast discussions about the hobby, since he would call my Traverse City (MI) home from San Diego. Frank loves the hobby. I'll always treasure his friendship.

[jcmtiger]

Hi Nick, glad to see you are still active in the Hobby. Remember those Plymouth shows?

Joe maples

[blackandgold]

Originally Posted by Kalineman

For many years, I was fortunate enough to write a monthly column in Baseball Hobby News called The Inside Pitch. I got to know Frank and Vivian well and they were first-class people. Frank and I would often have long coast-to-coast discussions about the hobby, since he would call my Traverse City (MI) home from San Diego. Frank loves the hobby. I'll always treasure his friendship.

I loved your column in BHN, especially the "Wiffle Ball" one. Don't know if you remember me, but I traded you a bunch of Chip Hilton books you needed.
Take care.
Matt

[Kalineman]

Joe, those old Detroit shows were so memorable - from Frank Nagy sitting there selling his 1959 Fleer sets (minus #68) for $5 and his Dad's Hockey - to talking to the late but great Don Steinbach about the hobby. He got me started on my 1952 Bowman set and then offered me the Mantle and Mays - both near mint - for a combined $70. This was in the mid 1970s. Still a lot of money for a poor college kid, but I pulled the trigger.
Matt, I sure do remember you helping me with those Chip Hilton books. A few years ago, a guy who said he was working on a Chip Hilton movie wanted to read the entire series, so he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I put together another set after that, book-by-book.

[wrapperguy]

Great to hear that Frank will be blogging. I am sure they have a lot to share. They are class all the way. Nick, good to see you on the board every now and then. Also remember your articles and seeing you at Chicago area shows. You would not remember me, however.

[jerrys]

Thanks for starting this thread Rich - the first time I met Frank and Vivian in the mid 70s they lived in Glen Cove on Long Island and he was in the beginning stages of the BHN. We set up at the same great Willow Grove and Plymouth shows.

fbarning.jpg

vbarning.jpg

At the 1999 NSCC

I believe this was the last year they setup at a National.

[Frank Barning]

Nick Edson, Steve Dawson, Rich Klein......takes me back to the early 1980s.

[tedzan]

Gee, we go back to March of 1981, when I first met you at the Willow Grove Show. My oh my, that was 30+ years ago.

Great to see you posting here. I still have some of my BaseBall Hobby News issues stored away, including your 1st issue.

We had a lot of fun back then and some of those great experiences at the George Washington Motor Lodge and Conven-
tion Center are still quite clear in my mind.

My best regards to Vivian,


TED Z

[Frank Barning]

Great memories. I most enjoyed serious card collectors and fans such as yourself. We talked so much about Bowmans, which we both dearly love. Do you live in Las Vegas? Vivian and I moved here five years ago.

Frank at
fbarning@gmail.com

My blog . . .

http://barnstormingwithfrankbarning.blogspot.com/

[mrmopar]

Frank did a Barnstorming piece on my collecting interests a number of years ago. He'd apparently pick a couple guys and feature them in his column and then this would be a way to get exposure for trades and dealings you might not otherwise have.

I also used to buy a lot from Vivian on Ebay. I was a regular repeat customer and got some great items, but then she stopped selling suddenly. If she resumed, it was under a different ID.

[Frank Barning]

Hello. We ran out of great cards to sell. Were you buying T206s with tough backs?

Please check out . . .

http://barnstormingwithfrankbarning.blogspot.com/

[mrmopar]

Frank,

If that was directed at me, I was more of a modern guy. I did get a bunch of autographed stuff and various oddball stuff (BHN sets, Garvey Raisin Bran tip sets, etc). I would buy whatever caught my eye and I tended to shop a sellers listings if I found one thing I liked and eventually end up with numerous items.

I believe got a couple nice of Gil Hodges autographed photos...pretty sure those were from you, but it's been a while.

[cfc1909]

Around 2003 and 2004 I believe you and Vivian just flooded the market with tough 206s. I was sending checks every weekend and was in my glory. I hated to see it end. Good thing was I was on ebay when the unloading started and also picked a few nice lots out of a certain auction house that I am sure were the Barnings lots.

I still have a ton of tough backs from those auctions -you guys almost made tough backs look like they were commons-thanks so much for the additions to my collection-remember these two

they were actually raw when I bought them

thanks so much Jim Rivera

DrumFiene.jpg

DrumFieneb.jpg

Jennings.jpg

Jenningsb.jpg

[Gradedcardman]

Jim those backs are amazing !!

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by Frank Barning

Great memories. I most enjoyed serious card collectors and fans such as yourself. We talked so much about Bowmans, which we both dearly love. Do you live in Las Vegas? Vivian and I moved here five years ago.

Frank at
fbarning@gmail.com

My blog . . .

http://barnstormingwithfrankbarning.blogspot.com/

Frank

Really great blog of yours; and, a very nice tribute to our dear friend, Max Silberman. Max was a tremendous personality in this hobby.

Charlotte and I moved to Pennsylvania 10 years ago. When I retired, I took the great advice of a good friend....."Go west young man".
Would love to get together with you and Vivian, and reminisce about the good ole days, trading stories about our BB cards adventures
and the many, many great people we made lasting friendships with along the way.

Will you be at the National in Baltimore next summer ?

Best regards,

TED Z

[Frank Barning]

I am trying to connect with George Husby and Jack Urban, long-time dealers from Wisconsin. I have located Husby but have no info on Jack. I am working on a story about them for my hobby blog.

http://barnstormingwithfrankbarning.blogspot.com/

Frank Barning
Fbarning@gmail.com

[Frank Barning]

I got the information I needed on Husby and Urban for my blog. Thanks.

[FrankWakefield]

Rich, thanks for getting this going!!!

[sportscardpete]

I love the blog, lots of good information and some pieces are pretty funny.


Did not realize Frank went to Division Ave High School. A bunch of my friends went there. Really nice school.