Exceptional Gestures by Others - Share Your Stories

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

Just recently I was surprised by the kindness of another board member. I want to share it and ask you guys to post exceptionally touching, kind, and generous stories about other dealers and collectors in an attempt "to lighten up" the board.

Recently a card went for sale on Ebay as a BIN. It was a high dollar card and I wanted it, so I mulled, thought, and looked at every angle to see if I should pull the trigger or not. As I was thinking over a few hours, someone else BINED it before I decided to pull the trigger. I lost my opportunity - my loss.

I e-mailed the winner and shared with him that I really wanted the card and congtaulated him on a great card. I told him if he ever wanted to sell it, to let me know. He wrote me back almost immediately and we started corresponding. He noticed the Matty "thing" I have going and decided to give me an original copy of "Second Base Sloan" FOR NOTHING. I told him he didn't have to do that and thanked him greatly. I told him that I would enjoy reading it to my son, Mathewson, and daughter, Gilles.

Within a week a package came with not only the book, but also, a T3 reprint of Matty for my son and a book with the music for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" for my daughter. He wrapped them in vintage baseball paper with cards that he personally wrote to each of my children!

I was floored by the kindness and generosity of this collector. He didn't have to do any of this and did so through the kindness of his own heart.

David McDonald's gesture of kindness not only reminded me of the wonderful people who are in this hobby, but the wonderful people who exist in this sometimes cynical and depressing world. My hats go off to him and in the little time I have corresponded with him, I know that he would rather have none of this attention or public "Thank you." Thank you, David! My hat goes off to you!

I would love to read other wonderful stories of generosity that you have experienced!

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Posted By: Jeff McKee

First let me say that Scott and I do not know each other and have talked very little over the computer. Scott Mosley was kind enough to send a card to my 6 year old son. Due to his kindness, he made one little kid very happy. Thanks again Scott

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Posted By: Ben

Nearly a year ago now my apartment was robbed and my entire collection was stolen (sparing a few cabinets which were kept in a seperate box). The whole catastrophe was pretty well covered on the forum here, so I'm sure if you've been around since then there's no need to refresh your memory. Not long after, Keith O'Leary started a thread in which he offered to donate a card to me and many others followed suit with this extraordinay gesture. I ended up with about 20 cards as a result of the generousity this board showed me. Sure, my collection was far from replaced but what this gesture did do is get me back on my feet thinking positively, with a few cards to get me started once again. So a great big thank you all who wrote and/or gave me a card during that horrible time in my life.

Just incase some of you were wondering, none of the cards have shown up anywhere yet, on ebay or otherwise. I still hold a tiny shred of hope that they will though. I've decided to keep my old website up and running, as the scans could provide useful reference should some of the cards show up in the future.

My old website: http://www.geocities.com/mc_big_ben/tobacco_cards

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Posted By: Lee Behrens

My special Thanks you goes out to John Dreker, who got my last 2 T206 commons for my T206 set, at no cost just was glad i completed the set. Thanks Again, John. I know you probably didn't want to see your name mentioned but you deserve it.

Lee

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Non-board member, but I once purchased via the internet a photograph from a famous Vogue magazine photographer. I commented that I liked a different photo of his that was published in Vogue many years ago. He didn't say anything, but when I received my packaged I had two photographs.

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Posted By: john/z28jd

Since my one good deed was mentioned i figure i should mention the time about a year ago Hal outbid me on a 4 figure item in mastro so i could buy something else i wanted more that came about after i placed the mastro bid.I wouldnt have been able to afford the 2nd item had i won the lot in mastro.I sent him an email explaining the situation and within 2 minutes of sending that email i got an outbid notice from mastro.

I was then able to buy the other card minutes later without worrying about winning the mastro lot or having the seller of the card not wait to see if i was going to buy it.

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Posted By: Anonymous

While this wasnt pre-war I was building my 1955 Topps set a few years ago, and one of the Board members here had a group of 32 cards all graded psa 7. He could have sold them on ebay for thousands of dollars, some of which were low pops commanding very nice premiums, Instead knowing I needed them he offered them to me well below fair market value. I know he took a loss,I took him up on the offer, and to this day as I have finally completed the set in all psa 7's and 8's. I keep a little tag on the cards I got from him to remember the nice gesture he did. To this day, we have become somewhat closer friends thru this great hobby and his gratitude.

Thanks Jeff.

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Posted By: Frank Evanov

When an un-named grading company recently lost my collection of vintage wax packs, Anthony Nex sent me a replacement for one of the 1960 packs. That kind of generosity is priceless.

Frank

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Posted By: joe brennan

I have been purchasing cards for my vintage( ok 1963 Fleer) from an individual. I sent him a check and didnt receive anything and started to get worried that something might have happened to him. Wasn't worried about the money. Well he e-mails 2 weeks later that he was out of town and felt bad about the delay. I assured him I was just happy he was ok and no family problems were the cause of his delay. My package comes 3 days later with a key card for the set that I had payed for in a PSA 7. Mark sent me this key card in a PSA 8 and 2 others that I didnt have in PSA 7. I tried to pay him for the difference but he wouldn't hear of it. We've never met, but there are some great guys out there. Joe

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Posted By: jay behrens

A big thanks goes out to a board lurker who was kind enough to sell me a m101-5 Thorpe. I would not have this card today if it wasn't for his offering the card and selling it to me at more than a fair price. You have my undying gratitude.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: tbob

I have mentioned previously Patrick (vintagecatcher) finding the P-2 pin for me in another thread. I have had a lot of great people, some of them posters on this board, some of them lurkers, help me out on sets. A lot of them were Obakers like Brian Parker, Jim Hatch, Tim Newcomb, Greg (gfled), Joshua (Wite3) and Doug Klein, there seems to be a special something about regional card collectors
A lot of other people have really been kind but one of the nicest gestures was from a guy who outbid me on an E94 Chance a couple of years ago. The card appeared that it might be trimmed which kept the price down but it was gorgeous. I sent him an email congratulating him and we struck up an acquaintance. One day he said he realized having this E94 (since I was collecting them) meant more to me than to him and he was sending it to me. When I told him that was o.k., to keep it, but I appreciated it, he sent it anyway. I tried to pay him for it but he said it was a gift from one collector to another. I believe his name was Al Marr, although I'd have to go through my old correspondence to be sure and I have never forgotten his thoughtful and kind gift, and oh by the way, PSA graded it
Happy holidays Al, wherever you might be.
Bob

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Posted By: brian p

I have also had the good fortune to help and be helped by many of the collectors/Obak collectors that Bob has mentioned (Jim, Tim, Doug, Joshua and Tbob himself). It truly makes the hobby more fun, and just feels good. Some of my favorite cards over the past six years or so have come from the above people and a handful of others, and quite often involve no exchange of money, or sometimes just some minimal amount.

I imagine there is a sizable chunk of 'collectors' out there who pursue aggressively and ruthlessly their desired layered cardboard, or care only how they rank on the various grading registries, but I think they will miss out on the comraderie of being connected to others who share the same passion for vintage cards. I went many years pursuing my hobby by myself, and was content, but I can tell you it has been extremely satisysfing to foster this collecting connection.

Brian

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Posted By: Julie Vognar

Rather than singling out one thing Mark M has done for me, I would point to 25 years of continued encyclopediac sharing of informastion, at any time of the day or night I call, deep discounts on prices, excellent advice on the selling and buying of card-related things. And humor and friendliness.

With Ben, although he's done a lot of things for me, and for 2-3 weeks, with me, I see one picture: him sitting at MY computer, answering urgent letters addressed to ME, concerning the things HE posted in the B/S/T column for me--while I was in San Francisco. He even imitated my typographical errors to make buyers and would-be buyers think it was me!

and Elliot Bassin and John McDaniels (Wonkaticket) for telling me that maybe the B/S/T column was maybe not the best place to dispose of my entire collection, and Rob Lifson for taking almost all of it away.

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Posted By: zach

I am not going to say names, but many people in this hobby have been very kind and giving to me. Everyone who has done this, I want to thank you. Where else would I be today without my e96 diecuts?

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Posted By: Anson

Several folks on this board have been very kind and generous in assisting me with my pursuits. I hope I can reciprocate this in some fashion.

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Posted By: AParks

I bought a card from Don Johnson - "spaceops". After a few weeks of not receiving it, I went to my postmaster and they couldn't find it although it showed that it had been received by them. Becuase Don felt he did not do his best to make sure I received my package, he offered to refund my money in full. He easily could have blamed the postmaster and washed his hands of it.

The card eventually showed up at the post office and given to me -- opened --which I thought was strange. It was the third package that arrived strangely within three weeks. Funnily enough, the post office had a "new" employee for those three weeks. I noticed he didn't last long and I never did find out why he left. I have my guesses...

Anyway, Don - thanks for the gesture!

Let's hear more people! Sixty posts about Mr. Mint, 105 about PSA and only 15 about kind things people have done???

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Posted By: T206Collector

A number of people, including myself, had a number of great stories about Chet Woods on this thread:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/message/1133102531/White+Plains+Show+%28Best+Dealer+Nominee%29

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Posted By: Al Crisafulli

Just last week, I received a large package addressed to my ten-year-old son from Jay Wolt. It contained thousands of modern basketball cards (what my son collects), for no reason whatsoever other than the fact that Jay is one of the nicest guys there is.

My son was beside himself.

That is not the first package of basketball cards I've received as unsolicited gifts for my son from people on the boards, but it is the most recent.

And I think it speaks volumes about Mr. Wolt, who is a great dealer with a passion for the hobby and for sports in general, and a great friend. I don't think there is a person I've met who has a negative thing to say about Jay.

-Al

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Posted By: zach

Jay is a great guy, last week he sent me a little oddball package with some 48 Bowmans and a W issue strip card. Thanks again

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

The editor of VCBC read on the board that I was looking for a particular issue, and he mailed it to me gratis, without my asking.

Most recently an ebayer who had sold me an item for a severely reduced price (he probably lost money) worked extra to find good shipping from England, then, after agreeing on cost, he refunded most of my money when he discovered a better shipper - saved me $50 he didn't have to.

Josh (of Leland's) sent me a set of lithos that had problems - when I told him my concern, he told me to keep them for free and he sent a full refund.

Several SABR members have gone out of their way to do research for me at libraries, many times at a great inconvenience to themselves - we couldn't publish most of what we write about baseball history unless this happened regularly. Most recently, a Japanese member went to a library in Tokyo and photocopied all sorts of invaluable material and mailed it to me.

An ebayer had severe production problems with prints she created. Long after the transaction ended unsatisfactorily, she sent me one for free, without my asking.

There are lots of really good people on ebay, and in our hobby - we should all try to look at things in a more positive light, assuming the best....then, when we find out we were duped....kill the bastards.

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Posted By: David McDonald

Welcome back, dude. The board ain't the same without you.

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Posted By: jay wolt

AL - Thanks for the nice words. When Ryan is done w/ those 5000 cards, I'll whip up another batch for him. My wife loves when I get rid of cards, your wife may not like the card clutter though.
I never throw anything away and have sent cards to underprivilidged kids, Salvation army & Veterans hospitals.
Some even send me their excess cards, knowing they will find a home down the line to someone who appreciates them.

ZACH - I have a small box in the office where I will throw in any vintage beaters that you will like. When some quantity hits, its on your way....jay

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Posted By: Scott Forrest

But it really IS better without me - I've found it impossible not to tell the emperor he's naked <== metaphor for hobby, so don't get riled. I pop in every week or so to check for interesting thread titles - this one seemed worthwhile.