Hobby history: Card dealers of the 1960s, part 2: Yeko and Oreck

[jsq]

Originally Posted by Paul S

One person I don't really hear much about anymore is Gar Miller. I did a few send-a-ways with him in the Sixties. Never got an IOU and I was picking postwar HOFers, or soon-to-be HOFers. He always included a short personalized note. According to his website he is still active but hasn't done a show in decades. Anybody else here deal with him?

yes i remember Gar, i bought his "baseball card collecting guidebook" he sold in the 1970's. that book helped move the hobby forward as he contacted many major city library systems and they bought bulk quantitiy for distribution to all their branches in the 1970's. before becketts guide their was a lack of info for the public, this froze many collections in place as people did not know what to do with their collection. Jim's price guide followed Gar's rudimentary guide and really broke the ice with the mass public.

Gar is a nice guy and a true hobby pioneer, he was also a very good baseball player thru college.

Gar was getting a volume of cards as early as the 50's as i recall, he purchased from friends and acquaintances when he was at college playing ball etc for 1950's that was pretty forward thinking.

talked to Gar about 3 years ago and he is a font of knowledge on the hobby history. Gar was an early pioneer in hotel buying trips and hobby advertising to the general public.

Gar and Mike Aronstein are two VERY underapreciated hobby pioneers. they did a lot of work educating the public and making the hobby.

hello Gar if you are reading this.