Who are the 10 most important collectors in hobby history

[tbob]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

In the honorable mention category I would have to add John England. When he sold his collection to Fritsch it took three North American moving vans according to the old SCD story on the sale to move it to Wisconsin.

During a phone visit with Larry he told me that his personal collection more than doubled with the purchase.

After years of buying trips to John I would have never known. He did put me in touch with Wharton-Tigar when I told him I would like to find some old tennis cards back in the late 70s. That was a fun experience!

Yes, old John He was one of my partners when we bought "The Southern Find," the largest discovery of Coupons ever made (I believe). I met John in the early 80's. John owned a card store in Fort Smith, Arkansas located on the second floor of Vivian's Bookstore. At one time his collection was outstanding. He had an unbelievable collection of tobacco and caramel cards and had (arguably) the largest and most complete collection of Zeenuts ever put together, although Mark M. told me it wasn't quite #1. It had to be close. I remember when he began to get disinterested in cards and sold his collection to Larry Fritsch for a huge sum. He still had his store inventory and ran a business for several years but it seemed like his heart wasn't in it and eventually he sold the business. I spoke to him a few years ago and he is completely out of card collecting and his obsession is now jazz records and he has a ton. I always wondered if he regretted selling his marvelous collection. He was a set completist and I bet his collection of cards could have rivaled anyone's.