since Barry Sloate isn't reading now...

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Posted By: Erland Stevens

While Barry is on hiatus, I'll tell a story about him.

Like most on the board, I collected cards as a kid. My friend's dad gave me two rough T206s (Konetchy low and Manning bat) with a couple issues of SCD, and I was hooked on vintage cards. In college (late 80s) I got the courage to place an order from an SCD ad - an ad from Barry with some VG-ish T206 commons. For some reason, I felt very awkward about making the call, and I'm sure Barry was wondering who the moron on the other end of the phone was. I had no idea what I was doing. To make matters worse, I was working from the SCD price guide. The SCD guide was fairly new then, and I later found that anybody who was anybody used the Beckett guide. I was refering to cards by their SCD numbers and totally confusing myself and Barry. It was a mess.

Since then, I can't recall ordering anything else from Barry, but Barry has tracked me from North Carolina through Michigan and California and back to North Carolina. He still sends his auction catalogs after all those years. After reading Barry's many patient and informative posts on this board, it's funny to think how intimidated I was to call him.

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

Thats cause hes one of the 800 lb gorillas of the hobby!

Thanks for sharing that Erland.

 

And I apologize Barry (just in case you are reading), a class act for sure.

 

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Posted By: John S

Erland,

I have only ordered a couple things from Barry over the years and he treats me like a $100,000 customer whenever I write or call. A class act all the way.

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Posted By: Bob

Thanks for sharing the story on Barry. In this day and age of dealers/sellers who could care less about the buyers, Barry stands out as a real stand up and decent guy.

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Posted By: dd

One of the top guys in the hobby.

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

about someone behind their back, this is the type of talk!

Great guy.....bought some great stuff from him over the years and he was always accommodating and would work with you a little bit on the outright sale stuff. Got my first Pete Browning Old Judge from him and a nice Kalamazoo bats Athletics card.

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Posted By: Steve M.

It was at a White Plaines show sometime in the 80's. My family was taking a trip from Illinois to Brooklyn where my wife had cousins. I had just started my T206 collection and there was Barry, briefcase in hand, wandering the show. When I asked a setup dealer if he had any T206 he pointed to this skinny guy and said ask him. I did and Barry opened his case and pulled out either a St. Louis O'Hara or Demmitt (for the life of me I can't remember which as I have owned both) but anyway I says how much? $1,100.00 he responded. Well I choked it back and bought the card. Later had it PSA graded (remember, I was new at this, so forgive me) and it came in a 4. So for many years thereafter I purchased a lot of T206 from Barry. For years after I would get his catalogues always beautifully presented with such neat stuff. Definitively a CLASS ACT !!!!!

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Posted By: barrysloate

Thanks to all who reponded to this post. I still read the board (though I fall behind) and must confess I do not remember all these stories. I have a pretty good memory but I guess we all forget some things. But I'm gratified at least some think of me kindly; I try to treat everyone fairly but I also know I've had my share of frays with people too. Like I always say, all anyone can do is try to do his best. Thanks again for all the kind words.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Barry
I'm sure one memory that is still quite clear in your mind....is my 1st contact
with you. In 1983 Barry decided to break up his 1949 Bowman set and adv. in
SCD. I called him to acquire the Richie Ashburn rookie card from his set.

He was excited to hear from me since he had just read my "mystery solving"
article on this 1949 set in the very popular "Baseball Cards" Mag. (Krause Pub.).
That was the start of a great long-term friendship. The BB card deals Barry and
I have transacted over these 23 years are too numerous to tell here.

But, two that come to mind from the mid-80's are noteworthy. First, Barry intro-
duced me to the Goodwin Champions (N162) set, which is my all time favorite
sports card set.
The 2nd story, I think you will find amusing. When I started putting together
my 1st T206 set in the early '80s, Barry made me a $100 bet that it would take
me a least a year to find a DRUM back to go with my set. Just a few months
after that bet, he calls me to tell me he has a DRUM back for me. I says.....
Barry, you just lost your own bet.....he just chuckled.....and my collection of
the 15 basic T206 backs was complete.

That tells you what kind of nice guy Barry is.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Ted- I can still remember that first conversation clearly and how excited I was. I was a newbie in 1983 and to have the guy who wrote the 49 Bowman article call me was really an honor. And the Drum story is a great one. I once bought a shoebox collection of T206 and after looking at the backs I discovered not one but two consecutive cards in the same stack that were Drums! I nearly fell off my chair. I believe that is the only original collection I ever bought from a family that included a Drum- not to mention two in a row.