What makes a great collector?

[Archive]

Posted By: bruce Dorskind

Once again Mr. Behrens chooses to create his own set of facts.

Whilst he may find our comments "pompous, elitist" etc..he has
no knowledge and/or understanding of our passion for and
dedication to the hobby.

Our first acquisition was in 1975. At that time, we made a concerted
effort to meet and interview of all the top collectors in the US
and the UK. We spent countless hours at their homes, and prepared
detailed questionnaires to garner an understanding of the history
of the hobby, the companies that issued the cards, and the early
interaction between collectors.

We neatly documented all of our findings and have to this day more
than 500 letters between legendary collectors about the history of the hobby.

We also tracked down the founders of Deloi\ng Gum, Goudey Gum
and played several rounds of golf with then CEO of Topps . The
purpose of this exercise was to gain a perspective on the history
of the hobby.

Finally, we visited well-known dealers who were nearing retirement
like Goodwin Goldfaden, Tom Collier etc to gain additional insight.
We were interviewed on a Walter Cronkite newscast and published
a cadre of articles.

At a time when we had a limited income, we made a concerted decision
to focus on acquiring the rarest cards we could afford in the best
possible condition.

Thirty years later, we continue our academic pursuit. Whilst we choose
to be private with regard to our efforts, we are certainly not shy
about expressing our opinions on a plethora of hobby issues.

Nor are we hesitant to combat those who attack us. It is particularly
interesting that the "Gopher with the Behren Mind "is so familiar
with both our collection and our finances. What might his source be?

Clearly he was banned from the Network 54 Board for good reason.
A lifetime ban would, in our opinion, be a cause for celebration


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List