Hobby veteran Tony Carrafiell passes away

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Posted By: Mike Peich

I am hesitant to respond in a public way to the passing of a man I called a friend, but Tony was a very special man, and a very public man. As Tim Newcomb said earlier, Tony appreciated collectors who were as passionate about their hobby as he was. There were many times when I was looking for a card, whether as part of a set, or as a type, that Tony would tell me to buy the card at the price he was asking. "Trust me," he would say, "you won't regret it." And I never did. He was an extremely generous man who genuinely enjoyed helping others collect.

At every Ft. Washington/Reading show, I always went straight to Tony and Rose's table because I knew that they would be happy to see me (as they were happy to see many other people), and that they would be happy to talk about our hobby, and life in general. One of Tony's endearing qualities was his genuine love of collecting baseball cards. When I was putting together a T-3 set, he would talk to me about his love of Turkey Reds, and how they were one of his most treasured collections. I could go on and on about Tony, as many others could, but suffice to say that he and Rose are two of the finest people I have known in the hobby, and I am very sad that Tony will no longer be with us.

Part of what we do in this hobby is preserve a particular piece of history by collecting the cards that interest us. Along the way we learn the history of baseball, and we pass our passion on to others who have similar interests. Tony was a student of baseball, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of baseball cards, and he loved sharing his passion and knowledge with others. All of us who knew him will not forget him, and like the hobby/game we enjoy so much, we will keep Tony alive for those who come after us.

In pace requiscat.

Mike