Longtime collector John Spalding passes away

[oaks1912]

Longtime Bay Area writer, researcher, collector and friend John Spalding passed away this past week. John was one of the original organizers of Sports Collectors shows here in Northern California during the 1970's. John promoted or exhibited at most of the Sports Collector shows on the West Coast during the 1970's and 1980's. In the process he built a world class collection of cards, almost as extensive as his network of friends and sources. Although he had sold off the majority of his collection over the past 15 years, he remained interested in sports, sports history and collectibles. He authored numerous articles and books on sports collecting and sports history, beginning in the 1970's. A link to his obituary is below



http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mer...&pid=156558942

[Jay Wolt]

Mark, sad to hear this.

[kcohen]

Read the obituary. I would say, a life well lived. What more can we ask?

[Exhibitman]

John used to come down to LA to do shows here in the 1990s. Always a pleasure to deal with and speak with about vintage cards, a true gentleman of the hobby.

[brianp-beme]

Although I only met John a couple of times at shows in the 90's, I felt like I knew him through his writings on the Pacific Coast League. If anyone out there is interested in collecting PCL issues, I suggest you pick up his books on the stars of the Pacific Coast called Pacific Coast League Stars, Volume 1 (detailed biographies of 100 of the best in the league through 1957), and Volume 2, which highlights another 100 or so that made it into the major leagues). These books really put an identity and personality to the names shown on my Zeenuts, as well as picturing plenty of cards and photos of the players. Condolences to family and friends.

[ecRich]

Very sad to hear of the passing of one of the finest and great guys I have known in the hobby. John was always so kind every time we met at shows back in the day. This must be tough for you Mark, take care my friend.

Rich

[ethicsprof]

Very sad news. It is the loss of a truly distinguished pioneer in the hobby
My condolences to family and friends.
Barry

[Troy Kirk]

Very sad to hear this news. As a kid collector, I saw John all the time at all the early baseball card shows in Northern California in the 1970s and saw him later at a bunch of Southern California shows in the 1980s. I kidded him once that my friends and I all thought his prices were too high in the 1970s, but they pretty much stayed the same through the 1980s until he was one of the lower priced dealers in those days, and I bought a lot of cards from him. I saw him once at a flea market in the bay area in the early 1970s and I knew I had to get out early to those places if I wanted to find cards before he got them. He was a great guy and I corresponded with him a bit and even bought a bunch of his old hobby magazines from him. His "Always on Sunday" book is one of my treasured books in my bookshelf and I always admired his dedicated baseball research and writing.

[Rickyy]

Wow that's sad to hear... I always enjoyed meeting him at collector shows in N. Calif. I still have a 1914 CJ Cobb and 1940 PB Joe Jackson that I bought from him in my collection.

Ricky Y

[Bilko G]

always sad when a fellow collector passes away

rip John

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Mark thanks for news and the wonderful obit. I first met John by mail in the 1970s when he would write me each year asking afor a media guide. We then began a trading realtionship that lasted many years.

He introduced me to Dick Dobbins which led to even more great stuff and my introduction to the world of PCL collectibles.

Just last year John sent me a very comprehensice checklist to all of the different Spaulding Guides and a seperate Football Guide checklist showing all the known variations. I sent him an addition to the Football list last Fall but never heard back.

With Joe Cronin battling health issues my old "west Coast" connections have certainly changed over the years. Gosh, that just triggered memories of John White up in Portland, what a character he was!

[Bob Lemke]

John was a frequent and selfless contributor to the hobby's knowledge base. He was always generous with contributions to the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards data base. He epitomized the type of collector that built the hobby a generation ago.

[Wite3]

I too frequently spoke with John at shows in Southern California in the late '80s and early '90s...always free with knowledge to a young collector (at the time) and a decent price when selling! He will be missed.

Joshua