Dealers (or fellow collectors) who lit the fire

[Rob D.]

Spent a couple hours today cutting the grass, and as I'm apt to do because it makes the time go by faster, I started thinking about cards and memorabilia. Specifically I daydreamed about the upcoming National and what I might hope to find.

Then it hit me: For the past three decades or so, the main thing I think about when cutting the grass is my collecting. What's more, my most vivid recollection of doing this is dates to the first time (they say you never forget your first time). It was 1975 or '76 and as a 12- or 13-year-old I had just received my first price list through the mail. I still remember the seller's name and city: Victor Franc in Canoga Park, Calif.

The idea that I, a kid in Ohio, could buy cards as old as those issued in 1910 (not to mention ones of Mickey Mantle and Bob Feller from the 1950s) from someone across the country in California was mind-boggling at the time. The fact I can remember the name and city of the seller but not what I bought also is a bit puzzling.

Anyway, anyone else remember the names of some of the not-so-big-time advertisers in SCD (when it was a legitimate publication) and The Trader Speaks who might have started you on the collecting trail?

[glynparson]

There was an older gentleman by the name of Vince who used to set up at the Renninger's Antique market in Adamstown PA. He is the one through his kindness and stories that got me hooked on baseball card collecting. Later a former neighbor by the name of Francis "Beanie" Schlottman got me hooked on the idea of being a baseball card dealer, which despite a short turn in real estate and at SGC is my current profession.

[ChiefBenderForever]

I used to mow as many lawns as possible in the early to mid 1980's and spent it all on wax packs from Ben Franklin and mail orders from a few different people. I think the guys name was Paul Golden or something like that. He used to send out monthly hand written sheets photo copied with what he had, I remember one order I picked up a vg T205 for 1.00, a nice 1966 Lou Brock for 50 cents and a 1964 Duke Snider for 2.00 that was really nice. I also always ordered as many different Harmon Killebrew and Pete Rose as possible and picked up a real nice vg Killebrew RC for 2.00. He was a wonderful seller. The anticipation of waiting for the packages to come in the mail was something else.

[calvindog]

My downfall started with the Sporting News and Renata Galasso's ads in the back.

[Peter_Spaeth]

When I started back collecting in the early 90s I used to love Steve Timmons' SCD ads with all NM/MT and even MT gems.

[slidekellyslide]

My dad got me started on prewar cards when he gave me three Old Judge cards he found in a scrapbook. However there were no card shows or shops around my area that ever had old stuff and when I went to college my baseball collecting days were over....it wasn't until ebay came around in 1997 or 98 that I got back into cards by purchasing T206 cards. I also never saw an SCD until the late 1980s when I was already in college and no longer buying. I still have a bunch of my old Baseball Card Magazines and was looking through a few the other day...there are NO ads at all for prewar baseball cards. However I enjoyed the article on who the hot players to pick up in the 1987 Topps set - anyone remember Mike Aldrete???

[skooter]

I collected baseball cards as a young boy, from around 1952 through 1960 when I finished high school. To say I just "collected" them would be an understatement; they were my passion. However, when I moved on in life, I remember giving them to my cousins and never gave them another thought. Then in 1974, while watching my daughter play softball, I went into a drugstore across the street from the park. I came across a paperback book entitled "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" by Brendan C Boyd and Fred Harris. I'm 66 now and I haven't stopped collecting since. Thanks guys.

[Exhibitman]

I remember Vic Frank very well from the old West Coast Card Club meetings in Northridge. I visited Goldfadden's shop once but he wasn't very nice so it was only once.

[robedits]

For me,it was Ron St Angelo of RST cards.
I had a few of my dad's cards from his childhood (Goudeys etc). I had also always been a baseball history buff,ever since we visited my mom's ancient relative George (Nap) Rucker down south when I was a child...and I found out he was an old time ballplayer.
Anyway, Ronnie was a former student of my dad's (from about 15-20 years earlier).Sometime in the mid 80s, my retired dad must have run into him during a walk in town (Ron had a store in town, in my hometown of Lindenhurst,Long Island).
My dad knew I loved collecting as a child,and it had been at least a dozen years since I looked at my cards. He suggested I stop into Ronny's store some weekend,so I did. And I was hooked again. Old cards,some new cards,only baseball cards. he had a good selection of vintage,had weekly raffles etc.
There was another dealer in Farmingdale,LI,name of Frank. And another guy,who was a former gym teacher of mine,also in Lindenhurst. THey all got me back into going to the hofstra shows,then the White Plains shows,SCD,and the like.
I admit I spent way too much of my money in Ronnie's store and at the shows,considering what I was making at the time,and unfortunately I was just getting back into the hobby during it's peak and before the fall. Still,it was challenging and fun.
At the shows,there was a gracious older couple from PA,that always set up at the WHite Plains shows, who always had a ncie vintage selection and I bought from them often.Still setting up there last time I attended ( a year or so ago). Always nice to talk to,and THEY got me back into OPC collecting.
Meeting the ostentatious Mark Murphy at one of the WP shows got me into older wax,BIG time,in early 90s. Had a large collection at one time;all now sold.
Finally,the gentleman (Jim Ryan) who now runs the WP shows was a great dealer and helpd me out plenty over the years. Also purchased the bulk of my vintage collection years ago. Super nice guy,and very knowledgeable.

[wolfdogg]

that I started buying from back in '83 (started collecting in '82) was Kit Young (still have the old "catalogs" from early 80s), Larry Fritsch (bought my first T206s from him--group lot of (5) w/ 1 HOFer...Bresnahan portrait..and my 1st Old Judges...still have a lot of old "One-of-a-Kind" catalogs from early-mid 80s) and David Kohler (SportsCardsPlus---still have "catalogs" from early 80s).....those were the days...........few others were Conlon, Festberg, Mayfield..........

[Bill Stone]

Richard Gelman's Card Collectors Co. of New York.

[painthistorian]

For me, it was Paul Gallagher of NY, he ran the earliest organized monthly shows during the mid 70's in NYC at the armenian church and later the Prince George Hotel in NYC, he had rubber banded stacks of everything from T206's to Topps & Bowmans, all grades were mixed together. He was a great guy to know and inspired me to further my knowledge of sports cards. Everyone from that era knew Paul and he had many great finds of vintage collectables and was fair to transact with.

[sox1903wschamp]

For me it was my childhood friend from Waltham, MA. From age 8-15, we collected every year of Topps cards from 68-75 . When I was 15, my family moved from Boston to Kansas City and I said goodbye to my friend.

It was tough to stay in touch those days from 1500 miles apart but I went back and visited 3 years later and he had been busy collecting all of the "old" sets from the 40's and 50's in that time and had bought out every collection in the town it seems because he had an organized unreal collection that just left me in awe. I was hooked.

From there, I found the back of the Sporting News for my first "old" cards which I think were 62 Topps and then on to subscriptions to SCD and the Trader Speaks in 78 or 79 and my first card show in St.Louis in 79 at the Holiday Inn.

I have lost touch with my childhood friend a long time ago but he was my inspiration for becoming a collector.

[grandslamcardscria]

As a kid I started collecting in the early 70's.. The majority of all my purchases was hockey.. I suppose that was all that was left over at the local grocery store in my hometown...
Years had passed and early on in my marriage I literally pulled that shoebox from my parents attic.. Surprisingly enough most of the cards were still rubber banded together and still in amazingly decent shape. This old shoebox got me back into collecting...
Some of my early deals were with Kit Young and Bill Henderson and I was very envious of there inventory... When the internet came to be I was very active on different BBS 's and participated in Teletrade auctions.. I was a huge fan of the early online auctions prior to Ebay.. I remember discovering Rottmans auctions and thought I was in heaven... Man, Id spend $1000's on 50's commons and superstars.. I just couldnt believe the bulk I could buy for so little...
I also remember buying off David Rudd and his list auctions by email.... This is where I got my first taste of some really great pre war material.. Darn him anyways!!!!

[Steve D]

After getting started through Larry Fritsch and Renata Galasso from 1975-77, I kept going via dealings with card shop owners like Bill Goepner, Nacho Arredondo, J.R. Hewitt and Nelson Katz in San Diego CA, as well as at card shows with guys like Steve Brunner, Will Davis, Bill Heitman, Tony Galovich and Charlie Seaver from L.A., as well as Frank and Vivian Barning.


Steve

[ErikV]

With the National just around the corner, this thread reminded me
of a couple of dealers I had the "pleasure" of meeting at the very
first National in LA.

I recall seeing Mr. Mint at the show. At the time he was a pretty
big name in the hobby. I recall seeing him and his hundred dollar
bills at the front door. The other was a fellow by the name of
Kovak. As I recall, my brother and I had a designated meeting
place in front of Kovac's table that day. When he saw us there
he rather rudly snapped something to the effect of buy something
or leave his the area of his table.

I always wondered what happened to Kovak as many of his ads in
baseball card price guides seem to have disappered sometime after
that meeting with him.

[Rich Klein]

From what I have heard; he is no longer involved in the hobby and is living a hermit-like existence.

Regards
Rich

[canjond]

Frank Keetz def got me hooked on vintage...

[Koufax]

I built up a large part of my Topps collection in the mid-80's from Gary Dollar at the Mid-Atlantic Coin Exchange. I know their ads were in Baseball Cards magazine, not sure where else. I'd respond to Gary's ads for complete sets in VG-EX condition, and Gary was always very accommodating and generous with his grading, at least for me. Wonder where Gary is these days ...

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

... and is living a hermit-like existence.

I had heard something like that, too. I think it happened just after he tracked down and found the one person left who he had not alienated.