My Hobby Mentor

[h2oya311]

Although I probably started collecting around the same time as him, my card-collecting mentor would probaby be Mr. Phil Garry.

I imagine that 25 to 50% of my collection was once in his possession. I'm happy to know that a handful of the cards in his collection came from me at some point as well. Ironically, we've had at least a card or two change hands between us multiple times. There are a few that I'm sure he would love to get back from me.

Regardless, I am grateful for the hard work and research he put into the "rookie" checklist. Although he's migrated to Negro League memorabilia, he's still a "rookie" collector at heart.

Here's one that's changed hands a few times:

[wonkaticket]

So now we have a name to assign blame to for unleashing Sarno on us all it was freaking Wolt!! Jay is a top notch guy and one would have a hard time finding a better guy to show you the ropes.

For me I had a few guys and haunts that kept me in the hobby. The person who exposed me to vintage cards outside of a Beckett was Dan McKee Sr. I remember all to well the trips to the house in MD to get the few I needed from my want lists as a kid. I also remember the trips to the basement to look thru piles and piles of cards, sets and unique treasures from the past. He always took time to not only share but point out things to look for like fakes and altered things etc. if there is one person that I would say that helped sparked my passion for this hobby it was Mr. McKee.

Later on in life I added the Jr. McKee to my list of hobby pals and mentors he was too busy chasing skirts when I was around the house early on. I will say Dan has been a good friend but even he knows if the house is on fire and I can only make two trips.....I'm grabbing pops and the Washington Times set.

Now as I've progressed as a collector I can say that I still have hobby mentors and folks who have taught me things or have just added even more enjoyment to the hobby for me. Folks like Jay Miller, Jim Blumenthal, Henry Moses, Barry Sloate, Scott Hassell, Jerry Totino, Mike Sarno, Tony Andrea, Al Crisafulli, Rob Lifson, Johnny V, Leon and so many others.

Great thread Mike, and no the Knight isn't for sale this week....

Cheers,

John

[Peter_Spaeth]

When I got back into cards in the early 90s I bought and learned a lot from Pete Lalos.

[teetwoohsix]

Hi Mike,

Congrats on your 1,000th post!! Cool thread so far too.

I didn't have a mentor, but gained a wealth of information from many collectors on this board. Some of them aren't posting much anymore, but their information was always enlightening and fun to read. So, I guess the fine folks from Net54 were the closest thing to a hobby mentor that I've had.

I've dealt with so many awesome dealers and collectors on this board and am proud to own little pieces of their collections-thank you to all of you (I won't name names only because my memory isn't the best and I wouldn't want to offend anyone by accidentally not including them-but if I've bought from you or traded a card with you, this means YOU! ).

Three people stand out to me, as far as always helping me with information about T206's, advice, etc.- that's Jantz, Johnny V., and Tim C.- no question "too dumb" and always willing to discuss anything I bring at them- thanks guys!!

Sincerely, Clayton

[Blunder19]

I have to give a big shout out to Johnny V... he helped me understand the T206 error market ...and guided me to several great T206 Error pick ups...

Recently we did a 3 way trade in which he gave me the near impossible to find cobb Sov 460 to help me with my run..... thanks Johnny.... appreciate all the guidance you provided over the last 6 years....you are the man!

[Jay Wolt]

to take this opportunity to recognize a good friend of mine, and a hobby legend...Jay Wolt!

Hobby Legend!?
Dunno about that, But I appreciate the sentiment.
When the weather warms up & I'm allowed to go outside, c'mon down to Gettysburg
an Ernies dog & a cold beer awaits!
And congrats on your 1000 post!

[Vintagecatcher]

I had contact early on with some legendary dealers...Lew Lipset and his Four Base Hits catalog...Larry Fritsch and his one-of-a-kind catalog, but the dealer that had the greatest influence on my catcher collection was Mark Macrae.

Initially, I focused on adding types for Roger Bresnahan, George Gibson, Red Kleinow, Johnny Kling, Chief Meyers, Gabby Street, and Ira Thomas.

Although acquiring "types" for the "magnificent seven" was a challenge, my passion for collecting catchers in the Pacific Coast League gave me a greater appreciation for the catchers in the 1909-1912 era.

Once I discovered the beauty of the Obak sets, as well as unigue designs of the 1911-1912 Zeenuts sets, and the Home Run Kisses cards, my collection of catchers rounded into a much more interesting collection.

I also learned a great deal more about the history of the game, and what an important roll the Pacific Coast League had in providing players for both the American and National Leagues.

So I would like to thank Mark Macrae for opening my eyes to the wonders of the Pacific Coast League players and sets.

Patrick

[Wite3]

I have a few influences/mentors...

My three biggest hobby influences are/were Larry Tipton, Mark Macrae, Leon Luckey...

Larry was a founding member of possibly the first online baseball card trading group dedicated to collecting older cards (pre-1980), OBC (Old Baseball Cards). I was lucky enough to stumble on a bulletin board on the old Prodigy network while i was looking to see what my mid-70s to early -80s cards might be worth in 1988...the rest was history. Larry helped rekindle my passion for cards and the history behind them. OBC itself is still around and going strong and has become a hobby mainstay and its members are spread throughout the country. Proud to still be a member.

Mark Macrae sold me my first Old Judge Phillie at a National and spent a good hour teaching me about Old Judges and Obaks that day. I would say that Mark has forgotten more about baseball cards than most people know but Mark has one of the best memories of anyone I have ever met. After seeing him that National in Anaheim, I did not meet him again for another 5 years. Not only did he remember my collecting habits but remembered my name! Over the years, I have spent some serious cash with Mark but more importantly, he has spent some serious time educating me and any other collector that comes along. He taught me a lot about the joy of collecting and how customer service and time is more important than the dollar...that philosophy has served me well over the years.

Leon was just starting to take over the mentor job here on Net 54 about 10-12 years ago when I joined. His type collection was a huge help with some of my Phillies list and his encouragement to me to share on the board and ask questions to protecting me from some of the more nefarious people out there. Net54 has become a habit I cannot break and Leon's stewardship of the site has been a large part of that.

Those three stand out but a few honorable mentions.

When I started on my Phillies quest there were two people who really helped me. Gar Miller was a great help in providing me with cards through the mail. It was a different time before paypal and ebay. I used to send him a check for $20 and he would just send me stuff back. He was a great wealth of information but not really on cards...Gar put me in touch with Lew Lipset, Larry Fritsch, Kit Young, and Lionel Carter.

Lew really helped early on with some of my Phillies type cards that I honestly could not afford today (Close Candy, Crofts Candy, Red Cross, etc.). He also helped fill in blanks on my wantlist and cross off cards that were question marks for me. Lew also taught me about mail auctions and phone auctions. Lew also once sent me a near complete run of his Old Judge magazines...I think for no other reason than to stop an 18 year from writing him once a month with questions!

Larry was really helpful with newer sets and actually helped me with tips and tricks on telling what was real and what was not. He was the first to tell me to get a little loupe and to feel and smell the cards. I also took that to heart. Much of his advice has stuck with me and I am glad to say it has been at least 5 years since I bought a reprint (and it was a really really good one...Kendig's Chocolates anyone?).

Kit was a help with shows. I met him at my first National and he actually helped a young 17 year navigate the show. He was also one of the first online dealers that I dealt with and he always took the time to help other collectors. Kit introduced me to many dealers that I am still friendly with today.

I actually never met Lionel Carter but did speak to him on the phone once and wrote to him a few times. He was a wealth of hobby information and encouraged me to go out and grab several older magazines and books including Trader Speaks, Old Judge (already had most), Lew's Encyclopedias, Halper's book, etc. Great guy.

Joshua

[dstudeba]

When I got back into the hobby Anthøny N. ex was welcoming and helpful and has been very kind to me ever since.

[oldjudge]

Great thread! I was lucky when I started collecting to be educated by such hobby greats as Lew Lipset, Rob Lifson, and Barry Sloate, to name a few. However, my most patient teacher, who I learned the most from, was Keith Mitchell. Not many people know his name today, but, at least in the Old Judge arena, he was one of the true heavyweights.

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

So now we have a name to assign blame to for unleashing Sarno on us all it was freaking Wolt!! Jay is a top notch guy and one would have a hard time finding a better guy to show you the ropes.

For me I had a few guys and haunts that kept me in the hobby. The person who exposed me to vintage cards outside of a Beckett was Dan McKee Sr. I remember all to well the trips to the house in MD to get the few I needed from my want lists as a kid. I also remember the trips to the basement to look thru piles and piles of cards, sets and unique treasures from the past. He always took time to not only share but point out things to look for like fakes and altered things etc. if there is one person that I would say that helped sparked my passion for this hobby it was Mr. McKee.

Later on in life I added the Jr. McKee to my list of hobby pals and mentors he was too busy chasing skirts when I was around the house early on. I will say Dan has been a good friend but even he knows if the house is on fire and I can only make two trips.....I'm grabbing pops and the Washington Times set.

Now as I've progressed as a collector I can say that I still have hobby mentors and folks who have taught me things or have just added even more enjoyment to the hobby for me. Folks like Jay Miller, Jim Blumenthal, Henry Moses, Barry Sloate, Scott Hassell, Jerry Totino, Mike Sarno, Tony Andrea, Al Crisafulli, Rob Lifson, Johnny V, Leon and so many others.

Great thread Mike, and no the Knight isn't for sale this week....

Cheers,

John

John- ya got me...this thread was an elaborate scheme to finally get my Knight miscut back from you! (kidding)

Glad to see so many people respond, and share some insight into your hobby roots.

Lee, thanks for the mention, kinda cool to see Jay's lineage from him to me, to you...and i'm sure you've inspired other collectors as well.

[Cardboard Junkie]

Frank Nagy, Charlie Conlon, Ed Budnik, etc. etc. dead, dead, dead, etc, etc,.

[chris6net]

Dan Dischley. I also remember talking to a guy who was a few years older at me at the NY area shows who at the time was based in Oceanside Larry Gladstone. I know he posts on this board and actually lives very close to me but I have not spoken to him since probably the late 70,s maybe 1980 but Larry you were always what I considered cool at the few shows I talked to you at back then maybe because you were younger than most of the dealers but I still remember you
CN

[wonkaticket]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Frank Nagy, Charlie Conlon, Ed Budnik, etc. etc. dead, dead, dead, etc, etc,.

Ummm...wow.

[alanu]

My Mom for allowing me to buy cards when I was little.

[novakjr]

What? 5 pages so far, and still no love for the Prime Minister?

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by alanu

My Mom for allowing me to buy cards when I was little.

A Big YES to this. Mine used to drive me all around Los Angeles in the 60s, in a powder blue Ford Galaxy (don't laugh, that's what they called the color). She kicked in and I got my first Cobb (bat on).

[Leon]

[QUOTE=wonkaticket;1247460]Ummm...wow. [/QUOTEa

He forgot Burdick, Carter and Bray.....

For me, not sure I have a mentor per se' but my auction partner, Scott B, is one if I ever had one. When I first started I would call and bug Lew Lipset too, who was always very nice and helped with my questions. I generally call some hobby friends to bounce things off of them and they would include Mark Macrae, Kevin Struss, Barry Sloate, David Bryan, Corey Shanus, Wonka and a few I am sure I am missing.

And I should add that I don't think I really should be included on lists but it is appreciated. I have been a passionate type card collector from day one, and if showing a few of them helps folks, then that is an added bonus.

[4815162342]

The collective knowledge and expertise of this board has been my mentor in my short 5 years back in the hobby.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

Although I probably started collecting around the same time as him, my card-collecting mentor would probaby be Mr. Phil Garry.

I imagine that 25 to 50% of my collection was once in his possession. I'm happy to know that a handful of the cards in his collection came from me at some point as well. Ironically, we've had at least a card or two change hands between us multiple times. There are a few that I'm sure he would love to get back from me.

Regardless, I am grateful for the hard work and research he put into the "rookie" checklist. Although he's migrated to Negro League memorabilia, he's still a "rookie" collector at heart.

Here's one that's changed hands a few times:

Derek. I'm right there with you. I don't know if I'd go as far as mentor, but Phil has had a very similar effect on my collection. I too own a few of his castoffs. To be honest, I'm also often inspired by your collection as well. Your imageevent page is great to just browse through, and often gives me more ideas for some non-typical hof rookie-type items.. I really need to get organized and set one up for myself... My disorganization, would often make those people on hoarders cringe

I take great pride when, on rare occasion, I luck into something you guys don't have.