My Hobby Mentor

[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

[rjackson44]

I'm a type collector at heart ,Leon's cards rock

[Rich Klein]

in my Sportscollectorsdaily.com (a valued Net54 advertiser) my hobby mentor was Tom Reid. I learned a ton about this business from a lot of other people but Tom really taught me a ton about cards (and life)

Rich

[jcmtiger]

Back in the 1970's Dan Bowman got me started, he let me borrow his SCD which was published by Stomman in Milan Michigan. He had mint cards and saved the wrappers for all his sets. Jim Hamon was another friend who had/has a great collection.

Bought my 1st vintage from Frank Nagy and my 1st 2 Old Judge cards from Bill Mastro.

Joe

[MooseDog]

There were some great guys who "mentored by example" for me. Since I am based in California some of these names may not be familiar.

First and foremost, of course, Dick Dobbins. Not only did he put on the first "card shows" in the area back in the 1970s but no question was too dumb for an answer.

Many others, some who are not "big names" in the hobby - those who appreciated my early enthusiasm for "non-card" collectibles, especially autographs - and deserve mention are Steve Brunner, Stan Marks, Nick Peters, Doug McWilliams and Will Davis.

Rich Masson got me started on autographs through a chance meeting when my family was staying at a hotel near Disneyland that just happened to be hosting the Detroit Tigers. Rich and some others were "graphing" and I asked what they were doing. We kept in touch, introduced me to the Smalling book, and he later introduced me to several SoCal guys who dealt in autographs and the rest is history.

[Jantz]

Thank you for the kind words Clayton.

As far as a mentor, can't really say I've had one, but I always remember what one older collector said to me years ago.

He said "If all you buy is $10 cards, in ten years all your going to have is a collection full of $10 cards".

I understood what he was trying to say and shortly after that began collecting vintage.


Jantz

[camlov2]

I would say the majority of my card knowledge came from my Dad, Jim Horne. Second place is net54 as a whole (even though I haven't talked to any of you in person).

[tinkertoeverstochance]

I jumped back into the hobby 10 years ago when I started college, after about an 8 year absence. Before my hiatus, I had collected new stuff and 1950's baseball. Shortly before I left the hobby for awhile, I bought 2 mid grade T206's from an unknown dealer at a local card show. This dealer had many beautiful T206's, but all I could afford were 2 commons from the discount pile. They were marked $10 each! I quickly picked out the best 2 of the bunch and he let me have both cards for $15. I was very happy with my purchase and still have both cards today (Hooks Wiltse throwing and Boss Schmidt). These 2 cards kindled my interest in prewar then, and when I found the cards years later (I knew where they were, just forgot about them for a little while), they ignited my interest. So, the unknown dealer who cut me a deal deserves mention.

My dad also helped me along with my hobby. He collects vintage football cards sporadically, but always encouraged my passion for collecting baseball. Early on, he would take me to shows, card shops, and occasionally buy me a card. While my mom thought this was a waste of time and money, she would sometimes do the same.

Ok, fast forward to college. I commuted to undergrad and recieved a full scholarship. Needless to say, I had a little money to spend from working. I began buying off of eBay and then found the forum. Once on, I began to chat with other members via the chat room and e-mail. Some people I did deals with early on included Michael Sarno, David Rosenberg, and Joe Jones. All of these members not only gave me great bargains, but helped me navigate the hobby early on. MVSNYC increased my knowledge of rare backs and sold me some duplicates he had (only the likes of Hindu, Lenox, Uzit, etc.). I still have most of these cards today. David was a constant chat room participant, but more importantly helped me hone my business skills for the hobby (bidding strategy, buying timing, margins, etc.). We did a few deals that came out good for both of us....I met David at the national a few years ago, which was very cool after years of chatting online. Joe was active on the forum for awhile and collected many of the same things I did. He offered advice when needed and even traded me one of my prized collectibles I had been begging him for for years.

Many other people have helped me with my collecting pursuits, probably more than I remember. All of these little things other collectors have done for me mean a lot too. Combining all of the small breaks and snipits of knowledge they provided has turned into a significant benefit for me over the years.

Lee

[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.

[glynparson]

named Vince at Renninger's Antique Market in Adamstown. Of course my father who always was there helping me build my collection. The final two mentors would have to be Levi and Jimmy from 707. I knew a lot for a kid back in 1993 when I first set up with those guys. My knowledge exploded immeasurably once I started teaming up with those guys over the next 7-8 year period. I owe my passion for the hobby to my father and most of the knowledge from Vince, Jimmy, and Levi. A special thanks to all these gentlemen. Also VERY glad to see and hear Jay is doing better. Possibly the nicest guy in the hobby.

[barrysloate]

Thanks John and Jay, but I'm just a guy who has been around for a long time. And if you pay attention, you learn something.

My mentor was Mark Rucker, who taught me so much about pre-league baseball memorabilia at a time when there was very little written on the subject. We had to learn as we went along, and I found that pretty exciting.

[kkkkandp]

Being almost exclusively an Old Judge guy these days there are three key names I can cite. The very early education came from Terry Knouse; the continuing education comes from Joe Gonsowski and, of course, from the master, Jay Miller.

[nickedson]

I'm proud to say that as an 18-year-old kid setting up at the old Troy, MI show in the summer of 1972, my hobby mentors were the likes of Frank Nagy, Ed Budnick and Don Steinbach. I remember Don getting me started on a 1952 Bowman set with 100 diff. in beautiful condition. He came over later in the show and said, "Nick, I have a '52 Bowman Mantle and Mays, both in great condition. They are yours for $18 each." As a poor college kid, I actually had to debate that price in my mind before pulling the trigger an hour later. Frank was always gave me the old baseball matchbook cover for free. And he sold the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set - minus No. 68, of course - for $5 at his table. And they were near mint. The bottom line is these guys did a lot for younger collectors like myself, turning us into lifelong collectors.

[emmygirl]

My mentor was the late great Bill Carvalho. Bill owned a little card shop in Reading Ma. for many years and was always willing to teach everyone the true meaning of card collecting and that was to have FUN. In 1982 I met Bill at his store for the first time and he was just great to be around. Always teaching his customers, old and new. He gave out free cards to kids on a regular basis and the kids filled his store to hear Bill tell his collecting stories. Bill was president of New England Sports Collectors Club which held monthly meetings and card shows in Reading, Ma.. Bill was also responsible along with NESCC for holding the Wilmington, Ma. Shriner's Show. The success of that show even today is still due to Bill's love and dedication to the hobby. He is missed by all who knew him. I'm truly greatfull for his freindship and his devotion to this wonderful hobby. Jim MacCord

[steve B]

Originally Posted by emmygirl

My mentor was the late great Bill Carvalho. Bill owned a little card shop in Reading Ma. for many years and was always willing to teach everyone the true meaning of card collecting and that was to have FUN. In 1982 I met Bill at his store for the first time and he was just great to be around. Always teaching his customers, old and new. He gave out free cards to kids on a regular basis and the kids filled his store to hear Bill tell his collecting stories. Bill was president of New England Sports Collectors Club which held monthly meetings and card shows in Reading, Ma.. Bill was also responsible along with NESCC for holding the Wilmington, Ma. Shriner's Show. The success of that show even today is still due to Bill's love and dedication to the hobby. He is missed by all who knew him. I'm truly greatfull for his freindship and his devotion to this wonderful hobby. Jim MacCord

Bill was one of the really good dealers around Boston, and one of the early ones as far as retail goes.

My hobby mentors were in the same area. Joel and Dave Hall from Halls Nostalgia. I moved to Arlington in late 77, and their shop became one of the places I'd hang out at after school.

I still drop into their auction now and then, they haven't had a shop for years.

And in the small world department I'm pretty sure I bought a big part of my RC cola can collection from Bill at Halls. I was collecting them and the guys at the shop knew I was. One day a guy dragged in a huge carton full of the cans. I was paying attention since sometimes I could get a first shot at stuff that they'd just bought. When he asked if they wanted them their answer was that they didn't but "that guy over there probably does" A couple minutes and $6 later they let me use the phone to call home for a ride for myself, my bike and the cans.
Pretty cool. It's not everyone that lets another dealer make a deal in their shop.

Steve B