Heading to Cooperstown - hopefully not OT!

[btcarfagno]

Originally Posted by KingFisk

Hey guys, hopefully this isn't too off-topic! Leon, if I'm in the wrong place I take my forty lashes! My wife and I are going to Cooperstown for a long weekend and was wondering if the board members had any recommendations for must-visit card/memorabilia shops up there...or if there are any other hidden baseball gems aside from the HOF up there (experiences, locations, etc).

But really interested in good dealers - guys with solid/unique inventory, honest brokers, etc.

Thanks guys!
Carl

If you like beer then visiting Cooperstown Brewing Company and Ommegang Brewery are musts. Both just a few minutes outside Cooperstown and well worth the visit.

Tom C

[bigtrain]

Originally Posted by btcarfagno

If you like beer then visiting Cooperstown Brewing Company and Ommegang Brewery are musts. Both just a few minutes outside Cooperstown and well worth the visit.

Tom C

Agree with Tom. Ommegang has a new line of "Game of Thrones" beers. I tried the Red Ale last weekend. Very good. They also give a nice tour and have a cafe out back where you can have lunch.

[kailes2872]

I took the boys a couple of years ago. There were plenty of shops, but if I recall they dealt more in memorabilia than cards. There aren't a lot of deals or value to be found. I did buy a nice famed autographed photo of Wille Mays and Hank Aaron - Black & White framed from a mid-60's all star game. COA for both signatures. I probably over paid for it, but I got it $100 off list.

I really enjoyed the wax museum. We spent the Saturday evening going to the wax museum and all of the card shops and then spent 6 hours in the hall the next day. After that, we went back to some of the shops as I told the boys that they could have one souvenir (they got the Pirates yellow pillbox hats which they could get at PNC)

The highlight of the hall for me was the baseball card display. They have an area that has all of the holy grail cards - Wagner, Plank, 52 Mantle, 33 Ruth, Williams, Joe D, Willie, etc. They are all super high grade - I assume that they are on loan from various collectors, but not sure. They then have an area that is the history of baseball cards that has a representative sample from all of the major issues. I think I spent an hour just looking at all of those.


I am going to try to make a return trip memorial weekend. The boys want to go again but their mom isn't interested and the 25th is our anniversary - so I have to work around that.

It is heaven on earth - enjoy!

[Kawika]

This question comes up on the Board now and again. Definitely not off-topic in my opinion. Here's a thread from about five years ago that speaks to the subject: http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=116547 Some good ideas within. Hopefully others will weigh in and update things.

In 2007 when I was there the one place that stood out from all the other stores was The National Pastime. Unfortunately they closed up shop several years back. All I saw otherwise was a lot of "manufactured memorabilia". There may well be an honest card seller or two. Others may be able to speak to that.

My wife and I dream of returning to Cooperstown someday. We had a wonderful time there. I expect you will too.

The National Pastime storefront (RIP)

[brob28]

Try the Cooperstown Diner for breakfast, great hole-in-the-wall place a block or two from the Hall. Also, there are always (weather permitting) games at Doubleday field, it's great to take a rest and watch some of the games while in town.