Card Collector's Company, Franklin Sq. NY

[commishbob]

I bought cards lots from them through their catalogs. I think I first saw their ads in one of those cheap, pulp baseball mags I loved to pick up at the corner newsstand.

[JollyElm]

Man, this thread is bringing back some great memories. I used to get those b/w catalogues in the mail and I scoured through them to see all of the 'ancient' cards (you know, from the 60's) they had to offer. It's funny how expensive 10 cents was for a Mantle. Ha ha. Where's a time machine when you need one??

[Exhibitman]

I ordered from them a few times in 1976. They offered grab bags lots of old cards very cheap. As I recall, the cards I got were dead on mint but for smoke or water damage on most of them, but i didn't mind because the effect was minimal and they included multiple HOFers in each lot.

[rgurtowski]

I remember also buying a card collector's box from them (fit 1000 cards) for $2.00 + shipping. Seemed like they were the only place you could mail order card collecting supplies.

[ALR-bishop]

[toppcat]

I've done a few posts on CCC over the years: https://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/s...tors%20Company

I also have a series going (somewhat neglected but I'll pick it up again soon), on "The Card Collector" Newsletter they put out: https://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/s...rd%20Collector

[jerrys]

Don Lepore, who actually ran the CCC operations for Woody Gelman, invited me to see the operation at the site one time. It was as one would expect, women seated at tables in front of mountains of cards filling orders. After the fire Don conducted business from an office on the main street in the village of Franklin Square, NY.

[trdcrdkid]

Here are a couple of posts of mine that include the early history of the Card Collector's Company:

First, its origins in the 1950s with Sam Rosen, Woody Gelman's stepfather, and the earliest price lists after Woody took over following Sam's death on 12/31/58. He launched The Card Collector newsletter shortly thereafter to compete with Gordon Taylor's Card Comments:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=233137

This post is about the competition between Gelman and Taylor in the early 1960s, which Gelman won when Taylor went bankrupt:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=233392

Finally, this post is mostly about Bruce Yeko and Marshall Oreck, but it has a bit at the end with the 1968 Card Collector's Company price list, the first year Gelman started charging more for star cards:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=233772

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by jerrys

Don Lepore, who actually ran the CCC operations for Woody Gelman, invited me to see the operation at the site one time. It was as one would expect, women seated at tables in front of mountains of cards filling orders. After the fire Don conducted business from an office on the main street in the village of Franklin Square, NY.

Jerry, do you recall where that site actually was?

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by jerrys

Don Lepore, who actually ran the CCC operations for Woody Gelman, invited me to see the operation at the site one time. It was as one would expect, women seated at tables in front of mountains of cards filling orders. After the fire Don conducted business from an office on the main street in the village of Franklin Square, NY.

This is the earliest date I've seen Lepore formally associated with Richard Gelman, December 1978 Trader Speaks ad. That is a New Jersey phone number for him. Richard Gelman lived in Manhattan I believe and had his own successful career. Woody's widow must moved out of the house at some point, which was sold in December of 1979, close to two years after Woody's death, which might explain the office on Hempstead Tpke (also nearer to Franklin Square PO) popping up.

Richard Gelman opened the Greenwich Village Store some time in 1983. As noted here and elsewhere, his inventory was not the same by then. He had blown out a ton of vintage and rare stuff before the move in several amazing ads.