The Rosen '52 find

[cardsagain74]

Originally Posted by Johnny T

My first "real" card I bought from John was a 1964 Topps Rose at his booth in the flea market. I paid $19...early 80's...when I showed my mother what I bought and how much I paid she flipped out! I said "I'm simply traded paper (money) for cardboard"...always the salesman. Anyway, my Mom walked me over to John's booth and kind of layed into him, thinking he took advantage of a kid. He convinced her what I bought was a good purchase and that the value would "double" in 6 months. It did!

He handled that better than I would've at the time. Once when I was set up at a show during the junk wax era, a kid (maybe 12) walked up with his mother and asked me a price on something in a 25% off Beckett box, which I quoted him without having to look it up.

Mom drags him away saying something like "don't believe that cause people will tell you anything" (practically to my face). I respond with a dagger glare and hold out the current Beckett, telling her she's more than welcome to check what I said. That was ignored and they walked on.

Obviously you need to teach kids to avoid getting screwed over, but that message of simply "the salesman is a POS and must be lying" is horrible, lazy parenting on many levels. Show your kids how to figure out what's good and what isn't, instead of always assuming the worst.

[steve B]

Mr mint was at one of the shows I helped work. I was at a table about 12 ft away and got to watch him work.

Just not my kind of guy, all hype and puffery. He did know his cards though.

[Collectorsince62]

Rosen was at a show in St. Louis manning a table. When I walked up he asked me what I was looking for and I told him I needed one card to finish a mint '62 Topps set. The term "near mint" hadn't been coined yet. I knew the types of cards he handled and knew he certainly wouldn't have the 7th series checklist I needed. To this day I'm still astonished by what happened next. He reaches behind him and pulls out a box filled with nothing but '62 Topps 7th series checklists, all in perfect condition. It was like a magic act. Why he had about 100 of that card, the only card I was hunting for that day, is still bewildering. I have other stories about some of his shenanigans at St. Louis shows, but the checklist story I had to share.

[ALBB]

yea, lotta storys about Rosen...

He insisted his table was the first one that customers saw as they walked into big shows

He made a big stink when one promoter didnt give him the the " best table"

He threatened ..and various time ..never to to a show again...never to set up at " so and so's" shows, etc..

I remember the time I called him to sell stuff...left a message....he called me back later...and to annoy him, I pretended I didnt know who he was ! LOL. I kept saying loudly " Who ? , Mr. What ? " !!

[Stuke1976]

Originally Posted by ALBB

yea, lotta storys about Rosen...

He insisted his table was the first one that customers saw as they walked into big shows

He made a big stink when one promoter didnt give him the the " best table"

He threatened ..and various time ..never to to a show again...never to set up at " so and so's" shows, etc..

I remember the time I called him to sell stuff...left a message....he called me back later...and to annoy him, I pretended I didnt know who he was ! LOL. I kept saying loudly " Who ? , Mr. What ? " !!

Being at the front/first table was the least promoters could do for having the show advertised by him for several weeks or months in major hobby publications.

[Hankphenom]

I don't remember Rosen being set up at Philly shows, and I wonder if he might have gotten into a fight at some point with Bob Schmierer, legendary promoter of those, who could also be prickly to deal with.

[Jewish-collector]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

I don't remember Rosen being set up at Philly shows, and I wonder if he might have gotten into a fight at some point with Bob Schmierer, legendary promoter of those, who could also be prickly to deal with.

He did set up at shows at the Philly show (at the Ft. Washington Expo Center).

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

I don't remember Rosen being set up at Philly shows, and I wonder if he might have gotten into a fight at some point with Bob Schmierer, legendary promoter of those, who could also be prickly to deal with.

Rosen was definitely at Ft. Washington. He also setup at some of the shows at Oaks that were competing with the Philly Show. Just a guess, but that may have been the catalyst for why he stopped setting up at Philly.

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by Collectorsince62

Rosen was at a show in St. Louis manning a table. When I walked up he asked me what I was looking for and I told him I needed one card to finish a mint '62 Topps set. The term "near mint" hadn't been coined yet. I knew the types of cards he handled and knew he certainly wouldn't have the 7th series checklist I needed. To this day I'm still astonished by what happened next. He reaches behind him and pulls out a box filled with nothing but '62 Topps 7th series checklists, all in perfect condition. It was like a magic act. Why he had about 100 of that card, the only card I was hunting for that day, is still bewildering. I have other stories about some of his shenanigans at St. Louis shows, but the checklist story I had to share.

I used to buy cards from a guy who told me that exact story about those checklists-Don Burnett- said Rosen was walking around that show with a briefcase and someone asked him what was in it and he opened it to show the mint checklists.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by cardsagain74

He handled that better than I would've at the time. Once when I was set up at a show during the junk wax era, a kid (maybe 12) walked up with his mother and asked me a price on something in a 25% off Beckett box, which I quoted him without having to look it up.



Mom drags him away saying something like "don't believe that cause people will tell you anything" (practically to my face). I respond with a dagger glare and hold out the current Beckett, telling her she's more than welcome to check what I said. That was ignored and they walked on.



Obviously you need to teach kids to avoid getting screwed over, but that message of simply "the salesman is a POS and must be lying" is horrible, lazy parenting on many levels. Show your kids how to figure out what's good and what isn't, instead of always assuming the worst.

Ha! I have almost that exact story. At the Durham Fair, probably 1983, I bought a VGEX 64 Mantle for $23 and my Mom thought I lost my mind.

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