Dealers (or fellow collectors) who lit the fire

[Steve D]

Mark,

Yes Bill and Nacho were partners (and brothers in law...Bill's wife Connie was Nacho's sister). Bill owned San Diego Sports Collectibles on 5th Avenue downtown (about a block or two from Balboa Park). I actually worked for him there for a time, while going to junior college.

I never attended any of the Hara/Grauer shows, as I left San Diego in January of 1985 to join the Air Force, where I spent the next 24 years of my life . I do remember Gregg, as he set up at shows, but didn't begin running his own shows until after I'd enlisted. The only shows we had prior to that were monthly shows at the old Parkway Bowl in El Cajon. That's where I met Steve Brunner, Tony Galovich and a few others from the L.A. area. There were also a couple of big annual conventions called "The San Diego Show" held down at the Town and Country Convention Center. I saw and bought my first 19th Century cards (N28 Clarkson and Keefe) from Larry Shane at one of them. He'd come out from Philadelphia for the show. I also went to a couple of shows up in Anaheim.

Back to Bill Goepner, one interesting anecdote...his father was in the Navy in 1941, and was the man who fired the U.S.' first shot of WWII, on the Japanese midget submarine that was caught entering Pearl Harbor prior to the Japanese fleet's arrival.


Steve

[pete zouras]

Purchased a few early 70s Topps sets and a 64 Topps giants set from Renata Galasso. Back then I wished I had found out about her earlier; it would have saved me a lot of money and trips to the drugstore. I didn't live near a card store, but several of the 41 playballs I traded/bought had/have "Bill Johnson" signed on the back--apparently the name of a card store (or card store owner) on the SW side of Chicago, which I never made it to.

[Northviewcats]

About eight years ago my wife and I stopped in Cooperstown on the way back from the Big Apple. I got to talking to an ex-yankee, Clete Boyer, that always hung out at Mickey's Place. I bought an autographed baseball from him and my wife took a picture of us in our Yankees hats. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking at memorbilia at the museum and in the shops on main street. When we got back home I looking for autographed items on the Internet. Ebay and trading cards quickly followed and I've been hooked ever since. Now I have a whole room full of stuff and I keep looking for more.

[GaryPassamonte]

This was pre SCD, but Stan Martucci comes to mind. I still have an old receipt from him dating to the late 60s. My purchase was a 1955 Topps Koufax for $1.25.

[David W]

I think it was The SPorting News where I got his name, but my mom bought me Topps sets from about 1977 to 1982 from Thomas Ferenc, somewhere in Michigan.

I just found a receipt with his name on it a while back in one of those sets.

[Kalineman]

Hobby pioneer Frank Nagy lit the fire under me around 1972. I wrote to him asking about how a poor college kid could keep adding to his collection. He not only gave me great advice about trading and networking, he sent me a 4-page handwritten letter and enclosed a dozen 1930s baseball matchbook covers. Priceless!

[Rickyy]

I dealt with a lot of people who helped me out with my card collecting before the internet days... The following names stand out... some I dealt with many times...some once or twice..but they stand out for their courtesy and assistance in helping out a young collector...

Larry Fristch (first bought from him back in 1972!), Renata Galasso (she used to send personal letters confirming that the order was sent out), Josh Evans (still enjoy going back and looking at his old catalogues) , Politcial Gallery (they used to have some nice stuff!), Marcol and Angie Rol of Southern Cards, Bill Henderson and his common boxes, Stan Martucci (and his complete sets), Woody Gelman, Dick Dobbins (I sure miss seeing him at the San Mateo collectors shows which is also now gone too), Frank Nagy (nice nice man) , Dick Reuss (ditto) , Charlie Conlon ( I think Rob was right..it seems like Charlie DID deal with pretty much everyone in this hobby at least once!), John Stommen, Jerry Johnson ( a really nice man..just like his son) , Kit Young (great catalogues) , Lew Lipset, John Spaulding, Dave Kohler ( I remember he let me root through his stash of bb cards and Hartland statues behind the table at the National in SF) , King's Cards in Berkeley (what a store packed with cards cards and cards) , Jim Elder (his mail auctions from FLA had some great stuff), Greg Businneau.

Oh and though I didn't buy anything from him...but, Barry Halper...got to spend some minutes chatting with him at the SF National...his collection in the Beckett book inspired me to collect some of those same cards and started me on the way to the type collection..when I told him that, his eyes lit up.

The Great BB Card, Trading and Flipping Book also was a big influence for me too...I still have my tattered copy that I bought at B Dalton's!

Ricky Yo