Larry Frisch Cards..what happened ??

[Vintagecatcher]

I bought many cards over the years from Larry Fritsch Cards. Granted it was always an unusual buying experience. They were truly "old school." If you had an interest in a card, there was no scan or photo available to be emailed. The kind folks would, however, mail me a photo copy of the cards.

They always had an awesome selection. Their pricing was always very reasonable. Grading usually was a bit subjective. I truly miss buying from them.

Living in Maine, I am also crossed paths with Doloff. He had a tiny storefront in Portsmouth, N.H. in a strip mall on Route 1.

I stopped in several times to inquire about cards, however, Doloff could not be bothered to show me any cards. I inquired about seeing cards for the seven MLB catchers I collected. He told me he had cards of all the players, but he couldn't be bothered to show me any cards. Great way to run a business.

So my experience with these two dealers is that they were polar opposites.
Larry Fritsch Cards couldn't have been more helpful and Doloff couldn't be bothered.


Patrick

[wrapperguy]

Just contacted Dolloff a couple weeks ago. No website but offered to send me a catalog. Catalog arrives a few days later and there are 4 cards that interested me. Since I am trying to get a master set of 35 Goudeys, I needed to know the back number and letter. The person who answered the phone said they would pull the cards and send me photocopies of the 4 cards via snail mail. Good God! Nice people but VERY old school!

[hangman62]

I dont deny dealers like this were big dogs back in the day..( Nor am I knocking them... I know .it wasnt that long ago..1980's...that for the most part..you bought cards based on a very short discription in a catlg,or even less).... I guess what Im saying is now-a-days...it seems incredible for a dealer with a massive inventory..who decides he will be a internet only seller..not to do the legwork and set up a modern data base.. it could only help your buisness....why in the world would you do it the old way ??

[Matt]

Originally Posted by wrapperguy

Just contacted Dolloff a couple weeks ago. No website but offered to send me a catalog. Catalog arrives a few days later and there are 4 cards that interested me. Since I am trying to get a master set of 35 Goudeys, I needed to know the back number and letter. The person who answered the phone said they would pull the cards and send me photocopies of the 4 cards via snail mail. Good God! Nice people but VERY old school!

I had a similar experience with them about a year ago; I called the day the scans arrived in the mail to say I'd take the cards and they had already sold them to someone else.

[tbob]

I had the opportunity to talk to Larry on the phone a few years before he died. I was trying to buy some 1911 and 1912 Zeenuts and there was a sudden huge run on them from his catalogue because at that time there were at least 5 collectors (all from Net 54) who were buying them all up at very reasonable prices. Larry ordered a freeze on all the Zeenuts and would not sell anymore at the listed prices. I had called about the "freeze" and was told Larry wanted to speak with me. His concern was that I was a collector and not a dealer and when I convinced him, he lifted the freeze so I could buy about 25 cards I needed. We spoke for a couple of hours about the hobby and I really enjoyed the conversation. Yes he was old school, nothing wrong with that, I'm a little old school too with regard to the hobby although guys like Quan know I finally was pushed in to having my cards slabbed and have never looked back
I think there are a lot of younger colectors in the hobby who are "old school" also and thank God, I wouldn't want a bunch of guys like he who shall not be named and was recently booted off the board again, running the hobby. "Old school" is not just being old, it's recognizing it is a hobby foremost and loving the cards we buy, sell and trade. It means helping other collectors along. Sure we all like a good deal and all recognize the value of cards, but its a certain kindness that goes with it, not the caustic and brutal "you fire a rifle, I'll fire a missle and I'll squash you if I can in getting cards attitude."
The best reason to go to Nationals is to meet and greet fellow collectors, especially those you only know by their ebay names. Maybe that's naive and I will be trying to find some cards and complete sets but it's the comeraderie I most enjoy at Nationals. As someone once said, you can't take the cardboard with you but friendships, however brief, endure....

[Leon]

Originally Posted by tbob

I had the opportunity to talk to Larry on the phone a few years before he died. I was trying to buy some 1911 and 1912 Zeenuts and there was a sudden huge run on them from his catalogue because at that time there were at least 5 collectors (all from Net 54) who were buying them all up at very reasonable prices. Larry ordered a freeze on all the Zeenuts and would not sell anymore at the listed prices. I had called about the "freeze" and was told Larry wanted to speak with me. His concern was that I was a collector and not a dealer and when I convinced him, he lifted the freeze so I could buy about 25 cards I needed. We spoke for a couple of hours about the hobby and I really enjoyed the conversation. Yes he was old school, nothing wrong with that, I'm a little old school too with regard to the hobby although guys like Quan know I finally was pushed in to having my cards slabbed and have never looked back
I think there are a lot of younger colectors in the hobby who are "old school" also and thank God, I wouldn't want a bunch of guys like he who shall not be named and was recently booted off the board again, running the hobby. "Old school" is not just being old, it's recognizing it is a hobby foremost and loving the cards we buy, sell and trade. It means helping other collectors along. Sure we all like a good deal and all recognize the value of cards, but its a certain kindness that goes with it, not the caustic and brutal "you fire a rifle, I'll fire a missle and I'll squash you if I can in getting cards attitude."
The best reason to go to Nationals is to meet and greet fellow collectors, especially those you only know by their ebay names. Maybe that's naive and I will be trying to find some cards and complete sets but it's the comeraderie I most enjoy at Nationals. As someone once said, you can't take the cardboard with you but friendships, however brief, endure....

I got to speak with Larry a few times too. He was always very nice to me on the phone. I ordered quite a few times from him and almost every time I would have to send back some cards as they were a bit? over graded. I would just let him know something like..... E94 -vg (has a gaping hole in the bottom half of card)....and he never questioned a refund...He just wanted to know what I thought was incorrect.

On your other thoughts, Bob, I agree 100%. I am sure that without the friendships I have been fortunate to make in the hobby I wouldn't still be doing it. Going to the National, for me, is literally 95% about the friends and good times and 5% about the cards. I really don't even care if I buy or sell anything I just want to talk cards for 5 days straight. That is also the reason I could care less where the National is held. It could be indoors in the Mojave desert and I would be happy.....I don't care about sightseeing....I am collecting cards with my friends when at a show!! There is nothing else I care to do....