Cooperstown Vintage shops?

[Cooptown]

I had three favorite stores in Cooperstown growing up:

Mickey's Place
National Pastime
Larry Fristch Baseball Card Museum

Sadly, all three are either gone or not the same.

Larry's Museum, which I have talked about in a few posts in the past, might be my all time favorite. I believe it was only open for about a year, but it was a museum of my his amazing collection, along with a small shop in the lobby where he sold cards as well. As I had posted in the past, even after I realized it closed, I would still walk by it every HOF Induction weekend hoping that it somehow miraculously appeared again. It was a baseball card lover's dream. At one point I believe the building was an ice cream shop and then maybe a realtor's office, and last I checked I believe it was empty. Gorgeous building too.

National Pastime, well, I can't add much more than what was already posted. While I loved that store, I always wondered how it stayed open so long. This was well before the days of the internet and online auctions. There were always tons of people going in and out of the store, yet I never really saw anyone buying anything. I loved that store, but I viewed it more as a museum than a store. I loved going in there to view the items, but I was more of an autograph and baseball card collector, instead of memorabilia.

Mickey's Place. Out of the the three I am talking about, Mickey's Place is still there. However, like many things with this hobby, it's "just not the same". The store now is a lot more tshirts, hats, etc. Back when the store first opened (circa 1992/93 or so?) it was all baseball cards and memorabilia. In the back there is still an area that is devoted to Mickey Mantle in a glass case. Well that use to be a majority of the store. I believe this business changed hands at one point.

A lot of the shops in Cooperstown are either:

1) Overpriced or 2) Tshirts, hats, trinkets, etc.

The diehard baseball card or memorabilia collector is better off looking someplace else. I love Cooperstown (hence my username), but it's just "not the same anymore".

I will highly recommend a shop called Legends are Forever that is located right on Main Street, not far from Doubleday Field and on the same side of the street. I have known the owner for 20 plus years and is a very stand up guy. I use to work baseball card shows and in his baseball card shop many, many years ago.