Hobby supplies history

[ArchStanton]

This looks like the correct thread for this question. Is anyone familiar with Den's Collectors Den in Laurel, MD? I'm sure there were other dealers that did sets like this. When did it start? 1976 is the oldest one I have, but I also have a 1979 set done the same way. The PVC pages have his company name and address on them in the same place MVP would put their name. The pages from the '79 set look identical.

I picked this up at an auction about 10 years ago. It is the first I saw anything from that dealer.

[bh3443]

Good Morning,
It brought a smile to my face to see my pal Denny Ecke's name here.
Denny was the guy with Jim Beckett on the early Sport Americana Price Books.
Denny carried a nice array of supplies and cards and was a wonderful friend as well as knowledgable hobbyist.
One night in Cincinnati after a show, we were out at a Jazz club having a few cocktails and blowing off some steam from a very busy day. I was pretty hammered, and I said to Denny that I was surprised such a big player in the business remembered my name let alone was such a good friend. He smiled and told me that friends were the reason to traveled to so many shows.
It was a few months later that I learned Denny passed away. He was too young for such a tragedy, but I can assure you this great man loved the hobby and will never be forgotten.
His marketing tequniques were interesting, and he was always on the cutting edge of the next hot things collectors needed.
Thanks for bringing up his name and I'll be lighting a candle for my pal Denny in Church tomorrow.
Your Friend,
Bill Hedin