Bruce Dorskind's Collection

[Peter_Spaeth]

The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.

This seems to be true in Bruce's case as some people are not willing to forgive him even after a premature and apparently lonely death.

[autograf]

Was looking back through my Gmail account as I remember a couple tenuous emails with Bruce.....couldnt find any death threats but he'd bought a few issues of Trader Speaks from me.....older issues....1971 or so....for $5-$10 each and I was missing a few....I emailed him with my want list and he emailed back that they (Dorskind et al) had a few I needed at $100 each.....pretty fair offer considering what he'd bought them from me for. My retort.....

"Whilst we appreciate your offer, we will wait till the normally priced $5 and $10 copies appear. In addition, we will remember your generous offer when the Dorskind group wants to buy items from the Boblitt group. Prices may be slightly higher than advertised.
Best regards for a joyous holiday season......"


Interesting threads going about end of life issues......Ceresi v. Dorskind.....hopefully, when we're gone, we will have more of the sentiments expressed in Ceresi's than Dorskind's. Everyone remembers the episodes with Bruce.....everyone has to deal with that the way they want....I don't see the need to pile on, but like Ryan said, my family wasn't threatened either. Not that I would have realistically taken those threats seriously to begin with. I genuinely believe he had some form of psychoses that clouded his ability to get along with the rest of the humans......

[ElCabron]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

Ryan, yes I find it hard to believe you’re going to go all Charles Bronson on anyone including Bruce for ruffling your feathers with a nasty email.

Yes, because clearly I'm so thin-skinned that any time I receive an email I do not like, I track them down and beat them up. As I previously stated (and you seem to have overlooked) I got plenty of nasty emails from Bruce, all of which I laughed off or responded to in a harmlessly snarky way. I'm not sure if you don't have a family or why it's so hard for you to understand that it's not okay to make threats against someone's family. He didn't do that to me. He did to others. Others didn't respond to it the way I would have. If you're curious about how I'd respond, just send me a private message threatening my family and you'll find out. Otherwise, you're probably safe not looking over your shoulder.

-Ryan

[wonkaticket]

The one thing this thread as brought to light. Is even in death Bruce has managed to get the board all fired up…if there’s an afterlife he has to be wanting to post so bad right now.

[oldjudge]

David--I always have believed that you praise people in public and chastise them in private. I disagreed with a lot of things Bruce said, but I took them up with him on a private level, never be labored a point, and moved on when I had said what I thought needed to be said. I see no purpose in ranting about someone after they have passed away. It will not change anything, only create arguments. We can all remember Bruce in any way we choose. I choose to remember him in the way he behaved when we met in person, which was a much nicer, more sharing person that his chat board persona. Years ago he sold me one of my favorite cards, an ExMT Pittsburgh K-Bats team card. When I see the card I smile and think of my good experiences with Bruce. The bad ones, they were buried with his body.

[wonkaticket]

Originally Posted by NoizeBringer

Yes, because clearly I'm so thin-skinned that any time I receive an email I do not like, I track them down and beat them up. As I previously stated (and you seem to have overlooked) I got plenty of nasty emails from Bruce, all of which I laughed off or responded to in a harmlessly snarky way. I'm not sure if you don't have a family or why it's so hard for you to understand that it's not okay to make threats against someone's family. He didn't do that to me. He did to others. Others didn't respond to it the way I would have. If you're curious about how I'd respond, just send me a private message threatening my family and you'll find out. Otherwise, you're probably safe not looking over your shoulder.

-Ryan

Yes I have a family Ryan, and yes I would be offended, angry all of the above. Not sure what your point is....I get it you would not take that lightly noted…not sure many would BTW.

Again the offender is as dead as dead can be and while he was alive he played these nasty shenanigans ad nauseam and nothing was ever done other than to complain about him, give him threads and more attention those are the facts. Even in death he still manages to get a thread.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

So why get down in the mud with the guy? Why even give the SOB the satisfaction of talking about him heck even in death the guy is ruffling feathers…something says that would have given Bruce satisfaction BTW.

Because I am a mean, petty person with a long memory and nothing else to do?

[wonkaticket]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Because I am a mean, petty person with a long memory and nothing else to do?

LOL, I love you Adam, at least your honest about it.

[toppcat]

This thread is a good reminder that the only thing you ever really own is your name.

[WhenItWasAHobby]

Originally Posted by toppcat

This thread is a good reminder that the only thing you ever really own is your name.

Actually, Bruce's name will be up for auction too.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

As I said before Kenny wasn’t wrong Bruce was a piece of work no doubt. All I’m saying is piling on a dead guy doesn’t make anything better. If anything it drags Kenny down to Bruce’s level as piling on a dead guy is something I can see Bruce doing. As for all the tough guy talk about tracking him down, beating him up that’s typical internet talk nothing more. Bottom line nobody did anything to Bruce ever. The guy pushed everyone’s buttons and nothing was done ever besides pissing and moaning and the occasional ban. Personally I was shocked he was allowed back on the board so many times, a few pissing matches some name calling all part of the internet experience. However using a forum and it’s contacts for death threats etc. not needed for me one death threat and that would have been the end of Bruce's membership.

In the end the guy died alone, with very few friends and certainly very little in the way of hobby respect the one thing he wanted more than all. To me what more could you want as payback on a guy?

I think your last sentence is the best. I'm shocked to see so many people remembering him as a good person with all the bad things I've read and heard. I never dealt with him or even talked to him(that I can remember) and there was a great reason, it was because no one liked him. Therefore I have nothing personal bad to say about him, but obviously nothing good either. I know if I did have something from his wantlist, I would have told him about it and not sold it to him because of how he treated others.

[felada]

Does anyone know what happened to Norris' collection?

He was another collector that could be difficult to deal with

[jbsports33]

REA - thanks for the info! Nice story for a long time collector


Jimmy

[ErikV]

I read this post and I almost passed on commenting, but then it
dawned on me; today is MLK day. This quote from Dr King resonated
with me:


In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence
of our friends.


I wasn't a "friend" of Bruce. In fact, my contact with him was limited.
The exchanges we had were few, but courteous. For those who had a different
experience of Bruce, I am truly sorry.

I am not a clinical psychologist, nor am I am expert on human behavior,
so this is a simple layman's opinion. In my experience I have found that
those who have terribly bad things to say to others are emotionally hurt
and are defensive for any number of reasons: low self esteem, depressed,
or the like. It is well known that Bruce displayed antisocial behavior. This
in itself should have been an indicator that he wasn't emotionally well. It
would seem to me that he likely suffered from some degree of emotional pain
that none of us are aware of.

I am not a deeply religious man, but a teacher once asked which of us are
without sin that we should cast the first stone at anyone? I am not a righteous
man, nor am I without sin. But believe me, I have read each post on this thread
where Bruce's character was figuratively stoned to death.

Mr Lifson, Mr Sloate and Leon I thought it classy of each of you to -
at the very least - to speak humbly and find the good in our former
board member.

For anyone reading this, you don't need to agree with me. In fact, if
you want you can even cast stones at me. It is my hope that one day
when I am judged that the least I would be told is that I was a friend to
all and my words and actions showed it.

ErikV

[Kenny Cole]

Maybe the reason Bruce died alone is that he would send lots of people -- not just me -- pms and emails with nice stuff like he hoped you would be held down and have to watch your wife be gang-raped or that he hoped your entire family died screaming in a fire. And I should respect him because he did one thing right and died? I don't think so. F--k him. I didn't say what I wanted to say on the thread about his death out of respect for Barry, but this is not that thread.

Ryan is probably right -- I should try to get over that and simply realize that he was a psychotic who could sometimes be charming, or at least nice, even to the "little people." So could Ted Bundy. In any event, I guess I'm not there yet. I'm more like Adam. I guess I'll have to work on doing better. And John, to answer your first post and question, I do feel a little better having said what I said. It was somewhat cathartic.

[calvindog]

Why do we assume Bruce died alone? Because none of his friends on Net 54 were at his deathbed? Hell, some Net 54 people who consider themselves friends of others aren't even contacted when the other person is sick.

[Kenny Cole]

Jeff,

I assume that he died alone because, as you can tell, I think he was a sorry son of a bitch and can't imagine anyone wanting to be by his bedside when he went. In any event, that's my working hypothesis and I'm going to go with it until presented with evidence to the contrary.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Kenny Cole

Maybe the reason Bruce died alone is that he would send lots of people -- not just me -- pms and emails with nice stuff like he hoped you would be held down and have to watch your wife be gang-raped or that he hoped your entire family died screaming in a fire. And I should respect him because he did one thing right and died? I don't think so. F--k him. I didn't say what I wanted to say on the thread about his death out of respect for Barry, but this is not that thread.

Ryan is probably right -- I should try to get over that and simply realize that he was a psychotic who could sometimes be charming, or at least nice, even to the "little people." So could Ted Bundy. In any event, I guess I'm not there yet. I'm more like Adam. I guess I'll have to work on doing better. And John, to answer your first post and question, I do feel a little better having said what I said. It was somewhat cathartic.

No Kenny, you don't have to respect him, and I was as outraged by his posts as anyone. But he's no longer here so why not just move on. The battle is over.

[barrysloate]

And I'm not sure Bruce died alone. He had a brother and his father is still living, and I'm sure it was heartbreaking for his father to outlive his son. He also had many friends who paid him tribute on a website developed after he died.

His private messages to people were horrific, I used to practically scream at him to stop doing it, and he never even listened to me once. He had some serious issues that he didn't know how to deal with. But he's gone.

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

No Kenny, you don't have to respect him, and I was as outraged by his posts as anyone. But he's no longer here so why not just move on. The battle is over.

Barry, you should probably offer, and I should probably take, a Ghandi class. However, IMO, there are some things that transcend death. Some of the stuff Bruce did and sent to me fit that category.

It is wonderful for REA to give a glowing write-up for Bruce's collection. I've never seen it, but hear its awesome. Ultimately, what that means is that they get to sell the collection of a sad, pathetic little man who couldn't even attract a mate. What an epitaph.

[slidekellyslide]

I always felt that his wish that I be dead was evened out when it made the New York Daily News blog. I'm sure that was embarrassing to him..or at least I hope it was.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/ite...-card-col.html

I don't think it even mattered if you were nice to Bruce, he didn't care...I once did him a favor and sent him some xerox copies of an old newspaper article I had because I guess he couldn't figure out how to open a picture in his email...he neither thanked me or even acknowledged my favor to him.

I was privy to many of the nasty emails he sent members of the board, I'm not a psychologist, but there was something definitely wrong with that guy. I believe the only time I ever voted in his favor to return was when we found out he was very sick.

[barrysloate]

Kenny- I understand how you and others feel. I could get pretty pissed off at him too. But if he wouldn't listen to me then, he sure can't now. I'd rather focus on the upcoming sale of his collection. That's the legacy he left.

[ElCabron]

Bruce died alone because that's exactly how he lived due to how he treated people. Whether or not someone was there at the time of his passing is irrelevant. He died alone, in the truest sense.

-Ryan

[Peter_Spaeth]

On August 1, 2013 the world lost a thought-leader, mentor, philanthropist, successful businessman and wonderful friend named Bruce Dorskind. He was a curator of information, stories, statistics and trends. Moreover, Bruce was a true collector- of business cards, baseball cards and other memorabilia, but most of all people. Truly embracing the concept of social before social media existed, Bruce stayed close to his wide array of friends and business contacts around the world through frequent calls, emails, meetings and news clippings. His sphere of influence is only overshadowed by our collective sadness in his passing.

http://brucedorskindremembered.com/

[ullmandds]

Wow...what a smokescreen! Did Bruce write that himself!

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

Wow...what a smokescreen! Did Bruce write that himself!

Doubt it, there are numerous tributes on the site. Complex story, it seems.

[ullmandds]

hmmm...just goes to show that on the internet one can create whatever persona/image they choose to...maybe this is why internet dating is so difficult!!!!!

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

maybe this is why internet dating is so difficult!!!!!

...or so easy.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Doubt it, there are numerous tributes on the site. Complex story, it seems.

Wow, lots of nice things written about Bruce on that site -- maybe he just didn't like baseball card hobbyists

[joeadcock]

As Charlton Heston said:".....may God have mercy on your soul".

No one will ever know(unless someone very close to him at end), if he did repent of what he loosened on earth.

[ramram]

Hmm. I wonder which one of Bruce's "we" personas passed away? I'm sure the surviving Brucii attended the funeral. I wonder how they felt about him.

[npa589]

Rosebud.

[Cardboard Junkie]

Originally Posted by npa589

Rosebud.

Nicely done, Nate, nicely done.

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

The one thing this thread as brought to light. Is even in death Bruce has managed to get the board all fired up…if there’s an afterlife he has to be wanting to post so bad right now.

+1

[Big Six]

He's busy hunting down that Archive guy in the afterlife...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Eric72]

May Bruce find peace...I sincerely hope that he has. And may all of the segments of his collection that are being auctioned find truly appreciative new owners.

BTW - I understand that he was abrasive to some of the members of this board...downright abusive, if I read correctly. Having said this, I agree with those who posit that slamming him after his passing accomplishes nothing positive.

There's an auction coming up, ladies and gentlemen. Should we be talking about the material being offered for sale, or quibbling over personal opinions regarding the previous owner?

Best,

Eric

[Exhibitman]

Quibbling over personal opinions regarding the previous owner. Definitely.

[ErikV]

"There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.
When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies"

-Martin Luther King




ErikV

[mrvster]

may he rest in peace.....I did not have any dealings with Mr. Bruce, nor did I know him, but I have read his posts in the past.....either way anyone feels about this gentleman, it looks like he left quite an impression on the hobby, even in the afterlife......that says a lot for the person he was....I try not to post on these subjects too much, I try to find the positive in people no matter what.....I believe Mr. Bruce had/has a passion for the hobby we all treasure so much, and that is an intangible that no cardboard can replace....RIP Bruce D. Americas Toughest Wantlist

[tbob]

Originally Posted by NoizeBringer

Bruce died alone because that's exactly how he lived due to how he treated people. Whether or not someone was there at the time of his passing is irrelevant. He died alone, in the truest sense.

-Ryan

+1. Well said Ryan. I escaped the angry death threat and other nasty emails but I was upset with how my friends on this Board were treated by Bruce. When I read Bruce's comments about the only important thing in life to him was not friends, but pieces of cardboard, I think about It's a Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart receives the book with the inscription that no man is a failure who has friends. Sadly Bruce may have rejoiced in his collection but never realized how much more important it is to have friends...

[CW]

I let a friend at work borrow a CD from me, Chick Corea's Friends. Later that day, the same friend sent me an email pointing out this passage from the CD's liner notes. Posted here as it seems appropriate, and falls in line with tbob's comment above...

"One night I sat wrapped up in the worries and problems of myself and the world around me. It all looked very dim.

I looked at all the material objects that I owned and suddenly realized that they all had very little meaning without the comfort, safeness and joy of the friendships I have with my friends.

I thought of my friends and how much our companionship and love meant to me and I felt very rich in the actual treasures of life. Life no longer looked dim but very bright and the things that were problems now looked like so many small imperfections which simply needed tending and repair."

-Chick Corea

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by tbob

+1. Well said Ryan. I escaped the angry death threat and other nasty emails but I was upset with how my friends on this Board were treated by Bruce. When I read Bruce's comments about the only important thing in life to him was not friends, but pieces of cardboard, I think about It's a Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart receives the book with the inscription that no man is a failure who has friends. Sadly Bruce may have rejoiced in his collection but never realized how much more important it is to have friends...

I suspect that comment was just made for effect, given that Bruce obviously had many friends as evident from the link I posted before.

[ElCabron]

Peter,

First, I'm not entirely convinced that page is legit and not something Bruce concocted himself. For the sake of not wanting to be that jaded, let's say it's real. The thing that struck me was that most of these people hadn't kept in touch with Bruce in years and were basing their positive experiences on who he was 20 years ago. Maybe he was different years ago. It's intriguing.

I began to wonder (and I'm actually saying this from a place of compassion and seeking to understand, not as a joke or a dig on Bruce) if it might have been possible that he actually had some kind of brain issue, a physiological one (tumor? trauma?) that altered his brain in a way that somehow created a compartmentalized psychopathic/sociopathic persona that was limited only to his online interactions with people. As if it was impossible for him to view people online as actual human beings. Maybe it got worse and worse over the years. Clearly from what most board members who met him or spent any time with him person say, he was a completely different guy in person. Maybe some people shoot people at random from a clocktower, and others threaten people and their families on baseball card chat boards.

I realize it sounds like I'm playing armchair headshrinker, but it's not even a theory I'm proposing, just something I thought about after seeing that tribute page. It's actually nice to read positive things about him from people who had absolutely no idea who he was in our community.

I also wondered what any of those people would think if they did a google search for "Bruce Dorskind." Would they be shocked to learn of how insanely and horribly he treated people in his "hobby." Or do they know about that side of him and chalk it up to him being "eccentric" or "complicated"?

I guess we'll never really know, and I suppose it doesn't really matter. I just found that link to be interesting, whatever it means. None of that changes the fact that he died alone. He was proud of the fact that his cards and memorabilia gave him the same joy (in his mind) and sense of fulfillment that the rest of us suckers mainly get from raising our children and spending time with our families. I think it's tragic that anyone could leave this world THAT alone, regardless of how awful he was to people and the fact that he chose that for himself.

Anyway, that's all I have to say about Mr. Dorskind. And that's all the energy I care to expend on thinking about him.

-Ryan

[Leon]

Interesting thoughts Ryan. I think that somehow he probably changed over the last years of his life. He surely wasn't the person in all of those memorials which we knew. From day one that I knew him I always thought he suffered from Extremely Low Self Esteem. I thought that was the root of his issues. We'll never know but maybe he is at peace now because he didn't seem to be by the way he acted towards our members and myself.

[joshleland]

I'm sorry to say Bruce was pretty much the same over time. I knew him for
25+ years and he was pretty much the same all the way through. A unique person but unfortunately very angry for reasons unknown to myself. I do find it distasteful to attack the dead similar to the Rick Kohl thread I read but I understand if I don't agree.

Bruce was hot and cold, at times nice to me and at times really went out of his way to hurt me in surprisingly powerful ways even though I never did anything to him. Still I was always friendly to him regardless. I don't hate him because I see/saw a guy in a lot of pain and there was nothing I could do to make his lot in life any worse than what he brought upon himself. BTW, I am pretty sure that internet site is the real thing and was happy to see that he had one hobby friend in Corey Shanus.

Bruce was simply a social misfit which has been pointed out fluently in this thread. But aren't most of us here social misfits in some way(s)? Either now and/or in the past? Christ, we buy, sell and trade baseball and sports s***t in our spare or full times and love it. I suggest we cut each other and ourselves a break here and there. Including someone like Bruce Dorskind.

[JEFFV96MASTERS]

Post/opinion no longer available

[WhenItWasAHobby]

I've never dealt with Bruce D, but I recall reading his responses in many threads and I would only summarize some of his responses as tragically sad.

I believe if there is anything that can be gleaned from this experience is that our reputations outlive us. Whether it is appropriate to pile on someone after they die can be debated endlessly, but how you remember someone who has passed on can't be easily erased.

I've met my fair share of collectors the past 25 years who've pulled some off some shameless stunts and cut-throat maneuvers in order to gain some advantage over myself and other collectors. How collectors like that live with themselves and take pride in their collections is incomprehensible in my opinion.

Fortunately I've also met many more decent people and made many good friends in this hobby and for that I am very grateful.

[barrysloate]

I once read an article about the characteristics of narcissism, and when I finished it hit me that everything I read described Bruce perfectly. He had serious emotional issues and I guess he was never willing or able to own up to them. I think he saw himself as perfect, and when I once asked him if he had feelings of low self esteem he told me he loved himself. True story.

[slidekellyslide]

I think it's possible he just enjoyed being an a-hole.

[autograf]

An interesting dichotomy where someone can apparently be SO different with one group and another. IF the sentiments on the web page are correct. Maybe he was bipolar or schizophrenic.....or like Dan said.....just enjoyed being an a-hole. We'll never know.