Trip down memory lane anyone?

halfcentman

I started buying and selling sports cards when I was 19 years old in the mid-1980's, adn stopped when I went back to school full-time in 1993. Does anyone on this board remember:

1) The Willow Grove shows at the George Washington Motor Lodge?
2) Gloria Rothstein shows at the White Plains, NY Convention Center?
3) Mark Murphy, The Baseball Card "Kid" when he was a KID?
4) Mark Murphy's dad offering $10K for a Mint 1952T Pafko in 1990 when the 1st series hoard packs came out (I opened a pack and got commons).
5) Becoming giddy when your Fed-ex'ed copy of "Sports Collectors Digest" arrived at your door?

Those were interesting times. It was so much fun.

Any other contributions strongly encouraged and welcomed.

Greg

mrmint23

Waiting on Beckett to arrive at your local card shop so you would know if your cards went up.

yankeesman

Having to stay by the phone so you could check your bids on the latest Teletrade auction.

mlbfan2

<< <i>Mark Murphy's dad offering $10K for a Mint 1952T Pafko in 1990 when the 1st series packs came out (I opened a pack and got commons).
>>



The 1952 Topps first series came out in 1990?

halfcentman

<< <i>

<< <i>Mark Murphy's dad offering $10K for a Mint 1952T Pafko in 1990 when the 1st series packs came out (I opened a pack and got commons).
>>



The 1952 Topps first series came out in 1990? >>



No. there was a hoard of product in Memphis (or Nashville), TN I believe that had some 1st series packs. I am actually pictured in SCD with my head down opening a pack at a 1990 show in San Francisco. It was the first time that I realized that I was developing a bald spot!

mccardguy1

I remember each and every one of these items. Dang those were good times.

halfcentman

<< <i>I remember each and every one of these items. Dang those were good times. >>



I can tell you that my all-time event was Willow Grove at the sardine-can GW Motor Lodge. I was fortunate enough to share 3-feet of table and had one of the best shows ever after breaking up two 1948 Bowman hoops set, that were overall NM, even by today's standards. The Mikans in those sets were nice.

milbroco

I also remember each and every one of these.
Great memories.
Robert

milbroco

I also remember a hoard of 1955 Bowman packs that Al Rosen had. Some of the packs he was selling were only $20.00 each because of the torn wrapper corners. Unfortunately, the table was mobbed and I was not able to get any packs.
I did buy a 1959 cello pack (got all commons) for $20.00 at an Atlantic City show in 1983. I was set up at this show and a Donruss (rep?) was walking around selling a few of the Action All Star cards/sets. I bought some singles and a set and people were giving me $1.75 for commons and $5.00 for the stars and $15 to $20 for the Reggie Jackson error card..........and they were thrilled to be buying them! I made a killing that day.
Robert

GrandMasterB

I was wishing just the other day that I still had some "Baseball Card News" papers from the 80's

TheCARDKid

Those were amazing days. Especially around 1990, that's when the hobby really blew up.

-Remember the oversized Tuff Stuff?
-Sports Card Trader? And a bunch of other magazines.

I bought my first SCD, I think in 1992. I bought it from a newstand, and then subscribed. That was pretty big for a 14/15 year old. That was the "professional stuff"....compared to Beckett.

-Remember Alan Rosen's yellow insert auction catalogs in SCD? I wonder how many of those "mint" and "gem mint" cards ended up in PSA 9 or higher holders?

-Remember Big Bob? Smokey's in Las Vegas? I think I saved a catalog of theirs from the 91 National.

Mark Murphys SCD ads were amazing. I bet if you found those, 3/4 of the stuff either isn't available anymore or its gone up 2 or 300% in price (1976 topps vending boxes for $150 or something?).

The technological changes since then are staggering. Just the increase in information you have available to you everyday. Things that would take months, years? to research then...now its a click away.

Brigandi Coin Co also use to have some cool ads in SCD. Like a whole set of Mint 53 Topps or 54. I don't think PSA really got going until 1996. I think the David Hall collection was one of the first big PSA graded auctions.

stown

What was the internet card thing (between a BBS/website and geared toward dealers) that came out around early 90s?

DetroitSquirreL

I loved SCD...my local shop would get it and after he read it he would sell it to me for $2

remember when people were buying Beckett because who was on the cover?

yeah, I bought some wax boxes for mark when he was a 'kid' lol


anyone remember the million dollar guy who would go to major shows with all that money in a brief case with guards??

DetroitSquirreL

<< <i>Those were amazing days. Especially around 1990, that's when the hobby really blew up.

-Remember the oversized Tuff Stuff?
-Sports Card Trader? And a bunch of other magazines.

I bought my first SCD, I think in 1992. I bought it from a newstand, and then subscribed. That was pretty big for a 14/15 year old. That was the "professional stuff"....compared to Beckett.

-Remember Alan Rosen's yellow insert auction catalogs in SCD? I wonder how many of those "mint" and "gem mint" cards ended up in PSA 9 or higher holders?

-Remember Big Bob? Smokey's in Las Vegas? I think I saved a catalog of theirs from the 91 National.

Mark Murphys SCD ads were amazing. I bet if you found those, 3/4 of the stuff either isn't available anymore or its gone up 2 or 300% in price (1976 topps vending boxes for $150 or something?).

The technological changes since then are staggering. Just the increase in information you have available to you everyday. Things that would take months, years? to research then...now its a click away.

Brigandi Coin Co also use to have some cool ads in SCD. Like a whole set of Mint 53 Topps or 54. I don't think PSA really got going until 1996. I think the David Hall collection was one of the first big PSA graded auctions. >>




I wrote article for TUFF STUFF when it was over sized about Japanese baseball cards.

Smokeys used to brag about having the largest sports card store!!

I remember a big ad in SCD for 51 tops 2 card packs for $20 each...I thought " oh my, is he serious? $20 for 2 cards, thats insane! " lol

elsnorto

<< <i>What was the internet card thing (between a BBS/website and geared toward dealers) that came out around early 90s? >>



SportsNet?

Snorto~

ldferg

Renato Galasso and Texas Sportcard Company.

stown

<< <i>

<< <i>What was the internet card thing (between a BBS/website and geared toward dealers) that came out around early 90s? >>



SportsNet?

Snorto~ >>



Mucho gracias. Looks like they upgraded since the post BBS days but not much. Heh.

tbonewilly

In the early 1990's I was in Germany, and there was a guy (dang can't remember his name anymore but he actually had a card shop off base in Germany and comics), in Ramstein, and we had card shows monthly in the enlisted club on base. I remember we would get our Beckett's mag about a month or so later due to the mail, and we would have our shows and everyone was pulling out the "becketts" to get the latest prices...I remember coming back from a trip to the US, with some 1992 Bowman baseball and nobody having an idea on value, the "foil" cards were more sought after than the regular issues...I only wished I had kept more of those in the packs!

MrSnuffleupagus

<< <i>2) Gloria Rothstein shows >>

scotgreb

I had forgotten about the Teletrade auctions -- they were happening at the time I started collecting again -- seems like stone age technology vs. today -- but they worked very well.

I was also participating in CompuServe auctions (cards unseen, of course) about the same time. I believe that is how S.V. (didn't want to use him name) got started.

Scott

halfcentman

<< <i>

<< <i>2) Gloria Rothstein shows >>


>>



Thanks for posting this! The Raritan Center is 10 miles from my house.

Time4aGansett

Anyone remember CPU or CCP before Beckett? Or even still have one?
Also remember eagerly awaiting the mailman delivering an orange construction paper quality magazine each month, I believe it was published from a hobbyist in New Hampshire, and was only buy/sell/trade ads. Can't recall the name, but made a ton of friends/trades via that magazine.

milbroco

Yep I remember CPU and CCP. I think I still have a few issues of CPU. I will scan and post if I do.

skinnyjh

<< <i>3) Mark Murphy, The Baseball Card "Kid" when he was a KID? >>



I remember him being set up at a "big" show in Asheville, NC in 1994-95. He had his Topps pack display which was pretty incredible at the time. I also remember him and another high roller playing pack poker with 86 Fleer basketball. Too many people standing around for me to get a good look.

3BoyzTrading

Tuff Stuff was the monthly I looked forward too. I can see what was hot in every sport including Starting Lineups!

calgarycollector

Whatever happened to Mark Murphy, he flamed out with the hobby post boom?

I see he sells on Ebay but has essentially nothing of worth. I wonder if he kicks himself each day seeing the prices of vintage wax now. I guess the same should be asked of all of us lol.

My fave was Tuff Stuff as they had so many odd ball adverts

elsnorto

<< <i>Whatever happened to Mark Murphy, he flamed out with the hobby post boom? >>



Ouch. Poor choice of words.

Murphy's warehouse went up in flames some years back unfortunately.

I haven't really followed him since then, but my perception is he never really tried to rebuild the business to what it was before the fire.

Snorto~

mccardguy1

<< <i>

<< <i>Whatever happened to Mark Murphy, he flamed out with the hobby post boom? >>



Ouch. Poor choice of words.

Murphy's warehouse went up in flames some years back unfortunately.

I haven't really followed him since then, but my perception is he never really tried to rebuild the business to what it was before the fire.

Snorto~ >>



LOL I agree..poor choice of words!!

It was always my understanding that Murphy took the insurance money and never got back into it like he had before his inventory went up in flames. That was the story that went round anyway.

mccardguy1

<< <i>Yep I remember CPU and CCP. I think I still have a few issues of CPU. I will scan and post if I do. >>



I remember getting my Card Prices Update (CPU) in mid-summer of 1981 and almost crapping my pants when I saw the prices of the "error" cards in the '81 Fleer set and realizing I had a large handfull of all the errors including the Nettles card. That Nettles was nearly 20 bucks at the time and I made some decent money selling them at the small card shows I attended.

halfcentman

<< <i>

<< <i>Whatever happened to Mark Murphy, he flamed out with the hobby post boom? >>



Ouch. Poor choice of words.

Murphy's warehouse went up in flames some years back unfortunately.

I haven't really followed him since then, but my perception is he never really tried to rebuild the business to what it was before the fire.

Snorto~ >>



I am actually friends with Mark on Facebook. I had some nice times with him and his dad. His dad sure knew how to pick wine!

milbroco

I visited Mark Murphy's web site a few years ago and he had only modern cards. He had cases and boxes and still had his unopened pack reference price guide.

However, it looked like he got into the vintage toy market. He had hundreds of board games for sale from the 1970's and older. Not sure what happened to him now though.

Bob

BobH

Great Thread

I remember sitting on the floor of Woolworths opening 1965 Topps Baseball when I was 10. Remember pulling a Mantle and a Maris out of the packs like it was yesterday. My mother didn't throw all my cards away and I still have some of them. I was really aggravated when I sent my better cards or what I thought were my better cards to PSA for grading and they came back 4's and 5's. I bought cards from "mr mint" I'll never forget that 52 high number find that he made in some warehouse. A bunch of the cards in the lower cases were ruined from water damage but many of the nicest 52's on the planet came from that find. I read somewhere where Topps used to dump there excess inventory in the ocean back in the day. I bought a 71 vending box from "The baseball card kid" for $800 in 94 or 95 and numerous 75 Topps vending boxes when i was set building. I sold off 90% of my collection back in the late 90's at folks i met at card shows. I had a incredible amount of 90's inserts that i sold off with Teletrade. Now I'm more focused what i collect but enjoy Ebay and the auctions on the internet. I really enjoy the scans of cards,unopened material and the bantering that goes on this forum. Looking forward to my first National in Chicago this summer. So the beat goes on. Great hobby

Exodus

The show at Fort Washington was amazing back in the 1980's. If I could only remember the prices on things back then.
I remember dealers telling me how they wished they had more money to buy, buy, buy.
Everything was selling back then. Everything !

milbroco

Yes that Fort Washington show (when it was at the George Washington Motor Lodge) was it! There were lines out the door to get in. My friend used to make about 20K the weekend. Oh the good old days...............
Bob

calgarycollector

Oops removes foot from mouth. At least nobody died right......

Didn't GAI have a fire to. Maybe it's a common exit strategy.

handyman

<< Whatever happened to Mark Murphy, he flamed out with the hobby post boom? >>

I think before his stuff caught on fire he had a few cases of 1955 bowman football 9 card packs. Not 100% sure about this but Im curious if those got burned.??

1all

<< <i>I was wishing just the other day that I still had some "Baseball Card News" papers from the 80's >>



I think it was "Baseball Hobby News". I swear I ran across some old copies of mine a few years back. I need to find them. Now that would take me down memory lane for sure.

1all

I'm thinking about hitting this show in December. Pretty excited about getting me a Fred Lynn autograph!

Tabe

Definitely remember Renatta Galasso and the "Baseball Hobby Card Report" magazine. Loved reading that!

I remember going to Meijer's during a time when 1987 Donruss were tough to find and sitting down on the floor with my mom, going through all the packs looking for stars on top. Being stupid, I didn't keep any of them unopened. And this was before McGwire got hot so I ended up getting none of his cards.

Reading Tuff Stuff back when it was oversized. Anybody know the issue dates for when Tuff Stuff was oversized?

Jawa2600

I still have a few cards with the Teletrade seal intact.

Jason

AUPT

There was both a Baseball Hobby News, founded in 1982 by Frank and Vivian Barning in New York, and a Baseball Card News founded a few years later in California by Allen Kaye.

Both were eventually sold to SCD/Krause.

giantsfan20

Where you coculd buy a pack of cards for 50 cents and get 15 cards and actually could afford to put a set or two etc together. Those were the good old days.

giantsfan20

Randy Thybeg promoter and his traveling road show of Autograph shows. and Bob Amato? of ct had full pages ads selling cases if i recall of the newest cards.

MithrilMan

Here is the card shop I worked in while in college - years 1988-1990. UVA. Collector's Showcase of America's humble beginnings.



Awesome memories:

1) Picking up Luke Appling at Raleigh airport and him complaining about how small my '78 Rabbit was and that it was hurting his legs. (For those of you who don't know his nickname was Old Aches and Pains)
2) Eating breakfast at Waffle House with Marv Throneberry on way to show. He let me wear his '58 ring.
3) Patricia Kluge buying a 68 Ryan for her son from me at the shop.
4) So many more.

itzagoner

going to Willow Grove was like being introduced to that strange planet in Sci-Fi movies where everything is perfect and you never want to leave.