Dealers from the 80's-90's
Yankees70
Posts: 919 ✭✭✭✭
After reading a thread regarding Mr.Mint it reminded me of the time I met him in Southern California in the late 80's or early 90's. He was selling cards at a convention I attended and I sold him two complete baseball sets: 1955 and 1960 Topps. He gave me $4600 which was close to current market value at that time. Back then a collector was lucky to get any offers over 50 percent of value. Both sets were top notch with 90 percent at least NM.
During this time line I purchased a lot of my sports cards from Tony Galovich. He had a Baseball Card store close to Disneyland and was always selling cards at every major card show in Southern California. He also wrote investment articles in baseball card magazines. He seemed at that time to be one of the most influential dealers in the hobby Does anyone know what happened to him? Is he still in the hobby?
Comments
I miss dealing with Joe
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Don't know what happened to Tony, but here's a good read from 33 years past.
https://www.postwarcards.com/the-1992-galovich-report-on-unopened-material/
Thanks I never read this before. He wrote a great article on investing in rookie cards - I think around 86 or 87 - for a baseball card magazine which was top notch. Tony was always honest and professional with me. He sold me a 1967 Tom Seaver in PSA 9 condition for $600 back in the day. Unfortunately I sold my entire collection soon after getting married.
Just read the article. Of special interest was the mention of the 54 Cello with Aaron on top. Tony had the cello and was trying to sell it at a sports card convention that I attended. Not sure if he owned it or it was on consignment but I remember discussing it with him as I had a 54 Aaron and was looking for another one at that time. The best card I ever had was a 54 Aaron in PSA 8 condition that I sold for $2,600 which was a good price to get during that time.
I remember reading tonys articles in tuff stuff for years. I also wonder what ever became of him. Others as well. Remember TJ Schwartz? He also wrote for tuff stuff.
Lots of other old dealers i remember buying from in magazine adds. Kit young, mark Murphy etc.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Yes I remember Kit Young and Mark Murphy for sure.
I was living in Laurel, Maryland from 1976 to 1982, working full time for the Air Force, but also putting in 40 or 50 hours a week at Coins of Laurel, a local coin shop. When I first stated we sold coins and stamps and pipe tobacco and accessories. We branched out into comics and in 1981 Wayne Miller joined up with us selling baseball cards. I remember breaking boxes of Topps, Fleer and Donruss to build sets on the 1981 cards. Wayne would bring in collections he'd bought, and he showed me some of 0the T cards he picked up, including a lot in top condition. He got me started collecting B-18 blankets and helped me accumulate a large collection. Later on, after 1982 when I moved to Greece we did everything through the mail. When I had extra money I'd send it to me, he'd pick out nice cards, usually singles of stars and send them to me. I accumulated a lot of cards that way.
I lost touch after that when I moved to Texas and while I visited the coin shop a few times in Maryland he was gone from there. I believe he left the card collecting world and became a professional clown, along with his wife. Wayne was one of the smartest card guys I've ever met.
Great story Klif50 thanks for sharing.
nice stories guys..really enjoyed reading your posts.
I used to love getting my monthly CPU magazine!
Tony first posted on here under username "Zippy" in 2006, in an entertaining thread involving several socal dealers from back in the day:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/482774/goodie-goldfaden-alive-amp-well
Last active 2013 on his profile. Can't find anything else on his whereabouts on the web, but obit searches turned up nothing, which is good. Web searches did turn up some great articles he wrote about card investing in the 80's and early 90's. Way ahead of his time, especially w regards to graded and unopened.
Unfortunately all the old time dealers I grew up with in central/northern Maine back in the 80's have all gone on to that big card show in the sky. I have great, fond memories of talking and learning from them. Most started out as coin dealers who turned to cards. Some included: down east coin and collectables, twin city coin, shiretown coin, brewer sports collectables, the strike zone, keys n things and many more.
Those were back in the days when Beckett was fairly new and cards were wrapped in wax paper! I sure miss those days.
I remember one day walking into twin city and he had a stack of 89 topps wax cases stacked nearly to the ceiling. I thought I was in heaven. I was on the lookout for Greg Jeffries at the time!
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Funny! Believe it or not I grew up in Maine as well, but being on a small island on the coast had little to no exposure to dealers of any size. Despite being in the hobby since I was 5, I have never have been to a card show in my life. Had a few card shops to buy singles and packs from a few times a year and on christmas and birthdays. These days there's a couple antique shops around here that have cards, most priced 300-1000% over comps. eBay and Facebook groups for 99.5% of my buying.
As you said, the few card shops there were are long gone. There's still a card show at the Bangor Elks Club once a month. Maybe I'll check it out! Bet you see a lot of Pokemon and Magic there along with Caitlin Clark and Cooper Flagg. That's what's moving these days. If I was a betting man I'd say there's a hefty markup on Flagg stuff at that show!
Wow very K
L nostalgic REAL 80's 
stories and experiences here which I can relate to...As for me I was an entrepreneurial young teenager who set up at small mall and local hotel shows concentrating on HIGH grade rookies from the 60's 70's and 80's...Remember how the Beckett price guide would list most all shows in the USA by state...I even took out 1/8 page ads in Sports collectors Digest competing with the likes of Mr. Mint, Bill Goodwin, memorylane etc...Mark Murphy and Mike Parness had the cool unopened stuff which I always admired...Then I headed to college University of Virginia to major in engineering...While there I had the most pleasure of working part time in a shop run by Marco Rol (The Original Chantilly show promoter)...I learned alot about role condition plays in cards and collectibles...like real estate is location, location, location...cards, antiques and collectibles is condition, condition, condition...On a last note me and a senior employee at Southern cards went 50/50 (on our credit cards) on a most beautiful 1935 Chickle Bronco Nagurski rookie card with the intention of selling it at the national that year in Georgia...The card had close to mint if not mint corners but was centered like maybe 65/35...We ended selling it for a 50% profit I think...I think i have seen this card graded an 8 about 10-15 years ago sell for like $350,000 (we paid like $5250 or something)...There is another story that some of you may know about THE GREAT T-206 tobacco card find that walked into the store with the cards so MINT that some of the chips were still hanging of the cards form the early 1900's cutting technology...live for today because there is no guarantee of tomorrow and enjoy every minute of it...Rock on!!!!
I sold a sealed case of 80-81 Basketball to Mark Murphy and the check bounced. He did come by the next day and paid cash
Wish I still had that case, that was in the early 90s
Hey there!! A fellow Mainiac right here on CU! If you make it to the elks club show in Bangor, you will see me there!! I always rent a table and set up there! Come on down if you can. First Saturday in December.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
@West22, and yes, lots of Cooper flagg stuff at the show as well as pokemon. Its a fun little show though. About 100 tables and no entrance fee.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Sweet! I marked Dec 6 on my calendar, schedule will depend on my kids that day who like going to Bangor but definitely not for a card show. If I make it , I will PM you and will definitely stop and say hi, I remember you over the years from your posts in the NNOF thread and some other interactions around here.
Sounds good!! Let me know if you can make it. The nnof thread was peak CU! I still have one of my NNOF's. I let the other go a few years ago for a bowman chrome Brady rookie
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I always wondered what happened to Perfect Card Company. I've brought their name up occasionally on here over the years but nobody seems to have ever heard of them. They used to set up at shows on the West Coast in the 1990s. They had boxes of vintage unopened from the 60s and 70s and even a few 50s packs. They used to buy full boxes from a guy who had a stockpile and would sell them a small quantity at tax time every year. Every pack I bought from them graded out with no problem. It was an older gentleman and his wife. I think their last name was Billman or something along those lines.
I bought some 59s from Polo Grounds. He advertised in scd. He listed cards as mint and some as mint(beauty). All graded 8 or 9. I also bought a 1956 Ted Williams. For 600 dollars . It graded 9. A beauty which I still have .
one of the dudes I used to buy from in 80's popped by my office a few weeks. He lives about a 1/4 mile from my office. He just retired and is helping take care of his elderly parents and wife's parents He said he has many 1970's sets. Said he will get back with me when life settles down. Great dude!!
I remember them well. Good company. My partner and myself took a trip to a little farm town outside of St. Louis back then. Our host lived in a home in the “middle of nowhere”. We went there to examine an enormous accumulation of beautiful cards from the 50s and 60s, a collection unlike any we’d seen. Multiples of all the stars, rookies, etc. We made what we felt was a very competitive offer to buy the whole shebang. For cash. We spent the entire day with this guy and the cards, then retired to our Motel 6 for the evening. Next day we get the call. Sorry, guys, another company wants to pay more. A LOT more. It was Polo Grounds. 😭
Ya win some, ya lose some. That was our Game 7 defeat in a walk off. Oh well.
Polo Grounds is still in business. Google polo Grounds cards . Great guy .
I always like going down memory lane. Here's some of the people I've done business with over the years; Alan Hager just talk/input - doing biz with him would not be worth it IMO.
Rotman Auctions — Sundiegocollectibles
Greg Manning Auctions — zanebats
Strike Zone — BBCKid / Mark Murphy
BBCE — Topps.com / Topps Vault
B&E Collectibles — Greg Bussineau / LSR / SSA
Inside the Park Collectibles — Alan Hager / ASA
Bob Balanda — Scoreboard Inc / Classic
Mr Mint — Polo Grounds
Jonsstats — Texas Sportscards
REA
Hunt Auction
Heritage Auction
Morphy Auction
SCP Auction
Lelands
Love of the Game Auction
Memory Lane
Kit Young
And while we're at it - not just the people we dealt with but the rhetoric of the late 80s/early 90s:
Some favorite descriptions from the old days - this card is "dripping with color" or "edges so sharp you could shave with them" - or I believe the tagline for Polo Grounds - "cards so clean you can eat with them" - I'd have to look that one up to validate?
Might have been the Wild West but it sure was fun - loads of card shops - every Holiday Inn seemed to have a show on the weekend and no internet with SCD in the mailbox was the highlight of the week!!!
PS: it seemed like every dealer over-graded; what they said was NMMT (8) in 1990 would get ya a PSA 4, 5 or at best a 6 today?
My favorites to deal with over the years have always been the leaders in unopened cases and boxes.
All of these guys have been amazing to deal with over the years, and some of the most honest dealers in the hobby. I am proud to call all of them friends.
i really like that postwar card website has alot of good articles.
A guide published in 1996. I still use it as an occasional reference or to wallow in the past.
Great story...only nowadays the clowns become the card dealers some of the time.
YES! I have a copy of that as well. great pictures and information. I fondly remember checking out his monthly ads and drooling. I ordered quite a few unopened packs from him and promptly opened all of them. got quite a few nice cards out of them too. pulled an 89 fleer FF ripken and an 1982 Lawrence Taylor rookie. these were all back in the 90s.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I remember back when the initial "boom" happened around 1988-89 how many card shops popped up. just in the central maine area (around Bangor) I think I can remember 13 or 14 shops. some lasted for a long time, some only a few years, but there was a lot of options. also there were card shows at the mall pretty frequently and very well attended and also at hotel conference rooms. I remember my first in person autograph was at a Bangor Mall show in 1989 i think. It was former Red Sox player Dick Raditz, "the monster" I got a ball and a 1966 topps card signed. the guy really was a monster. i think he could hold 7 balls in one hand!
I remember those 80s card shows. all pre internet, pre smart phones and pre comps. nearly everyone had a beckett rolled up under their arms and I remember whispers moving throughout the room sometimes: "The dealer over in the corner has great deals on 87 fleer Ruben Sierra's" "Greenwell is having a great year, may be MVP" and the like. That is how information/tips moved back then, before social media. private conversations and hushed whispers.
I can recall that many of the card/coin shops, at least in my area, had a very distinct odor back then. smoking was MUCH more common, and I remember as a kid walking in smelling fresh and leaving an hour later smelling like i just smoked a pack myself. just the way things were.
It may be just my perception, but having more LCS's back then seemed to lead to more comradery than today. there were mail orders back then, but most of my transactions were face to face. I got to know the dealers and fellow collectors much more so than today. my buys and sells today seem much more transactional.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I agree.
Money never changes any hobby for the better.
It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)
Not even a minute do I buy the whole buh buh buh I'm a man-child japery - Me (2025)
Money. Lemme tell ya lil story about my LCS....In the early 90s, our go-to shop was the well-known Beverly Hills Baseball Card Store, run by a dude named Matt, who was very willing and able to transact. We wholesaled a lot of stuff to him and also did business with several others who had similar interests. It was an incredible time to be in the card business. When we visited Matt's store, it was almost a given that we'd see a celebrity or local sports hero there. While we were interacting there one day, a guy in a three-piece suit strolls in and takes a peek at the showcase, then starts pointing at cards, "I want that one and that one and that one over there", etc, etc. It was Bruce McNall, the now disgraced former owner of the L.A. Kings and the one-time partner of Wayne Gretzky for the purchase of the famous T-206 Wagner. After choosing his cards, Bruce pulled out a wad of cash unlike anything I'd ever seen from a pants pocket. He wore big pants. He placed the funds on the counter and casually walked out of the building to a cascade of WOWS! from us curious onlookers. This was during the time the Kings were having great success and made the Cup Finals in 1993. During the same time period my son was attending pre-school with Gretzky's kids Paulina and Ty. Wayne and I greeted each other every day in the parking lot while dropping off the kids. Life was quite surreal back then, thanks to cards. And money.
I didn't deal with too many dealers back in the day other than Renata Gallasso. Subscribed to her BHCR magazine and ordered several times. Still have the T-3 reprint set I got from her. I also subscribed to Tuff Stuff - when it was oversized - and Baseball Cards magazines. Good times!
I used to LOVE all the hobby periodicals. I, of course, subscribed to Beckett. that was almost a given. first Baseball, then basketball and football later. I got Beckett almost exclusively for the price guide aspect, and maybe a bit for the hot/cold list. i found their articles short and lacking.
I much preferred the other magazines for their articles. I think my favorite was tuff stuff. tons of ads, and lots of cool articles. i loved tj schwartz and tony galavich. read them every month. i hated when tuff stuff was oversized. it never fit well in my school backpack. I also liked sportscard trader, baseball cards, sports cards, collectors sports look. i am sure there were a few more i cant recall off the top of my head as well.
before the internet was a thing, those periodicals were the hobby lifeblood. i practically memorized some of the articles/prices by reading them over and over and over.
i can still recall those summer days expecting the new beckett in the mail and being so disappointed when the mailman came and there was no beckett.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I agree that today's hobby is a more anonymous and transactional experience due to the internet. It's important to keep groups like this going for us to share our interests, as well as the in person meetups at shows.
As a later millenial I missed the big shows and events of peak 1980's hobby, but I can certainly relate to the nostalgia of that stale Marlboro Reds/wall to wall carpeting/old building smell that permeated card shops and retail experiences of that day. Funny you bring it up as just yesterday I was in town for in law's thanksgiving, and while running errands we stopped by an old shop located in a brick building in downtown Bangor and was immediately brought back to that time. Smell was one of our first senses to evolve and has direct links to the emotional and memory sections of the brain which is why smell so easily evokes strong feelings of nostalgia.
What I would give to go back to one of those smoke filled rooms of the late 80's/early 90's! It was a child's dream come true, and adults in the industry seemed to understand their responsibility and were always generous and fair in dealings with both me and my mom who was navigating the purchasing of birthday and Christmas presents without much relevant experience or knowledge of cards.