Hobby supplies history

[bh3443]

Good Morning Steve,
First, let me applaud you for starting this great thread. Since you & I are from the Boston area, our findings are similar.
In the mid 70's, I bought those Logo binders with sheets at the Marlboro Mammoth Mart which later became The Mart and eventually Zarze. Interestingly enough, my silent partner in my Framingham Store (1980-1985) was a VP at Zarze and we traced the sheets to a company in Milton, Massachusetts called RW Baldwin. The binders we found were those brown "Sports Collection" type and made by Elbe Corporation in Fall River, Mass.
Now, board member Jeff Weisenberg/National Card Investors (a close friend since we were kids and the # 1 guy at Rotman's al those years) can fill in the details from here, but if my memory serves me correctly, Steve Rotman bought the Elbe binder Company, either bought out RW Baldwin Sheet Company and eventually was using 20th Century Plastics in CA by the early 1980's, and he was using Worcester, MA Corrogated Box Co for making the storage boxes.

As most of you know, I travelled extensively all over the US to do shows with hobby pioneer and supply dealer Bob Thing from Maine and we remain very close after all these decades. Bob was getting some supplies from Rotman until a historic meeting at the 1981 Willow Grove Show, when we were introduced to 2 gentlemen from Ohio who owned MVP Sheets. A deal was struck on price/quantity in the lounge at the old George Washington Motor Lodge and Bob and I began trucking van loads of sheets from Ohio back to New England.

As for single card holders (screw downs), I always had a crew of guys that would hand make them for us. This went on until a show in Southern Conn when someone showed us what's now known as the rigid holder. They first appeared in our circle in 1985 or 1986.

Then with the hobby boom of the 90's, Ultra Pro and BBC World pretty much priced everyone out of the market with a decent line of products at low prices.

Although we had fun and made money with supplies ( I was a little guy with shows and stores) but Bob was a good size wholesaler, it was exciting as the various products developed and hit the market.

These days, I get my supplies from Bob when he comes to visit me. He's THE guy at the GBSCC for supplies!

I hope this info helps shed some light on the history of supplies as I remember it, and again, Steve, thanks for starting a great thread. It's always great talking hobby issues with you. My best to you & your family!

Bill Hedin