Mount Rushmore of Industry Icons

[rjackson44]

Lein luckey and barry sloat

[Leon]

Originally Posted by rjackson44

Lein luckey and barry sloat

Thanks for the kind words but assuredly I am raking leaves with Barry on this one. And I agree with Barry, there is Burdick at the pinnacle and then everyone else.

[JustinD]

I agree that no players should be on the list.

I have a very controversial one to add that I think we are leaving out.

David Hall

Many hate what the success of PSA has done with the hobby, myself included. However, I don't think the impact can be argued as to the build in values due to it creating a huge investment and prospecting market. Could anyone have argued that a 1982 Champ Summers could someday sell for multiples of hundreds of dollars if I put it in a plastic case as long as I don't put too many more in one?

[lentel]

Gar Miller

[RobertGT]

Mr. Mint, Alan Rosen.

He's certainly a controversial choice. But love him or hate him, Mr. Mint probably unearthed more amazing material (including 40+ pack-fresh 52 Mantles) for the hobby than anyone else.

Wherever those Mantles are today, I guarantee you they are the cornerstone of each and every one of those personal collections.

[talkinbaseball]

Frank Nagy, Lionel Carter, Larry Fritsch and a host of a lot more that contributed to the growth of the hobby.

John

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by rjackson44

Lein luckey and barry sloat

Octavio-The real Mt Rushmore has four great presidents. Are Barry and Leon in your top four hobby contributors ever, or are you drastically (very drastically) expanding the number of subjects for the hobby version?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

Octavio-The real My Rushmore has four great presidents. Are Barry and Leon in your top four hobby contributors ever, or are you drastically (very drastically) expanding the number of subjects for the hobby version?

I think you have to nominate Jeff Burdick by acclamation. The other choices are tougher. I tend to favor recognizing innovation, and while they're not popular, for better or worse David Hall is largely responsible for the market penetration of TPG and that guy in Chicago, unless I am mistaken, pioneered the high end sportscard/memorabilia auction house.

[frankbmd]

We may need a larger mountain.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Also, and I wasn't collecting when he was first active, but my sense is that Alan Rosen played a huge role in the transformation of collecting from pure hobby to, shall we say, hobby with financial overtones.

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Also, and I wasn't collecting when he was first active, but my sense is that Alan Rosen played a huge role in the transformation of collecting from pure hobby to, shall we say, hobby with financial overtones.

Wharton Tigre is clearly the number two person. Buck Barker is number three. The Alan Rosens and the David Halls of the world don’t come close. BTW, David Hall didn’t start card grading, Alan Hager did.