Whatever happened to these long-time dealers?

[whiteymet]

I had dinner with Pat Quinn, John Rumeriez and Eric Lange at last years National in Chicago. We go back to the early "conventions" as they were called in the early 70's. Pat still runs a mail order auction and his son posts things for sale here in the BST threads.

Tom Rid was a character! As noted he always had the oddball stuff.

Wayne Varner passed away a few years ago I believe. His good friend "Zimp" Bill Zimpleman who was always at this table is a member here.

Another old time dealer Gar Miller from NJ still sells stuff.

[Leon]

I would really have liked to be at that dinner.

I bought a low grade Goudey Ruth 144 about 22 yrs ago, from Gar.....

Originally Posted by whiteymet

I had dinner with Pat Quinn, John Rumeriez and Eric Lange at last years National in Chicago. We go back to the early "conventions" as they were called in the early 70's. Pat still runs a mail order auction and his son posts things for sale here in the BST threads.

Tom Rid was a character! As noted he always had the oddball stuff.

Wayne Varner passed away a few years ago I believe. His good friend "Zimp" Bill Zimpleman who was always at this table is a member here.

Another old time dealer Gar Miller from NJ still sells stuff.

[whiteymet]

Originally Posted by Leon

I would have really like to be at that dinner.

I bought a low grade Goudey Ruth 144 about 22 yrs ago, from Gar.....

Leon:

We may be able to get together again in Cleveland, although I think I heard Pat wasn't making the National this year. I'm sure Dan McKee could join us too if you are planning to attend the National and if so you are invited to join us. You can sit at the "kids" table!!.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by whiteymet

Leon:

We may be able to get together again in Cleveland, although I think I heard Pat wasn't making the National this year. I'm sure Dan McKee could join us too if you are planning to attend the National and if so you are invited to join us. You can sit at the "kids" table!!.

I will be there on Thursday, Friday, Saturday coming back to Big D on Sunday... Would love to catch up. John and I, Danny and I, (and you and I) all have a great rapport.
.

[GaryPassamonte]

Originally Posted by Leon

I will be there on Thursday, Friday, Saturday coming back to Big D on Sunday... Would love to catch up. John and I, Danny and I, (and you and I) all have a great rapport.
.

Is there a dinner this year, Leon?

[Leon]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

Is there a dinner this year, Leon?

No, not this year. Maybe next year in Chitown again, not sure.



Tony, likewise, well wishes to your mom in her battle.
.

[akleinb611]

Okay, here are a couple of early dealers, both of whom I know are long gone from the hobby. I'm curious about their current whereabouts.

Bruce Yeko - any collector over the age of fifty (okay, sixty!) will be familiar with his name. He ran an outfit called Wholesale Cards, located in Connecticut. Yeko was THE dealer of the Sixties and Seventies. He took over the inventory of dealer Marshall Oreck (who was a member of the family behind the vacuum cleaner empire!) and published the best card dealer catalog of that era. A very good argument can be made that Yeko, rather than Woody Gelman or Larry Fritsch, was the most important dealer of that generation. Not only did he have complete runs of all Topps and Bowman sets available, but many of the rare 1950's and 1960's regional issues all came from his holdings. If you own a mint 1960 Lake to Lake Dairy Milwaukee Braves card, it came from Wholesale Cards. Yeko faded out of the hobby in the early Eighties and took up a second career, recording original cast albums of Broadway musicals whose runs were too short for an "official" album release. As of ten or fifteen years ago, he was still involved with this. Anyone have an update for him?

Second - Bruce and Scott Oran, two brothers who specialized in selling Topps and Bowman commons of the Fifties and Sixties. I filled in many a set buying from them. They operated during the golden age when Mantle, Mays or Musial might cost a bit extra, but anyone else was a common. Some of their ads can be found in the TCMA flyers of the Seventies, but again, I think they moved to Florida just around the time the hobby really took off in 1980. Anyone know anything about them?

[quinnsryche]

Originally Posted by whiteymet

Leon:

We may be able to get together again in Cleveland, although I think I heard Pat wasn't making the National this year. I'm sure Dan McKee could join us too if you are planning to attend the National and if so you are invited to join us. You can sit at the "kids" table!!.

No, my dad is not going this year. My mom has cancer and he's staying close to home until she beats it.
Tony

[obcbobd]

Originally Posted by quinnsryche

No, my dad is not going this year. My mom has cancer and he's staying close to home until she beats it.
Tony

Thoughts and prayers going out to your Mom!