Meet and Greet- welcome to Net54baseball

[E93]

1. Name- Jim

2. Age- 43

3. Day job- Professor of Buddhist philosophy

4. Location- Oregon

5. Collecting interest- 19th century baseball cards, 20th century E and T cards, '30's gum, 70's Topps, 50's Topps.

6. Family- 3 1/2 year old son.
7. How long in hobby- 33 years.

8. Other interests- my son, music (eclectic - jazz, rock, alternative, country, avante garde, etc.), travel (50 states and 29 countries so far, mostly Asia), translating Buddhist texts (Tibetan).

9. Do you attend shows? National

[AndyG09]

1. Name- Andy Garden

2. Age- 35

3. Day job- 5th grade teacher

4. Location- Allen Park, Michigan (Home of the Lions )

5. Collecting interest- T206 (Almost half way there!) Diamond Stars, Strips, anything prewar I deem cool and can afford I guess.

6. Family- Married, with two daughters, 4 and 17 months.

7. How long in hobby- Collected cards as a kid and off and on in college. Collected autographs for 20 years. Would like to sell most of the autographs to fund cards. Now fully committed to prewar. Thank you NET54!

8. Other interests- I play shortstop on a vintage baseball team each summer. We play by 1867 rules. Heavy uniforms, heavy bats, and now have a set of pretty beat up hands.

9. Do you attend shows? Locals around the D, Sun-Times, Strongsville, the National 2011 will be my second one.

[Mollys Dad]

1. Name - Bill B.

2. Age- 42

3. Day job- Broker for one of the nations largest brokerage firms.

4. Location- Northern Kentucky

5. Collecting interest - Pre-1970 vintage baseball cards. Focusing more and more on pre-war era. Also collecting autographs for 30 years as well.

6. Family - Wife and daughter

7. How long in hobby -30 years off and on (on for the past few years).

8. Other interests- Reading and spending as much time at home as possible.

9. Do you attend shows? Rarely. There arent many in my area anymore. Sign of the times.

[prestigecollectibles]

1. Name - Robert Klevens

2. Age- 43

3. Day job- prestigecollectibles.com

4. Location- Lauderhill, Florida

5. Collecting interest - Late 19th century to early 20th century Japanese baseball books, magazines, postcards, tickets, etc.

6. Family - Wife

7. How long in hobby -Collecting for 32 years in business for 21.

8. Other interests- Traveling, surfing the web, talking with fellow collectors.

9. Do you attend shows? Years ago many, recently only the National.

[margoaepi]

1. Name - Josh Margolin

2. Age- 31

3. Day job- Commercial litigator with a focus on securities litigation

4. Location- New York

5. Collecting interest - Hall of famer autographs, and autographs of players who interest me.

6. Family - Wife of 1 1/2 years who has put up with a recent spending bender I went on in some recent auctions.

7. How long in hobby - Not counting little kid time, about 6 years.

8. Other interests- Traveling to odd corners of the globe (Uzbekistan is my farthest afield), scuba diving, non-fiction science and history, and sadly, the Mets.

9. Do you attend shows? Once in a while, hard to get to the good ones with my work schedule.

[btcarfagno]

1. Name- Tom Carfagno

2. Age- 39

3. Day job- Accountant with a local financial firm

4. Location- Flemington, NJ...Central part of the state...home of Jack Cust!!

5. Collecting interest- When I even have money for myself again, will start to accumulate a pre-1980 Pittsburgh Pirates master collection.

6. Family- wife and 3 daughters...10, 10, and 7 (sadly only one is a Pirates fan!

7. How long in hobby- Learned to read off cards when I was 2. Had my first table at a show at 9. Stopped collecting to start family in mid-1990's. Started up again middle of 2010.

8. Other interests- Family, coaching my kids, the Pirates, history, classic movies, history in general (baseball and movie history in particular).

9. Do you attend shows? Have not attended one in 15 years.

[Bilko G]

1. Name- Bilko Glasier

2. Age- 34

3. Day job- Corrections officer and Warehouse worker (forklift)

4. Location- Calgary, Alberta, Canada

5. Collecting interest- Very Wide Range. Collect Vintage and Modern. Also into memorabilia and game used items. Have many cards from all the four major sports in my collection that range from early 1900's to present day, very large Hockey collection.

6. Family- Been happily unmarried with my GF for almost 10 years

7. How long in hobby- Since Childhood. "Slowed" down a bit from about 17-23 for "other" hobbies

8. Other interests- Bodybuilding, Camaros, Harleys, attending NHL and WHL Hockey games, CFL season Ticket holder, watching TV, surfing the net and sleeping. Collect some Toys from childhood ( 1980s GI Joes, Transformers, MASK, Masters of the Universe, etc.)

9. Do you attend shows? As many as possible. Attend pretty much every show in Calgary and Edmonton.

[tonyo]

1. Name- Tony Ooten

2. Age- 46

3. Day job- Structural Engineer

4. Location- Powder Springs GA (Metro Atlanta)

5. Collecting interest- t206 (currently chasing the Monster) 33 Goudey HOF, 40/41 Playball HOF, Exhibit Salutation HOF, Early 20's caramel HOF, more and more 50, 51, 52 Bowman, Barry Larkin type collection, Atlanta Thrashers.

6. Family- Married 17 years to Robbie, 14 year old Morgan and 11 year old Maggie

7. How long in hobby- 1972-1999, 2009-present

8. Other interests- Parenting, Rec Soccer Coach, Atlanta Thrashers STH, Browsing Antique Stores hoping to find some t206's in a drawer or book

9. Do you attend shows? Would if there were more locally. Bob tipped me off about a local show a few weeks ago, but I wasn't able to make it.

[tonyk1975]

1. Name Tony Krupka
2. Age 35 yrs old
3. Day Job Walmart Logistics
4. Location Felton,DE
5. Collection Interest Currently putting together a low grade set of T206 with a wide variety of backs.
6. Family I have a 3 yr old beautiful little girl named Savannah and two Shih Zhu's named Lulu and Zoey.
7. How long in hobby I have collected baseball cards on and off since 1983. I've been collecting prewar vintage for two years and have been loving it.
8. Other interests I really love reading about the early days of baseball. I also enjoy playing games on my xbox. I also have an interest in film. My favorite film is The Searchers the John Ford John Wayne classic.
9. Do you attend shows? I have never been to one. I couldn't go to the Baltimore national due to overtime at work. My New Years resolution is to go to some shows in 2011.

Thanks to all on this board for sharing your knowledge it is greatly appreciated.

[tonyk1975]

Originally Posted by tonyo

1. Name- Tony Ooten

2. Age- 46

3. Day job- Structural Engineer

4. Location- Powder Springs GA (Metro Atlanta)

5. Collecting interest- t206 (currently chasing the Monster) 33 Goudey HOF, 40/41 Playball HOF, Exhibit Salutation HOF, Early 20's caramel HOF, more and more 50, 51, 52 Bowman, Barry Larkin type collection, Atlanta Thrashers.

6. Family- Married 17 years to Robbie, 14 year old Morgan and 11 year old Maggie

7. How long in hobby- 1972-1999, 2009-present

8. Other interests- Parenting, Rec Soccer Coach, Atlanta Thrashers STH, Browsing Antique Stores hoping to find some t206's in a drawer or book

9. Do you attend shows? Would if there were more locally. Bob tipped me off about a local show a few weeks ago, but I wasn't able to make it.

Tony thanks for the Fred Clarke EPDG it was greatly appreciated. Happy Holidays.

[t206wagner]

1. Name- David Moriarty

2. Age- 39

3. Day job- Office job with the Federal Goverment

4. Location- Syracuse, NY

5. Collecting interest- Mainly T cards and the cards I always wanted as a kid but couldn't afford.

6. Family- My lovely wife that encourages me to buy the cards I want.

7. How long in hobby- About 4 years now not including childhood buying.

8. Other interests- Stained glass and rifle shooting.

9. Do you attend shows? Just the few that they have in Syracuse each year.
__________________

[toppcat]

1. Name- David Hornish

2. Age- 49 (same as Leon!)

3. Day job- Average Adjuster (my actual title, believe it or not), which means I adjust and handle damage claims on ocean going vessels, tugs & barges and cruise ships.

4. Location- Lindenhurst, NY (Long Island)

5. Collecting interest- T206, E Cards (pre WW1), Topps type collector and historian

6. Family- wife and two kids, 16 year old son and 14 year old daughter.

7. How long in hobby- 30 yrs, back as an adult, not counting as a kid

8. Other interests- Music (a wide variety) and old newspaper comics from the 30's-60's

9. Do you attend shows? National every once in a while and a few local shows here and there

[NeuhartCards]

Name- Keith Neuhart

Age- 40

Day Job- Just quit my job as a Financial Advisor after 16 years and opened a card shop (Yes, my wife supported it)

Location- Delaware, Ohio

Collecting Interest- Just about anything

Family- Wonderful wife of 15 years and a boy (10) and a girl (7)

How long in hobby- On and off since 1979

Other interests- Golf, coaching travel baseball, fishing

Do you attend shows- When time permits

[barrysloate]

Keith- good luck with the new card store. Not an easy thing to do today. Please keep us posted with how it goes.

[Dave1943]

Name- Dave Adkins

Age- 67

Day Job- Platform Instructor at MCB Camp Lejeune

Location- Swansboro, North Carolina

Collecting Interest- T205, T206

Family- Married to the prettiest lady I ever saw for the past 15 years

How long in hobby- In my youth and then the past 2 years

Other interests- Would like to find an E254 of Doc Adkins - I am his Grandson.
Also, any of his cards with other than Piedmont, Polar Bear, or SC backs.

Do you attend shows- None in my area - here vintage = 1980 and up

[terjung]

Name- Brian Terjung

Age- 38

Day Job- Forensic Structural Engineer

Location- Tampa Bay

Collecting Interest- HOFers in the following sets: E107, E103, W600, and 1933 Goudey

Family- Married 13+ years plus 7 year old daughter

How long in hobby- As a kid and then the past 3 years

Do you attend shows- They still have those? I make an annual trek to the National Show.

[lhoyle]

1. Name - Lee Hoyle

2. Age - 49 (for real)

3. Occupation - Data and Voice Network Engineer (Cisco stuff) for the Chickasaw Nation Divsion of Commerce (Casinos, travel stops, chocolate factory)

4. Location - Central Oklahoma

5. Collector Interest - Pre-1918 Red Sox (T206, T207, T205, M116, P2)

6. Family - Wife, 3 Kids (24,20,19), 4 grandsons (3,1,1,3 mos.)

7. How long collecting - Since I was 10. I may have had periods of not buying, but I have always had cards.

8. Other Interests - Red Sox fanatic since late 60's. Always wore #8 in little league. Bat/throw left, pitcher all they way into college (NAIA). Even got sent home from HS basketball practice for the 1978 Yankme/Sox playoff game (BFD).

9. Do you attend shows? - Used to in great numbers, now only local little shows. Ebay has really changed the landscape. Been to one National (1986 in Arlington - same weekend as a Sox/Rangers series - Clemens threw 8 innings on no-hit that Sunday).

This is a GREAT forum.

[Tim Kindler]

NAME- Tim Kindler

AGE- 38

DAY JOBS- Elementary School Teacher (2nd Grade), Small Business/LLC Owner of my own Home Improvement Business (Windows, doors, siding, etc.)

LOCATION- New Haven, Indiana (Suburb of Fort Wayne)

COLLECTING INTERESTS- E98s are my collecting passion!, E, T, Hall of Famers, Baseball Memorabilia

FAMILY- Super wife and 4 kids- 9,8,7,6 years old.

HOW LONG IN HOBBY- 25 years, I was buying T206s while my other friends were spending tons on Gregg Jefferies and Doc Gooden rookies!

OTHER INTERESTS- Outdoors and Nature, Antique Treasure Hunting

FAVORITE CARD THAT I OWN- E98 Ty Cobb with Old Put Back

FAVORITE PIECE OF MEMORABILIA- 1962 Cubs Bobble Head with a Green Base that my late Grandpa Hank gave me.

DO I ATTEND SHOWS?- I try to, but local shows are always BIG diasappointments, vintage to people around here means 70s! I do get to the National each year that it is in Chicago or Cleveland. I live basically in between the 2 cities.

[ValKehl]

NAME - Val Kehl

AGE - 67

DAY JOB - Retired accountant.

LOCATION - Centreville, VA (a suburb of Wash., DC).

COLLECTING INTERESTS - Type cards plus cards of W. Johnson, S. Rice, E. Rixey, P. Runnels & M. Vernon; also, a few Wash.-player subsets, e.g. N172, E120, etc.

FAMILY - 4 kids & 6 grandchildren from 1st marriage; 13 years into 2nd marriage, with a stepdaughter.

HOW LONG IN HOBBY - Since the mid-1980s plus time as a kid.

OTHER INTERESTS - Wash. Nationals, Redskins & Wizards; UVA sports; garage/yard sales & flea markets.

ATTEND SHOWS? - Lotsa them back in the day; have been to 9 Nationals; currently, the Chantilly & Philly Shows.

[David W]

1. Name- David Williams

2. Age- 47

3. Day job- www.williamssupplywarsaw.com

4. Location- Warsaw, Indiana

5. Collecting interest - I spent last winter making a list of the greatest St. Louis Cardinals at each position, and am trying to acquire their cards. I also am working on acquiring every card of Lou Brock during his playing times, and up to around 250 unique items.

6. Family- Wife, 4 daughters, one son and one foster son.

7. How long in hobby- I started collecting in 1971 and have not stopped.

8. Other interests - Bears football. Playing coaching and refereeing soccer. Playing basketball and softball but not as well as I used to. Outside fun with the family and friends. My church - www.warsawwesleyan.com. Facebook.

9. Do you attend shows? No local shows in years, most Nationals in Chicago and Cleveland.

[brickyardkennedy]

Name: Bob Pomilla

Age: 61

Location: Isle of Manhattoes, NYC

Collecting Interests: Brooklyn baseball cards and the occasional related item.

How long in hobby: Started buying as a kid, with '57 Topps. Stopped buying packs in mid 60's. Collecting "seriously", for about a dozen years, now.

Other interests: Animal rights, politics, reading, complaining, raging at the universe.

Do you attend shows: Not much

[jeffmohler]

Name - Jeff Mohler

Age - 42

Job - Real Estate Attorney, Title Insurance Agent, Real Estate Broker

Location - Lancaster County, PA - home of the Amish and the E93 set!

Collecting Interest - Pinkerton postcards, (have about 26/30), Exhibit cards, Wide Pens, Fine Pens, Worch Cigar, Dietsche postcards and Cuban cards

Family - Wife of 15 years and four kids, 12, 10, 6 and 3 mos.

How long in hobby - about 5 years as an adult.

Other interests - I have a few rental properties - but mostly just spending time with the family

I got to last year's National and go to the Philly show once in while.

[Tony Gordon]

1. Name - Tony Gordon

2. Age - 44

3. Day Job - Attorney/law clerk for a justice on the Illinois Appellate Court

4. Location - Northern suburb of Chicago

5. Collecting Interests - 1969 and older (all sports) and autograph postcards

6. Family - Wife 13 years, two kids, 8 and 5

7. How Long In the Hobby - Started collecting in 1975 and never stopped. Kicked into high gear about 10 years ago

8. Other interests - music, guitar, collect anything related to old Chicago beer breweries, writing

9. Do you attend shows? - EVERY WEEKEND! Gonzaga and Serb Hall in Milwaukee, two Orland Park shows (Chicago south suburb), and try and hit one of Fred Copp's shows, usually Schaumburg (NW suburb of Chicago).

[Robbie]

1. Name- Robert Slatkin

2. Age- 47

3. Day job- President and Franchise Consultant for www.vantagefranchises.com

4. Location- Reston, VA

5. Collecting interest- Original Vintage Newsphotos

6. Family- Recently separated from my wife of 20 years. (I think I bought one too many Jackie Robinson photos!). Two wonderful daughters, the lights of my life, 16 and 10.

7. How long in hobby- About 30 years.

8. Other interests- My girls are #1. Then, working on my business, and helping many people who are unemployed or under-employed. If I have free time, I like to travel, read quite a bit, play music, or do some graphic design.

9. Do you attend shows? Only the Chantilly, Virginia shows, and The National, when I can.

[baseball tourist]

1. Name- Chris Wood

2. Age- 43 (stopping at 44...not because that is too old..it is Hank's #)

3. Day job- Owner/Operator/Media Sales - Publication "Rep" Firm - we represent 9 business to consumer magazines (printed and on line) in the Tourism, Outdoor Adventure, RV'ing and Women's Lifestyle industries.

4. Location- Vancouver, BC, Canada

5. Collecting interest- baseball equipment and photos. Toronto and Vancouver focus

6. Family- newly wed (6 months)

7. How long in hobby- roughly 16 yrs

8. Other interests- movies, hanging out on the beach, camping

9. Do you attend shows? the National twice. No real card shows here in Vancouver

[deadballpaul]

1. Name - Paul G.

2. Age- 49

3. Day job- Fixing equipment in the Semiconductor industry.

4. Location- Mesa, AZ (just moved here from Texas 2 days ago)

5. Collecting interest - N28 A & G, Grignon Cubs, e90-1, e92, e95, National Game, 1928 W502, W554, 1933 Goudey, Mickey Mouse Gum cards & anything Disney, Baseball coins & pins, Babe Ruth, etc...

6. Family - Wife 15 yrs, 3 kids, & 2 dogs.

7. How long in hobby -42 years, & pre war since 1998.

8. Other interests- Playing the bass & electric guitar, coin collecting, watching the Indy 500!

9. Do you attend shows? Almost never, but want to start.

[Anthony K.]

1. Name- Anthony Kates

2. Age- 25

3. Day job- US Army Soldier

4. Location- Kandahar, Afghanistan (Unit is stationed in Vilseck, Germany).

5. Collecting interest- 33 Goudey, Pr-1970's RC's, early 50's Bowman issues

6. Family- Wife and soon to be 3 year old son

7. How long in hobby- 19 years and counting. Took small breaks, but never got completely out.

8. Other interests- Reading mystery/fiction thriller books, motivational/business minded non-fiction; watching movies and TV shows (currently on Sons of Anarchy); playing any sport I can get my hand on (hockey, baseball, basketball, football, racquetball, etc); blogging.

9. Do you attend shows? Haven't been to a show in over 10 years, but if I find some where ever I decide to move to when I get out of the Army, you will be able to find me and my son there

[Wite3]

1. Name- Joshua Levine

2. Age- 39

3. Day job- 4th grade teacher

4. Location- CA

5. Collecting interest- phillies, t205s

6. Family- wife

7. How long in hobby- 25 years and counting

8. Other interests- books, music, movies

9. Do you attend shows? I would if there were any left in Southern California.

[wrapperguy]

1. Name- Jeff Schwarz

2. Age- 55 (2 days ago)

3. Day job- retired physical education teacher, coach, and athletic director. Now I assign sports officials for 15,400 games per year and just got selected to assign the basketball refs for a North Shore high school conference. "Retired" is not really the right word, but the first pension check gets sent next week!

4. Location- Arlington Hts., Illinois - good to see so many IL and southern WI people on here!

5. Collecting interest- Missing only a few cards to complete the 1923-24 Exhibits, 1931-32 Exhibits, 1933 Exhibits, W711-1, E121 Series of 80, R303A, Wide Pen Premiums (Type 2 only), R315, Diamond Star master set, 35 Goudey master set, Morgan Red Belts, 1926-29 Exhibits, and Dietsche Postcard sets

6. Family- Wife of 26 years, son Andrew (23), son Kyle (22), daughter Emily (18), and cockapoo Kelsey (10).

7. How long in hobby- My father and I started to collect seriously when we picked up a Beckett guide at the 1982 or 1983 Chicago National. Dad started collecting pre-war (his era) and I completed Topps sets, wrappers and press pins. Dad also started doing football and hockey sets, and then I leapfrogged Dad and started working on tobacco sets. This Board has been instrumental in getting us interested in caramel sets. Once I finish the above sets, I will just get whatever appeals to me. Dad, at age 91, is no longer active but loves to see what I've picked up.

8. Other interests- Sports officiating, music, travel, and hoping to see the Cubs win one!

9. Do you attend shows? - Luckily living in Chicagoland provides many show opportunities but rarely find anything on our wantlist.

Photo is me umpiring a mens league championship game played at Wrigley with my sons in tow. They got a day off of school and got to run around Wrigley. What a thrill!

[drc]

...

[Writehooks]

Anthony K:

Just wanted to say "thanks" to you and all the other men and women serving with the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Words can't express the respect and admiration I have for the job you're doing. A lot of the Canadian kids that have paid the ultimate price over there were deployed from a base about an hour from where I live, and every time I see another group ship out, it reminds me to be thankful for all who answer their nation's call.

Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.

[arsrvfan]

1. Name- Steve Morrow

2. Age- 53

3. Day job- Grocery Store General Manager

4. Location-Arkansas

5. Collecting interests- 68 Tigers, Gas House Cardinals, 30s to 70s team signed balls, Mantle, completing signed 68 Topps set, etc.

6. Family- wife, 2 kids, 5 grand kids

7. How long in hobby- 30 years. Show dealer, Sports Collector's Digest advertiser (as 10th Inning Sports, Joplin, Mo.) and retail store owner from 1984 thru 1994.

8. Other interests- Golf, music

9. Do you attend shows? Set up at 100s in 80s and 90s. Haven't attended one in years.

[lhoyle]

Ditto. Anthony, I am very proud that you are part of this little group and a part of our armed services. Thank you for your service.

Lee Hoyle

Originally Posted by Writehooks

Anthony K:

Just wanted to say "thanks" to you and all the other men and women serving with the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Words can't express the respect and admiration I have for the job you're doing. A lot of the Canadian kids that have paid the ultimate price over there were deployed from a base about an hour from where I live, and every time I see another group ship out, it reminds me to be thankful for all who answer their nation's call.

Have a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.

[jbsports33]

1. Name- Jimmy Piccuito

2. Age- 36

3. Day job- GIS

4. Location- MA

5. Collecting interest- anything prewar

6. Family- wife, 2 kids

7. How long in hobby- 25 years and counting

8. Other interests- camping, fishing and just being with my family

9. Do you attend shows? yes in the Boston area, also setup a table at a few!

[KingKongBundy]

1. Name - Charles

2. Age - 41

3. Day job - IT field

4. Location - Europe

5. Collecting interest - T206, 1954 Bowman, 1969 and 1970 Topps baseball

6. Family - Married, 4 year old son

7. How long in hobby - First pack of cards in 1976. Totally into the hobby from 1980 - 1986. Got back into the hobby in 2002.

8. Other interests - Exercising, probability theory, European soccer

9. Do you attend shows? Went to the Chantilly show a couple of years ago. Attended the National in N.J. back in the day.

[Steve D]

1. Name - Steve Dawson.

2. Age - 48.

3. Job - U.S. Air Force.

4. Location - San Antonio TX.

5. Collecting interest - T206 and pre-WWII Hall of Famers. I also collect items from San Diego CA sports teams, and Hank Aaron, Ted Williams and Nolan Ryan.

6. Family - Single.

7. How long in hobby - I've been collecting steadily since I was a kid in the early 1970s.

8. Other interests - Astronaut autographs.

9. Do you attend shows? I try to get to the Tri-Star shows in Houston TX, but that's it.
__________________

[wolterse]

1. Name- Erich Wolters

2. Age- 29

3. Day job - IT new business sales

4. Location- boston, MA ( moving to DC in February!)

5. Collecting interest- e95/96/103, type 1 photos, baseball literature, n172/162, t212/227

6. Family- wifenof two years

7. How long in hobby- since 1992 / vintage since 2006

8. Other interests- Abe Lincoln, reading, politics, eating, family, golf, traveling, meeting and working with people from the hobby

9. Do you attend shows? Shriners show, will attend DC shows once I get there next month!

[ValKehl]

Eric - FYI, you will be just in time for the next Chantilly, VA show - March 18th-20th. The show location is close to the intersection of Routes 28 & 50 in the western end of Fairfax County. Hope to see you there.
Val

[jrb97]

1. Name- Jim

2. Age- 31

3. Day job - audit manager (no, NOT IRS)

4. Location- Pasadena, CA ( just moved from SF a 3 months ago)

5. Collecting interest- Modern - all kinds; Vintage - Joined the forum to get started with T206 - probably a team set.

6. Family- single, no kids

7. How long in hobby- one and off since I was a kid - 1987

8. Other interests- college football, movies, enjoying life

9. Do you attend shows? in SF I occasionally went to mall shows. I've checked out Frank&Sons in SoCal a couple times.

[WWGjohn]

Name: John Harrell

Age: 64

Job: psychology professor, Troy University

Location: Montgomery, AL

Collecting interests: 1930's sets, t205's, 48-80 Bowman/Topps set run, 19th century hand-made bats

Family: married, two daughters

How long in hobby: 20 years

Other interests: renaissance music, western campaigns of civil war, cooking

Attend shows: No. none in my area

[pcoz]

Name-Pete Costanzo

Age-39

Day Job-Fin Advisor

Location-Lancaster PA

Collecting Interests-Had been all modern sports, now almost exclusively prewar

Family-Wife of 3 years and 20 mos. old boy

How long in the hobby-Since I was a kid

Other Interests-I play some bad golf but enjoy it, big Springsteen fan(have to be since I grew up in N. Jersey), and get roped into attending craft shows with my wife living in Amish Country. Guess we all have to pay the bills sometimes.

Do you attend shows? Always the Philly Show, and plan on the National in the next year or two.

Favorite item in collection-E103 Wags recently purchased from Leon. Leon if you read this, thanks again for helping out my collection and for answering all of my questions and your input!

[tachyonbb]

Name: Bruce Esser

Age: 61

Day Job: Physics Teacher

Location: Omaha NE

Collecting interests: Nebraska Minor League Baseball
My Nebraska Minor League Website: http://www.nebaseballhistory.com/

Family: Wife of 35 years, 2 daughters one is an architect the other owns a photography studio.

How Long in Hobby: Just recently became serious. Have collected sporadically since the 60's.

Other Interests: I coach a high school girls trapshooting team
http://www.omahamarian.org/trap

Shows: Hope to make my first major show this year.

[daywalker2029]

Name: nick friedrich

Age: 30

Day Job: compliance analyst / bartender

Location: long island, ny

Collecting interests: 56 topps in psa (7), 71 topps in (8), 84-91s mets teams, 01 SP g/u fabrics, 00 ud legendary signatures, 92 donruss elite & DK in (10) NOLAN RYAN, mickey mantle, MMA/UFC cards of Brock Lesnar, significant game tickets, and any autographed items that strike me

Family: nope

How Long in Hobby: since i was little

Other Interests: riding motorcycles/atvs/dirtbikes (have an 07 ninja zx6-r, 98 banshee & 01 yz 125)

Shows: not really - hit the philly show once like 7 years ago but not much since

[GehrigFan]

1. Name- Mark Anderson

2. Age- 38 and sliding downhill fast

3. Day job- Director of Beckett Grading Services (insert "boos" here)

4. Location- Texas (10 minutes from Leon)

5. Collecting interest- beat up/affordable pre-1950 Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth items (anything at all), autographs (entertainment, political, cartooning, sports, etc.), sketch cards, pre-war sports games

6. Family- 1 gorgeous southern belle wife, 1 zoo (2 rescue dogs, 5 rescue cats)

7. How long in hobby- 23 years

8. Other interests- Bible Study, family, collecting comics/coins/animation art/toys/everything else, music, guns, travel, board/card game fanatic, now taking up art as an alternative to spending money on hobbies!

9. Do you attend shows? Way too many! Prior to illness, about 12-15/year, now about 5-6/year, including every National but 1 since 1997.

[DanP]

1. Name- Dan Paradis

2. Age- 52

3. Day job- Partner: Hawk's Landing Country Club
Computer Software Consulting

4. Location- Southington, CT

5. Collecting interest- MLB HOF RC's (or earliest affordable option); although the recent "Set Recommendations" post may have inspired me to go after a set I can actually complete!
-- Carl Yastrzemski Cards and Memorabilia
-- NFL HOF QB's autographs on mini-helmets
-- NFL RC's
www.danparadis.com

6. Family- Wife (31 years), daughter (27 today!) and son 24

7. How long in hobby- 8 yrs

8. Other interests- Electronic gadgets, computers, home theater's

9. Do you attend shows? Occasionally

[Doug]

1. Name- Doug

2. Age- 29

3. Day job- Landscaping

4. Location- Cincinnati area

5. Collecting interest- Currently inactive. Previously 1952-69 Topps, mainly Mickey Mantle cards

6. Family- Single, no kids.

7. How long in hobby- 13 years, around since the original Full Count board.

8. Other interests- Whatever catches my attention.

9. Do you attend shows? Nope.

[Big Six]

1. Name - Matt

2. Age - 38

3. Day job - Account Management

4. Location - Connecticut

5. Collecting interest - I'm trying to focus more on older stuff as indicated in my signature below...and I have a pretty neat side project collecting everything related to a journeyman ball player named Josh Phelps.

6. Family - Married to a very patient woman (Sarah) w/ three beautiful little girls (twins Lily & Emma, 9, and Sophie, 6).

7. How long in hobby - Since 1978...I remember gettin packs of cards every Sunday morning from my mom as a payoff for going to church.

8. Other interests - playing hoop/softball, coaching the kids, music.

9. Do you attend shows? Usually hit Westchester. Hope to get to the National when it comes back to Baltimore.

[peterb69]

1. Name- PeterB Just joined this forum (1st post)

2. Age- 48

3. Day job- Software Technical Support Team Leader

4. Location- Cape Cod Massachusetts

5. Collecting interest- T-cards, N-cards, topps 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974

6. Family- Wife, 2 dogs, cats

7. How long in hobby- 7 years old till 18 years old; 25 years old and continuing

8. Other interests- photography, boating

9. Do you attend shows? Now just 2 per year. The Boston Sports Collectors Club Show & the Cranston Sports Collectors Club Show

[MilBraves]

Scott Heibler

Age: 42

Occupation: Teacher

Location: West Bend, Wisconsin (suburb of Milwaukee)

My card collection is made up of Milwaukee Braves cards, currently working on finishing PSA 5+ set of '53, 57 and 58 Topps. I also collect Milwaukee Braves memorabilia.

Family: Just me and the Mrs.

Started in the hobby when I was 33. My grandpa passed away and left me a 1953 complete set of Braves Spic n' Span cards. Since then, I have been plugging away on other Braves sets.

Other hobbies: hunting; deer and water fowl. Fishing; flyfishing for trout, salmon and musky. Fly tying

[DetroitJay]

1. Name- Jay Strasz

2. Age- 35

3. Day job- 911 Communications Supervisor

4. Location- Detroit, Michigan

5. Collecting interest- Hank Greenberg cards. He left Detroit on the same train with my Grandpa when he joined the Army for WWII. Ive always felt some sort of connection with him since my Grandpa died when i was young. Im also trying to complete a full set of Topps Mickey Mantle cards. I cant afford the nicer ones, but "collector grade" and well loved are fine with me!

6. Family- fiancee and 2 labs who are like my sons, 12 and 5.

7. How long in hobby- buying baseball cards since i was 10. I have been goign to shows since I was about 12 or so. I never got caught up in new cards and have always passed right by those tables! I love the old stuff.

8. Other interests- some game worn hockey jerseys and hockey memorbilia. Believe it or not, i have an extremely large collection of hockey fight videos that i have amassed over the years.

9. Do you attend shows - I used to every weekend. That ended when i hit my early 20's. I still try to hit the monthly how at Gibralter Trade Center in Mt Clemens, Michigan. The show doesnt measure up to its old days, but i still enjoy it.

10 - Recent pickups - 1948 Bowman Bob Feller, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1966 Mickey Mantles (Topps) National Chicle Hank Greenberg, "Heads Up" Hank Greenberg, 1959 Topps Hank Aaron, Willie Mays. Probably a few more, but thats the haul from the last 6 months or so. I just found an old tobacco card i picked up when i was a kid and forgot about, 1911 T205 Ed Killian, so that was pretty cool to realize i had a 100 year old card!

A few of my cards: