The List: Vintage Dealers to Know
By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor
Vintage cardboard is the foundation today’s hobby was built on, and the high-graded specimens of the past are continuously redefining the stratosphere when it comes to dominating sales of single cards.
We’ve let collectors speak here at Beckett.com/news about which vintage dealers they use and trust to help compile The List — 50 Vintage Dealers to Know for the next issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly.
Here are our first 35 entries for This list — and dealers are listed in no particular order. Explore The List and see if you think there’s one that’s right for you. We’ll continue to shape this work in progress and get to our final list of 50 in the days to come before the magazine heads to print.
See them all … after the jump.
Note: Some auction houses on this list below will fall off of The List when this actually appears in the magazine. Why? The List for the month after this one will be 50 auction houses to know.
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SCOTTSDALE CARDS
Website: scottsdalecards.com
facebook.com/Scottsdalebaseballcards
Twitter: N/A
Location: Scottsdale, Ariz.
What’s of interest: Wanting cards all the way back to the 1800s? They have a bit of everything.
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BASEBALL CARD EXCHANGE
Website: bbcexchange.com
facebook.com/BBCExchange
Twitter: @bbcexchange
Location: Schererville, Ind.
What’s of interest: Ever wanted to open a vintage wax pack or box? They’ve got them — and owner Steve Hart is PSA’s sealed wax authenticator, so he knows what too look for to avoid bad old wax.
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BMW SPORTSCARDS
Website: bmwcards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Madison, Wisc.
What’s of interest: Want to see the elite of the elite when it comes to high-grade vintage hockey and other sports? Start here — the name is fitting.
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DEAN’S CARDS
Website: deanscards.com
facebook.com/pages/Deans-Cards/173371854186
Twitter: @deanscards
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
What’s of interest: Founded in 2001, the company has more than one million cards online.
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707 SPORTSCARDS
Website: 707sportscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Plumsteadville, Pa.
What’s of interest: Dealer who focuses on graded cards in all conditions from the vintage years.
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DAVE & ADAM’S CARD WORLD
Website: dacardworld.com
facebook.com/dacardworld
Twitter: @dacardworld
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
What’s of interest: This new-wax megadealer has a decent amount of graded vintage cards available on its website with competitive prices. Vintage wax is tougher to find, but they have some of that, too.
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LARRY FRITSCH CARDS
Website: fritschcards.com
facebook.com/larryfritschcards
Twitter: @fritschcards
Location: Stevens Point, Wisc.
What’s of interest: If you can imagine it, they might have it. This long-running dealer in business since 1970 also produces mail-order catalogs that have plenty packed inside.
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PWCC AUCTIONS
Website: pwccauctions.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Burlingame, Calif.
What’s of interest: The online auctioneer sells quality graded cards in heavy volume for both the vintage and more modern years.
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BURBANK SPORTSCARDS
Website: burbanksportscards.com
facebook.com/burbankcards
Twitter: N/A
Location: Burbank, Calif.
What’s of interest: This superseller has plenty of modern stuff available but also has plenty of vintage singles, too.
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BEVERLY HILLS BASEBALL CARD SHOP
Website: californiasportscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
What’s of interest: You can expect to find a serious amount of vintage cards from most sports among the card and memorabilia offerings here.
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DUGOUT ZONE
Website: dugoutzone.com
facebook.com/thedugoutzone
Twitter: @thedugoutzone
Location: Ellicott City, Md.
What’s of interest: This long-time dealer carries a decent amount of vintage cards in its online store.
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MARAYA SPORTSCARDS
Website: marayasportscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
What’s of interest: A quick visit to their website shows high-graded key cards from 1909 to 1972 available
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GIZMO’S SPORTSCARDS
Website: gizmossportscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Davis Junction, Ill.
What’s of interest: Vintage cards aren’t the only thing of interest for Gizmo’s as the company also buys and sells vintage toys, comics and coins.
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MEMORY LANE INC.
Website: memorylaneinc.com
facebook.com/memlaneinc
Twitter: @memorylaneinc
Location: Tustin, Calif.
What’s of interest: This auction house specializes in high-end vintage and also has an online store where you can buy cards instantly.
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LEGACY SPORTS CARDS
Website: legacysportscards.com
facebook.com/LegacySportsLV
Twitter: @LegacySportsLV
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
What’s of interest: Hit their website and hit “singles” and your results will begin with an impressive array of graded Zeenut cards. You don’t see those everyday.
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STEEL CITY COLLECTIBLES
Website: steelcitycollectibles.com
facebook.com/SteelCityCollectibles
Twitter: @scctradingcards
Location: McKeesport, Pa.
What’s of interest: Searching for a completed set from the vintage years? This crew might have it.
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KRUK CARDS
Website: krukcards.com
facebook.com/pages/Kruk-Cards/85098129710
Twitter: @krukcards
Location: Rochester Hills, Mich.
What’s of interest: Kruk has just about anything from both the vintage years and beyond.
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MARK MACRAE
Email: MMA3026559@aol.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Castro Valley, Calif.
What’s of interest: This long-time dealer of serious vintage cards and memorabilia has updated sales lists ready for those who email.
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COLUMBIA CITY COLLECTIBLES
Website: columbiacitycollectibles.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Columbia City, Ind.
What’s of interest: Looking for obscure vintage cards from not just the standard sports? Try these guys.
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UNCLE DICK’S CARDS
Website: uncledickscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Highlands, N.C.
What’s of interest: Focuses on cards from the Big Four sports from 1958 to 1975 or so.
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MILE HIGH CARD COMPANY
Website: milehighcardco.com
facebook.com/milehighcard
Twitter: @milehighcard
Location: Centennial, Colo.
What’s of interest: This high-end auction house sells some elite graded vintage as well as lesser cards in its webstore.
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KIT YOUNG CARDS
Website: kityoung.com
facebook.com/kit.youngcards
Twitter: N/A
Location: San Diego, Calif.
What’s of interest: This veteran dealer’s vintage inventory is vast with cards from the four major sports, non-sports and plenty of oddball vintage to be found, too.
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NICK’S SPORTS CARDS
Website: nickscards.net
facebook.com/Nickssportscards
Twitter: @nicksportcards
Location: Dallas, Texas
What’s of interest: A card shop that doesn’t sell its prime stock via eBay, meaning there’s reason to go digging through its boxes — and there’s plenty of that when it comes to vintage.
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GREG MORRIS CARDS
Website: gregmorriscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
What’s of interest: This eBay seller had nearly 6,000 cards online at press time and had more than 121,000 positive feedbacks left in the last year. Sells both raw and graded vintage.
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GOODWIN & CO.
Website: goodwinandco.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
What’s of interest: This auction house that specializes in vintage “masterpieces and uncommon commons” was acquired by Beckett Media in December.
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PROBSTEIN123
Website: stores.ebay.com/probstein123
Twitter: @RickProbstein
Location: New York
What’s of interest: This high-quality, high-volume eBay seller has more than 210,000 positive feedbacks left and more than 141,800 in the last year alone. Sells plenty of sports cards and more.
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4SHARPCORNERS
Website: 4sharpcorners.com
Twitter: @4sharpcorners
Location: Sharon, Mass.
What’s of interest: This dealer has plenty of high-grade gems from the past in inventory across all of the major sports and then for non-sports, too.
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NEW ENGLAND SPORTS CARDS
Website: stores.ebay.com/New-England-Sports-Cards
Twitter: N/A
Location: Amherst, N.H.
What’s of interest: This heavy eBay seller had nearly a quarter-million cards online in January — a hefty mix of vintage and beyond. Sells in sets, bulk lots and singles
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ALL-STAR CARDS
Website: allstarcardsinc.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Overland Park, Kan.
What’s of interest: This dealer produces mail-order catalogs, which include a good amount of vintage along with a wide spectrum of new and old as well as low-end and high-end.
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BROCKELMAN & LUCKEY AUCTIONS
Website: b-lauctions.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Rhome, Texas
What’s of interest: This auction house runs a handful of sales each year that are jam-packed with vintage cardboard for baseball, non-sports and other sports. Its next sale launches on Feb. 16.
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GERRY’S SPORTS CARDS
Website: gerryssportscards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Dorval, Quebec
What’s of interest: They specialize in graded vintage for the major sports with plenty of hockey cards and memorabilia, too.
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AMERICA’S PASTIME
Website: americaspastime.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Americas-Pastime/55713873245
Twitter: N/A
Location: Fair Lawn, N.J.
What’s of interest: In business for more than 20 years, this company has a decent amount of vintage cardboard for sale in its online store alone.
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SIRIUS SPORTS CARDS
Website: siriussportsauctions.com
Twitter: @SiriusCards
Location: Columbia, Md.
What’s of interest: This auction house sells plenty of high-grade vintage baseball as part of more than 20 auctions a year.
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CUBAN BASEBALL CARDS
Website: Cubanbaseballcards.com
Twitter: N/A
Location: Louisville, Colo.
What’s of interest: Not only is this site a reference for a fascinating collecting niche, it’s also home to auctions for rare items that are heavily of the vintage variety.
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PRESTIGE COLLECTIBLES
Website: prestigecollectibles.com
Twitter: @prestigejapanbb
Location: Lauderhill, Fla.
What’s of interest: Ever had an interest in picking up some vintage Japanese baseball cards? This is the place to look to first for menko, bromides, karuta and more.
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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
It’s a real shame that Gizmo’s is on here. Check on any of the major message boards, and you will see many issues with many transactions.
I know this comment will likely be moderated, and that’s fine, but please at least do your research and remove him from this list.
As the intro states, this is not the final list. Adjustments will inevitably be made before we’re final.
(Once it is final, the full 50 will likely be posted here in place of what’s above.)
Hi,
This is Charlie DiPietro of Sports Cards Plus of San Antonio. We sell vintage from 1886 to 1980 on eBay as TomorrowsTreasures2003. We are an eBay “Top Rated Seller.” and have 100% positive feedback. While we are not primarily a Vintage seller, we do have a large in-store inventory with about 700 Beckett Graded Vintage cards.
Thanks,
Charlie DiPietro, Owner
Sports Cards Plus
2251 Lockhill-Selma Rd.
San Antonio, Texas 78230
210-524-2337
http://www.SportsCardsPlusSA.com
eBay ID: TomorrowsTreasures2003
Oh, and for the record, just because something gets brought up here doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true — or that it will matter in regards of the list.
(Trying to make sure this doesn’t predictably turn into a bashing thread.)
The Old Cardboard website also links to many reputable vintage (only) dealers.
A vintage dealer not on your list yet that I will personally back is David Bryan at davidbvintage who has sold me several type cards over the years. His inventory is accurately priced on ebay – with a view toward type rarity not necessarily player name – and he often will have consigned cards for which the buy it now price will drop at $10 increments if they have been available for a while. David has always packaged well and shipped timely. I have been happy many a time when his mail comes because I know that I received something unique and at an expected market price for something that other type card collectors would not have in their collection.
I’ve always been under the impression that 4 Sharp Corners and New England Sports Cards are the same company but just two different eBay handles. The 4 Sharp brand sells PSA graded cards only and New England brand sells the cards that 4 Sharp deems not worthy of grading.
Would love a little clarification on if this is correct and it’s been stated frequently on message boards as being the case.
One bad experience with a seller, doesn’t mean that equates to every transaction. If there is an unfavourable transaction………it depends on what transpires in the middle that ultimately matters (in my opinion)
Some quality names and a few that don’t belong here like gizmo, is it becouse he advertises in the beckett? And probstein123 is a well known Shiller but again let’s do the background first before putting people on lists,
Joe
i think the majority of the list is composed of people/stores that advertise in Beckett.
Steve D.: Not the case.
I buy at least once a month regularly from sportlots.com Although it is more of a marketplace of dealers, rather than a single dealer.
this site has helped me alot with my set and team set building over the years.
I buy mostly low value, low grade stuff on there.
thanks, mark
I’ve done well over $50K of business with Rick Probstein the past couple of years. My experience of Rick is that he is uncommonly honest and offers great insight into trends effecting the hobby/business.
Unlike many dealers, he identifies cards and memorabilia thought to have been tampered with, even those missed by grading companies.
I’m of the understanding that his operation is the highest volume consigner on eBay. I’ve visited his offices in Passaic a number of times to drop off items. He has a huge staff to support the volume he generates.
On the previous reference to his “shilling”, I believe this is likely to be highly inaccurate; I don’t think he owns the cards, just acts as a highly efficient processor. The profitability of his consignment business appears healthy enough that his bidding on his own items would be a distraction. Any shilling that may have gone on is apt to be on the part of the consigners, something that Rick actively discourages.
Personally, I don’t know of anyone who facilitates transactions more efficiently, though I welcome entertaining others.