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The American League reaffirmed its elite status Tuesday in a comeback victory n its 10th straight n over the National League at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park in the 77th MLB All-Star Game.
They are the best players in the business today. The best players of all time, however, can be found just about every day at Dollars & Cents, Coins & Cards in Mesquite.
When you run a baseball card shop for more than 20 years, you’re bound to have a few stories, and John Frye, who along with his wife Vickie, has owned and operated the store since 1986, has some stories.
He’s also quick to point out that owning a sports memorabilia shop is not all fun and games.
“A lot of people think it’s easy to own and run a card shop,” Frye said. “But, while it’s been a lot of fun, it’s also been a lot of hard work.”
Frye has seen thousands of cards come and go at his shop in the last 20 years. He’s likely to get a rush on Michael Young memorabilia after the Texas Rangers’ shortstop won the All-Star Game MVP award.
He has also seen his share of ups and downs in a sports card and memorabilia industry that has been anything but predictable.
“The thing I always tell people is that you should never collect any type of sports card as an investment,” Frye said. “That’s not what this hobby is all about. Collect what you love. Collect what you enjoy collecting. Not what somebody else thinks something is worth.”
Frye’s favorite player is former St. Louis Cardinals’ great Stan ‘The Man’ Musial. But his all-time favorite card?
“Ed Kranepool,” he says without hesitation. And then he brings out a 1999, Sports Illustrated, Greats of the Game card that has a photo of Kranepool having a picnic on the field.
“Of all the thousands of cards I have seen over the years, this is my all-time favorite one,” he said. “Why? Because it’s just a fun card. Here’s Ed Kranepool, one of my old boyhood heroes, out there on the field just relaxing and having a picnic as if he didn’t have a care in the world. This is the type of thing that makes card collecting fun.”
Frye, of course, has also dealt with his share of high-dollar cards.
“I’ll never forget the time when I had a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle at the same time,” he said. “Those are his two rookie cards from Topps and Bowman and it was the only time that I have ever had those two cards in at the same time. I sold them in the mid-80s and it makes me sad every time I think about that now. When that fellow that I sold them to died a few years ago, they were still a part of his estate.”
Today, a mint 1952 Mantle is listed at about $20,000 while a mint 1951 Bowman is listed at $8,000 in this month’s Beckett Baseball Price Guide.
“And, no, I’m not going to tell you what I sold them for,” Frye said, smiling a wry smile. “It was still a lot of money, don’t get me wrong. But it’s still painful to think about not having them anymore.”
But painful memories seem to be few in Frye’s shop, which is located in a shopping center just a few blocks from downtown Mesquite.
Kevin Kruze, 28, of Red Oak visited Frye’s shop last week for the first time. He paid $70 for a box of 2006 Topps Football Draft Picks & Prospects and pulled an autographed Payton Manning worth $120 out of the box and another card that held a swatch of Jerious Norwood’s (a rookie drafted by the Atlanta Falcons) jersey worth about $20.
“I love it,” Kruze said. “I’ve got several thousand dollars worth of cards and I wouldn’t sell any of them. For me, every card in my collection has a special meaning. Just like these cards I got today. It’s just a blast buying a box of cards and then seeing what you’re going to get. To me, there’s nothing like the thrill of pulling a great card like a Payton Manning autograph card or something like that.”
Before 1981, baseball card collectors in particular had one company to choose from n Topps. But when Topps’ monopoly went by the wayside after 1981, that opened the door for Fleer, then Donruss and then companies like Upper Deck and all the premium cards. And while some collectors felt overwhelmed by this sudden influx of new cards, others, like Frye, felt it was the best thing that could have happened to the hobby.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “Look at how much better the cards have gotten over the years. Sure, there’s more product out there but, overall, it’s a good thing because collectors can get cards that are so much better in quality and so much more innovative than they were when there were just one or two companies making them.”
As an example, he holds up a $2,500 card that holds a small swatch from a pair of Lou Gehrig’s game-worn pants.
“I actually pulled this card out of a pack myself,” Frye said proudly. “This is No. 7 in a group of nine cards and it’s amazing to think about owning part of a uniform that was worn by Lou Gehrig. This is the type of thing that makes card collecting fun, even when you’ve been doing this more than 20 years like I have.”
As the second half of the MLB season heats up, it is certain new stars will begin to shine. And, so, the demand for new cards continues.
Contact staff writer Jim Gibbs at 972-725-1937 or jim.gibbs@scntx.com.
