0404 - Michael Aronstein
Michael Aronstein is a baseball card hobby pioneer who was the co-founder of TCMA, the founder of Photo File, and the recipient of SABR’s 2020 Jefferson Burdick Award. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Andrew Aronstein, Michael Aronstein, and me after recording our interview in New York
Baseball Heritage Museum
This episode is brought to you by the Baseball Heritage Museum at Cleveland’s historic League Park.
6601 Lexington Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44103
(216) 789 - 1083
Former Ticket Office
League Park was the home of the Cleveland Spiders, Naps, and Indians from 1891 through 1946. While most of the original League Park was torn down years ago, the ticket office still stands. That is where the Baseball Heritage Museum operates out of.
A benefit game was held for Addie Joss’ family at League Park on July 24, 1911 after he passed away earlier that spring. The game featured Shoeless Joe Jackson and nine eventual Hall of Famers as the Cleveland Naps hosted the best players in the American League in what was essentially the first All-Star Game in baseball history.
Negro Leagues History
League Park served as home to the Cleveland Buckeyes for eight seasons. During that time, the team won two Negro American League championships. Led by Quincy Trouppe, the Buckeyes won the 1945 Negro League World Series over Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Buck Leonard, and the star-studded Homestead Grays.
Start planning your visit to the Baseball Heritage Museum so you can learn about all of the incredible history which happened on that site.
Pioneer
Michael Aronstein was a card show pioneer, having arranged and hosted one of the very first baseball card “conventions” in 1970.
ASCCA Shows
Michael co-organized the biannual American Sports Card Collectors Association shows in New York City.
Travel through time and take a look at these pictures from the May 25-27, 1973 show.
Collectors Quarterly
Michael was the publisher of Collectors Quarterly, which he used to advertise TCMA’s 1976 Major League Baseball card set, offering it directly via mail order.
Trailblazer
Michael became one of the hobby’s first full-time dealers, and provided collectors with alternatives to mainstream sets along with collecting supplies such as plastic sheets before they were widely available anywhere else.
Minor League Cards
As long ago as 1968, Michael was the first to make and sell new cards of old players. But he also produced hundreds of current minor league team card sets, including the “pre-rookie cards” of Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Wade Boggs, re-launching the minor league card industry in the process.
SSPC
Michael’s Sports Stars Publishing Company card set challenged the monopoly Topps had on the card industry.
1981 Donruss
Michael was the exclusive distributor of the 1981 Donruss baseball card set, which was the first time in years that collectors had an alternative to Topps.
Michael co-founded TCMA in 1972. TCMA offered sets that allowed collectors of modest means to own cards of 19th century players, along with 20th century players who didn’t appear on a lot of cards.
TCMA’s 1914 Cracker Jack Reprints
In 1972, TCMA began reprinting old card sets which were either obscure, had become too valuable for the common collector to obtain, or both. Their reprint of the 1914 Cracker Jack set featured this highly sought-after Ty Cobb.
Everyone knew Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and even Bill Dickey, but players like Steve Sundra, Kemp Wicker, and Poison Ivy Andrews had been all but forgotten until TCMA’s Yankees Dynasty set put them on cards.
Andrew Aronstein
Michael’s son, Andrew, grew up around baseball cards and, more importantly, baseball photos. He’s not only had a collector’s mindset from the very beginning, but also that of an archivist.
Andrew has thankfully kept boxes full of papers, letters, contracts, magazines, photos, and, of course, cards relating to TCMA and all of the other ventures from his father’s storied past.
This interview wouldn’t have happened without him, and the liner notes for this episode are full of artifacts from Andrew’s impressive archives.
Here he is, gracing the cover of the catalog for the 5th annual National Sports Collectors Convention.
T-206 Honus Wagner
The Honus Wagner card from the T-206 set is one of the hobby’s most iconic cards. We will talk about it a lot during this interview. Get ready for some incredible stories.
Monte Irvin
Michael’s favorite player growing up was Monte Irvin, who was an outfielder for the Newark Eagles (1938–1942, 1946–1948), New York Giants (1949–1955) and Chicago Cubs (1956).
When he joined the New York Giants, Irvin became one of the earliest African-American MLB players. He played in two World Series for the Giants. When future Hall of Famer Willie Mays joined the Giants in 1951, Irvin was asked to mentor him. Irvin, himself, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Don Mueller
Another of Michael’s favorite players growing up was Don Mueller, who played for the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox from 1948 through 1959. Mueller earned the nickname "Mandrake the Magician" for being adept at consistently putting the ball in play and delivering hits through the infield, which Michael remembers as “dying quails.”
Strip Cards
The first cards Michael remembers buying and collecting were the 1943/49 R302 strip cards he would get at the candy store.
The card fronts had a basic cartoon image of the player, with the player’s name inside of a baseball. The backs had a biography of the subject on the front with the M.P. & Co. name at the bottom.
Interchangeable … Kind Of
As Michael mentioned, the same image was often used for multiple players between the 1943 and 1949 sets. In the case of Ernie Bonham (1943, left) and Buddy Kerr (1949, right), it wasn’t that big of a deal.
No Black ballplayers were included in the 1943 set since none were allowed to play Major League Baseball at the time. When Larry Doby (famously a Black ballplayer) was included in the 1949 set, the image of Johnny Vander Meer from the 1943 set was reused. No changes were made to the likeness of Vander Meer, who was, incongruously, white.
1948 Bowman
1948 was Bowman's first attempt at releasing a baseball card set. It is small in card size and set size, as cards were smaller than today's standard size, and only 48 cards were included in the set.
The design of the cards is rather basic, as front include only a black and white image (no names), and backs contain the player's name, position, and biography.
While this set is small in size, it is loaded with rookies. It includes 1st year cards of hall of famers such as Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, and Warren Spahn, just to name a few.
1951 Bowman
For 1951, Bowman increased the size of their set to 324 total cards. Included in this year were rookies of both Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.
Bowman slightly increased the size of the card for the 1951 set, but kept the familiar color art reproduction of actual color photographs. The fronts finally included the player's name on them. Backs look similar to previous Bowman sets, with the player's name, team, and biography.
Newspaper Stand
Michael’s aunt had a newspaper stand at 180th Street and 3rd Avenue in the Bronx, which taught him things about business that most kids his age would have no reason to know.
1951 Bowman Boxes
Michael remembers the 1951 Bowman set being released in series of 36 cards, and having to buy a box for each series as they came out.
Candy Stores
Kids would go to the candy store closest to their school once classes let out. It’s where Michael would hang out, offering to buy, sell, or trade his baseball cards from his classmates so he could complete his sets.
Flipping Cards
While it wasn’t necessarily the greatest way to keep your cards in pristine condition, flipping cards was a way kids could grow their collections by earning cards from their friends.
Bicycle Spokes
This kid’s bike sounded really cool, I’m sure, but if he’d have kept this 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card in better condition, he could have bought 100,000 bikes.
P.S. 92
This is the Class of 1947 from P.S. 92, so just a few years older than Michael, but this was his school in the Bronx.
Card Backs
At a time when kids didn’t care about keeping their cards in good condition because they could have never imagined these little pieces of cardboard ending up to be worth hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars, Michael always did his best to keep his cards pristine.
He enjoyed reading the bios on the backs of the cards to learn about his favorite players. This is the back of Willie Mays’ 1951 Bowman card.
1974 Topps Factory Set
Topps became the first card company to offer collectors the ability to just buy the entire complete set of cards for a year in one shot when they offered their 1974 factory set through a JC Penney catalog. They didn't get great results with that strategy, so Topps didn't offer another factory set until 1985.
SSPC offered one in 1975/76, so while they technically weren't the first company to try it, they were very early.
Tough To Find
The 1951 Bowman set was issued in multiple series and the high numbers (#253-324) are the most difficult to find. This includes the rookie card of New York Giants first year catcher Ray Noble, and both the Mays and Mantle cards.
Most of the 324 cards in the set had a vertical orientation, however, of the 39 to have been printed horizontally, the rookie cards of both Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle are among them.
1950 Bowman
Once Michael completed his 1951 Bowman set, he was excited to try to go back and complete the 1950 set, as well.
1949 Bowman
And then once he was done with the 1950 Bowman, it was on to the 1949 Bowman set, as well. The work of a collector is never, ever, ever done.
T206 Cards
T206 is a tobacco card set issued from 1909 to 1911 in cigarette and loose tobacco packs through 16 different brands owned by the American Tobacco Company.
The name T206 refers to the catalog designation assigned by Jefferson Burdick in his book The American Card Catalog. It is also known informally as the "White Border" set due to the distinctive white borders surrounding the lithographs on each card.
It is a landmark set in the history of baseball card collecting, due to its size and rarity, and the quality of its color lithographs.
The first series of cards were issued beginning in 1909. From 1909 to 1911 cards of over 500 major minor-league players in 16 different cigarette brands.
Several of the cards are among the most expensive sports cards ever sold.
1933 Goudey
The Goudey Gum Company was an American chewing gum company started in 1919. Though baseball cards had been available with cigarettes and certain lines of candy for many years, Goudey was the first American company to issue baseball cards with each stick of gum - a practice they began in 1933.
That year, Goudey produced a 240 card set, also called "Big League Chewing Gum". These cards, issued with bubble gum in each pack, were the first baseball gum cards. The 1933 Goudey set is considered one of the "Big Three" classic baseball card sets, along with the T206 and 1952 Topps sets.
The Shot Heard ‘Round The World
Bobby Thomson’s dramatic home run was the truly seminal moment in Michael’s childhood, and solidified his love for baseball.
Television
It was starting to become more common for homes to have televisions in addition to having radios by the early 1950s, but a nice tv was still a luxury. To make the screen feel bigger, often times users would place a large magnifying glass in front of the set, which was often small.
October 3, 1951
The first pitch was at 1:30 pm, while Michael was still in school. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st, and that would remain the score until the Giants tied it up at 1 in the bottom of the 7th.
Michael remembers being distraught as he came home from school with the Giants behind. So it’s possible he came home from school before the bottom of the 7th, but it’s also possible that he remembers the Dodgers scoring three runs in the top of the 8th to take a 4-1 lead, late in a low scoring game.
The Giants battled back in the bottom of the 9th, with Whitey Lockman hitting an RBI double with one out. Bobby Thomson came to the plate next, with Lockman on second and Don Mueller on third.
I think you know what happened from there.
Al Worthington
Al Worthington played all or part of 14 seasons for the New York / San Francisco Giants (1953–54, 1956–59), Boston Red Sox (1960), Chicago White Sox (1960), Cincinnati Reds (1963–64) and Minnesota Twins (1965–69).
He was Michael’s mother’s favorite player.
Where Could You Buy Cards?
Michael remembers mostly buying cards at candy stores, and having to run from block to block since some stores were loyal Bowman sellers, while others were loyal Topps dealers.
This photo shows a Woolworth’s department store in 1952, displaying that year’s Topps baseball card set for their customers to buy.
Crawford Foxwell
Crawford Foxwell was a serious baseball fan. Not only did he attend baseball games, it is said that he spent his honeymoon (with his bride, of course) at a doubleheader of Senators games.
It turns out that Mr. Foxwell didn’t just like to watch baseball. He collected baseball cards and memorabilia, and amassed such a collection that an entire room of his home was needed to hold it.
In 1970, Foxwell held the first Mid Atlantic Sport Collectors Convention, the first event of its type. This show and sale would grow and draw people from as far away as Canada.
1940 Play Ball
After a successful debut in 1939, Gum, Inc. brought back its Play Ball baseball card set in 1940. The 240-card set matched 1933 Goudey as the largest, single-year, gum card set issued to that point, featuring a noticeably improved design and larger checklist that included legendary players from the past.
Measuring in at 2-1/2" by 3-1/8", 1940 Play Ball Baseball was printed and distributed in two series.
Several elements were added to the 1939 set top help elevate the 1940 Play Ball design. A banner featuring the player's name, and nickname, if applicable, was added to the bottom. The section is adorned with a glove, bat, and catcher's mask, and a frame is placed around the picture.
The backs are very similar to the ones found in the 1939 set, featuring a detailed biographical write-up.
Dodgers Move To Los Angeles
On January 4, 1957, the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first professional sports team to own its own airplane. The team, owned by Walter O’Malley, placed an order for a Convair 440 Metropolitan airliner. The price was $775,000, and the ball club took delivery of serial number 406 in April.
On October 8, 1957, the team announced it would be moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
Meet The Mets!
The Mets became a National League franchise in 1962, replacing the Dodgers and Giants who had moved to the west coast in 1958.
The new team took uniform design inspiration from each of the city’s former tenants, using the interlocking NY logo that the Giants used to wear on their hats, the blue main color from the Dodgers, and the orange accent color from the Giants, to create the look they used on the field.
Michael was immediately on board to become a Mets fan, since they were the new National League team in New York. It was “an insult” to think he might have started rooting for the Yankees.
The Giants Return To New York
Associated Press Photo From June 1, 1962: San Francisco Giant Center Fielder Willie Mays, left, tips his cap to acknowledge applause of New York baseball fans as he is introduced with teammates along the third base line at the Polo Grounds. Mays, the only active regular player to appear in the lineup when the Giants last played in the Polo Grounds in 1957, was back at his outfield spot and batting in the same place in the batting order as he was in the days of the New York Giants.
Long Island University
Michael graduated from Long Island University in 1962 with a degree in advertising. While at LIU, Michael acted as equipment manager for the baseball team. He is pictured here with the 1961 squad, wearing a jacket in the front row, all the way on the right.
The first player at the top left is Ron Solomine, who went on to play AAA ball.
Uncle Myron
The first significant, full-size set Michael created was an 82-card set split between two series in 1968 and 1969. They were sold under the moniker Sports Cards For Collectors, or SCFC for short. Michael was 28 years old at the time.
That set, which has become known as the SCFC Old Timers set, included pen drawings by his Uncle Myron (initialed MSA) and Aunt Margie (initialed MA) of not only of Hall of Fame players, but also managers, pioneers, executives, commissioners, forgotten players, and even umpire Bill Klem.
First Ad
This 1-inch advertisement which appeared in the December 18, 1971 issue of The Sporting News, was the first ad TCMA ran in that publication. Eventually, Michael ended up with a mailing list of over 100,000 collectors.
This was a time when most collectors weren’t aware that the more exotic sets existed. The guys creating these reprint sets were advanced collectors, and the reprints exposed the hobby to cards they otherwise may never have seen, let alone owned.
Another one of Uncle Myron’s drawings (notice the “MSA” just under Bill Klem’s chin) for the SCFC set.
Aunt Margie
If you look closely between Smoky Joe Wood’s signature on this card, and his chin, you’ll notice the initials “MA” instead of “MSA” which appear on most of the other SCFC cards. The “MA” indicates that Michael’s Aunt Margie was the artist behind this drawing, as opposed to Uncle Myron.
TCMA Mailers
This is one of the many mailers TCMA sent out over the years, which showed products they had available and included ordering instructions.
The front also features the P.O. Box in Amawalk, New York that Michael remembered.
They were getting a 20% response rate on these mailers, when most good mail campaigns can expect around a 5% response rate.
Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver was relaxed with his ballplayers and tough on umpires, and he eschewed small-ball tactics like stolen bases and hit-and-runs in favor of the big inning. His strategy was “Pitching, defense and the three-run homer,” and he was known to say "Don't play for one run unless you know that run will win a ballgame."
The strategy worked for him, as he won four pennants and a World Series during his managerial career, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
Those concepts also worked for Michael Aronstein, who employed those same strategies in his own business career. Play things steady but be ready for the home run deal, and capitalize on it.
Marshall Oreck’s 1963 The Collector’s Directory
Irv Lerner’s 1970 Who’s Who in Card Collecting
Another publication similar to Marshall Oreck’s The Collector’s Directory, Irv Lerner’s Who’s Who In Card Collecting was created and distributed with the intent of collectors to get to know each other.
By listing your contact information and tidbits about your collection (what you have available for trade/sale, what you’re looking for, etc), it became easy for people to connect and make deals.
Michael’s bio in the 1970 edition of Who’s Who In Card Collecting
Look at some of these prices…
I mean, seriously, come on…
Okay, that’s it… when I get my time machine, who’s coming with me??
T218 Champions
While cards of boxers from the early 1900s don’t sell for hundreds of thousands (or millions) like some baseball cards from that era do today, even buying them for a dollar each would have absolutely been a great investment had Michael held onto them all these years later.
Lew Lipset
This picture from 1984 - taken by Frank Barning of Baseball Hobby News - shows Mike Gordon in the top right, Lew Lipset in the lower right, and Michael Aronstein in the lower left.
1969 SCFC Yankees Picture Cards
This 22-card set of the New York Yankees measures approximately 4" by 5" and features black-and-white player photos with white borders. The cards are listed below according to the numbers stamped on their white backs.
Pictured here is Yankees pitcher Al Downing.
Bill Hongach
Bill Hongach was the bat boy for the Yankees, and he would take photos of the players for Michael so he could make cards from them.
Thurman Munson
This Thurman Munson postcard, originally issued by Howard Photo Service, was one of the Earl Weaver “home runs” Michael hit during his career.
Unlicensed
Originally, Michael was doing everything unlicensed out of his basement, but he thought he could get around those issues because he wasn’t printing cards of current players. Instead, he re-printed long out-of-print sets, and made his own sets of retired or deceased players, like his 1919 Chicago White Sox set.
This article originally appeared in the February 10, 1975 issue of the Richmond Times Dispatch.
Minor League Team Sets
Michael also made arrangements with minor league teams to print team sets, and signed contracts to make it official.
If he printed the cards in black and white - like he did with the 1983 Lynchburg Mets set shown here - Michael would print 1,000 sets. The team would receive 500 sets for free to fulfill the contract, and Michael could sell the remaining 500 sets.
Color Printing
If he printed the cards in color - like he did with the 1979 Ogden A’s set shown here - Michael would print 3,000 sets. The team would receive 1,000 sets for free to fulfill the contract, and Michael could sell the remaining 2,000 sets. Generally, the color sets were reserved for AAA clubs.
Bill Himmelman
Baseball Nostalgia, Inc. was founded in November of 1974 by Bill Himmelman, Michael Aronstein, and Pete Henrici in Cooperstown, New York.
Opening on April 23rd of 1975, the focus of the store was to promote baseball - past and present - as well as collecting. The store featured the ever-expanding lineup of historical cards produced by Michael’s company, TCMA Ltd.
TCMA’s 1930’s Set
In 1972 TCMA began issuing "The 1930’s" set in separate series of 24 cards each. 21 series were eventually issued for a total of 504 cards.
The set was made possible by utilizing an enormous collection of glass plate negatives Michael purchased from an antique dealer in Greenwich, CT in 1969. These glass plate negatives date from the 1920s to the 1940s and were used to create several TCMA issued cards and sets.
“Look how beautiful they are,” Michael beamed, as Andrew brought out a binder of these cards during the interview.
Card Backs
Michael typed out the card backs for each card in the set, and then stuck them on the back of the printed photos. If you look closely, you can see the bottom edges don’t quite meet up perfectly on the Joe DiMaggio card shown here.
American Sports Card Collectors Association Conventions
Among the first sports card collecting groups, the American Sports Card Collectors Association held shows in the New York City area where a small, but avid group of adults and kids gathered a couple of times each year to buy, sell and trade.
This photo, taken May 25, 1973, shows the amount of cards some dealers had with them at their tables. The location for this show was a large union hall– District 65 at 13 Astor Place.
March 15, 1970
Michael’s daughter, Melina, holds up a sign welcoming collectors to the Aronstein’s basement on March 15, 1970.
Click through the slide show below to see more photos from one of the earliest gatherings of baseball card collectors ever.
Dan Dischley
Dan Dischley was one of the 19 attendees at Michael’s first convention in his basement in March of 1970.
Long before baseball memorabilia became a multimillion-dollar cottage industry, SABR founding member Dan Dischley bought three different T206 Honus Wagner cigarette cards as he was building his own prized collection in the 1960s and ’70s.
“I sold all three of them,” Dischley said, “and the most I got for any of them was $1,500.”
As a SABR co-founder and publisher of The Trader Speaks, one of the earliest publications devoted to memorabilia and card collecting, Dischley played a pioneering role in the growth of the hobby over the past half-century.
Bill Haber
Bill Haber was also one of SABR’s founding members. Considered one of baseball’s greatest biographical researchers, Bill spent much of his time tracking down obscure ballplayers from the 19th and early 20th centuries whose deaths had gone unrecorded by the Baseball Encyclopedia or the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Working from his home in Brooklyn, he located the identities of more than 300 players whose fates were previously unknown.
Bill Madden of the New York Daily News once wrote, “In terms of sleuthing, Dick Tracy, Magnum and Jim Rockford had nothing on Haber.”
He was a longtime sports statistician and editor for Topps Chewing Gum Inc.
When he passed away, he left a virtually complete set of E107 Breisch-Williams (the only prominent set issued between 1895 and 1910) and a full set of T210 Old Mill, plus hundreds of other rare sets.
Bill Mastro
This photo of Michael (left) sitting with Bill Mastro appeared in the August 19, 1972 issue of the Michigan Daily Tribune.
In the early 1970’s, the going rate for a T206 Honus Wagner was $1,500. Both Michael and Bill Mastro were proud owners at a time when only approximately 15 were known to exist in the hobby.
In October 2013, Mastro, CEO of Mastro Auctions (the owner of Robert Edward Auctions) pleaded guilty to mail fraud in U.S. District Court and later admitted to the court that he had trimmed the "Gretzky" Wagner to sharply increase its value.
Bruce Yeko
Bruce Yeko was let go from his job as an accountant and became the hobby’s first full-time dealer in May of 1963, selling baseball cards mostly to kids. His ads resulted in a lot of orders with nickels, dimes and quarters taped on sheets of paper as the youngsters tried to fill out sets or buy a favorite player’s card they couldn’t seem to pull from packs.
In New York, Yeko connected with other adults who got together to buy collections and maybe sell a few things. Yeko continued to sell full time for about the next 25 years, filling a home, two other buildings, a two-story barn and cottage with cards…20 million at one point, he says.
Selling off his massive collection, Bruce used those funds to produce over 300 original cast recordings of such musicals as The Baker's Wife, In Trousers, Prettybelle, and countless other musicals that no commercial record company would have produced, which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Read a great interview with Bruce Yeko by George Vrechek HERE.
Dennis Graye
What is considered to be the first card convention took place at Jim and Marjie Nowell’s house in Southern California in October of 1969. It was attended by 13 collectors, with local attendees including Nowell (pictured here, center), Ed Broder, Goodie Goldfadden, Ray Medeiros, Ray Hess, Jim McConnell, and some younger collectors.
There were only two out of state collectors in attendance: John England from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Dennis Graye from Detroit (pictured here, left).
When Graye returned home, he was so enthused about his experience that he helped organize a mini-convention at the home of Lloyd Toerpe. This was such a success that Graye, Toerpe, and several other Michigan collectors began organizing a bigger show for 1970. That became the annual Midwest Sports Collectors Convention (the Detroit show), the country's biggest show throughout the 1970s.
Keith Olbermann
Michael took a liking to a young Keith Olbermann, and would always make sure Keith stayed close by at card shows so Michael could watch out for him.
A write up on the 1973 New York Convention by Keith Olbermann
Rick Cerrone
After graduating from NIU in 1976, Rick Cerrone worked with the magazine Baseball Quarterly, eventually purchasing it and renaming it Baseball Magazine. He went on to work as assistant director of public relations for MLB before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates as VP of Public Relations.
In 1996, Cerrone became the Senior Director of Media Relations for the New York Yankees, working for the organization until 2006, as the team won four World Series titles. Cerrone became the Editor in Chief of Baseball Digest in 2018.
This photo appeared in the August 13, 1994 issue of The Reporter Dispatch.
Bill Madden
Bill Madden is a sportswriter who formerly wrote for the New York Daily News. A member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, he has served on the Historical Overview Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, 2007 and 2008, helping to select candidates for the final ballots presented to the Veterans Committee.
Madden was a sportswriter with United Press International for nine years before he joined the Daily News in 1978. He covered the New York Yankees before becoming a columnist in 1989.
In 2010, Madden was the recipient of the baseball scribe's highest honor, the J.G. Taylor Spink Award.
Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and radio stations in the 1980s, winning the Best Sportscaster award from the California Associated Press three times.
He co-hosted ESPN's SportsCenter from 1992 to 1997. From 1998 to 2001, he was a producer and anchor for Fox Sports Net and a host for Fox Sports' coverage of Major League Baseball.
This photo shows Michael and Keith during the last weekend at Shea Stadium in 2008.
T206 Wagners
At least SIX of the 19 men in attendance at Michael Aronstein’s basement convention either owned a T206 Honus Wagner at the time of the gathering or would acquire one shortly after the event. Bill Haber actually brought his to the convention.
T206 Honus Wagner
At this point, there are nearly 100 known copies of the T206 Honus Wagner in the hobby. A significant amount more than the roughly 15 which were known to exist when Michael first started seriously collecting.
There have been differing theories as to why so few copies exist, which helps to make it one of the most valuable baseball cards ever, but Andrew Aronstein seems to be very confident that Wagner was against the use of his photo on a product that promotes the use of tobacco to children.
How To Find A Wagner
Michael ran this ad in the April 14, 1973 edition of the Patent Trader, among others. It would land him the biggest score of his life.
Michael’s First Wagner
It may not be perfect, it may have three borders missing, but it’s nicer than any T206 Wagner I’ve ever owned.
But wait!! Why would I write the word “first” in this title? Is it possible for someone to have owned more than one of these cards?!
A Loving, Understanding Wife
Michael hit the lottery when he found Jeanne, who has allowed him to not only continue his hobby, but turn it into his life and career.
But Jeanne isn’t just a passive witness to the madness; she has been along for the ride (often literally) the whole time.
This photo of the couple was published in the September 6, 1973 issue of the Patent Trader.
Stuck To Another T206
If you look closely, you can see that the Wagner pictured here is actually the one that’s missing three borders. Michael stuck it onto another T206 card to give it the appearance of being a full card.
Each of the first two cards PSA ever graded were T206 Honus Wagners. Look at the serial numbers in the lower right corner of the “flip” above each card.
1972 Midwest Sports Collectors Convention
Fred McKie, Michael Aronstein, and Frank Nagy at the 1972 Midwest Sports Collectors Convention in Detroit.
1971 Mid Atlantic Sports Collectors Convention
One of my favorite things about the hobby is how grand everything is always made out to be. “Let’s get 15-20 guys getting together at one of our houses, and we’re going to call it the Mid Atlantic Sports Collectors Convention.”
But that’s how these things start. You need to convince people that these gatherings are worth attending, and giving them grandiose names is one super easy way to make them sound official and worthwhile.
Tom Collier
Tom Collier is all the way on the right in the second row next to the bush in the photo from the 1971 Mid Atlantic Sports Collectors Convention at Crawford Foxwell’s house shown above, but here he is working a table with Michael Aronstein.
Tom was great at buying huge card collections in the south, and then flipping them. Michael Aronstein brought the business sense to TCMA, but Tom Collier found the rare cards which the two would reprint.
1887 Allen & Ginter
Allen & Ginter's best-known set was issued in 1887 under the "World's Champions" tagline and featured 50 athletes from several different sports. The fronts feature a brightly-colored lithograph painting. Below the picture are a name, an advertisement for Allen & Ginter, and a note of the company's home city of Richmond, Virginia.
The backs feature a checklist, with all 50 athletes listed with their respective sports. Of the ten baseball players included in the set, six of them are in the Hall of Fame. TCMA reprinted this scarce set in 1972.
1922 American Caramel
The 1922 American Caramel (E120) set contains 240 cards. The set features all of the era’s Major League stars - including numerous Hall of Famers - with teams broken down alphabetically within their respective league.
The set is evenly represented by fifteen players from each of the sixteen teams, and was one of the first sets produced using two distinct motifs depending on the league: sepia-toned cards for American League players and a greenish-blue hue for National League subjects.
TCMA reprinted this scarce set in 1972.
Cracker Jack Cards
TCMA reprinted the 1914/1915 Cracker Jack sets in 1972, as well. In addition to issuing individual cards, they were also issued as an uncut sheet. Here's a photo of Michael set up at a show with the TCMA reprints in 1972 or 1973.
Jefferson Burdick’s American Card Catalog
The classifications set up by Jefferson Burdick were essential to early collectors and are still used to this day. The reason is because there were so many cards out there that collectors needed a way to classify them and keep them organized.
Jefferson Burdick sorted cards by how they were distributed or what they were. For example, cards placed inside of tobacco products were given a T-Card (for tobacco) designation. Miniature blanket cards were called B-Cards. Cards distributed by magazines or publications were called M-Cards.
Sports card collectors know him for his work with, primarily, baseball cards. However, the American Card Catalog goes far beyond that scope and includes not only other sports cards but all kinds of non-sports issues.
TCMA’s 1930’s Set
Johnny McCarthy played all or parts of 11 seasons for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants and Boston Braves between 1934 and 1948.
He helped the Giants win the 1937 National League pennant as their regular first baseman. His 65 runs batted in were third on the team. In the 1937 World Series, McCarthy started all five games against the cross-town New York Yankees and collected four hits, including a double, in 19 at bats. The Yankees won the Series, four games to one.
Autographs
According to Michael, the original purpose of TCMA’s 1930’s set was to get the cards autographed by the players who were still alive.
Collectors are still after signed versions of these cards today, more than 50 years after their original release.
Index Cards
Before TCMA came along, collectors were sending blank index cards through the mail for players to autograph, like this one, which was signed by Cleveland Indians pitcher Mel Harder.
Isn’t it so much nicer to have an image of the player signed?
1972 Cedar Rapids Cardinals
Contrary to popular belief, TCMA’s first Minor League set was NOT a 30-card set of the 1972 Cedar Rapids Cardinals in the Class-A Midwest League. While TCMA did make a set of the 1972 team, that set was requested by the team a couple years later.
1974 Gastonia Rangers
The real first Minor League set TCMA did was for the 1974 Gastonia Rangers in the Class-A Western Carolinas League. That set was the first of what would eventually be hundreds of TCMA Minor League team sets over the next 16 years.
An early TCMA mailer, offering Minor League team card sets at $3 per set
Jeff Morey
As much a collector as he was a photographer, Jeff Morey was Michael’s contact in Syracuse to get all of the photos of the Minor League players who came through town, both home and away.
Doing The Work
So much work goes into making a card set that most people don’t think about or understand. From the creative side, to the logistics side, to the marketing side, to the sales and fulfillment… dozens of tasks - if not hundreds - need to be completed just to get one set out the door.
Michael was doing nearly all of that work himself, for hundreds of different sets. Here is a photo of Michael sorting 1963 Topps cards in his personal collection.
Growth
Eventually, TCMA grew to have at least 20 employees and a 15,000 square foot warehouse, but Michael was still very much in charge of doing much of the work that went into being a $3 million a year company.
Card Backs
Some Minor League teams would include statistics and player information with the photos they would send TCMA to help them make the card sets, which made Michael’s job a lot easier.
Alternate Photos
Andrew still has alternate photos that the photographers sent to TCMA which were never used to make cards. This photo of Ron Darling on the 1983 Tidewater Tides has never been seen by the public… until now.
Gary Carter
One of Andrew’s favorite archive finds was when he was digging through one day and realized he was looking at the color photo used to make the black and white card of Gary Carter. It was an image he’d seen hundreds of times before, but never in color.
The Black And White Card
This was the card Andrew had seen so many times before. Beautiful in its own right, absolutely, but it’s easy to see why Andrew was so taken aback when he finally saw the image in color.
The future Hall of Famer hit 23 home runs for the Memphis Blues in 1974, which was his last Minor League appearance until a 5-game rehab stint with Tidewater in 1989.
Uncut Sheets
Michael technically became an employee of the printer because the printer didn’t want to cut the sheets of cards himself, but needed Michael to be insured in case an accident occurred during that dangerous job.
Once you’ve got finished card sets, now it’s time to market them and sell them.
Over 24,000 Copies Distributed
Michael was getting such a high response rate from his ads that Barclays kicked him out because he was bringing them too many checks.
“I Got It Today, Michael!”
Michael would send one copy of every mailer to his mother, so she could let him know everything was actually being mailed out. This copy of Baseball Advertiser still has the label addressed to Ann Aronstein affixed to it.
Andrew still has all of the Baseball Advertiser publications that were sent to Michael’s mother.
This is a form you would see in Baseball Advertiser or one of the other publications so you could actually place your order with TCMA.
9-Pocket Plastic Sheets
It seems unfathomable to collectors today who have grown up with these 9-pocket plastic sheets ubiquitous in the hobby, but there was a time before binders.
A lucky phone call paired with Michael’s vision popularized these sheets, which have been a hobby staple for decades.
ASCCA Convention
The first convention, which was held May 23-25, 1973, at a union center on 8th Street in Manhattan was such a success that Michael helped to organize a second one just four months later.
May 25, 1973
Among the first sports card collecting groups, the American Sports Card Collectors Association held shows in the New York City area where a small, but avid group of adults and kids gathered a couple of times each year to buy, sell and trade.
This photo, taken May 25, 1973, proves that these early shows were already being attended by kids, too, and that the hobby wasn’t dominated by adults. The location for this show was a large union hall– District 65 at 13 Astor Place.
The boy holding the uncut sheet of 1949 Bowman cards is Rob Lifson, former founder and president of Robert Edward Auctions.
This write up was published in the May 31, 1973 issue of The Lexington Herald.
Feature Article
The second ASCCA convention, held September 14-16, 1973, was the feature article in the very first issue of Sports Collectors Digest, which was published October 12, 1973. Over 1,000 people showed up for that convention.
Show Pins
Here is an assortment of show pins from the early ASCCA shows of the 1970s.
Lew Alcindor
Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. was a giant. An epic talent, already seven feet tall as a 17-year-old high schooler from Power Memorial Academy at the Catholic High School Athletic Association Championship game.
For some reason, Michael scheduled a card convention that was supposed to be held in the gym where Alcindor’s high school team was set to play a playoff basketball game, should they make it that far. Look at the kid to the left of Alcindor in absolute awe. They made it that far.
Michael had to move the location of the convention at the last minute. Everything worked out.
WANTED Baseball Cards
Michael ran this ad in the April 14, 1973 edition of the Patent Trader, among others. It would land him the biggest score of his life.
T206 Eddie Plank
By all accounts, only 75 to 100 T206 Eddie Plank cards are known to exist. Like the more famous Honus Wagner card from the same set, the scarcity is, and will likely always remain, a secret lost to history.
A likely reason for the card's scarcity is that Plank was anti-tobacco and demanded that his image be removed from the cards used to promote cigarettes.
Plank was one of his manager Connie Mack's favorite players because he lived clean, eschewing late nights, alcohol, and tobacco. Mack and Plank were known as two of the most outspoken anti-tobacco advocates in baseball, years before that became Wagner's calling card.
Unlike Wagner who smoked cigars, Plank was never seen using tobacco products of any kind.
Another theory is that the printing plate for his card broke, leaving the print run far shorter than it otherwise would have been.
Despite its condition flaws, Michael said it was still “unbelievably exciting” to finally own a T206 Honus Wagner. This was the actual copy of the card he acquired in 1972.
Being A Collector
Michael said his wife, Jeanne, allowed him to keep a cabinet in their bedroom with all of his card albums.
The Hobby’s First Expensive Card
Even as early as March of 1962, the T206 Honus Wagner card was worth around $250 in what was “the fastest growing hobby in the country” at the time: card collecting.
Compare that to the prices of other single cards at the time (anywhere between $0.04 and $1.00 each), and it’s clear that collectors have known for decades that there’s just something special about the Wagner.
Rising Prices
A little over a decade later, the starting bid of an auction for a T206 Honus Wagner was $800. It was the first time that a Wagner was ever publicly auctioned off, and it sold for $1,100 to Fred McKie.
Bob Jaspersen wrote about Fred McKie’s new acquisition in this 1973 issue of Sport Fan. The actual copy of the card McKie won is pictured on the left.
Another write up about the 1973 convention where the Wagner was auctioned off to Fred McKie.
$6.6 Million
If you’ve ever wondered what the back of a $6.6 million card looks like, you can sleep well tonight knowing that you’ve seen it for yourself.
July 24, 1974
“Gentlemen: I have the baseball card collection of my late father, who would have been now in his 80s.
It seems to me to be quite extensive and includes two Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner cards, one Piedmont Honus Wagner, two Plank cards, and three of Lajoie.
This collection would be for sale – either separately or as a whole – depending, of course, on the money involved.
I am at a loss as to how to go about this. Perhaps you can help me.”
A Huge Deal
Rick Barudin and Bud Kurzweil didn’t want to drive out of state to pick up a baseball card, so they called Michael. He was willing to do it, and it was one of the best drives he ever made in his life.
Michael’s Newest Card: “The Jumbo Wagner”
This copy of the Wagner was the third one Michael had been in possession of within a span of three years. It was the second one he had owned.
He bought it from the woman who wrote the letter, Rick Barudin and Bud Kurzweil reimbursed him for what he spent to get it, and in return, Michael gave Rick and Bud his original Wagner with the three missing borders.
All in, Michael had spent $0.20 to obtain this card.
1978 NBC News clip with Dick Schaap reporting
“The Jumbo Wagner”
This card is known as “The Jumbo Wagner” because the borders are so large compared to some other T206 cards. PSA has even give the card a qualifier of (MC) which stands for mis-cut. The Jumbo Wagner measures 1 7/16″ by 2 11/16″. Most T206 cards are 2 5/8″ in height.
The card broke a record for the most expensive card ever sold in October of 2016, when it sold for $3.12 million by Goldin Auctions. That price was a significant bump from the last time that card was sold. Approximately three and a half years earlier, in April of 2013, the Jumbo Wagner fetched $1.2 million.
Merchandising Almost Gone Terribly Wrong
Michael sent his Wagner to the photographer so they could take pictures of it for this beer stein. The photographer put some adhesive on the back of the card to take the pictures, and slightly damaged the back of the card.
After Michael drove to Vermont and acquired The Jumbo Wagner, he gave his original Wagner (which was missing three borders) to Buddy Kerzweil and Rick Barudin for them to auction off. The opening bid for their October 7, 1974 auction was $900.
Uncut Sheets
Originating from the collection's first series (#1-109), this original 1966 Topps uncut sheet of 132 cards contains many of the sets best stars that include Hall of Famers Hunter, Koufax, Mays, Perez, Niekro, and Yastrzemski, and two cards each of Mantle and Rose.
That’s One Way To Get Rid Of Cards You Don’t Want
Several years after producing the 1952 set, Topps executive Sy Berger decided to discard the unsold cards, literally dumping them into the Atlantic Ocean.
Little did Berger know that he was creating a smaller supply for the future secondary market, one that Berger and the rest of Topps did not even realize would come to fruition; with fewer cards, including the Mantles, available to future collectors, the card became rarer and more valuable.
If Only We Had Time Machines
We could go back and stop Sy Berger from dumping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of baseball cards into the ocean because he didn’t want them sitting on the shelves anymore.
1933 Goudey Lajoie
This Napoleon Lajoie card was not originally included in the 1933 Goudey set. Instead, in 1934, collectors had to acquire the card direct from the manufacturer in order to complete their set.
The missing card was sent through the mail to the collectors who contacted the Goudey company. Many of the examples were mailed with a paper clip affixed to it, leaving impressions on the surface of the card.
As a result, you will encounter some examples that exhibit spider wrinkles along the front or back of the card. Highgrade examples in the marketplace are best explained by the fact that the card was never subject to insertion into packs, avoiding some of the traditional handling.
T206 Magee Error Card
This is one of the three big rarities in the T206 baseball set along with the Honus Wagner and Eddie Plank cards. It is also, perhaps, the most famous error card in the entire hobby.
Sherry Magee was an excellent major leaguer, finishing his 16-year career with a .291 batting average and 1,176 RBI during the Dead Ball Era. In fact, he led the NL in RBI on four separate occasions and finished among the league leaders in home runs several times.
Unfortunately, Magee’s name was initially spelled incorrectly as “Magie” on this T206 example. It was quickly corrected, with the corrected version printed in much higher abundance than the coveted error, but a number of copies of the incorrect version did make it out there. Although it is subject to debate, most hobbyists feel this card is a must if you want to truly complete the T206 set.
John Elway
Of the many pre-rookie cards of incredibly famous players that TCMA would put out over the years, Michael said the only one he really thought about in advance was John Elway. Not Wade Boggs, or Darryl Strawberry, or Rickey Henderson, or Dwight Gooden, or Cal Ripken, Jr.
John Elway. The football player. Elway was an outfielder for the 1982 Oneonta Yankees.
Players were proud to have their own baseball card. For most, it was their first time ever appearing on a card. Here, future Hall of Famer Jack Morris shows off his pride and joy in the July 9, 1977 issue of The Evansville Press.
Prospecting
In the 1980s, as the value of rookie cards from great players of the 1950s and 1960s skyrocketed, collectors began “prospecting” rookies and buying dozens of copies of their first cards. Gregg Jeffries was one of the many junk wax rookies who didn’t pan out.
Michael checklisted the 1916 M101-4/M101-5 Famous and Barr Co. cards in the November-December 1971 issue of Dan Dischley’s “The Trader Speaks.” It was the first time anyone had even seen that back on those cards, let alone checklisted them.
Michael may not have cared about the backs on his T206 cards, but many modern collectors go crazy over them. Entire websites are dedicated to determining the rarity of certain backs, like T206resource.com.
The Sports Collectors Bible
In 1974, the legendary Bert Sugar was compiling The Sports Collectors Bible. But he couldn’t do it alone, and he was looking for good, cheap help. Michael suggested a 15-year-old Keith Olbermann.
An article written by a 15-year-old Keith Olbermann in early 1974.
Jefferson Burdick
Jefferson Burdick remains a hero to a hobby he may be said to have created. The Society for American Baseball Research honors one individual each year with its Jefferson Burdick Award, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the baseball card hobby.
This glowing article about hobby legend Frank Nagy was written by Fred McKie and appeared in the August, 1974 issue of Sports Scoop.
Crawford Foxwell
Easton, Maryland. Crawford “Crab” Foxwell looks over a souvenir baseball, part of a vast collection of diamond memorabilia he keeps in a room of his Cambridge home. The 47-year-old baseball buff started collecting the items as a hobby in the late 1940s. He was interested in all sports at first, but later realized he’d have to specialize - and baseball was his choice. April 23, 1975.
SSPC
in 1975, Michael started another entity called Sports Stars Publishing Co. or "SSPC." He had just started TCMA 3 years earlier, but SSPC was created with the intent to sell cards of current Major League players. Just… without the gum.
Great Topps Monopoly by Mark Armour, a 10-part series
Bob Laughlin wrote about the SSPC vs Topps controversy in the April, 1976 issue of his newsletter.
Letter From Topps
Michael received this letter from Topps Vice President Sy Berger on November 25, 1974.
1989 Bowman
1989 Bowman (produced by Topps) is a 484-card set released July 6th, 1989. Billed as the "Comeback Edition!," 1989 Bowman bears little resemblance to the prospect and rookie-laden brand it would eventually become, and can be seen as almost a second Topps "flagship" set.
The design of the set was meant to resemble the 1953 Bowman Color Baseball set, and each card measures 2.5" X 3.75" - a quarter-inch longer than the post-1957 standard-size trading card.
As a result, the cards do not fit into standard-sized 9-pocket sheets, top-loaders, or cardboard set boxes, and briefly caused a run on 8-pocket sheets. This lack of compatibility with standard storage supplies hurt sales of the product.
Collectors Quarterly
SSPC published an advertising vehicle called Collectors Quarterly. It was short-lived because the original editor had to leave for another opportunity, and Michael didn’t have anyone to replace him. The original editor? Keith Olbermann. That “other opportunity”? Keith had to leave to go off to college.
Michael asked Rick Cerrone to come in and be the editor of the final issue, which would fulfill everyone’s yearly subscription, and then the magazine would cease to exist.
Rick convinced Michael to keep printing the publication, but to change it from Collectors Quarterly into Baseball Quarterly since the only other baseball-related magazine which came out more than once a year at that time was Baseball Digest.
Baseball Quarterly
After making the switch from Collectors Quarterly to Baseball Quarterly, thanks to the vision of new editor Rick Cerrone, a series of shrewd business moves eventually landed the publication with national distribution, appearing on newsstands all over the country.
Baseball Quarterly was eventually sold to Rick Cerrone, who would turn it into Baseball Magazine. Rick would become the PR Director for the Pirates, and then held the same role with the Yankees. Now he’s the editor of Baseball Digest, the very publication he had set out to challenge with the distribution of Baseball Quarterly.
Baseball Advertiser
Baseball Advertiser was a way for TCMA to offer their products to their mailing list of over 100,000 collectors.
Note the mailing address label on the issue pictured here.
1975 SSPC
In 1975, SSPC printed an unlicensed card set which was heavily influenced aesthetically by the 1953 Bowman. It was the only full baseball card set ever issued during the Topps monopoly.
1953 Bowman Color
In a 1988 article for Baseball Cards magazine, Michael said "There was too much ‘gingerbread' on Topps cards.” As he said in our interview, he was a Bowman fan and collector.
When you look at an image like this 1953 Bowman Color, one which Michael describes as “the pure card,” it’s easy to see what he sees in it.
1976 SSPC
Keith Olbermann wrote the backs of all of the cards in SSPC’s 1976 set. Keith was 17 years old.
You can read a ton of other baseball-related stuff Keith has written over the years HERE.
Bob Laughlin
Bob was a cartoonist who created his own card sets, but also did artwork for TCMA, including the artwork on the covers of Collectors Quarterly.
Shea Stadium
Most of the photos which were used in the SSPC set were taken at Shea Stadium.
Bill Hongach
Most of those photos were taken by Bill Hongach.
Confusion
There's some confusion over the date of this set because the cards are copyrighted 1975 on the back, but they actually came out in early 1976, and were always officially referred to as a 1976 set by TCMA.
The back of the Fred Lynn card, for instance, mentions he won the AL ROY and MVP for the 1975 season.
That’s because before those cards were able to reach stores, Michael was sued by Topps and barred from selling them further.
1976 SSPC Card 593
The negatives for that 1976 set were stolen and led to a bootlegged "illegal reprint" set popping up a few years later.
You can tell the difference because card 593 in the original pressing is of Catfish Hunter and Nolan Ryan, and the front says "Nolan" as it should.
The bootlegged set has "Noland" instead, an error that you caught and corrected on the original printing plates, but snuck by in the stolen negatives.
Renata Galasso
Renata Galasso reportedly began her business as a baseball card dealer in the early 1970s as a way to pay for college. She purchased individual packs of cards - primarily Topps - and built sets for sale, which was unusual for that time.
Galasso eventually opened a shop around 1975 on Bay Ridge Parkway, and later relocated to 6305 10th Avenue in Brooklyn. At one point, Galasso claimed in her catalogs and shipping labels to be the "World's Largest Hobby Card Dealer."
Galasso printed some cards in partnerships with Topps and TCMA, and eventually printed some independent card sets, as well.
Andrew’s Rookie Card
Pretty cool to have your birth announcement be a baseball card made by the same guy and in the same fashion as he’s making cards for Major Leaguers and Hall of Famers.
September, 1974
This photo was taken four years before Andrew’s arrival.
The 1960’s
The 1978 TCMA The 1960’s set consists of 293 cards, all of which measure 2 ½” by 3 ½”. The cards feature many photos from Michael’s library of photos.
In 1981, TCMA released a second set of 188 cards, featuring more players from the 1960s. The first card of "The 1960's II" begins with #294, and the set concludes with #482. These cards were printed in much smaller numbers.
John Romita, Sr.
John Romita, Sr. was a comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man and for co-creating characters including Mary Jane Watson, the Punisher, Kingpin, Wolverine, and Luke Cage.
He did the inserts Michael was creating for the Yankees yearbooks.
1981 Donruss
In 1981, Fleer and Donruss were two new manufacturers who jumped into what had been Topps’ exclusive market. Michael managed to become the exclusive distributor of Donruss.
Fraught With Errors
The 1981 Donruss set is fraught with errors, though Michael didn’t have anything to do with them. He was just the distributor.
Collation on the set is bad. Bob Lacey’s last name was spelled Lacy instead of Lacey. Vern Ruhle’s card had the face of Ken Forsch on it (pictured here).
Baseball Immortals
One of the most popular collector's issues ever released was the "Baseball Immortals" set originally issued in 1980 and later updated in 1984, 1986 and 1987.
Although many baseball card sets have featured top players from the past, the Baseball Immortals set was the first to depict every member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The cards themselves do not mention a manufacturer, and while it has been commonly referred to as an SSPC issue, it was actually distributed mainly by TCMA and Renata Galasso.
Baseball’s Greatest
As a 7-year-old, I was never going to be able to afford to buy original Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, or Jimmie Foxx cards. But I had real cards of theirs with stats and everything from the Baseball's Greatest Sluggers set.
I'd never even heard of Paul Waner, Sam Rice, or Bill Dickey, but I could compare their accomplishments to the players I did know, thanks to the Baseball's Greatest Hitters set.
The first time I'd ever learned of Satchel Paige, Rube Waddell, or Mordecai Brown was because of the Baseball's Greatest Pitchers set.
And that was exactly why Michael created those sets in the first place.
Everyone Deserves A Card
When Michael made team sets, he made sure to include everyone on the team, whether they played in one game or in all of them.
When he started making Minor League team sets, he took that thoughtfulness to the next level, including cards of trainers, and mascots, and coaches. Surprisingly, it’s those obscure members of the team whose cards have become the favorites of collectors over the years.
1942 Play Ball Fantasy Set
Joe DiMaggio didn’t get a card the year following his incredible 1941 season which saw him hit safely in a record-breaking 56 games in a row. Michael did his best to right that wrong when he imagined what a 1942 Play Ball set would have looked like, had it come out when it should have.
No Regrets
Michael’s family has said a million times that he should have sold the house, but not the cards. His wife, Jeanne, told him specifically not to sell the Jumbo Wagner. But when Michael sold his entire collection in 1984, that included the Jumbo Wagner.
However, the money he made from that sale gave he and his wife the breathing room to figure out their next move as Michael got back on his feet, and allowed them to raise their kids the way they wanted to.
It would be nice to still have a card that’s worth 7-8 figures, but having that peace of mind 40 years ago was worth something, too.
A Special Moment
Andrew is seen here holding the Fred McKie T206 Wagner.
An Even More Special Moment
Holding the McKie Wagner must have been very cool (holding ANY Wagner must be pretty cool, let’s be honest), but holding the Jumbo Wagner - a card Andrew’s dad actually owned and loved - must have been an indescribable feeling.
5th Annual National
Michael was one of the hosts of the 5th Annual National Sports Collectors Convention, which was held August 9-12, 1984, at the Aspen Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey.
That might explain why his son, Andrew, is on the cover of the show’s program.
Manufactured Scarcity
One of my biggest problems with the hobby is also one of Michael and Andrew’s: the manufactured scarcity of cards.
Simply making a card a refractor, or arbitrarily giving it a different color border, or numbering it out of 5 shouldn’t make it any more valuable. And really, all it’s doing is making collectors NOT want to collect every card from their favorite players, because they know they will never be able to own every card that gets made.
Stigma
There is sometimes a stigma attached to adults collecting baseball cards, something that is often seen as meant for children.
Andrew theorizes that adults started collecting because they couldn’t afford those cards when they were kids, or they may have been familiar with cards as kids but now their interest is rekindled and now they have money.
The money that is involved in the hobby today is something Michael would have never been able to predict when he was manning tables at shows in 1975, like he is here.
Photo File, Inc.
When TCMA went out of business, Michael started to work for Collectors Marketing Corp. doing the baseball card end of it. They sold the company, but let Michael take their photo archives. The next week, he started making photos in his basement. It was an immediate success.
Michael’s friend Bert Sugar came through in the clutch yet again, securing the official MLB license for Photo File.
Rob Moroso
Rob Moroso was a NASCAR driver who was champion of the NASCAR Busch Series in 1989. He was posthumously awarded the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award.
A promising young driver, he and another driver were killed when Moroso was driving under the influence at excessive speeds on roads near his hometown of Terrell, North Carolina, just four days after his 32nd birthday.
Photo File’s Photo File
This is what you got in the mail if you were on Photo File’s mailing list. You would pick out the name(s) you wanted, without seeing an image first, and just trust that what you were going to get back in the mail was going to look great.
Shoot Everything, Use A Fraction Of It
If you take 10,000 pictures a week during Spring Training, you’re going to be prepared when an unknown player comes out of nowhere and goes on a tear.
You’re just ready to print 5,000 copies of those Benny Agbayani pictures when everyone wants them, because it’s something you already have in your inventory.
If you have to go out and shoot once demand is high, by the time you have a finished product ready to go out the door, the moment might be over.
Michael was interviewed by Chet Coppock during this NewSport segment in 1995
Pete Rose
Pete Rose would do autograph signings so frequently, it seemed like Photo File was always printing up new pictures for him to autograph at shows.
Same Rose, Different Pose
Another one of the many images Photo File had of Pete Rose that they would print for him to use at autograph signings.
When Photo File was awarded a license for photography by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, it became the first company to be given a license for photography by any major sport in the United State. Eventually, it had licenses from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, CLC, WWE, and MLS and their respective player associations.
This is an example of one of Photo File’s first day covers featuring Mark McGwire during the 1998 Home Run Chase.
Red Sox
When the Red Sox won the World Series in November of 2004, Photo File started doing $1 million of business a month.
Young Andrew
At 10 years old, Andrew would go to summer camp with Photo File order forms and get all of his friends to buy photos of the players in their inventory. Here is Andrew a couple years after that, in 1991.
Greatest Achievement
Michael says he is most proud of the fact that his creative ideas enabled him to send four people to college without student loans or debt.
This picture was taken in 1975, just a few years before Andrew’s rookie year.
Baseball Nostalgia
Michael was partners with the owners of this hobby shop in the parking lot of Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. Whatever Michael couldn’t sell at TCMA, he would send to the shop and they would sell it there.
Sports Nostalgia
This store was the same concept as Baseball Nostalgia, just a different location.
Do You Have Any TCMA Cards?
I’m “M.A.”!
Queens Baseball Convention
Andrew sets up a table every year at the Queens Baseball Convention, the Mets annual fan fest, selling packs of 25 cards for cheap to unload the neverending supply from his father.
Mr. Met
Also pictured: the mascot for the National League baseball team that plays in New York.
Jefferson Burdick Award Winner
In 2020, Michael was selected as the winner of the inaugural Jefferson Burdick Award by the Society for American Baseball Research’s Baseball Cards Committee. The Jefferson Burdick Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the baseball card hobby.
Serendipity
You never know who you’re going to run into as you take a walk around your neighborhood with your friends. Sometimes, it’s just some random dogs, so make sure you have treats with you.
But other times, it’s the photographer who shot one of the most iconic photos which embodies the spirit of one of sports’ most iconic rivalries. Michael is always ready for either scenario.
Making A List?
While no single list exists which details every card Michael has created throughout his career spanning SCFC, SSPC, TCMA, and any other venture named or otherwise, many cards are properly listed in the Sports Collectors Bible. Eventually, we’re going to get Andrew to make his best effort at a complete list, though…
TCMA’s Archivist
It may be an impossible goal, but with our help, we can get Andrew closer to reacquiring one copy of every card Michael has ever made.
1905 PC782 Rotograph Postcards
The PC782 Rotograph postcards set includes various baseball players from New York. There are eight individual postcards of players, and a team postcard for the New York Giants, as well. While it is not confirmed, one is believed to exist for the Highlanders, too. As a result, the number of cards considered to be in the set varies among collectors.
Not Just Baseball
There are hundreds of Rotograph real photo postcards, and the vast majority of them are not baseball-related.
Michael has a large collection of them, including a handful of autographed postcards from silent movie actresses from the day, such as Lillian Russell, pictured here.
Preserving The Legacy
Andrew is clearly passionate about preserving the legacy of his father. Hopefully this podcast and these liner notes play a small part in doing just that.
Hall Of Fame Induction Day Cards
TCMA and Photo File produced these at certain points from 1984 through 2020, but no official checklist exists.
Pete Henrici
Pete was Michael’s business partner and ran Baseball Nostalgia in Cooperstown. He still lives there to this day.
In the background of this very photo, you can see a handful of the Hall of Fame Induction Day cards we’re talking about.
“Mets Hat”?
That’s definitely not what Andrew was saying before this picture was taken.
Lenny Dykstra
Tough not to be a Mets fan with the team they had in the mid- to late-1980s, especially when your dad was so heavily involved with the team in producing Minor League cards of the players and the official postcards of the team, as well.
Going to Game 3 of the 1986 NLCS was to Andrew’s fandom what Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard ‘Round The World was to Michael’s.
Reach Out To Michael
TCMAcovers@mac.com
Trade him some Mets cards!
Reach Out To Andrew
TCMAphotos@mac.com
Take him to a baseball game some time. I promise, it’s a fun thing to do.
Topps Complete Sets
I have every Topps complete set from the year I was born until the current day. My mom wrapped them each year.
You could absolutely hear the joy and love in Michael’s heart when he spoke. A true pleasure to have been a part of this one.
Keep Us On Track
I couldn’t be more grateful to Andrew for playing the role he played in making this episode happen. From the prep work, to bringing the archives with him, to keeping us on track during the conversation, and all of the photos he has provided for these liner notes… I simply couldn’t have done this episode the way it was done without him.
Michael’s First Wagner
Absolutely crazy that someone can be able to say “my first Wagner” because you need to clarify which Wagner you’re talking about.
Card Cases
Listen. I get it, okay? You need something to protect your investments, because some of these cards are worth tens of thousands of dollars.
My point is that it’s crazy we’re at a point in the hobby where kids are walking around carrying those types of cards without really thinking anything of it.
And instead of being THRILLED to own something so rare/valuable/beautiful, they’re thinking about how they can flip it for the next card. It’s just a wild place to be.
1951 Bowman
Mickey’s actual rookie card is this 1951 Bowman card, NOT the 1952 Topps.
Theft At Card Shows
A theft of millions of dollars of sports cards occurred at a major sports card and memorabilia show at least twice that we know of in 2024.
Sports card dealer Ashish Jai reported a theft of more than $2 million of sports cards in July at the Dallas Card Show at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel & Convention Center in Allen, TX.
Robbing Athletes During Games
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's Ohio home was burglarized in December while he was playing in a game. Burrow joined a growing list of high-profile athletes, including the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, who have reported home break-ins.
1975 Topps
The 1975 Topps set is a tough one to find in great condition because of the way the color ink often invites edge chipping.
Centering is often an issue with this set, as are fish eyes (which you notice in the blue sky background just blow the “L” in “ROYALS” on this George Brett example).
Darryl Strawberry
Darryl’s 1983 TCMA card shows him as a member of the Tidewater Tides, the Mets’ AAA affiliate.
Strawberry was 21 years old during the 1983 season which saw him play only 16 games in the Minor Leagues before being called up and winning the National League Rookie Of The Year Award.
Will Hudson
You guys, it turns out the backup shortstop from the Mets’ Single-A affiliate Capital City Bombers in 2003 is named Will Hudson, and he does, in fact, have a real baseball card that Michael didn’t have to make.
Uncle Myron
With the help of the artistic ability of his Uncle Myron and Aunt Margie, Michael was able to create his first baseball card sets.
Uncle Myron’s Work
This Bobby Lowe cartoon which appeared in the 1970 SFCF card set was drawn by Michael’s uncle, Myron Aronstein.
NL Outfield
Imagine suiting up for your first All-Star appearance as a pitcher in the American League, and knowing this is the other team’s outfield.
Now imagine it’s your 26th straight appearance, and your league has only won twice (which is what happened to the American League from 1960 through 1982).
Keith Olbermann
Read more things Keith has written about baseball over the years HERE.
Keith’s Ball Vault
His words, not mine. Check out THIS VIDEO of him talking about the Carlton Fisk “Stay Fair!” home run ball from the 1975 World Series, and hear him casually mention a half dozen other insanely historic baseballs he has in his vault.
From Andrew’s archives
Michael got this postcard from Crawford Foxwell ahead of Michael’s first baseball card convention in his basement in 1970.
Yeah, this is a baseball history podcast. But I bet you’ll still find this video interesting if you don’t know how a vinyl record is made.
Andrew’s Archives
Maybe all of this stuff ends up in a book one day. But until then, it can live here for you to enjoy and learn from.
TCMA’s Baseball’s Greatest
One of the most formative card sets in my life. It never occurred to me all those years ago that these cards were the work of one man, and by the time I was old enough to know that, I never dreamed that I would be able to sit down with that man and talk about them. This interview was a dream come true, and a genuine honor.
Bustin’ Babes & Larrupin’ Lous
This was what I saw every time I walked into my bathroom for about 15 years.
The Main Wall
I would venture to guess that most of these photos (if not all of them) were Photo File pictures.
Above The Toilet
There wasn’t enough room on the main wall for outfielders, so I put them on the wall above the toilet.
This view also gives you a good look at the Sammy Sosa/Mark McGwire wallpaper border, meaning this bathroom remodel took place shortly after the 1998 Home Run Chase.
Satchel Paige
That little book on the right side of the tank was a double-sided flip book of Babe Ruth. When you flipped the pages in one direction, you saw Babe take his home run swing. When you turned the book over and flipped the pages in the other direction, you saw Babe take his line drive swing. It was really, really cool.
Jeanne
Only a true ride or die would say “you should have sold the house, not your baseball card collection.” Mike hit a home run with Jeanne.
The McKie Wagner
Look how happy he is here.
The Jumbo Wagner
Look how happy he is here, too!
If you’re reading this right now and you just happen to own the Wagner that’s missing three borders, let’s figure out a way to get together with Andrew so he can take a picture holding that one, too, and complete his lifelong goal.
Burdick’s Wagner
This was the first T206 Wagner I ever saw in person, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in December of 2021.
The HOF’s Wagner
I saw this Wagner just a few days later at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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My Own Satchel Paige
Michael’s original TCMA card is on the left. My version is on the right. Not too bad for a 13-year-old using dial-up internet and Microsoft Excel, huh?
Bobby Giannini
In high school, Bobby lettered three years in football, two years in basketball and four years in track. He was all-state, all-conference, and all-area co-captain as a senior, leading our team to the Class 8A State Finals. After graduating, he went on to play at Air Force.
My Own Card Set
I hope Michael Aronstein would be proud of these.
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