Wrote an article in my local newspaper about the area's last remaining baseball card shop

[GrumpsDugout]

Now, I am in no way trying to self-promote

But seriously, I'd been going to this card shop for a long time. And I've had experience in dealing with some of you online probably, as I had a couple thousand posts on the Beckett message board (in their prime) as BMB Miggy Man.

I hope you all enjoy the read. Since I joined the newspaper about 1.5 years ago, I'm always looking for stories to tell and I had a great time telling this story. Always trying to help put the hobby back in the spotlight!

WEST PITTSTON - In the late 1980s, many fell victim to the myth: Buy baseball cards, watch them grow in value, put your kids through college.
While it didn't work for those who invested in the heavily overproduced trading cards of the 1986-1996 era, Bob Yenalevitch cashed in with his vintage collection.
"Me and my dad collected for many years," Yenalevitch said. "I ended up going into college and sold the collection that I had for my college education."
Yenalevitch then combined his knowledge of the hobby with his Wilkes University education to not only turn his hobby into a job - but 27 years deep into the business, he has conquered the market.
When Yenalevitch opened up shop nearly three decades ago, more than 20 local competitors lined the streets from Scranton to Plymouth.
But today, battling an ever-changing industry, increased online competition and the unsure nature of investing in cardboard, Yenalevitch has seen the closing of nearly all local competitors.

Read the rest here: http://citizensvoice.com/news/sports-card-shop-stays-in-the-game-1.1619412

 

[George_Calfas]

Congrats

 

[pander69]

Nice story. I also was in the paper biz and for a while my editor and I kicked around a weekly column about collecting, but never got it off the ground. It would be great to try and fine other unique stories in your area!

 

[Julz24]

Cool article. Thanks for posting this.

 

[GrumpsDugout]

Thanks for the kind words, fellas.

Nice story. I also was in the paper biz and for a while my editor and I kicked around a weekly column about collecting, but never got it off the ground. It would be great to try and fine other unique stories in your area!

Thanks! Yeah, since I got in here, I've been a sort of go-to guy in finding the odd stories.

Not to give you my whole resume, but I recently wrote a story about an "oddities parlor" started by a local celebrity, along with the area's last remaining video rental store. It sure beats writing about homicides and fires, which I also have experience in

Glad to hear from a fellow (ex) newspaper person.

 

[boone1963]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

 

[Austin]

Excellent article and I hope you post more on this board.

 

[GrumpsDugout]

Excellent article and I hope you post more on this board.

Thanks! The job is often thankless, so it never gets old hearing when people enjoy my work.

As far as posting more, I'm going to make an effort for sure. Once the BMB collapsed, I slowly started to fall out of the hobby, but after re-discovering this board early last year, I have been lurking more.

 

[pander69]

Thanks for the kind words, fellas.


Thanks! Yeah, since I got in here, I've been a sort of go-to guy in finding the odd stories.

Not to give you my whole resume, but I recently wrote a story about an "oddities parlor" started by a local celebrity, along with the area's last remaining video rental store. It sure beats writing about homicides and fires, which I also have experience in

Glad to hear from a fellow (ex) newspaper person.

I hear you there! I was (and actually am back part time again) and did some different stories. I did one on a fur trapper, a fur buyer, a gentleman with an amazing arrowhead collection, so many different things. It was also amazing how many leads you could gain just talking about them. Like you said, sure beats the boring stuff!

 

[George_Calfas]

[MENTION=1720]cgilmo[/MENTION]