A while back, I came across an incredible photo in my digital archives: Larry Fritsch, standing in front of a staggering wall of Topps vending boxes. I tweeted it out the other day, wondering where it came from and hoping someone might recognize it.
At first, no one could place it. But after some further digging, one collector, on the Collectors Universe Forums, shared that he had scanned it from an early 1980s issue of Sports Collectors Digest. That made sense, but something about the photo felt older.
Sure enough, it turns out the original source was the Stevens Point Journal, published on October 25, 1978. The photo accompanied a piece written by Dennis Punzel about Fritsch and his card business, offering an amazing glimpse into one of the hobby’s first full-time dealers
If you’re interested in learning more about Fritsch’s impact on the hobby, here are a few more resources worth checking out:
- Fritsch Cards: About Us
- PostWarCards: Collector Issues Part 2: Larry Fritsch
- SABR: Larry Fritsch, Card King: First Full-Time Dealer’s Legacy Continues After 53 Years
- Sports Collectors Digest: An old friend – and fellow pioneer – remembers Fritsch
- Sports Collectors Daily: Hobby Pioneer Larry Fritsch Dies
- Intelligent Collector: Cardboard Empire
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