Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Aug. 3, 1988, edition 1 / Page 15
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Collecting Baseball Cards Popular, Expensive Hobby By TODD GOSSETT Staff Reporter For years, kids have enjoyed trading and collec- ting baseball cards. In the past few years, trading and collecting has become a grown-up pastime with older and rarer cards selling for thousands of dollars. Enter Darrell Van Dyke. As a child, he was an avid baseball fan and collected a few cards, said his father, James Van Dyke. But it wasn’t until around 1980 or 1981 that Darrell started collecting in earnest. And in April of this year, he opened a ‘collectibles’ shop in Kings Mountain. “He had too many cards to stack in the closet...He had to do something with his cards,” said James. Darrell had operated a stand for a few months at the Dixie Village Flea Market before he opened his shop on Mountain Street earlier this year. Walking into the shop is a dream come true for a young baseball collector. Baseball posters adorn. the wall of the shop and a display case of old cards for sale is at the center of attention. A stand of 1988 cards for sale is behind the display case. In the case you can find cards of many players, both past and present. The prices of the cards range from 50 cents (for several different cards) to $200 for an autographed Mike Schmidt rookie card. Other noteworthy cards in the display case include going to start operating a stand at the 321 Flea a George Brett card ($35), a Yogi Berra card ($45), Market on Saturdays and Sundays. a Hank Aaron card ($80), and a Carl Yastremski So far, business has been good at the store, said James. Most Among the Van Dykes’ more favorite cards are the new cards, but there have been sales of the a Thurmond Munson rookie card from 1970, older cards. The highest price paid for a card at Mickey Mantle cards from 1954 and 1961, a Johnny the store yet was $60 for a Don Mattingly rookie Bench rookie card from 1968, and a Bob Uecker card. card ($80). rookie card from 1962. And that’s not all in the collection. Around 200 cards are displayed in the case. Thousands of newer cards are on the stand behind the case. And in the Van Dykes’ storage room at the back of the store, there are hundreds of thousands more cards in their original packs and cases. James estimated his son’s collection to be around 3 million cards. The store opens at 6 p.m. every night after James, a retired truck driver, finishes work at the Western Auto. Darrell works at the shop when he can, but has been busy lately coaching the East Gaston High School Baseball team and the Stanley American Legion team. Darrell is also a math teacher at East Gaston. The Van Dykes plan to have some daylight hours at the Kings Mountain store in a few weeks and are James Van Dyke ople that come in the store buy only Any Don Mattingly card is popular right now, James said. Others that have enjoyed popularity lately are Dale Murphy, Jose Canseco and Mark McGuire. Another player who is popular right now is the Mets’ Greg Jeffries, who has only appeared in five or six Mets games. He is perhaps the hottest | player in the Mets’ farm system, but there is no zoom for him in the Mets’ line-up right now, James said. The cards’ prices are determined by the popularity of a card, it’s supply and demand, and the condition a card is in, James said. The Van Dykes have tried to protect their collec- | tion by installing complex burglar and fire alarms and taking out insurance on the collection. But despite all the serious security measures, it is still a favorite JDastime for them. ‘It’s still a hobby,” James said. : Junior High Physicals August 9 Physicals for all boys and girls who plan to play sports at Kings Mountain Junior High during the 1988-89 school year will be given at 5:30 p.m. August 9 at the KMJH gym. All athletes must have physicals before they can begin practice. The junior high will be going to a Seventh-eighth grade concept’ for athletics this year. # David Heffner, who has served as the Patriots’ athletic director for several years, is taking over this year. He had spent the last several years as the high school baseball coach. He will assisted by Tommy Wease and Bobby Mode. Practice begins August 15 at 3 p.m. The girls softball team will play a fall schedule this year. Audrey Harris will serve as coach. ~The school will add a soccer team for boys and girls this fall and will begin practice on August 23 at 3 p.m. Eric Faust, will be the coach. POP WARNER Registration for Kings Moun- tain Pop Warner football will begin August 1 at City Stadium. Youngsters ages nine through 13 are eligible to compete in Pop Warner play. The person’s weight determines which team he plays for. Registration for ages 10 through 13 will be held at 5 p.m. and registration for ages nine and 10 will be held at 7 p.m. Youngsters from Kings Moun- tain, Grover and Bessemer City the head football coaching duties 1 Ag REGISTERING — Bo Phongsa, left, is pictured signing up for Pop Warner football with KM Coach Jim Littlejohn Monday at City Stadium. Registration will continue at 6 p.m. each day this week at the stadium. Youngsters ages 10-13 who weight no more than 115 pounds may play with the junior midgets, players ages 8-10 who weight no more than 80 pounds may play with the junior pee wees and 11 years olds who weigh no more 100 are eligible to play for the pee wees. The teams are sponsored by the Optimist Club and City Recreation Department. Sound Advice- OVER 160 LINES Custom Stereo 1180 SCENIC DRIVE - SHELBY, NORTH CAROLINA 28150 (704) 482-6456 Sony CD car player AM/FM — 25/W/CH Special $479.90 Announcing a new line of ultimate quality car stereos. It ECLIPSE’S anything previously heard! Model No. CDXR-83 Decks From $89.90-$749.90 | Everything in between! The future is here TODAY! High-Power (Max. 20W x 4) AM/FM Stereo Cassette Receiver © 10.2dBf for 5048 Guieting Sensitivity © 0.06% Wow & Flutter & 30—18,000Hz Frequency Response © Built-in 80W Power Amplifier * Preset Scan * Ultra Tuner II * Full Logic Tape Deck * 1-micron Narrow Gap Contoured Head © Dual Azimuth Adjusting System II ¢ FG Servo Motor * Dolby NR B&C * APS * REPEAT ° Vacuum Fluorescent Display _® CD-ready Input Terminal Installation Available! Call and ask for: Greg, Mike or Britta for all your audio needs. line available. ° Amps ® EQs ® Speakers Please call for more information. and surrounding areas are in- vited to participate. SOCCER The Greater Cleveland County Soccer Association will hold ' registration for the fall season on August 15 from 5:30 until 7 p.m. at Mauney Memorial Library in Kings Mountain. Other registrations are slated for August 8-9 from 5:30 until 7 p.m. at Cleveland Memorial Library and on August 15-16 from Turn To Page 4-B By ECLIPSE Model ECE-101 The whole ECLIPSE Early Mistak Shelby’s Clint Gwaltney kicked a 42-yard field goal for the only points for the West team in a 32-3 loss to the East in the annual East-West Coaches All-Star foot- ball game Thursday night at Greensboro. Kings Mountain’s Denny Hicks was an assistant coach for the West team. “It was an enjoyable week,” said Coach Hicks. “We had a real good bunch of kids to work with. But as far as the ballgame was concerned, everything went wrong in the first few minutes and the East team got on top of us early.” A bad snap on a punt attempt and a fumble in the endzone which resulted in an East touchdown gave the Eastern all- stars a quick 14-0 lead. . Kings Mountain’s Brent Bagwell, who was chosen for the West team as a tight end- defensive tackle, watched from the sidelines. He was unable to participate due to a knee injury A b Wednesday, August 3, 1988-KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD-Page 3B Sports Talk GARY STEWART sustained during the high school basketball season. Bagwell plans to enter N.C. State in January on a full football scholarship. Fullback Cedric Surratte of Shelby also had to withdraw from the game because of an in- jury. Gwaltney and quarterback Therome George of Shelby represented the Southwestern 3-A Conference in the contest. Hkeok Kings Mountain High's scrim- mage with West Lincoln, originally planned for Fri., Aug. 12, has been re-scheduled to Sat., Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. at John Gamble es Costly For West All-Stars In Defeat Stadium. The Mountaineers will also scrimmage West Caldwell at Gamble Stadium at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Aug. 18. The Mountaineers open their regular season on F'ri., Sept. 2 at Bessemer City. Booster’s Club Selling Tickets The Kings Mountain High Booster’s Club is conducting its annual membership drive. Menersiips for one year are $7 and include parking stickers for all home football games. The stickers allow the members to park on the hill behind the pressbox, giving them easy and quick exit from each ballgame. The memberships and stickers will be on sale during the two Kings Mountain scrimmages on August 13 and August 18, or by seeing Booster Club members Dean Brannon or Dale Hollifield. A Lovelace & Son Does It Again!! WEEKEND SPECIAL ON CAR RENTALS 59.85 Plus Tax, Mileage, Insurance If Needed, F IRST Deposit If Needed. First 100 Miles Free 100 NILES 3 Days: Friday-Monday FREE 8:00 A.M. To 8:00 A.M. ©» ! 0 4 § NO CASH? NO CREDIT?? NO PROBLEM COME ONDOWN TO ARMSTRONG NISSAN... QUALIFICATIONS MUST HAVE N.C. DRIVERS LICENSE MUST HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY CARD Of -7-No Red {Aol h PREVIOUS CREDIT NOT NECESSARY MUST BE EMPLOYED VERIFIABLE 1 YEAR CURRENT RESIDENCE LY 2 2755 E. FRANKLIN BOULEVARD GASTONIA, N.C. dp (01 LY A II1
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Aug. 3, 1988, edition 1
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