1517 - Gervise Ford, My First Hobby Friend, Part 2

Two longtime hobbyists look back on starting a small weekend card shop in Dallas, moving to a bigger location, and deciding to open a full-time store with Wayne Grove as a knowledgeable managing partner who could run the shop daily as their family responsibilities grew. They discuss how card condition mattered less in the early days, Gervise shares memorable buying stories including a high-value 1953 Mantle and unusual 1954 Bowman Ted Williams pulls, and note collecting across sports. The conversation also covers learning programming through college and actuarial work, writing insurance software, and using BASIC to help speed up price guide work. They reflect on early conventions, auctions, and how buying untouched collections revealed true card supply.

 

00:36 Partnering with Wayne Grove

01:51 Condition and Collecting

04:29 Beyond Baseball Cards

05:06 Learning to Program

08:14 Hobby People and Conflicts

10:13 Early Conventions and Auctions