New SCD Editor Brings Passion for Memorabilia and Memories

When I came to the office for my first day of work on Oct. 3, as the new editor of Sports Collectors Digest, one of the first things that was said to me was how the readers and freelance writers of SCD were anxious to hear who the new editor is.

That wait is over, as I am here to announce that I am the new editor.

Some of you may remember me, as I was an associate editor for SCD from 1999-2007.
A lot has changed in my life, in the world and with SCD since that time. One thing that hasn’t changed is the passion that so many have for the sports memorabilia and trading card industries.

As with any change, I am guessing that when you heard Tom Bartsch was leaving as editor of SCD that it might lead to more changes. Let me put your mind to ease that other than the change in editor, there are no other changes scheduled for SCD, other than some tweaking here and there.

For those of you who don’t remember me and those who may have forgotten about me, let me tell you about myself.

My fascination with the Hobby began when I was in second grade in the early 1980s. One of my cousins found a 1978 Roger Staubach Topps football card in school and gave it to me. Prior to that I hadn’t collected sports trading cards, but that one card put me on the collecting path. And if you were wondering, yes, I still have that card.

I started collecting football cards. The first set I completed was the 1981 Topps set. I then expanded to baseball cards. The first baseball set I completed was the 1982 Topps set.

In addition to collecting each Topps baseball and football set each year, I began buying individual cards from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s of players I had an interest in. One particular card I remember buying was a 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle. If I recall correctly, I paid $10 for it.

My parents never discouraged me from collecting, but I remember always telling my mom that my sports cards collection was going to put me through college. Well, that didn’t happen.

Even though my cards didn’t pay my way through college, I continued to collect cards in college and for a short time after I graduated from college.

In college I pursued a business management major and a communications minor, until I enjoyed my communications classes so much that I decided to double major. Another reason for making communications a second major was to increase my changes to obtain a job in the sports department at Krause Publications, now F+W Media.

That goal was accomplished five years later when I was hired as an associate editor.
It was during this time that I learned about the enormousness of the sports memorabilia industry.

It also sparked an interest in game-used memorabilia.

The first piece of game-used memorabilia that I bought was a Gorman Thomas game-used bat.

There is a funny story behind that purchase. I saw the bat listed on eBay and I won the auction. When I went to pay for it on eBay it listed the seller as Bob Lemke, whom all SCD readers are familiar with. I sent Lemke a message asking if he could bring the bat to work so I could save on shipping. He did.

When I collect items, I don’t like to do it haphazardly, I like to have a goal. I bought the Thomas game-used bat because he was my favorite MLB player when I was a kid. In order to create a larger goal for my game-used bat collecting, I decided to pursue obtaining a game-used bat for each player in the starting lineup of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers team.

I consider the goal to be completed as I have a game-used bat from each starting position player on the team: Paul Molitor-3B, Robin Yount-SS, Cecil Cooper-1B, Gorman Thomas-CF, Ted Simmons-C, Ben Oglivie-LF, Charlie Moore-RF and Jim Gantner-2B.

Technically the goal isn’t complete because I need to get a Don Money game-used bat as he was the DH most of that year.

I have other assorted memorabilia – mainly Milwaukee Brewers items. I also collect Danny White memorabilia as he is my all-time favorite NFL player.

By no means am I an expert on everything associated with sports memorabilia, but I hope this brief history of my collecting habits helps to increase your confidence in me as editor of SCD.

My plan for SCD is to keep doing what it takes to keep it true to its slogan, “Voice for the Hobby.” With that in mind I am asking you, the readers, to let me know what types of articles you want to see in SCD. Or, if you have any story ideas, or other suggestions please pass those along to me at the following email address: Bert.Lehman@fwcommunity.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Bert Lehman is the editor of SCD. He can be reached at bert.lehman@fwcommunity.com.