HOBBY PIONEER, LARRY FRITSCH DIES
It's probably a good lesson for those involved in buying and selling baseball cards: the man with the largest, most comprehensive collection ever accumulated was the largest dealer in America and, conversely, wasn't really even a dealer at all.

Larry Fritsch, 71, of Stevens Point, Wis., died Dec. 8 at the Aspirus Wausau Hospital in Wausau, Wis. Fritsch will be remembered in a special section of the Jan. 4, 2008, issue of SCD, mailed to subscribers on Dec. 17.

**********************************************************************

HARTLAND BOXES AND TAGS

We thought it might be of interest to show some of the most sought after items in the hobby. Of course, we all know how terrific the Hartland baseball statues are, but their complimentry boxes and tags are also terrific and not easy to find. There are several styles of boxes including the original with a wrap-around baseball litho. These boxes came in two sizes. They also came with different styles- some have player photos on the smaller sides of the box.

The later boxes that were issued for some of the statues of the early 60's were a slick looking box that had a punch out panel that could be used as a window display.

The neck tags can be a real challenge to collect. Although there were 18 player statues originally issued, only 17 tags were produced. For some reason, Hartland did not make a Roger Maris tag. As is the case with the Dick Groat statue, the Groat box and tag are the most difficult to find. We have seen the Groat tag sell for several thousand dollars. Not too shabby if you happen to own one. There is a caveat to collecting the tags- there are some very good reproduction tags floating around. For the novice collector, it is very difficult to decipher the difference. That is why we always urge collectors to buy from dealers they know and trust.