Ike Blessitt has been an avid baseball card collector since the late 1950s when he was just a young boy growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. Even back then, long before the boom in appreciation for vintage sports cards, Ike was always on the lookout for packs of cards at corner stores and could be found trading with his friends on the playground. Now in his 70s, Ike’s collection has grown to number over 100,000 individual cards, spanning nearly every year from the earliest cards of the late 1800s up through modern issues. Along the way, Ike’s passion led him to amass what is considered one of the most complete and valuable private holdings of baseball memorabilia in the world.
Ike’s obsession started simply enough, picking up packs of Topps or Fleer cards wherever he could find them to build his roster of players. In those early days of the hobby in the post-World War II era, cards weren’t as widely distributed and complete sets from individual years where tougher to piece together. Undaunted, the young Ike bartered and traded relentlessly with friends to slowly fill in the blanks. He took meticulous care of every card, storing them safely in large binders with penny sleeves and toploaders to preserve condition. Even as a child, Ike had an eye for History and appreciated that each card represented an important moment in time from the game he loved.
Through high school and college, Ike’s collecting continued alongside following the Kansas City Athletics franchise before they relocated to Oakland in 1968. After graduating with a degree in history, Ike began what would become a long career as a school teacher and used summers breaks traveling to card shows around the Midwest to exponentially grow his collection. By the 1970s, Ike had amassed dozens of complete flagship sets from the 1950s and 60s and began venturing into the vintage market that was just starting to emerge. During the early boom years of the hobby in the 1980s, Ike capitalized on burgeoning values to acquire spectacular troves of 19th and early 20th century tobacco issues.
Among the true highlights of Ike’s collection are several items that are considered among the most significant and valuable worldwide. His 1909-11 T206 set, completed with multiples of rare star cards like Honus Wagner, is unheard of outside of institutions. Ike also possesses an amazing run of the 1914-15 Cracker Jack cards that launched the modern baseball card era. In prized possession are three gems – a 1909-11 T206 Wagner, a 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson, and a pristine 1913 E121 Tuxedo tobacco card depicting the rookie seasons of both Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson. Each of these singular pieces is authenticated and graded Mint condition, placing estimated values today into the millions of dollars each.
Beyond the crown jewels, Ike’s breadth of holding is staggering – complete Goudey, Play Ball, Leaf, and Bowman sets from the 1930s-50s; a mammoth array of 1950s Topps issues highlighted by flagship complete sets in exceptional condition; and unmatched runs from all the biggest brands up to modern hits. Ike continues to refine his collection by acquiring incredible older cards to drive condition upgrades. He has devoted two floors of his suburban Kansas City home to professionally constructed display cases and vault storage. Ike also shares his passion through lectures and exhibits, including donating cards to national baseball collections to preserve the history for future generations.
While Ike’s collection and knowledge could easily fill volumes of books, his greatest joy remains experiencing the wonder and passion for the game through its cardboard history. Even in his 70s, Ike still gets thrilled opening packs on release day hoping for a gem to add to his treasured hoard. As one of the true legends in the hobby who helped build the market from its earliest days, Ike is a living link to baseball’s past. His staggering collection, preserved meticulously for over 60 years, stands as one of the most significant private archives chronnceling the 150+ year history of America’s Pastime in card form.
