From signed bats to vintage Macs: Meet the unique collectors of Southeast Missouri

Nicholas Uptain didn’t start collecting until about seven years ago but was always fascinated by signed sports items.

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Collectors come in all shapes and sizes.

That’s also true for what they collect, from baseball cards to stamps, old coins to vintage road signs.

Here are a few of Southeast Missouri’s collectors and a bit about their hobby:

Nicholas Uptain, Cape Girardeau

Sports memorabilia

What? Mostly St. Louis Cardinals but have a few others scattered in as well. Cards. Baseballs. Game-used bats. A jersey. Lots of Albert Pujols items. A couple of Yadier Molina items, including a signed game-used bat. I like the greats from the past as well. Bob Gibson is on a ball and an encased collection. Ozzie Smith. Bruce Sutter. Lou Brock, I believe as well. I’d have to check the specific piece to see all the autographs. A graded Joe DiMaggio signed card. A Mickey Mantle signed ball. Willie Mays signed photo. A few more to go along as well. I have a couple of signed hockey pucks from when the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Why? I didn’t start collecting until about six or seven years ago. I’ve always been fascinated by signed sports items. They are all like an individual time capsule. They hold more sentimental value than anything. I’ve not sold any items I’ve ever purchased — but wouldn’t be opposed to it for the right price. I started the collection more for decoration purposes. Meant to be for a man cave or bonus room. Some just hide in the basement anymore though. Ran out of room! I’m always on the lookout for more though! It’s most certainly not a large collection by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m proud of it nonetheless

Favorite/most valuable? I’d have to say my favorite item though is a Union Leader Tobacco advertisement signed by both Dizzy Dean and Daffy Dean with a genuine Union Leader Tobacco can.

Where? Lots of these items I’ve purchased from Dogtown Sports and Memorabilia. A small sports shop in Dogtown in St. Louis. Some others I’ve won on various auction sites.

How much? All items have been authenticated. As far as value goes, that’s tough. I suppose some things are really only worth what someone is willing to pay for said item. I’ve invested as little as $20 on something and as much as $900 for others. Values fluctuate with the markets, but the items of those who have passed away will usually continue to climb over time. I couldn’t put an exact number on the total amount invested, but it’s definitely in the thousands of dollars.

Ron McAdams collects Apple Macintosh computers and enjoys making YouTube videos about his passion for other computer enthusiasts.

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Ron McAdams, Cape Girardeau

Apple Macintosh computers (1984-1999)

What? I own a dozen or so machines. My collection used to be larger, but I’ve worked to help other people in the hobby expand their collections. So what remains are computers that have a special fascination for me.

Why? I’d always collected older computers, but I got into the hobby during the pandemic. I had extra time on my hands and started a YouTube channel where I could share my love of retro Macintosh computers with other enthusiasts. Retrocomputing is a collecting hobby that keeps evolving as more young people get involved. Many people drawn to the hobby these days have memories of playing Oregon Trail on an Apple II computer lab at their grade school, or fond recollections of that family computer that their dad claimed was “only for homework” — but we all know they were playing DOOM or The Secret of Monkey Island when no one was looking. It’s been so much fun helping others relive these memories as I’ve gone on my journey!

Favorite/most valuable? My favorite piece is likely my Macintosh Quadra 950. It was Apple’s fastest machine when released, and had a price tag of close to $16,000 in 2024 dollars. Now these machines can be picked up for pennies on the dollar, and you can finally experience using these machines that only engineering firms or educational institutions could afford.

Where? Most of the machines I find are through other collectors, community events like Vintage Computer Festival Midwest or swap sites.

How much? The time is likely thousands of hours. It takes a lot of effort to track down the rarer machines and then put them back into working order. The type of machines I collect aren’t especially valuable, which has given me the freedom to collect a wide selection of the product line.

Darron Baker, Marble Hill

“The Dukes of Hazzard” vehicles

What? I collect “Dukes of Hazzard” vehicles, not toys but real-life cars.

Why? Started about seven years ago. And I grew up watching the show and was able to finally acquire the vehicles.

Favorite/most valuable? My favorite piece is the General Lee and is also the most valuable.

Where? Most of the collection we have found and restored to show-worthy examples.

How much? Would hate to say how much time and money we have on these, but it is quite a lot.

Elizabeth Buerck puts up two large Christmas trees each year, taking about 30-35 hours to put on her ornaments.

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Elizabeth Buerck, Patton

Antique Christmas ornaments

What? All the ornaments are glass. They date back to the 1920s, with one specific ornament a German kugel that could be from as far back as the early 1800s when kugels were first made. They include ornaments made in USA, Germany, Poland, Italy, Austria and others. The ornaments are not stored in their original boxes as most of the time those are in poor shape or nonexistent.

Why? I would describe myself as a collector of many things. I have several “collections”, however, my Christmas ornament one exceeds all others in terms of size. I started actively seeking and purchasing them about 23 years ago. I had a few at that time that were from my grandmother’s collection. I purchased my first aluminum Christmas tree and wanted to use all antique ornaments to decorate it. The collection quickly outgrew that little 4-foot aluminum tree, and I just kept collecting. Today, I have somewhere between 1,600 and 1,700 ornaments in total.

Favorite/most valuable? It would be hard to say if I have a favorite. I’m fortunate to have some that came from family members that may not necessarily be the most valuable in monetary value but certainly have a lot of sentimental value. Then there are many that I have been able to obtain over the years that are on the top of my list. It might be more accurate to say I have about 100 to 200 favorites.

Where? There have been times when luck was on my side and I obtained a large box of ornaments at a public auction for little money. On other days, I have lost all my good sense and paid way too much for a single ornament. I tell myself it all averages out. I have found them at garage/yard sales, estate sales, auctions, flea markets, thrift stores and antique stores. Basically, anywhere you can obtain previously owned merchandise.

How much? I couldn’t begin to estimate how much I have in the collection in terms of cost. It probably takes about 30 to 35 hours to get them on the two 9-foot trees they currently are displayed upon.

Craig Nicholson has been collecting glass telegraph insulators since his grandfather first introduced them to him on a hunting trip.

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Craig Nicholson, Fruitland

Glass Telegraph Insulators

What? I have about 300 pieces spanning 100 different designs, 37 manufacturers and 20 colors.

Why? I started collecting at 16 when my grandfather gave me one of the glass telegraph insulators he found while we were deer hunting. Insulator collecting is a fascinating hobby for me. Most of my pieces are well over 100 years old, and it’s great to salvage a piece of history.

Favorite/most valuable? My favorite piece is a carnival glass Pyrex piece, and my most valuable piece is a purple “beehive” made for Great Northwestern Telegraph Co.

Where? Antique stores, eBay, searching along railroad tracks.

How much? Hundreds of hours hunting along railroad tracks and searching through antique stores. Probably close to a thousand dollars of purchased pieces.

Mary Stucker has been collecting Lassie items since she was a child.

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Mary Stucker, Cape Girardeau

“Lassie” memorabilia

What? “Lassie” memorabilia and have collected since childhood.

Why? I watched and loved the TV show “Lassie”. My very first piece of my collection was a training book called “The Lassie Method”, which I sent away for and proceeded to train my dog according to every trick Lassie knew. While I don’t have a collie at present, I do have 3 shelties that are often called Lassie by folks. In 2000, I got to meet Lassie and his trainer Bob Weatherwax. He signed my book, and we sat down and looked over the pages together

Favorite/most valuable? My most valuable to me is my Lassie jacket. Only 200 were made.

Where? I still look for Lassie to bring home mostly on eBay, antique shops and collie collector sites on Facebook.