February 2004

If you're reading this magazine, chances are that you have some Mets memorabilia in your home. We all have something -- a yearbook or two, a ticket stub, an autograph. Perhaps you have a couple of posters on the wall, or a jersey in your closet. Well, no matter what you have, the chances are that it doesn't hold a candle to the collection amassed by 53-year-old Andy Fogel of Suffern, New York.

Fogel grew up rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and he began cheering for the Mets upon their inception in 1962. But that isn't when his collection took shape. Fogel didn't catch the collecting bug until the late 1980s, when he started collecting baseball cards. Then, around 1990, was an event that ultimately changed his life - Fogel visited a museum in New York that had two rooms of art that belonged to a man who didn't begin the project until he was in his 60s. Fogel, who was 40 at the time, was inspired by the greatness that one person could amass and realized it was never too late to begin starting something that magnificent himself. And with that, a collection was born.

Collection doesn't seem to be a sufficient term to describe what Fogel has amassed in a relatively short period of time. The items crammed into two rooms of Fogel's home could easily fill a museum, plus he even has more items that he doesn't have room to display.

It's not merely the quantity of items in Fogel's home that's impressive, but the scope, diversity and quality of the collection that immediately catches your attention. He has every Mets yearbook, program, media guide, and book by and about the Mets, which provide a wealth of information about the team's history. He has advertising memorabilia such as a 1962 "Miss Rheingold" portrait complete with a Mets logo; a large cardboard cutout of Tom Seaver advertising RC Cola from 1968; a collection of Coca Cola bottlecaps circa 1968 with Mets players; and a full-sized poster from Sunoco gasoline advertising its set of tumblers featuring players from the 1966 team, along with the complete set of twelve tumblers.

Every square inch of what used to be Fogel's now adult daughter's bedroom is full. In one direction there's a set of Mets pins; in another, baseballs and unused tickets from Opening Day and postseason games. Even the ceiling is part of the display, covered by pennants.

Then there are items that cause a true fan's heart to skip a beat -- a set of name tags from the lockers of the 1964 team; a hat worn by Mrs. Joan Payson, the Mets' original owner; Roger Craig's contract from 1962; and blue and orange seats from Shea Stadium.

Fogel has his own pet possessions. He is a big fan of Mr. Met and Lady Met, and among that memorabilia his favorite items are the Mr. Met watch (that cost $10 in 1965 -- the most expensive item in that year's Mets yearbook) and a lighter with Mr. Met on one side and Shea Stadium on the other that plays "Meet the Mets" when wound up. The 1972 game-worn Tom Seaver jersey that Fogel is wearing in the above photo is another prized item. I was personally thrilled when Fogel allowed me to try on his authentic 1969 and 1986 World Series rings.

Perhaps the most impressive subgroup in this collection is the complete set of game-worn jerseys of every player and coach from the 1986 Mets. Fourteen of the jerseys are actually from 1986, while the others are ones that members of the 1986 team used in different seasons. Fogel is constantly looking to upgrade this part of the collection, seeking alternative home or road jerseys, as well as 1986 jerseys for the remainder of the team.

How does a person put together this kind of collection? Fogel credits "an incredible network of other collectors [he has] met through the years." He has made contacts from ads in places such as Sports Collector Digest; from attending card shows; from auction houses; and from eBay. Dealers know that Fogel is a huge collector -- they often call him when they receive interesting Mets items, and they often give him their own wish lists. Fogel says that, "As a collector, there is nothing better than finding something that has been on your want list for many years." Fogel not only enjoys the thrill of finding items he wants, but from calling other collectors to tell them that he has found their sought out items as well.

Because of this, Fogel has become known among collectors as, "The Fortunoff's of Mets Collecting -- The Source!" Fogel's favorite anecdote about his fame among collectors is from when he went to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for the Tom Seaver induction weekend. He was talking to another man, who highly recommended that he contact a collector in New York for fair dealing. Upon further discussion, it turns out that the man that this stranger was recommending was -- Andy Fogel! The stranger with whom Fogel was conversing turned out to be someone who had been buying memorabilia from him for years, via mail and e-mail.

Fogel acknowledges that he could not have put together this "labor of love" without the cooperation and understanding of his wife of 31 years, Rona. "You can't accumulate, display, inventory and record all of these things without spending endless hours. It takes an enormous amount of time to do this." Rona, for her part, is very proud of what her husband has done -- "I would like the collection to remain intact, even after we're gone, because it's unique both in terms of what he collects and the condition of the items."

The best side effect of this endeavor for Fogel is that, "I've met other people from this are who have seen my collection and I've formed a lot of friendships. Showing the collection to Mets fans turns out to be a good experience for both of us." Fogel then jokes, "I serve a purpose -- when a guy leaves my house, he can go home and tell his wife that he's met somebody worse than he is about collecting."

If you are interested in contacting Andy Fogel, either to help him with his want list or because you're seeking something on yours, you can reach him by telephone at (914)261-4381 or by e-mail at LNFogel@aol.com.