A Memorabilia Dealer Who Is Made to Order

Harlan Werner calls himself “America’s Favorite Dealer,” but Monty Hall need not worry. Werner deals in baseball cards and memorabilia, not living room sets and trips to Tahiti.

And while Werner may not be able to legitimately claim the title of “America’s Favorite Dealer,” he may, at 17, be America’s youngest dealer of mail-order baseball memorabilia.

A recent graduate of Canoga Park High, Werner and 25-year-old Len Weiner entered the business 1 1/2 years ago with less than $1,000 and baseball cards. Weiner dropped out in February to open World Series Cards, a Van Nuys baseball card shop he co-manages with Bill Hughes, 22.

Werner, however, continued to run the mail-order business out of his parents’ home in Canoga Park. He said he has only broken even so far, but added: “If I had money, I’d be the most powerful dealer in the country.”

Werner may lack money but not confidence.

Voted “Most Likely to Be a Millionaire” by his senior class, Werner became a serious baseball-card collector at age 10. At 13, he began attending baseball-card shows with Weiner, making small purchases with his lawn-mowing money.

A year later, he was selling cards at shows. Because he was only 14, some dealers tried to take advantage of him, Werner claims.

“This is a cutthroat business,” Werner said. “Sometimes I got short-changed, other times I walked away with a very good deal.”

He made enough good deals to start the mail-order business with Weiner, advertising in a number of baseball-memorabilia journals throughout the country.

Werner also hawks his wares at weekly baseball-card conventions and has begun to sponsor his own shows, renting tables to other dealers. As an added lure, Werner brings in baseball celebrities to sign autographs.

Steve Garvey is scheduled to appear at Werner’s next card show in November, and ex-Dodger great Don Newcombe starred at the young entrepreneur’s Aug. 4 show at the Van Nuys Airtel Hotel.

“You can make $1,000 to $2,000 at a show, or you can lose money,” Werner said. “It’s a big risk. What if nobody shows up?”

If nothing else, the shows help him build a mailing list.

Werner sells primarily 1978-85 rookie cards. And while baseball cards make up about 60% of his business, he also offers game-worn baseball jerseys, autographed baseballs and pictures, yearbooks and, occasionally, assorted hockey cards.

“I’ll sell anything with Wayne Gretzky on it. He’s very, very hot,” Werner said.

Werner’s most-prized possessions are an authentic Babe Ruth baseball bat and a gold-trimmed dinner plate featuring Sandy Koufax’s picture and autograph. The bat is one of about 200 in existence, the teen-ager claims.

“I’ve been offered $1,000 for it,” Werner said, “but I won’t sell it even if I’m offered $10,000.”

Werner paid $125 for the Koufax plate, which is one in a thousand.

“This is a very, very tough business. There’s a lot of nickels, dimes and quarters,” Werner said. “But I know people in this business who are grossing millions of dollars.”

And some day, Werner hopes to be one of them.