Crushed. My amazing friend Willie Shabas died recently. Willie was so kind, he had a unique charm and was one of the most knowledgeable people in the world of sports cards, non-sports cards and sports autographs.
Willie was a self-described autograph hound. He was in a constant pursuit of sports autographs. He had one of the most amazing and comprehensive autograph collections in the world.
He was just 56 years old. Like me, he started collecting sports cards in the 1970s and never stopped. He first started attending card shows around the same time I did in the late 1970s. Willie may be the last person I know that was a card-carrying member of the old Chicagoland Sports Collectors Association, which was a wonderful group that ran three card shows a year at the old Hillside Holiday Inn in suburban Chicago through the 1970s and 1980s. They brought the first National to Chicago in 1983.
Willie was a full-time sports card/autograph dealer these past 25 years that I knew him -- though he was always more of collector than a dealer. In addition to sports cards and autographs, he was big into vintage non-sports cards.
Like our friend Dell, I met Willie at the old Fred Copp Sports Card shows in the Chicago area. In fact, Willie and Dell were two peas in a pod -- extremely close friends.
I remember when Dell opted to set up at the Rolling Meadows show instead of Fred's shows in Schaumburg some 20-plus years ago, Willie would stop off at the Rolling Meadows show on his way to Schaumburg, hang with Dell, then set up in Schaumburg and spend half the show on the phone with Dell. I loved both of these guys and was so lucky to know them.
Fred's shows were generally pretty small. Besides Fred, Willie was the best dealer in the room at every show. People came to see him like he was the Pope. He literally had fans that would crowd his table at every show.
I have met hundreds and hundreds of sports card dealers over the years and can attest that Willie had the best disposition of them all. He was so patient with customers. He was happy to review autographs for authenticity at no charge. He would review collections. Anything anybody brought in.
Then there were some customers I would just chase away. Not Willie. He was a much better person than me. I remember this one show of Fred's, maybe 20 years ago, where a customer wanted to purchase a card from Willie but only had a giant jar of pennies in which to pay. I would have immediately said no. Willie, on the other hand, spent an hour or so with the guy counting out the pennies. He always chuckled when I reminded him of that one.
I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with Willie. We often went to Russell's Barbecue or Portillo's after Fred's Schaumburg shows. We went out to lunch all the time after many different shows. I remember grabbing lunch with Willie in April of 2015 in Elgin after one of Corky's old shows. We found this great place next to the hotel. Willie's food looked so good that I took the photo below. That's him wearing that Rams sweater. We also regularly went to lunch in Milwaukee when I first started my show at the Clarion Hotel more than 10 years ago, two Chicago guys exploring Milwaukee cuisine.
Willie was a self-described autograph hound. He was in a constant pursuit of sports autographs. He had one of the most amazing and comprehensive autograph collections in the world.
He was just 56 years old. Like me, he started collecting sports cards in the 1970s and never stopped. He first started attending card shows around the same time I did in the late 1970s. Willie may be the last person I know that was a card-carrying member of the old Chicagoland Sports Collectors Association, which was a wonderful group that ran three card shows a year at the old Hillside Holiday Inn in suburban Chicago through the 1970s and 1980s. They brought the first National to Chicago in 1983.
Willie was a full-time sports card/autograph dealer these past 25 years that I knew him -- though he was always more of collector than a dealer. In addition to sports cards and autographs, he was big into vintage non-sports cards.
Like our friend Dell, I met Willie at the old Fred Copp Sports Card shows in the Chicago area. In fact, Willie and Dell were two peas in a pod -- extremely close friends.
I remember when Dell opted to set up at the Rolling Meadows show instead of Fred's shows in Schaumburg some 20-plus years ago, Willie would stop off at the Rolling Meadows show on his way to Schaumburg, hang with Dell, then set up in Schaumburg and spend half the show on the phone with Dell. I loved both of these guys and was so lucky to know them.
Fred's shows were generally pretty small. Besides Fred, Willie was the best dealer in the room at every show. People came to see him like he was the Pope. He literally had fans that would crowd his table at every show.
I have met hundreds and hundreds of sports card dealers over the years and can attest that Willie had the best disposition of them all. He was so patient with customers. He was happy to review autographs for authenticity at no charge. He would review collections. Anything anybody brought in.
Then there were some customers I would just chase away. Not Willie. He was a much better person than me. I remember this one show of Fred's, maybe 20 years ago, where a customer wanted to purchase a card from Willie but only had a giant jar of pennies in which to pay. I would have immediately said no. Willie, on the other hand, spent an hour or so with the guy counting out the pennies. He always chuckled when I reminded him of that one.
I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with Willie. We often went to Russell's Barbecue or Portillo's after Fred's Schaumburg shows. We went out to lunch all the time after many different shows. I remember grabbing lunch with Willie in April of 2015 in Elgin after one of Corky's old shows. We found this great place next to the hotel. Willie's food looked so good that I took the photo below. That's him wearing that Rams sweater. We also regularly went to lunch in Milwaukee when I first started my show at the Clarion Hotel more than 10 years ago, two Chicago guys exploring Milwaukee cuisine.
We last met for lunch last fall at Russell's Barbecue. Willie called me and said he had some cards for sale and I proposed we meet at Russell's. We had a wonderful lunch, I think we chatted for more than two hours. Willie was absolutely the best and such a joy to be around.
I was so thankful any time I got to see Willie. Back in 1999, my wife and I purchased our first home on the Northwest Side of Chicago, not far from where Willie lived. I used to run into him in the neighborhood all the time -- I loved it!
I think the last time I saw him was at the Bridgeview show in January. I was surprised I did not see him at the March Sports Spectacular. It may have been the first Sports Spectacular/Sun-Times show where I did not see Willie in 25 years.
I had an inkling something was wrong when he did not attend the February Woodstock show. Willie almost always attended that show. Then Scott, a vintage set builder who also attends the Woodstock show, told me that he had been trying to meet up with Willie to purchase some cards but Willie kept putting it off saying he was not feeling well.
A bunch of guys said that Willie looked like he was struggling at the March Sports Spectacular and did not walk the show. Another friend of Willie's told me he had been hospitalized for weeks before he died. I am so sorry, Willie.
What a loss. Man, I just loved that guy. I looked forward to seeing him every time we made plans or attended a show together. I constantly texted him photos of autographs that I was interested in purchasing at shows. He just had to glance at an auto to determine whether it was real or not. He always gave me free advice on autographs. I tried to always buy lunch as repayment.
Man, I just can't believe it. Willie, Dell, Skip... so many great friends I have made at card shows have died recently. I wish it would stop. Please stay healthy everyone.
I contacted Willie's sister who is understandably struggling with his passing and has not made any plans yet for a funeral or celebration of life. If I learn anything, I will post it here.
Willie, I can't believe you are gone. I am so heart broken. I will miss you buddy. Thanks for being an amazing friend.
My condolences to Willie's family and friends. We lost an absolute gem of a person.
UPDATE
Willie's funeral is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Christian Funeral Home, 3526 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL.
I was so thankful any time I got to see Willie. Back in 1999, my wife and I purchased our first home on the Northwest Side of Chicago, not far from where Willie lived. I used to run into him in the neighborhood all the time -- I loved it!
I think the last time I saw him was at the Bridgeview show in January. I was surprised I did not see him at the March Sports Spectacular. It may have been the first Sports Spectacular/Sun-Times show where I did not see Willie in 25 years.
I had an inkling something was wrong when he did not attend the February Woodstock show. Willie almost always attended that show. Then Scott, a vintage set builder who also attends the Woodstock show, told me that he had been trying to meet up with Willie to purchase some cards but Willie kept putting it off saying he was not feeling well.
A bunch of guys said that Willie looked like he was struggling at the March Sports Spectacular and did not walk the show. Another friend of Willie's told me he had been hospitalized for weeks before he died. I am so sorry, Willie.
What a loss. Man, I just loved that guy. I looked forward to seeing him every time we made plans or attended a show together. I constantly texted him photos of autographs that I was interested in purchasing at shows. He just had to glance at an auto to determine whether it was real or not. He always gave me free advice on autographs. I tried to always buy lunch as repayment.
Man, I just can't believe it. Willie, Dell, Skip... so many great friends I have made at card shows have died recently. I wish it would stop. Please stay healthy everyone.
I contacted Willie's sister who is understandably struggling with his passing and has not made any plans yet for a funeral or celebration of life. If I learn anything, I will post it here.
Willie, I can't believe you are gone. I am so heart broken. I will miss you buddy. Thanks for being an amazing friend.
My condolences to Willie's family and friends. We lost an absolute gem of a person.
UPDATE
Willie's funeral is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Christian Funeral Home, 3526 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL.
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