The Beckett Blog

Patti Young, wife of hobby pioneer Kit Young and an industry icon herself, passed away unexpectedly Monday evening in San Diego. The Youngs together developed one of the first sports card catalog businesses, Kit Young Cards, nearly three decades ago when the industry was in its infancy. Kit Young is recognized as one of the first full-time sports card dealers.

In 1986, Kit and Patti had a vision of creating a trade show in Hawaii to attract friends and industry leaders. “The Kit Young Show” as it still is commonly referred, grew into the only annual event which assembled retailers, distributors, manufacturers and every sport league’s licensing bodies. The Young’s operated the show for nearly 20 years selling it to Krause (now F+W) Publications.

While the trade show and the business bears Kit’s name, Patti’s fingerprints are all over their success. If a person knew Kit, he also knew Patti. “Kit and Patti” were inseparable in name and persona. Kit and Patti have been a buying fixture at the front door of The National Sports Collectors Convention for years. At the Hawaii Trade Conference, Patti was the welcoming co-host who worked hard to make friends out of strangers and know everyone’s names. She took great pride in bringing everyone together and making sure they got value, and felt valued, at “their” conference.

Adam Martin of Dave and Adam’s Card World recalled, “When I was a newcomer to this business many years ago, I was invited to their home for the post-conference event. Being a non-golfer, I was left alone with Patti. She treated me as if I was a member of the family. She would do this to everyone. She made you feel as if you had known her forever, even just moments after you first meet.

Jim Beckett, founder of Beckett Media said, “I was blessed to know her; she will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathies go out to Kit and extended family, which is how Patti made many of us in the hobby feel.”

Bob Wilke, Executive of The National Convention and former MC of the conference commented, “Most of us who know Kit and Patti also know what an easy target, and a great sport, Kit is for taking shots that are aimed at him. I remember one year at the Hawaii Trade Conference, Kit was approaching his 50th birthday and Patti asked Mike Berkus and I to do a small roast of Kit as a surprise at one of the morning sessions. Patti even helped us create some of the jokes. One of the bits included a before and after picture of Kit. The before was a picture of him as a one-year-old child. The after picture was the same photo, but Patti helped us draw a beard on his baby face. Needless to say, the audience loved it. Patti’s infectious laugh, her big hugs and her love and affection for those in our hobby, will be sorely missed.”

Most collectors may not have known Patti, but they have surely felt the impact of her contributions. She will be deeply missed. Services will be held this Saturday.

Dave Sliepka

Beckett Media