• Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on Ebay
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes
      • Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs
      • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Most Watched Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Nolan Ryan Cards
      • T206 Cards
      • Goudey Cards
      • 1952 Topps Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Top Prizm Basketball Auctions
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • National Treasures Cards (all sports)
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
      • Most Watched 2020 NFL Rookie Card Auctions
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Lelands

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may receive a commission.  It helps keep us afloat!

  • Sports Memorabilia News
    • Barnebys Sports Auction Highlights
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
    • Hobby Shops Selling, Breaking Online During COVID-19
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Business/Industry News / Sports Memorabilia Business News / ‘Sweet Old Lady’s’ Card Shop Kept Alive By Her Children

‘Sweet Old Lady’s’ Card Shop Kept Alive By Her Children

September 21, 2017 By Bob D'Angelo

She was known as the sweet old lady who ran the baseball card shop in a small West Virginia town that hugs the Ohio River.

But Shirley Ann DeQuasie did more than sell cards and supplies for 29 years in Ravenswood. Her store, S&S Baseball Cards & Collectibles, was a gathering place for friends.

Shirley DeQuasie ran the S&S Baseball Cards & Collectibles shop in Ravenswood, West Virginia for nearly three decades. She passed away on Aug. 18.

Shirley would bring homemade “dessert things” to her shop, especially her cookies and zucchini bread. She’d talk cards with a boy who walked to the shop daily from school, waiting for his parents — who worked as teachers in another town — to pick him up as the returned from work. And when she was younger, it was Shirley who would take some of the town kids to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game, navigating the 180-mile trip through the winding roads of West Virginia and southern Ohio — and then driving back the same day.

Shirley DeQuasie passed away peacefully at her home on Aug. 18, surrounded by her family. She was 78. She was buried three days later at the Ravenswood Cemetery, dressed in the jersey of LeBron James, which honored her favorite player and stirred memories of her days as a high school basketball player in Marietta, Ohio, when girls’ sports were almost an afterthought.

“She played on dirt floors,” said her daughter, Bonnie DeQuasie Smith, who now handles day-to-day operations of the shop with her husband, Rod Smith.

Card Shop is “Shirley’s Legacy”

“After talking with the family and a number of regular customers, (we’ve) decided to keep (Shirley’s) legacy alive by keeping the shop open,” Rod said. “We just assumed she’d outlive us all.

Bonnie Smith is now behind the counter of the sports card shop her mother ran since the mid-1980s in downtown Ravenswood.

“Her passing happened so quickly that no one was prepared.  One Friday she is at the shop talking to customers and the next Friday, she is gone.”

Shirley is buried near the grave of her son, Wilson Boyd DeQuasie, who was killed in an automobile accident on June 8, 1985. He was 18.

Wilson’s death was the spark that led to the S&S shop. “Shirley wanted to stay connected to young people and get out of the house,” Rod Smith said. “She needed this connection.”

Rod remembered Wilson as a great athlete. “I probably ran a thousand miles with him. He could golf and play basketball. He couldn’t play football, but he could throw the ball 60 yards.”

“My son lived for sports,” Shirley told The Jackson View newspaper a few years ago. “I needed some way to connect with kids again.

“And quite honestly, my husband (Carl) and I needed a way to pay some bills.”

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson recently paid a visit to Shirley DeQuasie’s shop. Shirley sports a T-shirt of her favorite athlete, LeBron James.

The gamble paid off. The store at 206 Washington St. began as a second-hand goods and sports card shop, but collectibles soon became the main focus. Businessmen who were children when Shirley opened the store would return years later to browse through cards.

“That’s what makes it neat,” Bonnie said. “Some of them haven’t been there in ten years but they come back to look for cards.”

Young or old, they’d let Shirley pick cards out of a box for them, and nobody left disappointed. Sometimes a celebrity might show up, like Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson. He posed for a picture in the shop, next to Shirley, sporting (as usual) some kind of LeBron James shirt. Before King James, Shirley loved Michael Jordan.

Local Ties

The card shop is heavily stacked with memorabilia of the Reds, Bengals, Cleveland Cavaliers, Pittsburgh Steelers, West Virginia University and Marshall University.

The Smiths have a special connection with Marshall, as their son, Bryan, was an extra in the 2006 movie, “We Are Marshall,” a film that showed the return of the school’s football team after 75 members of the squad, staff and boosters were killed in a 1970 plane crash.

“He was a Xavier player waving his helmet during a game,” Rod Smith said, referencing Marshall’s 1971 home opener, won 15-13 by the Thundering Herd.

He also has been an extra in “The Hunger Games,” and “The Walking Dead.” Since Topps has produced some “Walking Dead” trading cards on the market, the younger Smith could conceivably be in the background of one of the cards.

Family Matters

These days, Bonnie Smith takes over behind the counter that her mother held court from for three decades. She confessed she had no interest in sports while her mother ran the card shop. “None,” she said. “I just kind of watched Mom, and she wanted to continue the business in the family.

Carl and Shirley DeQuasie with their grandson, Bryan Smith.

“I love watching the little kids open packs, to see their faces.”

The Smiths also love watching Carl DeQuasie in action at the shop.

“We’re finding out he knows the business better than we thought,” Rod said.

Carl and Shirley DeQuasie were married on Sept. 5, 1956. The Smiths have been married 41 years and are learning new things about Shirley.

“We’re finding out how much everyone loved her,” Rod Smith said. “We’ve learned a lot about Mom.

“When you’re family you’re kind of close, so you don’t have the perspective that others might have,” he said. “A lot of folks who have been customers for years have shared stories of good times they shared with Mom.”

Since taking over the business, Bonnie and Rod Smith have been receiving condolences from old customers and have been welcoming new ones. It has been business as usual — almost.

“The difference will be that Mom won’t be there to celebrate with customers who pull a great card or harass those who are not so fortunate,” Rod said.

S&S Baseball Cards and Collectibles is located at 206 Washington St., in Ravenswood, about 45 minutes north of Charleston.  The store is open Monday through Saturday.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Card Shop Q&A with ‘The Rookie’ Connecting with Kids Part of Shop’s Game Plan Autograph Signings a Long-Running Hit for Philly Area Shop Hobby Shop Owner with MD in Running for eBay’s Small Business of the Year Award Notes: Von Miller’s Stolen Helmet Returned; Philly Shop Marches On; Vikings Collector 10 Tips for Running a Good Sports Card Shop Louisville Sports Cards Fills Void With New, Old Card Shop Q&A: Dugout Dreams Finds Success with Old and New Ron Gustafson MVP Sports CardsQ&A: Fond Memories Spur New Florida Hobby Shop Cheers: Maryland Shop’s Card Bar Now a 36-Foot Haven After Outgrowing Old Digs
Mile High Card Co Accepting Consignments
Avatar

About Bob D'Angelo

Bob has been a sportswriter and copy editor for more than 35 years and a blogger for a decade. He is celebrating his 50th year of card collecting, and still counts his 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle as his favorite. You can reach him at [email protected].

Filed Under: Popular Stories, Sports Memorabilia Business News Tagged With: baseball card shop, baseball card shops, hobby shop owner, hobby shop owners, Shirley DeQuasie, sports card shop owner, sports card shops, sports cards

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase, we receive a commission.  The revenue is what helps keep SC Daily afloat!

What\
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan Cards Under $5
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $100
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $75
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1985 Graded Football Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1980 Graded Basketball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1990 Graded Hockey Cards $5 and Less
  • Complete Sets Under $10 with Free Shipping
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1

RSS Auction Report

  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Graded Football, Basketball, Baseball & Autographed Cards Ending January 19-21, 2021
  • CollectibleXchange February 2021 Auction Preview – Register Now
  • Heritage Auctions Modern Sports Cards Catalog Auction – Ends February 4, 2021


Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forum
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cards
  • Game Used Jerseys
  • 1952 Topps Baseball
  • Championship Rings For Sale
  • Vintage Basketball Cards
  • NBA Signed Items
  • Signed Sports Memorabilia
  • UFC Memorabilia
  • Autographed Baseballs
  • NASCAR Autographs
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cards
  • Player Pictures
  • Vintage Football Cards
  • Sports Card Boxes
  • Sports Collectors Store

Pages

  • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
  • 100 Hottest UFC Trading Cards
  • 100 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 20 Hottest Barry Sanders Football Cards
  • 2016 Cubs Replica Championship Rings Don’t Cost a Fortune
  • 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Box Breaks, Most Watched
  • 2019 Toronto Raptors NBA Championship Memorabilia Guide
  • 2019 US Women’s World Cup Apparel, Merchandise, Memorabilia Guide
  • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Kareem Hunt Rookie Cards
  • 50 Most Watched Kevin Durant Auctions on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • 8 Types of Kobe Bryant Collectibles to Remember Him By
  • Aaron Judge Game Used Memorabilia Inventory Growing
  • About Us/Contact/Advertise
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Affordable Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Barnebys Sports Memorabilia Auctions
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Best Derek Jeter Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Best Display Cabinets for Sports Memorabilia
  • Best Joey Votto Rookie Cards
  • Best Pascal Siakam Rookie Cards
  • Chiefs Super Bowl Champs Memorabilia Hits the Market
  • Current Most Watched Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Dale Murphy Rookie Card Remains Popular, Affordable
  • Eagles Super Bowl Champions Memorabilia Guide
  • Fanatics Under Wraps 2017 Next Level Edition Autographed Baseballs
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Frank Gore Rookie Cards Get No Respect
  • Gardner Minshew Rookie Cards Heat Up as Fun-Loving Rookie Shows His Ability
  • Great Gifts for Cubs Fans
  • Guide to 2018-19 Clemson Tigers National Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Houston Astros Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to LSU National Championship Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Nationals World Series Champs Memorabilia, Merchandise
  • Guide to St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Champions Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Memorabilia
  • Hank Aaron Cards on eBay
  • Henrik Lundqvist Rookie Cards a Strong Long-Term Play
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Hottest 2019 Baseball Rookie Cards
  • Hottest 2019 NFL Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Chicago Bulls Memorabilia Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Devin Booker Rookie Cards as Suns Star Piles Up Points
  • Hottest Kyle Lewis Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Lonzo Ball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini World Cup Stickers on eBay
  • Hottest Pokémon Card Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Topps NOW Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Xander Bogaerts Rookie Cards
  • LeBron James Lakers Jerseys Already Available
  • Links
  • Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Popular Mark McGwire Rookie Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Kobe Bryant Basketball Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Topps Project 2020 Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Nick Bosa Rookie Cards Getting Collectors’ Attention
  • Patriots Super Bowl 51 Champions Merchandise
  • Ryne Sandberg Rookie Cards, Minor League Issues Still Collector Favorites
  • Selling Sports Cards on eBay for Cash
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test
  • The 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Auto Saga: A Timeline
  • Tony Gwynn Rookie Cards Recall “The Best Hitter Since Ted”
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Top Selling Patriots Super Bowl Championship Items
  • Upper Deck Authenticated Autographs Remain Popular, Accessible
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
  • Wade Boggs Rookie Cards Still a Collector Favorite
  • What’s Hot on eBay
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Where to Buy the Anthony Fauci Topps Baseball Card
  • Write About Your Sports Collection
  • Write for Sports Collectors Daily

Copyright © 2021 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Genesis Web Design by Wickam Group