How's the Chicago show?

Sideplate · November 21, 2003 11:19AM

Anyone currently at the Chicago show? I couldn’t make this one. What’s going on? Any great deals? Any drunken brawls, cat fights or naked supermodels? Please, paint a picture!

SUPERPUNK813 · November 21, 2003 9:19PM

YES!!! If there are any naked supermodels PLEASE let us know becouse if i leave now i can be there by 1:30pm.

Paul.

toppsgun · November 21, 2003 10:37PM

I heard there were some big, fat, naked dealers, fighting over PSA 5 Kellogg's Kards.

Glad I'm over 1000 miles away.

thegemmintman · November 21, 2003 11:05PM

<< <i>I heard there were some big, fat, naked dealers, fighting over PSA 5 Kellogg's Kards. >>

Not true Toppsgun. My intelligence sources revealed to me that there were no graded Kellogg's Kards at the show.

DaBigHurt · November 22, 2003 4:18AM

The chicks working the Superior booth were pretty sweet looking.

Naxcom too.

Wayne8348 · November 22, 2003 1:33PM

Superpunk,

No naked supermodels but I think that I saw Mike Castaldi in a thong.

Actually the show was quite good. There were quite a few dealers and I even got to have dinner with Brian (dogofwinter) and Matt (gator5) at Gibsons on friday night. That was a great time. Brian is really good at searching out the raw cards and is really a class act. Gator is a riot - his knowledge of 81's is unbelievable. I knew he was an expert from these boards but I had no idea.

I picked up 1 card for my 74 set which is one more than I expected so that was nice.

I also picked up a couple of very nice raw 70's basketball sets. It was good seeing everyone there.

Wayne

mcastaldi · November 22, 2003 10:31PM

Actually, I prefer boxers with holes in them. Just for the record.

Wayne8348 · November 22, 2003 10:44PM

Sorry Mike - I didn't mean to pick on you - but Frank didn't make it out this time so I couldn't pick on him.

It was good to see you at the show.

Wayne

NickM · November 23, 2003 1:26AM

mike - TMI (although it does explain why you're single).

Hmmmm. Maybe the next Bravo show will be called Queer Eye for the Baseball Card Collector.

Nick

Cubfan · November 23, 2003 4:20AM

I was at the show on Friday night and while I didnt see anything that met my needs (they are very specific and there really wasnt a lot of slabbed vintage cards except from the usual suspects there, 707, etc.), the guys looking for raw seemed to have a few locations that they were congregated at and seemed pleased.

The November show is an "upstairs" show at the convention center which means it will be smaller than Sportsfest in June.

I got my first look at some of the newly slabbed T3's, Colgan chip pins and graded ticket stubs, and got to talk with many of the people that I have dealt with in the past.

I also got to say hi to Wayne8348 and mcastaldi which is always nice.

Id be interested in hearing from the raw crowd to see just how successful the show was for you.

Keith

wick70 · November 23, 2003 5:07AM

Just got back from the show about 30 minutes ago. Seems a lot of vendors were packing it up around 2pm. I was looking mainly for raw baseball, mainly 1963 Fleer. With the frustration of trying to find vendors who will actually carry some of these in decent condition, I was thinking that maybe it was time to find a new set to concentrate on. Raw cards were plentiful among the vendors, however, about 75% seemed like they would grade 6's or less. Prices seemed high, but finding room to bargain wasn't difficult, especially on the last day. There were quite a few bargains on sealed wax boxes for modern, but I only found about four vendors with boxes from the 80's. I was able to pick up three 1980 wax pack trays for $90, those will be stored away for awhile. Didn't see BMW Sports there, but I did see Al Rosen's lovely face. Of course, he has to have the table as soon as you enter.
Wick

GATOR5 · November 24, 2003 6:28AM

Gents,

Great time in all and had some good luck in the raw depo. My finds were in fb commons from 70-73 picked up around 200 or so. Also found a couple handfuls of 70 bb that should 9. In the graded department picked up one card 79 murphy in a 9 and fwiw centered which is a tough task. Boo YA chalk one off the list.

Meeting the boys from the board was great including Wayne and Mike. Wayne I'm sorry I didnt get back with you sat am. Caught up with the dealers for last call on fri it made for a late night. Brian dogofwinter I will surely be chatting with.

Show in general, decent alot of the dealers said they didn't even sell a card. The high quality raw guys said they cant keep it on the table. Imagine that. My take was better than last year at this time but not as good as the spring show.

Thats about it!

Gator

Hubcap · November 25, 2003 3:21AM

From a dealer perspective, this was a tremendous show for me. I came home almost empty, trailer and van.

On Friday night, friends who are single card dealers did well, but not so well on Saturday and Sunday.

As a supply and autograph dealer, I was very slow on Friday, but was busy right through the end at 4 PM Sunday.

As a vintage PSA graded collector, I got a chance to walk the show floor on Friday and was disappointed. I did buy a 1959 Pirates Team card PSA 8 for $120 for my set.

I noticed that most national vintage dealers only had the same material they advertise on their web sites. So I assume they are there to buy from walk ins. The problem I hear is why would a collector take 40%-60% from a dealer when you might be able to sell yourself online for 80-100% and then sometimes for more?

GoSoxBoSox · November 25, 2003 4:00AM

<< <i>The problem I hear is why would a collector take 40%-60% from a dealer when you might be able to sell yourself online for 80-100% and then sometimes for more? >>

I've been wondering for many years why anybody would do that? Especially since eBay has been an establish place for vintage cards for so many years now. Hell, you can get well over SMR on a lot of stuff on eBay.

I also wonder why most of the dealers have their own web-sites? A good bit of the cards I see on them have remained on them because the prices are so high.

It's just crazy.

Wayne8348 · November 25, 2003 8:30AM

I had a dealer in Chicago who sells mostly modern tell me that he was making fantastic money 6 or 7 years ago but ebay has just killed his business. Not only are cards more readily available but collectors also have a much better understanding of the value of cards.

I walked through the entire show and only bought one graded card common. Everything else was just so high I couldn't begin to justify the prices of the graded stars. They are so easily found on ebay for so much less money it just doesn't make sense to buy from the dealers. I've wondered if they couldn't make it up on volume by competing head on with ebay prices instead of waiting for that uninformed buyer to stop by. I don't think this necessarily applies to the graded commons - just star cards.

Wayne

GATOR5 · November 25, 2003 8:50AM

Wayne,

Very true it kind of like my jesture the cheaper I can get it the cheaper you'll get it.

Alot of dealers wont mention any names came into Gibsons cryin of how they didn't get the lots they wanted. I asked what was your percentage of book on the lots around 55% they replied. My comment was your sitting here crying you didn't win yet the same dealer didn't even sell a card at the show but have pricing in the adds at 120% of smr.

But this is the kicker a dealer had a guy come to the table with a rose rc paid 700 for it and ends up in a 9 holder 2 hours later. Thats the cheese!!!!! I don't know alot of the vintage guys are either lookin for suckers or are to lazy to turn cards or just think someday it's going to dry up.

Gator

How's the Chicago show?

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