My take on the National

acowa

Just got back from Chicago. It was a fun show and I think I looked at every booth at least once. Amazingly enough, I didnt spend a dime on any cards. All I bought was a 1977 Bobby Orr Pinball machine that I couldn't pass on. It's the same one that is displayed in the hockey HOF in Toronto.


Anyways, my impressions are as follows:

1) High grade vintage raw for sale is a thing of the past. I was looking for primarily 1967 Topps baseball, 1957 Topps baseball, and 1964 Topps Hockey. I found nothing that I could use for my sets. Many dealers told me that I was the 3rd person looking for a specific card. The best two raw dealers we're Setbuilders and Uncle Dick's. Each had a consistent group of rabid collectors looking through the books.

2) I got to see a 1957 Topps baseball Hal Naragon PSA 9 1/1 from Tony E Trade. It's a pretty rare card even in PSA 8 (last one in 8 went for mid 2000 if memory serves me) He was asking $3700 and it will probably be sold by shows end.

3) They seemed to group all of the top hockey dealers together. I got to speak with Harvey from AJ's, Len Pottie, and Terry French. All three are top notch guys...and sat within a few yards of each other.

4) I saw way more GAI and SGC graded cards than I expected. I am not sure if they we're selling...but they were slabbed.

5) I got to speak with Bob Cacamese (aka gaspipe26) for a little while and see some incredible 1975 PSA 10's. It somewhat made up for the fact that EJGURU (My new babe that I am dating won't let me go plus I am training for the Olympics) and Dan Markel ( I already bought all of the raw Mint cards up so why should I bother) didn't make the trip.

6) I got to see my first incredible conditioned golf cards from a fellow board member (Golfcollector) that was nice enough to educate me on the nuances of that collectible.



Regards,


Alan

ctsoxfan

<< <i>High grade vintage raw for sale is a thing of the past. >>



Indeed, it's been that way for a while now. Thanks for the nice show report.

Vintagegolfcollector

Alan,

Thanks for your thoughts on the National and other info. I've email Golfcollector and sold him a few cards, but never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. What did you think of his vintage golf cards? There are few vintage tobacco golf collectors in America, which helps keeps the prices "reasonable". Unfortunately, it also keeps the supply low.

Peter

acowa

He showed me some vintage Bobby Jones cards...one was in a PSA 9 holder. They looked extremely nice. I didn't know anything about golf cards and he was nice enough to spend some time with me to give me some background.

Regards,


Alan

Vintagegolfcollector

Alan,

Dave is a great guy and always ready to talk vintage golf cards. We're the prices just too high, nothing there you really wanted, or a combination of the two? The last comic book convention I attended (about 6 years ago) went about the same for me. I probably spent 10% of the funds I had saved for the show. Everything was either too high or the grades not what I wanted.

Thanks for sharing,

Peter

jerster

Alan,
I, too, came with money to spend and left with little being spent beyond some more PSA storage boxes. As for the grouping of the hockey dealers, it was like that in Cleveland too. Not sure if the organizers did it or they asked for it. I looked through AJs, Terry's, Len's and Champs & Bums - no one had anything new or that I needed so I was a little disappointed in that.


All in all, it was a decent show. I wish I was working on some BB sets beyond just my hockey ones, because there was enough there to get me started or beyond in just about any one from the 50's on up.

Eagerly awaiting November and the Toronto expo, though I fear that the big dealers just won't have any more hockey stuff, and I'll go home disappointed once again.

Jerry

qualitycards

<< <i>All I bought was a 1977 Bobby Orr Pinball machine >>


ALAN - Thats pretty neat!
Show us a scan when it arrives, unless ya took it with you! ...jay

Golfcollector

Alan,

Thanks for the nice words. It was a pleasure to meet someone who I respect on these message boards. Check out my other post with some scans (hopefully) of what I picked up this weekend.

Machodoc

Alan,

That must have been you I was standing behind as I waited for the pinball machine deal to close. The same guy had a little stack of bats on the table to your left and one looked line a GU Kaline model. I took a good look at it, decided it had some missing data, asked a few people about it who are smarter than myself, and came back to tell the guy that it was likely either a college or military issued bat from the 1960's.

Too bad I didn't know that was you doing the pinball wizard deal in front of me.

Steve

dude

Alan -- That's an awesome aquisition! Congratulations! I really wish I could have made it to the National. Anymore, I'd be happy just to find some nice vintage NM-Mint cards at a major show. Thanks for filling us in and enjoy the machine!

Boopotts

"Anymore, I'd be happy just to find some nice vintage NM-Mint cards at a major show."

I think those days are behind us. You can't walk 20 ft. in a show anymore without hearing some dealer yapping about a 'PSA 7' he just got slabbed. The word has been out for years re: star cards, but I think the cat's out of the bag for commons now as well. Even the Toronto show-- which used to be a virtual gold mine of stunning 60's hockey commons-- is dried up.

Boopotts

"1) High grade vintage raw for sale is a thing of the past. I was looking for primarily 1967 Topps baseball, 1957 Topps baseball, and 1964 Topps Hockey."

I am sure that the next nm mt raw 1964 hockey card I see will be the last.

ejguru

Alan--You are killing me... Since I have known for quite some time that Dude has indeed bought all existing raw NM-MT cards AND I am closing in on my goal to drop 75 pounds in 10 months (65 in 9 months so far), I didn't think my attendance was worthwhile. Remember it is you who is now shackeled by your dream of an NHL minor league coaching/scouting gig. Hopefully you'll pop up to Ft. Wash this Fall/Winter. I think you must now be a Bruins fan with a game like that--I don't recall Orr playing for the Leafs! Glad to hear the National report and the successful PSA luncheon. Did the KING ask again about free beer?!?!

Aaronman

Aaronman

All,

I thought it was a great show. I bought tons of raw stuff. It all came in small bunches though. There were no motherloads. My hightlights were:

1966 Philadelplhia Jim Brown PSA 8
HOF Rookies (Raw): Krause, Lane, Wilcox, B Brown & Hornung
1965 Bazooka Panel Aaron/Killebrew PSA 8 (graded my self)
1970 Maravich Rookie PSA 8 (Graded my self)
1969 Nabisco Team Flakes Aaron (all borders intact)
Some great raw FB cards from the 60's including some killer 66's (Topps)
High end 69 OPC first series
Really high end 68-70 Topps Hockey
Short stack of killer 61 Baseball (about 30 cards)
58 Yellow Letter Aaron - probably a 7 but dead centered and great color

Enjoy,
Doug

gaspipe26

ejguru,
I wish I could lose 65 ounces, congrats. I was hoping you would be there so I could open a 1969 pack and you a 67!

acowa

Guru:

The machine actually has Orr in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey skating against what looks like a team Canada goalie. He ended his career there in Chicago.

Anyways, I brought a wad of cash with me and I literally bought no cards whatsoever. It wasn't that they were too expensive...they just weren't there at any price. The only card that I seriously considered was a nice Ken Wharram NM card that Len had for sale. It was underpriced but I decided to leave it for someone else as I already have one in similar condition.

During the show, one of my snipes went off for this card.




So the sad truth is that the only card I bought WHILE at the National was off EBAY!

If anyone has any really nice centered EX/MT or NM 1957 Topps baseball...get in touch (graded or otherwise)



Regards,



Alan

ejguru

Ahh yes, Bobby's play for cash deal for about 20+ games as a BHawk. I recall that disappointment--only trumped a few years later by Fisk leaving town (for Chicago too!). Sad state of affairs when the only card bought while AT THE NATIONAL is ON EBAY. Good luck on that budding '57 set--the Hodges is certainly a beauty!

AlanAllen

I saw that pinball machine... very cool. I spent less than a day there this year (I was in central Illinois visiting family), but it was a nice show. Nothing really blew me away like things have in Nationals past, but maybe I'm just getting used to seeing 6-figure cards. Frank Nagy's collection at Mastro was amazing, and my dad coudn't stop talking about Black Betsy.

I don't know how you guys can leave the show with any money . I didn't find any must-haves, but I did leave with 3 cards: a PSA 1 Fatima New York Nationals (Jim Thorpe, Mathewson) with several wrinkles but awesome picture quality/registration and decent eye appeal, a 1961 Topps FB penny pack, and my first N162 common - Myers (runner). I've been thinking of building the 50-card set for years and took the plunge.

Joe

Stingray

1975 PSA 10s!!!!?? Doh, I did not see those, good thing I guess, might have been drooling on his showcase.


Stingray

acowa

Stingray,

PM Bob Cacamese (gaspipe26) to see if will post some scans of his recent submissions for you. They were nice 1975 Topps PSA 10's of HOF'ers.


Regards,


Alan

gaspipe26

There is a 1975 Seaver PSA 10 on Ebay right now. Its a beauty. A bunch of HOF 9's too.