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Cleveland Show

Divy1Divy1 Posts: 29
in PSA Set Registry Forum
Anybody go this? I heard from a couple of dealer friends that it was a disaster. It's always interesting to get the different slants from dealer/collector, vintage/new, memorabilia & autographs.

Comments

  • WabittwaxWabittwax Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭
    I live near Cleveland and I didn't even know there was a big show in town. That might answer a lot of questions. I probably wouldn't have gone anyways because shows are filled overpriced cards and MASSIVE amounts of game used cards that don't really interest me. I wish they were like the old days.
  • tedh111tedh111 Posts: 258 ✭
    I feel bad for the dealers, but not for the promoter at all...Hes a jerk for trying to move in on the national and trick people into believing that his show was the national...
    www.sportsnutcards.com
    Specializing in Certified Autograph Cards, Rookies, Rare Inserts and other quality modern cards! Over 8000 Cards in stock now! Come visit our physical store located at 1210 Main St. Belmar ,NJ
  • RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
    Dealers will always tell you their show was a disaster unless they manage to sucker a few people into spending stupid amounts of money on overgraded material. That's why, no matter how much of a "disaster" it was for them, you see them at the very same show the next year.



    Stay classy,


    Ron
    Ron Burgundy

    Buying Vintage, all sports.
    Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
  • BasiloneBasilone Posts: 2,492 ✭✭


    << <i>Dealers will always tell you their show was a disaster unless they manage to sucker a few people into spending stupid amounts of money on overgraded material. >>



    Overgraded or Overpriced ?
  • Divy1Divy1 Posts: 29
    C'mon guys. I get a little tired of dealer bashing. Sure, there are a lot of dealers who have over graded/overpriced cards. Economics 101 eventually weeds them out. There are also a lot of dealers who don't realize that they are running a service business. Eventually they go bye-bye also. There are a lot of great guys who make a living as a dealer. Would you like a list of all the things I hate about collectors? Believe me, it is a long one, BUT it does not apply to most of the people that I deal with. [There is one thing that I will mention. I think it's a real hoot when a collector comes up to my table asks me if I have any raw commons that will grade "9" or if they are going through 50s cards 8s. To me, that is the flip side of the "overpriced " coin] I still love doing shows. I like talking face to face with my customers. My first contact with many of them was through ebay. The internet has helped my show business enormously.
    Not everyone who collects has a computer. Not every collector with a computer is interested in spending the time browsing for the things that they want. Not everyone who finds what they want is interested in an auction. If they find something that they want at what they feel is a fair price, they buy it. It can be on line or at a show. There is something to be said for holding what you are after in your hand and evaluating yourself. You can then make the decision if it is worth what is being asked.
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    Was it the "International" that you are referring to? If so, it seemed/seems a little unusual - more of an auto show than anything, and it seemed to have more celebrities than athletes from what I recall. With many planning on attending the National in Anaheim, my money would be spent there if I was attending.
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • WabittwaxWabittwax Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭
    Divy, I agree with you on many points. I spent some years being a dealer and it is a great, fun experience. I guess why shopping at shows does me no good is that I'm always looking for something to flip. For the most part, "deals" are not to be had from "dealers". I don't blame them, they must make a profit. So the buy and flip game isn't very easy from a show dealer, unless you buy out the whole table, which I've done a couple times.

    For my collection, if I'm looking for a card that is a Pop 50, I'm not going to pay $75 at a show when it sells for $50 on Ebay. Some people might, I won't. If I find a Pop 3 that is expensive, I might go for it. But, I'm not going to find a Pop 3 that I need at a show, only on Ebay. What I will find at shows is tons of cards that don't interest me. Thus, my reasons why I don't like going to shows anymore.
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    I prefer buying at shows, and will pay a little more from a dealer. Instant gratification is a big part of it, but being able to see the card first hand as not all PSA/SGC cards are graded equally. If a card typically sells for 50 bucks on eBay, I may spend 75 on it at a show if it is a very nice card for the grade.
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • Divy1Divy1 Posts: 29
    Wabittwax:
    Indeed, what you are looking for is the dealer to dealer sales. In many ways, it has become the biggest part of most of the larger shows.

    As a side note, I always have to laugh when guys come up to me asking for a NMMT 1960 Curt Simmons or 62 DelGreco or 69 Brock, etc. As a dealer, I try and do my homework also. There are a substantial number of cards [raw & graded] that I don't take to shows because I have no problem getting more for them online. As an example, there is a vintage card that "books" for $4. I was fortunate to come up with a lot of over 100 in pristine condition a few years ago. I got a bunch of 8s and I felt the rest were probably going to grade 7, so I decided to sell them raw I have never sold one of them for less than $10 at auction on ebay. I could never get that at a show!


    1420 : I have a number of customers who feel the way that you do!

    Then there is the issue of what is a dealer to do when grading raw cards for sale on line. Over grade like so many others or grade as accurately as possible knowing people are expecting 1 to 2 grades lower and bidding accordingly. But, that's another story.


  • ssgunnipssgunnip Posts: 335
    Divy1. What is the deal with the Che Avatar? Are you promoting marxism, or just ignorant of the meaning????
  • Divy1Divy1 Posts: 29
    ssgunnip:
    Old time leftists don't die, they become card dealers. Che was also one of my nick names in college as I bore a resemlance to Che. Actually, I have pictures of Rasputain that I have fooled friends into thinking that they are pictures of me. BTW, I'm definitely not ignorant. I've probably forgotten more that you've learned.
  • SOMSOM Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭
    If all dealers were as straight-up as Che, we would have never needed grading services.
  • 80sJunkie80sJunkie Posts: 1,314
    I still like shows for finding vintage boxes to rip open. sure they are priced higher than ebay but altleast i can inspect for resealed or trampered boxes before i buy. Every body has a reason to like or dislike shows. Also I'm with divy give the dealers a break the bad ones are always weeded out and the good ones last and they usually have great stuff. Dealers do provide a service and some forget that. Ive been on both sides I was a dealer and had a shop for 10 years I had to quit because I became a collector. A wise man told me once to make it as a dealer you can't be a collector. He was right. As a dealer you have to sell stuff at a profit to stay in buisness you have to provide a service to the collector and make lots of friends . Once you get that collector mentality you have a hard time letting stuff go and you get yourself in a pickle. So give the delaers a break we have all been to shows and we have all bought cards there if it weren't for the dealers somer of us wouldn't have the collections we do. Because even ebay is a giant show. Instead of looking throught the glass case your looking at the glass screen.
  • 80sJunkie80sJunkie Posts: 1,314
    One more opinion those dealers that always say they had a bad show. From my experience they had a bad show because they spent there profit to buy something else at the show. I Watched a guy make $3000 spent 2800 then cry he had a bad show. Even if I had a bad show I told everyone I did great just to piss off the cry babys who went from from dealer to dealer asking did you do allright this weekend
  • diamondmandiamondman Posts: 2,020
    when I set up at shows, (to make Money) if the show was weak on attendence, I would just go and try to buy my way out of a losing show, Made some sweet buys that way. the way I judged some shows was if I had 100 to 300 pounds less of cardboard to load up. I was Happy. but never tell the crybabies it was bad. And if all else fails go to the casino after the show and lose more but get drunk HEH HEh DM.
  • calleochocalleocho Posts: 1,569 ✭✭
    I dont have a problem with paying a little more in a show ...you get to see the card in hand , you get it right away and there is no hassle.

    Ebay could be a breeze at times, but it could be a pain too.

    I never worry about getting a card from 707 or JAY Wolf. Same goes for a lot of board members.

    Now ...a little bit more is 10%-20 more than on ebay...I am not going to pay double to any dealers.

    BTW...Che was nothing but a terrorist thug...

    "Women should be obscene and not heard. "
    Groucho Marx
  • Divy1Divy1 Posts: 29
    calleocho

    Sorry to disagree with you about Che. It was a time when the US was trying to rule the world by supporting one right wing dictatorship after another. The CIA were actually the terrorist thugs. It was just about the height of the United States as the sadistic bully of the world.
  • calleochocalleocho Posts: 1,569 ✭✭
    Che's mentality of " the end justifies the means" is often overlooked.

    He was enigmatic and a fantastic speaker ..but his actions reveal his true nature. The man was borderline sadistic.

    He took his "ideals " into foreing lands and he came in with a machine gun.

    Unlike Marx and others who were scholars and had a desire to see a change in politics ...che was simply a terrorist who decided his way of thinking was better for the people.

    When he marched into Havana he was in charge of the execution of over 5000 police men. His signature its on every one of those death penalties.

    Some of those were no doubt deserving of their deaths...but how about the many others who were just regular cops.

    He has become a nice idealistic image for upper middle class kids... who like to fill their relatively easy lives with more powerful meaning and find his "struggle" against the big bad imperialistic USA and easy target.

    The USA is just an easy target...they have made more than a few international blunders...but two wrongs dont make a right.

    "Women should be obscene and not heard. "
    Groucho Marx
  • HubcapHubcap Posts: 293
    I would like to respond as a "dealer" who did this show. Fist of all, the show was a disaster from a number of reasons:
    1) It cost $599 for a 10x10 booth and you had to pay $85 for a union person to "escort" your vehicle to the booth. Otherwise, you could unload from 2 levels up on a 2 wheel cart which would have taken all day.
    2) $15 admission to see maybe 100 booths was too much.
    3) The autograph prices were excesive for the players and the region of the country.
    4) The players in most instances had no attachment to the area. Like Brian Bosworth and Deon Sanders.
    5) All food places downtown close 7 PM or so if the Indians are not in town. I wound eating at a take out place on the way back to the hotel each night.
    6) Attendance was poor despite heavy local advertising.
    7) It never should have been a 4 day show. I sat around Friday for 10 hours scratching myself and napping.

    The good things:
    1) I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn across from the Jake and walked to the show each morning.
    2) Great promotion for the show. I was on FOX local feed interviewed about my 500 HR signed poster and why people collect autographs. Unfortunately, it ran at 6 PM and didn't see it. John B...did you see it???
    3) Sales were overall decent for the poor show. I didn't do 10x table (which is my yardstick for a good show) but had some after show sales which helped. I sold a lot of HOF signed balls, some heavy pieces like Drysdale, etc and a lot of lesser ones like Lemon, Minoso, Colavito and Feller.
    4) Made a lot of new customers for this region.

    I do this as a business full time. I don't sell cards but suplies and autographed PSA DNA and JSA authenticated items. Unfortunately, many of my fellow dealers didn't fare as well. There wasn't a lot of dealer to dealer sales becuz the show was poor.

    Would I do it next year? Of course not since the National is in Cleveland. I think a lot of the attendees thought this show was going to be like the National and it wasn't.

    So before you pop off regarding "dealers", stop by my booth (I will be in Chantilly this weekend) and say "hello" and see what I do.
    Thanks
    AZ
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