anybody go to suntimes show today

mrbud60

if anybody went how was it?thanks,gil

Morgoth

crickets chirping

gregm13

I want to the show on Saturday - and overall it wasn't too bad. The good deals are getting harder and harder to find but I found my favorite dealers and bought 5 auto'd goal line cards that I need and found a couple of other small dollar cards. What strikes me is:

1. Lack of high grade NFL HOF rookies
2. Lack of 2002 Legendary Cuts Autographs (NFL)
3. Lack of mid-dollar inserts (Dan Marino of course)
4. Lack of high grade raw vintage FB.

Table after table was mid-grade to low-grade vintage, newer hi-end inserts (especially autographs) and PSA graded vintage baseball.

Regards,

Greg M.

gregm13

By the way, PSA was slammed all day. GAI and Beckett's booths were 1/4 to 1/3 of the size of PSA's and there were nowhere near the number of people. Very interesting.

Regards,

Greg M.

RonBurgundy

RE: By the way, PSA was slammed all day. GAI and Beckett's booths were 1/4 to 1/3 of the size of PSA's and there were nowhere near the number of people. Very interesting.

Not sure why that would be so interesting. Anyone who's been to the National would tell you it's exactly the same.



Ron

gregm13

<< <i>RE: By the way, PSA was slammed all day. GAI and Beckett's booths were 1/4 to 1/3 of the size of PSA's and there were nowhere near the number of people. Very interesting.

Not sure why that would be so interesting. Anyone who's been to the National would tell you it's exactly the same.



Ron >>



Ron,

I haven't been to the National in years....so I found it interesting. Is that ok with you?

Greg M.

Boopotts

<< <i>I want to the show on Saturday - and overall it wasn't too bad. The good deals are getting harder and harder to find but I found my favorite dealers and bought 5 auto'd goal line cards that I need and found a couple of other small dollar cards. What strikes me is:

1. Lack of high grade NFL HOF rookies
2. Lack of 2002 Legendary Cuts Autographs (NFL)
3. Lack of mid-dollar inserts (Dan Marino of course)
4. Lack of high grade raw vintage FB.

Table after table was mid-grade to low-grade vintage, newer hi-end inserts (especially autographs) and PSA graded vintage baseball.

Regards,

Greg M. >>



Bang! You and I were definitely at the same show. For those of you who didn't attend, let me say that this a very concise and accurate description of the collective inventory on display at the show.

BillsGridironGreats

I drove 3 hours to try and get all the good stuff before you guys on Friday.

But there was not much good stuff to be found. I almost spent as much on dinner as I did at the show.

Back to Ebay I guess!

cardbender

I was there all day Friday and Saturday. Greg's post was dead on describing the show. I brought along a good wad to spend and came home with 90% of it. There was lot's of raw vintage in all sports but mostly it was Ex-Mint and lower. Or NM at double high beckett.

It got so bad walking the floor looking thru the same junk after junk tables that I spent more than half the show behind a buddy's table paging thru the smr and auction catalogs.... things I can do at home.

I've always enjoyed attending this show in the past but this was by far the worst one I've attended in the past 15 years. I'm only a card guy. If you were an autograph guy, you would've had a great time.

Peyton Manning's auto's were all sold out by 10:15am on Sat. His auto was between $199 and 299 depending on the item he signed. I really don't understand why anyone would pay that much for an autograph of a current player who's only 30 years old and will more than likely be signing things for another 40 years, but like I said I'm a card buyer only. I think Manning is one of the greatest too, I just wouldn't pay the going rate for an auto.

I can see the end of larger shows coming soon. One thing I noticed was the lack of a few 'big name' dealers from setting up. Triple SSS was just walking around on Friday. They usually take two to three tables at thei show. Wayne Varner was MIA too. He always has taken two tables up front but not the last two Sun-Times shows. Andy Madec split some space with Bob Krawetz of The Ninth Inning. It seems like some of the bigger dealers are not even wasting their time taking a table. They can just walk the room and be done with their business on Friday and fly home. Maybe ebay and the internet are causing this too. With tables running nearly $400 for an 8 footer, plus all the other expenses associated with traveling and setting up, who can blame them. The dealers table fees merely underwrite the autograph guest line-up costs.

RonBurgundy

Greg -

I'm sorry if I offended you, but given PSA's monster dominance of the graded card industry, I don't find it noteworthy that PSA would be busier than Global or Beckett.


Ron

Morgoth

I didn't go this time but went last November and it sounds like the same show but with even less dealers. Too bad I love shows and you can see the cards and do trades at shows. Anyone here want to trade? Beware though I am used to the dealers asking 120% and giving 50% though so take it easy on me.

gregm13

<< <i>Greg -

I'm sorry if I offended you, but given PSA's monster dominance of the graded card industry, I don't find it noteworthy that PSA would be busier than Global or Beckett.


Ron >>



Ron,

Thanks for your post. Personally, I was surprised at how small and relatively inactive the Beckett and GAI booths were.

Regards,

Greg M.

envoy98

<< <i>RE: By the way, PSA was slammed all day. GAI and Beckett's booths were 1/4 to 1/3 of the size of PSA's and there were nowhere near the number of people. Very interesting.

Not sure why that would be so interesting. Anyone who's been to the National would tell you it's exactly the same.



Ron >>



My experience at the national in Chicago a couple years back was quite the opposite. I was able to spend some time talking with various people at the PSA booth and could not get anywhere near the Beckett booth. Seemed the entire place was busting wax and bringing it by the arm-load to the beckett booth for 1 hour 9.5/10 turn-arounds.

At the last Sun Times Show (October, 2006) the Beckett booth was pretty dead compared to the PSA booth. My experience a the last Sun Times show is on par with what Greg states now as well. Lack of high grade football, especially anything reasonably priced. I did get a couple decent "deals" and passed on a couple others that would have been deals. I was just stubborn because the dealers of said cards were kind of rude so I walked away. (I hate when my pride gets in the way. lol)

RonBurgundy

Greg -

No problem and again, sorry if I seemed harsh. I think GAI has always maintained a smaller booth and presence at these kinds of shows; my impression of them is that they've kind of maintained what they have in the last 2-3 years. Beckett, however, is another story. I echo Envoy 98's impressions of them.....2-3 years ago they had decent crowds and a large setup at least at regional shows. I'm not surprised to hear now that is no longer the case because I think the company has totally jumped the shark on grading, and is headed that way with the rest of its business. In 5-10 years I would not be surprised if they're no longer around. The private equity guys who bought the company have no clue what they're doing with it. They could've leveraged the Beckett name into a significant competitor to PSA, but instead they seem hellbent on turning it into a Pokemon and Yugi-Oh operation.


Ron

1420sports

GAI had the hobby in it's hands a few years back, and immediately dropped the ball. If they had any type of direction they would be the king pins by now ....

Slabbed

With Gai grading and slabbing trimmed cards does not move you up in the hobby as a matter of fact they are almost equivilant to pro or will be. It does not pay to be dirty in a hobby were your reputation is eveything.

TheCARDKid

Out here in So California, I almost feel like taking a video camera to the Naxcom hollywood park show and taping it for historical purposes.

I wonder what will be left in 5 years, nationally?

julen23

prophetic indeed.

i would say (most likely) YES they will still b in operation, doing what who knows?

julen

tedh111

i was set up at the show. I was set up towards the left back corner so sales-wse it was not my best show. BUt for buying, this was one of the best shows ever. I sepnt every penny i brought with me and every penny i made. There were lots of good buys on friday and saturday from other dealers, and good stuff walked up to the table all weekened long. I deal only in modern, so maybe things are a bit different then vintage... On the sales side, i think many buyers are to used to getting deals and steal on ebay and no longer are looking to pay fair retail prices. I do not think this is a good thing for card shows.