So, how was the Sportsfest show last weekend?

Bosox1976

New location and a very nice weekend (weather-wise) seemed like a recipe for a slow show...did anyone go?

I know we had a couple of board members setting up as dealers...

ROCKDJRW

I went on Friday. The convention center is not as nice as the one in Rosemont but parking is free and it is much easier to get in and out. The crowd was light but keep in mind I went on a Friday during the day. I was kind of disapointed with many dealers having the same modern boxes and cards. ATTN: DEALERS IF YOU DON'T PRICE YOUR CARDS I DO NOT STOP!! (Sorry had to get that off my chest). I saw a nice uncertified Elvis Presley autographed postcard that looked good to me. It was priced at $450 dollars. I got the sellers contact info as I might make him an offer if it is still available and if he will guarantee it is authentic. I bought 5 Topps Baseball packs each yearof 1984 (Nothing), 1985 (Nothing & 1983 (Sandberg & Boggs). I also had 5 autographs certified by JSA at the show for $20 a piece. On a side note I stopped by the PSA booth to ask about a rare non-sport card issue I have and if they would grade them. I asked one of the ladys at the booth who I could talk to to see if they would grade it. I was told she is not sure who can help me with that and she turned away. I told her I noticed Joe Orlando at the show and maybe when he got back to the booth is he the one I should talk to? I was told "I don't think he is the one to talk to about that". She was not overly rude but a simple "I'm not sure, let me find out for you" would have worked fine for me. On the plus side the guy at the SGC booth was VERY helpful with my question. He looked at all the cards and said it may take a little research but they would grade them. Considering SCD gave a free ticket to the event in the magazine and parking was free there is no reason for someone not to attend the show. I really like the idea of "Fan Appreciation" night where all the Friday night autograph guests were $10. I would also like to read others opinions on this show.

TWOHOOKS

Hi,

The Chicago show was one of the best I had ever attended as far as purchases were concerned.I spent close to $6,000.00,ouch.But what can you do,its not like you can order this stuff out of a catalog when you want it.You have to buy when you are lucky enough to find it.My purchases include some very high grade Exhibit Cards from 1939,1947 & 1963,a complete set of 1910 - T220 Mecca Cigarettes Boxing Cards including a couple of silver variations,some 1970 ultra-high grade Topps Baseball commons (hopefully 9's & 10's),a nice assortment of 1909 & 1910 Sweet Caporal Domino Discs & Pins including Christy Mathewson and many difficult Large Letter Variations also some very nice 1956 Topps Pins.I actually saw much more but ran ought of cash !

The last Sportsfest in Chicago I attended was awful at Rosemont but for some reason this one was amazing.All the big national dealers were in attendance and some big money was being spent from what I saw.Schaumberg was a little bit of a pain to get to as opposed to Rosemont but it was well worth the trip.Hopefully the National in Cleveland will be as good.Better start saving my money now.

SportsCardCollector

I was there on Saturday and I really enjoyed it. First of all, the location couldn't be easier to get to. There was plenty of free parking and it was right outside the hall, instead of the $11 parking and you have to walk a mile at the Stephens Center in Rosemont.

I was impressed with the list of autograph guests and when you paid for your autograph ticket and Mounted Memories certification it was handled very efficiently by some very nice and helpful ladies. The lines for autographs were well laid out and they did a good job of managing the lines so that people were not in them forever.

As far as the number of dealers, I was a little disappointed, but there was a wide range of different material available from those dealers that were there. I saw some gorgeous high end items that took my breath away and I also saw a lot of "bargain boxes" where you could sift through and find everything from vintage to modern. As usual at these shows, the pricing ranged from "take it or leave it" to "moderate discounting", and I suspect that the dealers' results mirrored their pricing policies. Several dealers had very good prices on boxes and it actually made me buy more than I had expected to.

I didn't spend a lot of time at the card graders' booths (BGS, PSA, SGC and GAI), but the people I talked to there were helpful and willing to answer questions. I can remember when the National was in Chicago two years ago you couldn't get anyone at the PSA and BGS booths to take a moment to talk to you. Not true this time.

As to the card makers themselves, this is where the show was a total disappointment. The only company that even made an effort to be at the show with its customers was Upper Deck. But the redemptions that they had been heavily promoting were gone immediately, so if you weren't already in the hall when the doors opened, you went home empty handed. I had my son along for the day and I had psyched him up about opening the Upper Deck packs and getting the redemption cards, so I ended up looking like a loser to him when we got to the Upper Deck booth and found out that they ran out just after the doors opened. Thanks for nothing Upper Deck! The least you could have done is hand out redemption cards that I have to redeem online and wait 6 months for.

Overall, I thought it was a very nice show that was well worth my day there. I hope they bring it back to the Schaumburg Convention Center again soon.

cjb1977

I went late Sunday morning, getting there an hour or two after they opened. I found the layout a definite improvement over the Rosemont location. I did notice a handful of dealers were already shut down and out of town by Sunday morning and a few more were in the process of shutting down. I guess their were complaints that foot traffic/attendance was down. When I was their it did seem kind of dead. I think the weather and the fact that it was graduation weekend could lend some credence to the complaints.

I also second the complaint about lack of pricing at tables.