TriStar Show in Houston??? Worth it???

hookem

Any thoughts on the quality of this show? I have never been to a Tristar Show or a National. I have not been to a real show in probably 15 years or so and would be making the drive up from Austin. The info is from the Beckett Graded page calendar:

January 22-24, 2010

TriStar's 24th Annual Houston Collector's Show

George R. Borwn Conventon Center
1001 Avenida de las Americas Houston, Texas 77010
Hall A3 (Upstairs)

Services Offered:

Raw Card Review, Graded Card Review, and Accepting Submissions

More Information at: www.tristarproductions.com

Show Times:

Friday, January 22, 2010
3 PM - 8 PM

Saturday, January 23, 2010
10 AM - 5 PM

Sunday, January 24, 2010
10 AM - 4 PM

thenavarro

There is a great lineup of signers. Don't know about the quality of the show though if you aren't interested in graphs. I'm toying with the idea of driving down for Mays at $300.00 but then I think, "Mike, you must be freaking crazy to give that man that much money to sign a trading card", but then again, I know I'll regret it if I never get my 52 Topps signed as I can't buy one already signed for that plus the cost of the card.

Colt "I got hurt in the big one" McCoy will be there signing


Mike

hookem

Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, have the Irish won a bowl game on the mainland in the last 20 years? I know the Aggies so beloved by your boss have not sniffed one since Jerome Bettis was still playing for your Irish


Not interested in graphs but I could stand outside and hawk my free McCoy autos for $50 instead of his $79

Reljac

I went last year and the show is decent. I'm planning on going back this year. It's a large show and there is at least one dealer with a very large collection of Pre-1970 cards. If you ask me there were too many booths of Plaques / paintings / storage type items.

Do to the economy they did supposedly cancel their July Houston show... so this may be it for large Houston shows til next year.

Stone193

<< <i>There is a great lineup of signers. Don't know about the quality of the show though if you aren't interested in graphs. I'm toying with the idea of driving down for Mays at $300.00 but then I think, "Mike, you must be freaking crazy to give that man that much money to sign a trading card", but then again, I know I'll regret it if I never get my 52 Topps signed as I can't buy one already signed for that plus the cost of the card.

Colt "I got hurt in the big one" McCoy will be there signing


Mike >>

Mike - he gets 300 to sign a ball now?

My son got his auto at the '92 National for 30 bucks. And he was one of the more expensive guys!

mike

hookem

<< <i>I went last year and the show is decent. I'm planning on going back this year. It's a large show and there is at least one dealer with a very large collection of Pre-1970 cards. If you ask me there were too many booths of Plaques / paintings / storage type items.

Do to the economy they did supposedly cancel their July Houston show... so this may be it for large Houston shows til next year. >>



Looking at their lineup, that is what worried me. Seemed like it might be full of guys trying to sell framed pictures. Would be very interested in the JSA booth. I am looking to get my personalized Mickey Mantle autograph and UT College World Series ticket signed by Augie Garrido slabbed.

Stone193

I went there about 4 or 5 years ago - it wasn't bad - alot of signed stuff - and most of the crowd seemed to be there for the signers and then split! It was Fri Nite.

There were plenty of good guys there selling - though some of the raw guys seemed a bit high to me - but then again - I wasn't buying in bulk to attempt to get a discount.

There was a guy there from CO - I want to say it was Kirk's Cards? He was very nice but - again - I thought his prices seemed high and - like many - some of the cards seemed generously graded by the seller.

I spoke with one guy for quite a while - he was selling graded cards and was very friendly - the hobby really comes alive when ya hit a show and just chat here and there with the sellers - the ones that aren't friendly? I just move along - if they have something I want? I buy and move along.

Overall - not a bad show - I got there early and went to get a drink - sat there - bought David Festberg a drink - he didn't have change - and he felt compelled to return with the money - wasn't necessary but nice.

mike

BigRedMachine

<< <i>Mike - he gets 300 to sign a ball now?

My son got his auto at the '92 National for 30 bucks. And he was one of the more expensive guys!

mike >>



Hey Mike, you do know that 1992 has been awhile ago, right??

Let's face it. Our 1988 donruss cards are now vintage.

shawn

thenavarro

<< <i>Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, have the Irish won a bowl game on the mainland in the last 20 years? >>



What most non Notre Dame personna don't understand, is that the success or lack thereof of the Irish football team is not measured in bowl games or bowl wins. As a matter of fact, the University itself had a self imposed 45 year absence from bowls. (bowl preparation and the game, took too much time away from the STUDENT athlete and their final exams, after all, college is somewhat about education, not football) However, beginning in 70 or so, the Irish brass succumbed to the almighty dollar and began once again to participate. The success or lack thereof of the Irish is solely based on whether we win the National Championship or not. A feat that the Irish have accomplished 11 times as a consensus choice, (by the way, Texas has 3) And don't give me the nonsense that only the modern times are relevant (in the last 25 years, the Irish have the same number as the Longhorns, a measly and embarrasing for both universities, 1)

I will admittedly say that Texas has enjoyed much better recent regular season and bowl success then Notre Dame, but even with that, all the teams SHOULD play for one reason and for one reason only, and that's to be the last team standing, and neither one of our squads can do much bragging about that lately.

When we as fans become conditioned to accepting bowl wins, or 2nd place finishes, or just getting to a BCS bowl or a toilet bowl as the sign of a successful season (which I as a Notre Dame fan admit to finding myself sometimes thinking about now), then that says all it should about the state of our respective programs.

There should be only one division 1 college football teams fans that should be proud to talk smack this year, and one team only, and that's the Alabama Crimson Tide. No one else got it done

(and the Aggies have been forever irrelavant to a football discussion, about the only good thing they produce down there is some INCREDIBLY fine cowgirls )

NickM

Mike, I have two words for you:

Boise State.

Nick

thenavarro

<< <i>Mike, I have two words for you:Boise State.Nick >>



Fun team to watch but I don't recall them winning the big trophy either.

Mike

NickM

Undefeated is undefeated, regardless of whether sportswriters whose personal athletic prowess is limited to bowling like you.

Nick

yankeeno7

Mike,
It's really too bad you cant find one already signed at a decent price. I dont know if you have seen his auto lately but he will ONLY sign in the thick sharpie and his auto looks like garbage. Apparently because of his eyesight is the reason he will only use the thick sharpie. No pens, no thin sharpies, no ink pens, nada. I have heard guys fight for what they wanted him to use...some have gotten their way, some have not. But just fair warning, his auto is looking like crap these days.

billwaltonsbeard

This show used to be almost as big as the National. In the early 90s, it took up the whole bottom floor of the Brown Convention center. Now it's in a section of the second floor. Pretty depressing.

thenavarro

<< <i>Undefeated is undefeated, regardless of whether sportswriters whose personal athletic prowess is limited to bowling like you.

Nick >>



Ouch, I'm smarting from that one. Let me do a quick search to see if I can find some empirical data to compare the athletic prowess of winning consensus D1 or FBS football National Championships (which is what I was comparing by the way).............

................ok, search done.


The Dalai Lama 0
The Empire State Building 0
Danica Patrick 0
Ellen 0
Bart Simpson 0
Boise State 0
My neighbor 0
Jessica McClure 0
Carolj 0
Thenavarro 0
My pet chihuahua 0

Stunning, that the data indicates that all those listed above have the same number that Boise State has. GO BRONCOS!!!

stown

I may or may not go and if I do, very doubtful I'll get an autograph.

The prices are absolutely outrageous!



Link

$175 for Windfield?!?

$225 + a $99 inscrpition fee for Elway?!?!

And the motherload - $799 for Mays

RonBurgundy

I've been every year for the past 5 or 6 years, and have always come away with some decent stuff. But I may pass this year. Just not enough interest on my part to make the drive.

hookem

<< <i>I've been every year for the past 5 or 6 years, and have always come away with some decent stuff. But I may pass this year. Just not enough interest on my part to make the drive. >>



Where is your drive from?

RonBurgundy

Metroplex