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March Chicago Sun Times Show
puckhd27
Posts: 87 ✭
I have had a table at this show since it first started back in the early 90's with Promoter Frank Craft. Did all the shows when Sports News Production ran it. But now that Mounted Memories is running it I've noticed that the Autograph prices are outrageous. I noticed this at the last show when all the Olympians were signing and the asking prices were a little steep. It seems to me that the Dealers are just an afterthought. With the Economy the way it is , most people have limited funds to go around. So if most of the money walking in the door is spent in the Autograph Pavilion, whats left to spend with the Dealers? I've also noticed that Dealer participation is declining. The state of the hobby was put into perspective for me when I attended the last national convention in Chicago. I attended on the last Day, arrived on a Sunday at noon. So with only 4 hrs left, the Convention hall was basically empty. I could have rolled a bowling ball down an Aisle and not hit a person. The following Sunday, I attended Comic Con with my Brother and my Nieces and Nephews. We arrived on the last day, Sunday at around Noon. It was basically wall to wall people in every Aisle. The Hall was jam packed and most autographs were reasonably priced. As a Dealer, I'm a little frustrated at the lack of participation by any of the Card manufacturers at the Sun Times Show. Anyone Attending this March? Any thoughts on Past Shows? I'd like to hear what anyone has to say? I just wonder who pays $170 for Ray Lewis? Drew Brees is $150, Scottie Pippen is $150, and RG III is $150 and up. Thats just CRAZY. I guess the days of the $20-$30 auto are long gone. Oh wait, I am going to a Sportscard shop on March 9th to get Chicago Blackhawks Rookies Brandon Saad for $15 ea. Comics more
appealing than Cards, never thought I'd see the Day.
Pete
appealing than Cards, never thought I'd see the Day.
Pete
0
Comments
I try to get to at least one Chicago Sun Times Show each year, often two. I noticed a few years ago that it wasn't very useful to be there for the last part of the show on Sunday...not much left to see. There was a time when a buyer could negotiate some good deals at the end of the show but now many dealers are long gone. Now I get there for Friday night, attend Saturday and head back to Michigan in the late afternoon. I still attend because I do believe it to be a good show plus I don't do autographs.
Autograph dealers may have a different opinion but I can count on one hand the number of customers that buy cards from me that buy any autographs. There is an occasional buyer who is an Ernie Banks fan, etc that may get one autograph but I have no customers I am aware of that drops major money on autographs at the show. As far as I am concerned they can have whoever they wish and charge whatever because I see very little crossover interest from my inventory and the bigger dollar autographs. I do wish PSA still provided onsite grading at the Sun-Times show as it provided entertainment getting cards graded and ,along with the National, provided three shows to get mechanicals and reslabs done without the high expense of return shipping.
As far as the National clearing out early, dealers who fly (due to flight schedules) or have small inventories leave earlier and some after the show on Saturday. Dealers with large inventories and/or drive pretty much have to stay but will begin packing early as it takes some dealers hours to setup and breakdown. Once again I can only speak for myself but the National is usually such a good show and such a loooonnnnnnnnnnnggggggg show I am ready to leave Sunday morning myself but with the packing/loading I have to do I stay to the end.
Pete
Pete
Personally, I was blown away with the autograph lineup and prices for the upcoming March show... and not blown away in a good sense. This will certainly be the first show I go to where I know with 100% certainty that I wouldn't be standing in line for a single autograph!
What I have noticed is the that the size of the autograph lineup has grown over the years... but the quantity/quality of show dealers has been slowly getting smaller/worse. Don't get me wrong, they are still great shows. I used to do a lot in the autograph arena between 2004-2008... and I've been all over the country. Besides the old Football Spectaculars they had in Edison, New Jersey every year... the Chicago shows are by far the best shows outside of the National.
Plus, they're like a mini vacation for me. I always stay at the Doubletree... and the March show is my favorite! The show is usually very good, and I get to spend my nights at Gibson's... eating steak... drinking beer... and watching March Madness hoops! Now that's a WIN, WIN, WIN!!!
Pete
As someone who lives and works in Chicago, I've noticed that Mounted Memories does very little promotion for this show. There is always an ad in the Sun-Times but who reads the newspaper anymore? I read it on my iPhone sans the ads. It would be nice if Mounted Memories would take out a few ads on local cable TV like most of the other conventions at the Stephens Center. A few plugs on local sports talk radio would help as well.
In respect to the National, after five days, I'm tired as hell by Sunday and try and get out of there as quickly as possible. I recommend attending the National on any day but Sunday. It's still the coolest event in the hobby.