Just came back from it. Only a half hour from my house. Nothing special. Unless you are local don't waste your time. Wait for the National. Just insane prices some people put on their cards. Asking $200k for a PSA 6 52 Topps Mantle is just absurd. Not even a nicely centered one for that matter.
I was at the show for about 4 hours today, Saturday. I didn't get any autographs, so I can't speak to that part of it. However, the show floor had a lot of traffic during the afternoon.
I heard from several dealers that they were satisfied with their sales thus far, but they were uniformly disappointed at how little stuff was walking in the door for them to purchase. (Maybe more people are selling online or through auction houses? Waiting for the National in Chicago later this year? Some other reason?)
Regarding unopened, while a number of dealers had a few pieces here or there, only one dealer had a lot of unopened packs/boxes from the 1960s through 1980s. He said sales were brisk and that he was having a hard time keeping the stuff in stock. (BBCE doesn't attend the Fanatics Chicago shows. I didn't get the name of the dealer I talked with.)
The most glaring thing to me is the generational issue that I've opined on before. Namely that there were virtually no kids on the show floor. I'm 40 years old and there were a lot of Generation Xers there, and Baby Boomers, too. But although the Millenials are the largest generation in U.S. history, they were notably underrepresented at the show. Sure, there were a good number there, but notably fewer than the smaller Generation X. And the Millenials' kids? Well, a lot of them may still be too young to be collectors, but those that are old enough....were not there. There's apparently just too much for kids to do these days (gaming, Internet, Netflix/video on demand...in addition to the old standards such as hanging out with friends, reading, trying to master the violin to get a college scholarship...) instead of collecting sports stuff.
From looking at the number of Generation Xers there, and combined with the strong sales of 70s and 80s unopened, my generation seems to still be quite involved. But I don't know what happens to the hobby when we're done.
I was there on Saturday as well. Had my 11 year-old son with me. You are correct - very few kids there. I think the National is a little more kid-friendly with the corporate areas. I also noticed 12 and under is free admittance to the National which is good.
on my way home from the show in Chicago and I was the dealer there night rider and I had a very good show there was hardly any unopened dealers so I did good but I did here a few dealers not happy and some that were happy so I guess it just depends on what you had I guess I would go back....Terry
@KnightRider said:
I was at the show for about 4 hours today, Saturday. I didn't get any autographs, so I can't speak to that part of it. However, the show floor had a lot of traffic during the afternoon.
I heard from several dealers that they were satisfied with their sales thus far, but they were uniformly disappointed at how little stuff was walking in the door for them to purchase. (Maybe more people are selling online or through auction houses? Waiting for the National in Chicago later this year? Some other reason?)
Regarding unopened, while a number of dealers had a few pieces here or there, only one dealer had a lot of unopened packs/boxes from the 1960s through 1980s. He said sales were brisk and that he was having a hard time keeping the stuff in stock. (BBCE doesn't attend the Fanatics Chicago shows. I didn't get the name of the dealer I talked with.)
The most glaring thing to me is the generational issue that I've opined on before. Namely that there were virtually no kids on the show floor. I'm 40 years old and there were a lot of Generation Xers there, and Baby Boomers, too. But although the Millenials are the largest generation in U.S. history, they were notably underrepresented at the show. Sure, there were a good number there, but notably fewer than the smaller Generation X. And the Millenials' kids? Well, a lot of them may still be too young to be collectors, but those that are old enough....were not there. There's apparently just too much for kids to do these days (gaming, Internet, Netflix/video on demand...in addition to the old standards such as hanging out with friends, reading, trying to master the violin to get a college scholarship...) instead of collecting sports stuff.
From looking at the number of Generation Xers there, and combined with the strong sales of 70s and 80s unopened, my generation seems to still be quite involved. But I don't know what happens to the hobby when we're done.
I'm right about in your area at the age of 45, and have certainly wondered the same things. But at times I just tend to shrug my shoulders and note that life is short; I'm going to work more at having fun with it vs. worrying about it.
@1neatstuff said:
on my way home from the show in Chicago and I was the dealer there night rider and I had a very good show there was hardly any unopened dealers so I did good but I did here a few dealers not happy and some that were happy so I guess it just depends on what you had I guess I would go back....Terry
Congrats on having a good show, and hope you have many more!
Did you ask everyone that was walking around that they were there for autographs?
Did you talk to every dealer regarding sales?
Where were you conducting interviews of individuals that think their stuff is going higher and are holding?
I would think that if you did all this, you would have a bit more "in-depth" report to provide us. Or are you the reporter that always seems to preface your comments with "an anonymous source claimed...."
@KnightRider said:
I was at the show for about 4 hours today, Saturday. I didn't get any autographs, so I can't speak to that part of it. However, the show floor had a lot of traffic during the afternoon.
I heard from several dealers that they were satisfied with their sales thus far, but they were uniformly disappointed at how little stuff was walking in the door for them to purchase. (Maybe more people are selling online or through auction houses? Waiting for the National in Chicago later this year? Some other reason?)
Regarding unopened, while a number of dealers had a few pieces here or there, only one dealer had a lot of unopened packs/boxes from the 1960s through 1980s. He said sales were brisk and that he was having a hard time keeping the stuff in stock. (BBCE doesn't attend the Fanatics Chicago shows. I didn't get the name of the dealer I talked with.)
The most glaring thing to me is the generational issue that I've opined on before. Namely that there were virtually no kids on the show floor. I'm 40 years old and there were a lot of Generation Xers there, and Baby Boomers, too. But although the Millenials are the largest generation in U.S. history, they were notably underrepresented at the show. Sure, there were a good number there, but notably fewer than the smaller Generation X. And the Millenials' kids? Well, a lot of them may still be too young to be collectors, but those that are old enough....were not there. There's apparently just too much for kids to do these days (gaming, Internet, Netflix/video on demand...in addition to the old standards such as hanging out with friends, reading, trying to master the violin to get a college scholarship...) instead of collecting sports stuff.
From looking at the number of Generation Xers there, and combined with the strong sales of 70s and 80s unopened, my generation seems to still be quite involved. But I don't know what happens to the hobby when we're done.
I'm right about in your area at the age of 45, and have certainly wondered the same things. But at times I just tend to shrug my shoulders and note that life is short; I'm going to work more at having fun with it vs. worrying about it.
I'm 41 and I think the next gen will be fine. Baseball attendance and participation is great and kids will continue to collect whether in higher or lower numbers. Packs being .25 to .35 cents was an easy reason for me to keep going as a kid but today's young collectors are forking over a lot of money for just one pack. This is one thing that worries me for the next gen. I have been hearing for decades about how our hobby is dying but is thriving from what I see. Hopefully we can turn a lot of young collectors to vintage and pre-war instead of just modern. I'm sure there will be MANY kids at the National. I remember the last year the National was in Chicago. I went to the Fanatics show before the last National and it was very slow. The National on the other hand was incredible. Took forever just to get through it. Don't forget guys, we have Ebay to compete with. People would rather shop from home instead of going to a far away show. Just seeing the number of sets on the registry gives me a good feeling about the future with so many participating.
My report from the show was that the market is excellent! Mantles were selling like crazy! I'm not sure if it was me that CrissCriss was referencing, but this time I could only set up at the show on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I had to work on Sunday. I was originally going to skip the show completely, but my buddy really wanted to fly in and set up so we decided that 2 days would be better than nothing. It was nice getting to catch up with a lot of my CU/show friends. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the natty!
Jeff
Jeff Foy/Dave Foy Card Country Graded stars 1950's-1980
@cardcountry said:
My report from the show was that the market is excellent! Mantles were selling like crazy! I'm not sure if it was me that CrissCriss was referencing, but this time I could only set up at the show on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I had to work on Sunday. I was originally going to skip the show completely, but my buddy really wanted to fly in and set up so we decided that 2 days would be better than nothing. It was nice getting to catch up with a lot of my CU/show friends. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the natty!
I was really surprised at a couple things. The first one was the amount of money those of us in this memorabilia hobby have. David Ortiz and Joe Namath were the two most expensive signers ($300+ on average) and they had the biggest lines. I totally get the whole supply vs demand thing but wow! I saw several (and I'm sure there were plenty) people who got 3 or more auto's from these guys plus who knows how many inscriptions. Though I may not be as 'seasoned' on the boards as the rest of you, but for a non-National show I was surprised to see two guys who weren't local do so well there. Had the show been in NY or NJ, I would have expected it, but not in Chicago. Me personally, I travelled from Louisville KY to the show and got Jim Kelly (authentic hof helmet), Steve Largent (Seattle mini throwback & the hof helmet) and Earl Campbell (hof helmet).
Second thing was the card variety. It seemed (to me) that everything was either 1950ish or 2010ish. Not that it's a bad thing but from what I saw it was either very old or really new. I will mention as a few others commented, there were a lot of big dollar cards for sale. MANY that were well over 10k. Saw one guy write out 3 checks for 7k each AND pull out a few stacks of 'high society' to go with it.
Personally, I've been a card collector all my life though I'm not nearly as serious about it now a days. I enjoyed looking at the merchandise more. I'm all about finding those really cool items that become show stoppers once signed.
@CrissCriss said:
Hey Jeff, wasn't you! Didn't know you were there!
Some said people didn't think the show would be as good after the November show there that featured a lot of the Cubs.
Dealer attendance is declining though. Paul Korst doesn't go anymore. Floyd Soeder is out. That dude from Oklahoma - Bullpen Memories or some such, he's out.
Yep I was there at my usual spot- tables 93-96. Too bad we didn't chat. I'm sure we crossed paths at some point! Next time (natty or nov) please stop by if you can! I didn't have much time to walk the floor, so I didn't really see how many or which dealers were there. I did notice a few new ones around me, and of course Brady (who is pretty new to the show ) was beside me and brought some jaw-dropping items.
Jeff Foy/Dave Foy Card Country Graded stars 1950's-1980
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Posts: 542 ✭✭✭
Comments
Just came back from it. Only a half hour from my house. Nothing special. Unless you are local don't waste your time. Wait for the National. Just insane prices some people put on their cards. Asking $200k for a PSA 6 52 Topps Mantle is just absurd. Not even a nicely centered one for that matter.
I've always found the spring show to be disappointing compared to the November show. Glad I decided to skip and wait for the National.
Appreciate today-
Bill
I was at the show for about 4 hours today, Saturday. I didn't get any autographs, so I can't speak to that part of it. However, the show floor had a lot of traffic during the afternoon.
I heard from several dealers that they were satisfied with their sales thus far, but they were uniformly disappointed at how little stuff was walking in the door for them to purchase. (Maybe more people are selling online or through auction houses? Waiting for the National in Chicago later this year? Some other reason?)
Regarding unopened, while a number of dealers had a few pieces here or there, only one dealer had a lot of unopened packs/boxes from the 1960s through 1980s. He said sales were brisk and that he was having a hard time keeping the stuff in stock. (BBCE doesn't attend the Fanatics Chicago shows. I didn't get the name of the dealer I talked with.)
The most glaring thing to me is the generational issue that I've opined on before. Namely that there were virtually no kids on the show floor. I'm 40 years old and there were a lot of Generation Xers there, and Baby Boomers, too. But although the Millenials are the largest generation in U.S. history, they were notably underrepresented at the show. Sure, there were a good number there, but notably fewer than the smaller Generation X. And the Millenials' kids? Well, a lot of them may still be too young to be collectors, but those that are old enough....were not there. There's apparently just too much for kids to do these days (gaming, Internet, Netflix/video on demand...in addition to the old standards such as hanging out with friends, reading, trying to master the violin to get a college scholarship...) instead of collecting sports stuff.
From looking at the number of Generation Xers there, and combined with the strong sales of 70s and 80s unopened, my generation seems to still be quite involved. But I don't know what happens to the hobby when we're done.
I was there on Saturday as well. Had my 11 year-old son with me. You are correct - very few kids there. I think the National is a little more kid-friendly with the corporate areas. I also noticed 12 and under is free admittance to the National which is good.
on my way home from the show in Chicago and I was the dealer there night rider and I had a very good show there was hardly any unopened dealers so I did good but I did here a few dealers not happy and some that were happy so I guess it just depends on what you had I guess I would go back....Terry
I'm right about in your area at the age of 45, and have certainly wondered the same things. But at times I just tend to shrug my shoulders and note that life is short; I'm going to work more at having fun with it vs. worrying about it.
Congrats on having a good show, and hope you have many more!
Criss Criss,
Did you ask everyone that was walking around that they were there for autographs?
Did you talk to every dealer regarding sales?
Where were you conducting interviews of individuals that think their stuff is going higher and are holding?
I would think that if you did all this, you would have a bit more "in-depth" report to provide us. Or are you the reporter that always seems to preface your comments with "an anonymous source claimed...."
I'm 41 and I think the next gen will be fine. Baseball attendance and participation is great and kids will continue to collect whether in higher or lower numbers. Packs being .25 to .35 cents was an easy reason for me to keep going as a kid but today's young collectors are forking over a lot of money for just one pack. This is one thing that worries me for the next gen. I have been hearing for decades about how our hobby is dying but is thriving from what I see. Hopefully we can turn a lot of young collectors to vintage and pre-war instead of just modern. I'm sure there will be MANY kids at the National. I remember the last year the National was in Chicago. I went to the Fanatics show before the last National and it was very slow. The National on the other hand was incredible. Took forever just to get through it. Don't forget guys, we have Ebay to compete with. People would rather shop from home instead of going to a far away show. Just seeing the number of sets on the registry gives me a good feeling about the future with so many participating.
My report from the show was that the market is excellent! Mantles were selling like crazy! I'm not sure if it was me that CrissCriss was referencing, but this time I could only set up at the show on Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately I had to work on Sunday. I was originally going to skip the show completely, but my buddy really wanted to fly in and set up so we decided that 2 days would be better than nothing. It was nice getting to catch up with a lot of my CU/show friends. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the natty!
Jeff
Card Country
Graded stars 1950's-1980
Glad you had a good show, Jeff!
Several thoughts from a NOOB....
I was really surprised at a couple things. The first one was the amount of money those of us in this memorabilia hobby have. David Ortiz and Joe Namath were the two most expensive signers ($300+ on average) and they had the biggest lines. I totally get the whole supply vs demand thing but wow! I saw several (and I'm sure there were plenty) people who got 3 or more auto's from these guys plus who knows how many inscriptions. Though I may not be as 'seasoned' on the boards as the rest of you, but for a non-National show I was surprised to see two guys who weren't local do so well there. Had the show been in NY or NJ, I would have expected it, but not in Chicago. Me personally, I travelled from Louisville KY to the show and got Jim Kelly (authentic hof helmet), Steve Largent (Seattle mini throwback & the hof helmet) and Earl Campbell (hof helmet).
Second thing was the card variety. It seemed (to me) that everything was either 1950ish or 2010ish. Not that it's a bad thing but from what I saw it was either very old or really new. I will mention as a few others commented, there were a lot of big dollar cards for sale. MANY that were well over 10k. Saw one guy write out 3 checks for 7k each AND pull out a few stacks of 'high society' to go with it.
Personally, I've been a card collector all my life though I'm not nearly as serious about it now a days. I enjoyed looking at the merchandise more. I'm all about finding those really cool items that become show stoppers once signed.
Jacob
.
Yep I was there at my usual spot- tables 93-96. Too bad we didn't chat. I'm sure we crossed paths at some point! Next time (natty or nov) please stop by if you can! I didn't have much time to walk the floor, so I didn't really see how many or which dealers were there. I did notice a few new ones around me, and of course Brady (who is pretty new to the show ) was beside me and brought some jaw-dropping items.
Card Country
Graded stars 1950's-1980