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dpeck100's Wrestlemania 33 week from Orlando adventure....

As many probably know. Wrestlemania 33 is going to take place in Orlando, FL this year and naturally as an Orlando resident I am going. When WM 24 came I went as well and bought tickets for my wife, twin brother and father and while they weren't cheap and were on the field you could barely see as so many people were standing on chairs. We still had a blast but I knew if I was ever to go again I needed better seats. The opportunity arose to purchase tickets in advance through a family friend who works for WWE and so I decided to pony up and buy the best available through the offer.

With so many people converging on the city where the event takes place Wrestlecon puts on their convention in the hosting city. I have never been to a wrestling convention and I am not sure if I would have gone or not but an opportunity to hang out and assist my friend Greg who is a fellow wrestling card collector and acts as a vendor for wrestlers at a few conventions arose. He asked if I knew anyone who could help run his booth at the show and I said my brother Bill and I would love to do it. He is bringing in Tully Blanchard from the Four Horseman and Stan The Lariat Hanson who had perhaps more fame in Japan. He also had Rick Martel but due to some personal issues he had to cancel.

The week kicks off tomorrow and I am meeting up with Greg around 1 and our first stop is supposed to be the vendor only private signing with Ric Flair and Sting. He has dinners planned with a handful of wrestlers throughout the night and we are also picking up Ken Patera from the airport. I am really looking forward to the next four days and will post pics of signed items, shots of wrestlers from the convention and of course some close up shots from Wrestlemania 33. I don't watch current wrestling religiously but WWE always puts on a great show for Wrestlemania and I can't wait to see Brock Lesnar up close.

Stay tuned for updates!

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Comments

  • 1980scollector1980scollector Posts: 2,036 ✭✭✭

    Have fun. My employee at our card shop flies to Orlando tomorrow. He loves Shawn Michaels and is getting to meet him.

    ** Working on the following sets-2013 Spectra Football Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Autograph set, 2015 Spectra Football Illustrious Legends Autograph set, 2014-15 Hall of Fame Heroes autograph set. **
  • tsalems1tsalems1 Posts: 3,373 ✭✭✭

    Sounds like a GREAT time!!!

    www.OPCBASEBALL.com

    Email: OPCBASEBALL@YAHOO.COM

    Follow OPCBASEBALL.COM on Facebook
  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 6:32AM

    .

  • Tecmo BoilTecmo Boil Posts: 259 ✭✭✭

    Nice!! Figured you would have something big planned.

  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,525 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm sure it will be a blast. :+1::+1:

    Have a great time, David!!!

    Donato

    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

    Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,220 ✭✭

    David ... I don't think I know anyone who would enjoy it more than you. Have a great time. Looking forward to updates.

    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,113 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Suffice to say I'm feeding off of your excitement. Very much looking forward to future posts.

    Enjoy D!

  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks guys. I bought my tickets almost five months ago so I have been looking forward to the event for quite some time. I am going to do my best to post some pics during the event so hopefully the phone signal is strong enough. From the ticket map it looks like we are 12 rows back so we should be able to see the action. I can't wait to hear Lesnar's music hit. Hopefully I still have a voice on Monday. Last time I wasn't so lucky because after probably 15 beers the full Ric Flair mode was in effect and trust me I can hit a Woooooo. Haha.

  • byronscott4everbyronscott4ever Posts: 932 ✭✭✭

    Can't wait to read more.

  • LOTSOSLOTSOS Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭✭✭

    None of your story is true without pics! ;)

    Kevin

    Kevin

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Just ordered my Uber and heading out to the hotel that Flair and Sting are at. I picked up a nice bottle of Pinot Noir to give to Ric and have a water bottle full of Tito's for me. I rounded up some nice stuff to get signed and picked up fresh sharpies the other day.

    Here we go!

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wrapping up with Flair. He was all business. Greg had some insanely rare Japanese stuff. Ric is in the process right now of signing several thousand pieces. He has switched to vodka so he said keep the wine. It is an interesting process being apart of a bulk signing.

    Here are some pics.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sitting here waiting on Sting. Ric is telling stories.

    Gino Hernandez was Paul Boesch's son.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 30, 2017 11:49AM

    Sting had to reschedule and the guys in the room were ticked. It was awesome. We chatted with him while he signed and were in the room for an hour and forty five minutes. His fiancé Wendy came in and said hello and she recognized us. We are driving now to pick up Tully Blanchard from the Orlando Airport.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Stuck on I 4 in my Uber and not even moving.

    Wrapping up a crazy day. Entertained Tully Blanchard and had a private signing and got a ton of stuff signed. Pounded the Pinot with him Flair didn't want and it was great.

    Had dinner with him, Stan Hanson, Ken Patera, and Abdullah The Butcher. Abby is heavy as can be and had to lift him out of his wheelchair into a seat at the table. The forehead is something else!

    Went up to Greg's room and he had a ton of insanely rare Japanese items for Stan to sign. I walked him down and we discussed our strategy for the booth tomorrow.

    Finished up in Ken Patera's room. He is by far the most interested wrestler in his memorabilia. It is so refreshing for one to care. At dinner we talked about his 1972 Panini sticker and he loves it. He is by far the best wrestler to talk to I have met.

    Hoping this traffic starts moving because I have to be up early.

    I will post more pics when I can of some of the signed items.

  • SumoMenkoManSumoMenkoMan Posts: 1,269 ✭✭✭

    Very cool experience! I have that Large Japanese Flair card. I believe it has another wrestler on the back. Japan produced a crap ton of stuff in the early 1980s. Wonder if the wrestlers ever got paid from the companies producing it?! Looking to hear some more stories.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sumo it does. I had Stan Hansen sign his pic on the back.

  • SumoMenkoManSumoMenkoMan Posts: 1,269 ✭✭✭

    Cool. That large Flair also has other cards in set which are the same pics from the Cosmos set. Good stuff!

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 31, 2017 7:07PM

    Here are some pics from today.

    Stan is a nice guy.

    Stan loved this item. A collector had a special West Texas State mini football helmet made and it had others from that programs signatures already on it.

    We split up the efforts and I primarily worked for Stan and Bill for Tully.

    Such a fun day. We were super busy and it was great. Tully is a very nice guy and we took him to have a few drinks and appetizers. It morphed into Shane Douglas, Kevin Sullivan, and Cowboy Bob Orton drinking with us. We ended up taking Orton with us back to my place for us to get dropped off and then letting him take our Uber downtown to meet up with Randy for the WWE HOF tonight. Crazy. Hitting the sack early and hoping we can do some really strong numbers tomorrow like we did today.

  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 6:45AM

    .

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 1, 2017 5:12PM

    Tully is a total class act. It has been so fun talking to him.

  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 6:40AM

    .

  • jtala18jtala18 Posts: 125 ✭✭✭

    I'm sure I'm not in the minority here but when I think of Tully, other than the 4 Horseman, the first and only thing that comes to mind is the NWA TV Title. He's synonymous with that much like Flair is with the Big Gold belt. So stoked for you. It's gotta be one of the most fun things ever for a lifelong wrestling fan and collector. Sound like most guys are cool and down to earth and just don't mind sharing stories about the business. Just the cool interaction amongst those legends is most definitely priceless. Keep the pics coming. And enjoy the hell out of Wrestlemania!

  • LOTSOSLOTSOS Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Looks like a blast. I've only ever been a casual fan but that's gotta be such a cool week for you. I had the pleasure of skating with guys who were once my idols as a kid and W.OW. It was ten times cooler as an adult having a beer after and getting fantastic stories from them.

    Congrats,
    Kevin

    Kevin

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This was a great moment when a fan brought this belt to get signed. He bought it specifically to get signed by Tully. Our job is to not only facilitate the autograph sales but convince people they need the photo opp too. Bill and I took it as a challenge and upsold so many people and got them to do the combo. It was fun helping drive the sales. There are lots of booths were the wrestlers are sitting there twiddling their thumbs. We are doing it once more today and hopefully it goes as good as yesterday and if so Greg will end up making money. I might have the most high grade Wrestling All Stars and have a bunch in total but Greg has more raw All Stars than anyone. He got so much stuff signed. Here is a stack of 60 Jake Roberts. He got 40 Ted Dibiase's.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @robert67 said:
    Out of curiosity, do he and Flair still maintain any type of association/frienship? Thanks.

    Tully is very involved with Christian ministry. I think his faith makes it hard to totally be a Flair fan. They don't have heat like Flair and Ole do. I think Tully realizes Flair helped his career and the affiliation of the Four Horseman is a big driver of his continued relavence.

  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 6:39AM

    .

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Looks like a busy day in the making. About to kick off day two.

  • Gemyanks10Gemyanks10 Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭

    This thread is awesome! I have Rob Feinstein from RF Video grabbing me a couple auto's at Wrestlecon today, specifically Bruce Prichard. If you haven't listened to his Podcast with Conrad Thompson you should check it out. It's all golden years stuff from his time in the WWF back in the 80's-90's.

    Always looking for OPC "tape intact" baseball wax boxes, and 1984 OPC baseball PSA 10's for my set. Please PM or email me if you have any available.
  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭

    @Dpeck100 said:

    I might have the most high grade Wrestling All Stars and have a bunch in total but Greg has more raw All Stars than anyone. He got so much stuff signed. Here is a stack of 60 Jake Roberts. He got 40 Ted Dibiase's.

    When you really stop and think about that, how insane! He is loaded with other guys like Harley Race, etc too.... It's pretty cool to see how people put together their collections....of course your high grade all stars, the depth that Gregg has with his cards and autos, the variety of vintage cards that I have put together......

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! What a weekend for you!

    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Gemyanks10 said:
    This thread is awesome! I have Rob Feinstein from RF Video grabbing me a couple auto's at Wrestlecon today, specifically Bruce Prichard. If you haven't listened to his Podcast with Conrad Thompson you should check it out. It's all golden years stuff from his time in the WWF back in the 80's-90's.

    Met Rob this morning.

  • Gemyanks10Gemyanks10 Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭

    @Dpeck100 said:

    @Gemyanks10 said:
    This thread is awesome! I have Rob Feinstein from RF Video grabbing me a couple auto's at Wrestlecon today, specifically Bruce Prichard. If you haven't listened to his Podcast with Conrad Thompson you should check it out. It's all golden years stuff from his time in the WWF back in the 80's-90's.

    Met Rob this morning.

    That's awesome. I've know him since the ECW days. They used to run shows in Schenectady and Poughkeepsie NY back in the late 90's-early 2000's. Miss those days.

    Always looking for OPC "tape intact" baseball wax boxes, and 1984 OPC baseball PSA 10's for my set. Please PM or email me if you have any available.
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Gemyanks10 said:

    @Dpeck100 said:

    @Gemyanks10 said:
    This thread is awesome! I have Rob Feinstein from RF Video grabbing me a couple auto's at Wrestlecon today, specifically Bruce Prichard. If you haven't listened to his Podcast with Conrad Thompson you should check it out. It's all golden years stuff from his time in the WWF back in the 80's-90's.

    Met Rob this morning.

    That's awesome. I've know him since the ECW days. They used to run shows in Schenectady and Poughkeepsie NY back in the late 90's-early 2000's. Miss those days.

    I showed him the post and he was thrilled because he forgot. Haha

  • Gemyanks10Gemyanks10 Posts: 1,164 ✭✭✭

    He's a good dude, hopefully he comes through on the Prichard one is a suprise birthday present for a buddy of mine. I wish I was there, glad you guys are having a great time!!

    Always looking for OPC "tape intact" baseball wax boxes, and 1984 OPC baseball PSA 10's for my set. Please PM or email me if you have any available.
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Got some good pics and stories to share. Finished up and waiting on our Uber. More to come!

  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,525 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 1, 2017 2:52PM

    David, this sounds like a great time. It must be huge for such a big wrestling fan to interact with some of his heroes like this. I'm glad that you are having such a blast!!!

    Donato

    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

    Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 1, 2017 4:33PM

    So a little recap of yesterday before I get to today. We wrapped up around 2 and Stan had left a little early to get to his WWE related events. We got off to a little bit of a rough start as we were 15 minutes late due to traffic and the walk through the hotel so the guys were a little suspect on how things would play out. We worked our buts off and through our selling added at least 30% or more to the totals. Tully was really impressed and at the end of the day asked if we wanted to go have a drink. I had treated him to happy hour and appetizers the day before so he knew I was buying. Around 12:30 I busted out my hidden vodka and he was skeptical about what it would do to our motivation. If anything the Sugar Free Red Bull and Tito's just increased it and we finished very strong. We got to the atrium lounge and ordered drinks and food. He was drinking red wine and we were drinking Ketel Orange and water but since they were weak and I had a my hidden stash we loaded them up and got the party really going. We had a very fun conversation and then he called a local female friend and once she showed up I got her some white wine. A very nice lady he knows through his ministry. He has some deal going with Kevin Sullivan and Shane Douglas and they joined about an hour later. I get the feeling he told them I was buying so they were quick to join. I naturally offered them drinks. Immediately I said to my brother Bill hey its Kevin Sullivan. He started freaking out as we grew up in Orlando and The Prince of Darkness was a huge part of our childhood. Kevin loved it and we spent time talking about watching him growing up, how smoking hot Fallen Angel was and the sensitivity of her death, talking about his 1985 Wrestling All Stars card that I had my auto guy get me signed a few years ago and showing him pics of some of my valuable Wrestling All Stars. He was super cool and we took a pic but we look hammered so I am not going to post it. Haha. It was surreal. My mom would make us turn off the TV when he would come on because she didn't want us to be influenced by his satanic persona and while at the time we hated it she only did it because she wanted the best for us. He understood. Kevin ordered a couple IPA's and was a happy guy. Bob Orton joined as well and he has a flip phone and couldn't get an Uber so I bought him a few Heineken's and said we would get him to the HOF to hang out with his son. The drive back to our condo was so cool. Chatting about the first Wrestlemania, his days in Florida, Randy's divorce and remarry, his grandsons leukemia and his day to day lifestyle. What a nice down to earth guy. I was honored to get my Uber driver to finish getting him to the show.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 1, 2017 4:41PM

    I cut myself off last night around 7:30 to make sure I could get my workout in. I haven't missed a five day workout week in a long time and it wasn't going to be this week. Bill and I turned 38 today and I also didn't want to be miserable on my birthday. I set my alarm for 5:55 and manged to get to the gym and get a nice workout in and we had promised the guys we would be early and got there at 8:40 to avoid any issues. The attendance was down today but our guys managed to do pretty well. The day got off to a cool start as Stan and Tully were congratulating the Rock N Roll Express and they introduced us. Ricky Morton was awesome. He showed us his ring and it was so funny when I mentioned we had partied pretty good the day before. He said he had quit drinking. I said oh wow and he said at 4 AM. Haha. He had been a three day party binge. I talked to Robert Gibson and pulled up his Rax Roast Beef card to show him. He had seen it before and said my brother has one too. I pulled it up and he loved it. He said Ricky was the first to drop the knee of the top rope in Japan in 1972. He was super cool and showed me his gold bracelet of the the older NWA belt. I had an absolute blast hanging out with Stan Hansen. He is a legend and people treat him that way. He is such a humble guy and was so easy to work with. There were a few really awesome moments. One fan had a book with a photo of him and Vader and he had signed it first. He signed his name and wrote your a stiff pr++k. Stan signed it and wrote the exact same thing! Once he did it we pointed out that Vader had written the same thing. It was awesome. I told the fan to go show it to Vader and he came over with them and they shared a laugh and I got the fans number and text the pic of the exchange to them. Probably the funniest moment was when we kept seeing Fred Ottman posing with the Shockmaster helmet with fans. He was dead for most of the time but had a little run and Stan was confused at what he was putting on his head. I said that is the Shockmaster and you have to see the clip. I pulled it up on my phone and we were dying laughing watching it. He told me the story of his match with Vader at a WCW PPV about how there was an explosion over their head that was scary. I couldn't find it on Youtube. Tully was telling us we were bad for laughing so hard but we just kept laughing. It was great.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Q4EVpIFIk

    It was so awesome talking to Stan about his matches in Japan and the physicality. They were indeed shoots. He was so used to that when he filmed No Holds Barred and had a fight scene with Joe Leduc he beat him up bad and the producers were telling him he needed to throw fake punches. He said I don't know how to do that. He is such a nice guy and I am a fan for life. He genuinely was excited to see the outpouring of support from the fans and both him and Tully loved to see how many fans love wrestling. It is really amazing to see people from all walks of life show up and spend tons of money to see their favorite wrestlers. Stan had to head out at 1 to another WWE event and I walked him to his cab. The convention hall was easily 10 minutes from the front and it is amazing to see the response from fans when they see it is Stan Hansen as we walked out. It was just a great day and after Tully wrapped up at 2 we headed home. Tomorrow is the big day. I am getting started at around 2 and I can't wait. I am going to add some pics from my phone to the next post. I just couldn't type what I wanted to on it and had to use the laptop to get the words out.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here are some pics.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 1, 2017 4:52PM

    I decided not to the post this on Thursday just in case as I didn't want to jinx it. My Wrestlemania adventure got off to a great start. On Wednesday night this 1985 Topps WWF #16 Hulk Hogan PSA 10 Gem Mint got posted with an opening bid of $15. I search EBAY all of the time and saw it and sent a message to the seller to see if they might consider an offer and turn it into a Buy It Now. He responded back that he might and said send over a number. I sent him what I thought was a good starting point and waited up for an hour or so. I went to bed and woke up in the morning and he wrote back that he would do it. After a few minutes of trying to figure out how to get it done he canceled the other auction and listed it. I snagged it right away and paid. It is a Pop 1 and much tougher than his yellow card. Once I saw it was shipped I was okay with posting it. I am very excited to add this Gem to my collection.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/192143953935

  • dytch2220dytch2220 Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭

    Excellent thread David, glad you got this opportunity. Sounds like you had a great and unique experience. Congrats on the Hogan RC!

    The N8 Collection: PSA Registry Sets & Showcases
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2, 2017 1:39PM

    Going to be catching an Uber soon. In the mean time.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Oh man that was awesome!!! We left early because my wife wasn't feeling well and we were able to get home quickly. Watching Brock beat Goldberg was worth every penny.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 3, 2017 10:38AM

    We had some friends pop by and road down to the stadium.

    One final shot before we went inside.

    The crowd went nuts when the Hardy Boyz made their return!

    I am a big Cena fan as he is so good. They won the match and he proposed to Nikki Bella. My wife watches Total Divas and loved it.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Triple H needs to quit. What a horrible match and took the steam out of the crowd.

    Thankfully he lost.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Brock is my guy and the match I wanted to see.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We left with two matches to go and left our commemorative seats. As I said my wife wasn't feeling well and it was a very long day. What a great 38th birthday. Time to get back to work and make some money!

  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,525 ✭✭✭✭✭

    David,

    It sounds like you had a really great time at WrestleMania and interacting with the wrestlers the days leading up to the big event. What else could a huge wresting fan ask for on their birthday? I think that was a hell of a way to spend it.

    Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Donato

    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

    Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
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