The National - Dealer Wives

[Gr8Beldini]

My morning rant is about these dealers that leave their wives behind the table to check out customers looking to spend money. This past National was particularly frustrating.

Dealer #1 had a book of decent 1971's priced right at book with a sign that read, not every card in the book is a common. Fine. I pulled 2 out to upgrade my set. 111 Yankees Rookies and 577 Lonborg. The Battleaxe behind the table held up the Yankee Rookie card (with 2 nobodies on it) and scolded me with, "This one is not a common, I'll tell you that right now!" She then took them to her husband, who informed her that Lonborg is not a common and would cost more. Lonborg is tough and I would have purchased had she not been so insulting. Passed on both.

Dealer #2 - don't know where he is but I've got his wife's attention. I've got money in my pocket and see a lot of Philly Football at the table. If I'm ready to spend $$ on commons, I see no reason not to expect some kind of price break (15-20%?)... I ask her what she can do if I buy a lot of cards. She responded with a hale and hearty, "Don't worry; I'll take care of you"... without committing to anything specific. As the stack starts growing I ask for a subtotal. Came to $78... she told me, "$75 will be fine." Took them because I spent time selecting them, but I had money to spend and could have kept going all afternoon... but not for a 5% discount.

Dealer #3 - More Philly FB but I'm leery of these idiot wives. I'm not buying anything until I get some kind of price commitment (but I am very respectful in asking). The book of Philly FB - the same Philly FB contained on many other tables throughout the show - is priced at full book and she is somehow offended that I ask for some kind of quantity price break (I plan to spend quite a bit)... Apparently she just couldn't do better than full book and I felt like I was being reprimanded as she informed me of that. I went through that book and cherry picked the heck out of it. She had cards that weren't commons in the book but weren't priced. Got them all for common price. Got the team cards for common price. Got the Cowboys; got the rookies; got the minor stars... for common price. Would never have done that with a polite dealer; didn't lose a bit of sleep over it.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Somewhere theres a seller out there that may be saying why do they bother to price cards fairly if someone always wants a discount, maybe they should list the cards even higher so they can then give '20% off'

Sort of like the buy 3 cards for the price of 4 and get one free. Also there may be dealers that say that some buyers are sure to remind them when cards are priced too high versus market, but when the cards are priced far too low they are not given that courtesy. Who knows...

[markf31]

I think stepping up to any dealers table and automatically expecting a price break in the neighborhood of 20% is a little flippant for starters.

You complain about one of the wives insulting you, but the fact you refer to someone’s wife as a “battleaxe” and another dealer’s wife as an “idiot” is extremely condescending, disrespectful and insulting in its own right especially when those individuals will most likely not have the chance to defend themselves here against your misogyny.

But good job getting back at the third wife and dealer by cherry picking the heck out of that book, it evidently made you feel so much better about yourself for it.

[Neal]

I prefer buying cards in person, at a show, and have zero problem paying more than I could get it elsewhere - Buying is pretty much the main reason we have National, regional, and local card shows.

At times, card dealers have an undeserved bad rep .... sometimes it is the buyer that is to blame.

[ALR-bishop]

The National should sponsor a Calendar featuring dealer Wives. There could be try outs. Or one for Dealers. Or even random people off the floor

[jfkheat]

The National should sponsor a Calendar featuring dealer Wives. There could be try outs. Or one for Dealers. Or even random people off the floor


Would it be like the People of Walmart site?
James

[Exhibitman]

The frustration I have is with any dealer who leaves an assistant (wife, kid, whatever) at a table with no prices, no discretion and no way to contact the great and all-knowing Oz while he is away from the booth. Might as well just close up:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/large/9image.jpeg

[1952boyntoncollector]

Would it be like the People of Walmart site?
James

Many dealers are pretty rich so i imagine their wives were at least hot at one time

[savedfrommyspokes]

The last National I attended 5 years ago, it seemed like every table I stopped at (looking for 50-60s baseball/fb commons), one of the first thing out of the mouth of whoever was manning the table was to describe their discount "policy" if it was not already posted... IE the more I were to spend, the more of a discount I would receive. My recollection is that if I were to spend several $100 dollars on 50-60s commons, a 20% discount was not out of line. Maybe my experiences from five years ago are all old news.

[bravos4evr]

I think stepping up to any dealers table and automatically expecting a price break in the neighborhood of 20% is a little flippant for starters.

You complain about one of the wives insulting you, but the fact you refer to someone’s wife as a “battleaxe” and another dealer’s wife as an “idiot” is extremely condescending, disrespectful and insulting in its own right especially when those individuals will most likely not have the chance to defend themselves here against your misogyny.

But good job getting back at the third wife and dealer by cherry picking the heck out of that book, it evidently made you feel so much better about yourself for it.

awww, does someone need a safe space to go cry?

[packs]

No offense to dealers but I generally assume a dealer has already marked their cards up 20% so expecting a 20% break off the bat so that you're paying real world prices is pretty okay with me. I don't buy into any of that crap about paying more just because you're at a show. That is insane. No one gives you a deal because you're buying on eBay. Why should I pay more just because you're in front of me? We both save money on the in person deal by me not having to pay shipping and you not paying eBay.

[mikemb]

This thread was started by someone who put down wives of dealers. The next 2 posts stuck up for the wives and then it has turned into putting down all women in general and then a bunch of collectors complaining they "deserve" a discount sine they are going to "spend a lot of money".

Anyone looking at this would laugh at us for being so immature.

Lets talk about baseball cards!

Are there moderators checking these threads out? If so, please nudge them to wake up!

I'm sure some will not like me saying this but we are really acting childish.

[bnorth]

Are there moderators checking these threads out? If so, please nudge them to wake up!


The moderators on this site usually just let stuff go unless it get really carried away or you attack them. The main rule that gets enforced is if you give an opinion on a person or company your real name needs to be in the post.

IMHO the above is what makes this forum much better than the others.

[ibuysportsephemera]

I think stepping up to any dealers table and automatically expecting a price break in the neighborhood of 20% is a little flippant for starters.

Anytime I am anticipating making a large purchase from a dealer, I ask what their discount is. I would say that 95% of the dealers expect this and give discounts.

Jeff

[1952boyntoncollector]

Anytime I am anticipating making a large purchase from a dealer, I ask what their discount is. I would say that 95% of the dealers expect this and give discounts.

Jeff

I agree with volume there is a much better chance of discount..but some dealers may already be giving their lowest price point...and other dealers are so rich or love the card so much they dont mind holding onto cards even if its a loss it doesnt matter to them. Its their cards they can do what they want.

[mybestbretts]

I find this so funny!!! Being a woman collector, maybe you would like to follow me around at a show. My husband has a lot of fun. Nobody will ask me what I am looking for or what I collect, they ask my husband. I have absolutely no problem being bothered while I look! Wish I had some of those women at a booth at the shows I have been to, at least they talk to you !

[1952boyntoncollector]

I find this so funny!!! Being a woman collector, maybe you would like to follow me around at a show. My husband has a lot of fun. Nobody will ask me what I am looking for or what I collect, they ask my husband. I have absolutely no problem being bothered while I look! Wish I had some of those women at a booth at the shows I have been to, at least they talk to you !

Haha thats funny. The more women in the hobby the better

[horzverti]

I find this so funny!!! Being a woman collector, maybe you would like to follow me around at a show. My husband has a lot of fun. Nobody will ask me what I am looking for or what I collect, they ask my husband. I have absolutely no problem being bothered while I look! Wish I had some of those women at a booth at the shows I have been to, at least they talk to you !

Do you ever have fun schooling fools who don't think you know anything about cards? :D It is good that you find some entries in this thread funny and not offensive. ...and now, back to cards!

[Snapolit1]

Not agreeing with the tone of some of preceding posts, but I was a little surprised how many times at the National there was someone manning the booth who had no clue what was going on. I get the fact that a guy might bring his wife along to sit at the booth during the necessary bathroom breaks and a run for a soda or coffee, but it happened to me at least 4 or 5 time and that was a little surprising.

[Bestdj777]

Haha thats funny. The more women in the hobby the better

Agreed. Nice to see a diverse group of collectors.

[smallpaul2002]

My wife and I attend card shows all the time. I let her negotiate the price...I watch dealers give in after her constant nagging for a "good deal". She's definitely an asset in more way than one, especially if she knows I want a very specific card. We both enjoy the hobby as she loves to shop and get a bargain. She is my wing man...Thank god they don't sell shoes at the card show.

[ALR-bishop]

On another board we once had a bet on whose wife had the most shoes. Everyone had to do a count and report back.

[Bestdj777]

My wife and I attend card shows all the time. I let her negotiate the price...I watch dealers give in after her constant nagging for a "good deal". She's definitely an asset in more way than one, especially if she knows I want a very specific card. We both enjoy the hobby as she loves to shop and get a bargain. She is my wing man...Thank god they don't sell shoes at the card show.

Be happy if your wife is content with shoes. Mine collects jewelry. And, I pretty much have to make sure her collection out values mine :)

[steve B]

It all depends on the person and their approach.

Used to do a flea market once in a while. Did one near my parents, and had lots of cards. Not much action, lots of lookers but few buyers. Left to have a look around and left mom in charge. Showed her the two cards I wouldn't budge on price, and said any offer that wasn't silly was fine for all the others.

Came back in about 20 minutes. Mom hands me about $75 and says "go look at more stuff" when I asked why she pointed out the guys standing at the decorative towel display a couple booths away. Which was odd since few guys did much looking at decorative towels there. She said they were the next flock of vulture looking to take advantage of the old lady while her kid was away from the table. She got darn near full price on everything! And they seemed happy to pay it.

Best sale was the kid with a handful of change asking how many cards he could get from the commons box. Checked with his mom, and told him he could get as many as he could fit in both hands.(Didn't want to do that if she didn't want him getting a lot of cards to leave laying around) He did so well I threw in a couple nicer cards too. He managed maybe 200 cards, not at all bad for a kid around 6-8. Best 37 cent sale ever. :D

Steve B

[steve B]

I find this so funny!!! Being a woman collector, maybe you would like to follow me around at a show. My husband has a lot of fun. Nobody will ask me what I am looking for or what I collect, they ask my husband. I have absolutely no problem being bothered while I look! Wish I had some of those women at a booth at the shows I have been to, at least they talk to you !

I get almost the same thing when I go to the quilt show with my wife. The vendors are more friendly, but there's always that bit of surprise when they realize I actually know something.

Pro tip, some of the tools for quilting are actually pretty handy for woodworking and other crafts. :D

Did industrial stuff for 11 years, and given the choice I'd take the female salesperson every time. They were simply that much better at communicating Like- they actually did communicate. Price and availability? Get back to you in a bit. Female salesperson that meant a few minutes. Male in new England? Two weeks and they didn't remember what you wanted even though you'd faxed over the part numbers on day two. (Outside new England was better overall)

Steve B

[Volod]

The ugly take-away from this thread is of course the gratuitous misogyny, but the underlying gripe has some validity, that is, dealers at large shows who leave friends or relatives in charge of high-value goods they know little or nothing about.
I haven't visited a large show in over twenty years, but when i was putting together sets back in the '80's, i can recall stopping at a table at a natcon where the proprietor had just left his spouse at the helm, and as i sorted through a stack of near mint '52 Bowman commons, i found a Musial card that had obviously slipped in by mistake. When i asked the lady for a price, she replied confidently that the commons were all a buck each - even as i held the Musial up in her field of view. On a tight card budget at that time, i was sorely tempted, but my conscience won the battle, and i told her that the card was misplaced. As no good deed goes unpunished, she seemed to disbelieve me and shrugged off the advice. So, i still wonder if other shoppers found some great deals at that table.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Once you bring it to someone's attention, regardless of gender, the gloves are off. I can't beg someone to not sell me a card. As a dealer who's made mistakes, often I honor my mistake anyway out of appreciation for someone's honesty.

The only other forum I belong to is a poker forum and through the years the guys have gradually learned that their misogyny costs them in the long run as slowly but surely female poker players have put them in their place. Would love to see this evolution in the sports collectibles world.

[SAllen2556]

The only other forum I belong to is a poker forum and through the years the guys have gradually learned that their misogyny costs them in the long run as slowly but surely female poker players have put them in their place. Would love to see this evolution in the sports collectibles world.

I play a lot of poker as well. The best night I ever had playing was the night my wife and I sat down at a table full of men at one of our many Indian gambling establishments. I was out in an hour. She won enough to pay for our trip! It was b e a u t i f u l ! !

And I think just because you're a card dealer, it doesn't automatically make you an expert at customer relations. Card shows are like the wild west. There's no rules, really. I wouldn't have lost sleep over dealer #3 either. Sorry.

[Leon]

When she shrugged off your advice you should have bought the Musial. :)

The ugly take-away from this thread is of course the gratuitous misogyny, but the underlying gripe has some validity, that is, dealers at large shows who leave friends or relatives in charge of high-value goods they know little or nothing about.
I haven't visited a large show in over twenty years, but when i was putting together sets back in the '80's, i can recall stopping at a table at a natcon where the proprietor had just left his spouse at the helm, and as i sorted through a stack of near mint '52 Bowman commons, i found a Musial card that had obviously slipped in by mistake. When i asked the lady for a price, she replied confidently that the commons were all a buck each - even as i held the Musial up in her field of view. On a tight card budget at that time, i was sorely tempted, but my conscience won the battle, and i told her that the card was misplaced. As no good deed goes unpunished, she seemed to disbelieve me and shrugged off the advice. So, i still wonder if other shoppers found some great deals at that table.

[Beatles Guy]

I play a lot of poker as well. The best night I ever had playing was the night my wife and I sat down at a table full of men at one of our many Indian gambling establishments. I was out in an hour. She won enough to pay for our trip! It was b e a u t i f u l ! !

And I think just because you're a card dealer, it doesn't automatically make you an expert at customer relations. Card shows are like the wild west. There's no rules, really. I wouldn't have lost sleep over dealer #3 either. Sorry.

I wouldn't lose sleep over #3 either. The dealer is responsible for pricing cards and letting his wife or whoever know what those prices are. I can see if there is a box full of commons and you find a random Musial that maybe another collector stuck it in there by mistake. In that case I may point it out.

I ran across a dealer recently selling some '33 Goudeys and they weren't priced. I asked about them and he said he was too lazy to look them up, so his price was $5 a piece. I'll take that deal all day long for mid-grade Goudey commons, no need for me to educate him :)

[Volod]

When she shrugged off your advice you should have bought the Musial. :)

I have thought so, myself. But, at the time, i had just entered the show and planned to shop for an hour or so, so i recall thinking: "if i buy this card for a buck and the dealer finds out, he may come looking for me, and even though it was a nominally fair and square sale, i would feel bad enough for taking advantage that i would likely agree to reverse it, and so why go through with it? Of course, i could have just grabbed the card and headed for an exit, but would have felt like a sneak thief doing so, or just taken the odds that the dealer would not have even noticed the card missing, since he had misplaced in the first place. Geez, the mental gymnastics you go through just trying to buy some old cards!;)

[thenextlevel]

First world problems....

[Snapolit1]

Uh, I think first world problems would describe every single comment in the history of a board about collecting baseball cards. Not adding much with that, but I hadn't heard that phrase in the last 8 minutes so your post was mildly amusing.

[bravos4evr]

dang, I opened this thread thinking there would be a pin-up calendar. :D