Aloha from Chicago [Archive] - Net54baseball.com Forums

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07-30-2008, 01:16 AM

Posted By: DMcDI arrived in Chicago on Monday evening and am presently ensconced in the friendly confines of the Rosemont Embassy Suites Hotel across the street from the site of the imminent National. I have created a new album on my ImageEvent photo site and have posted some photos already of my "tourist day" in town today (Tuesday). The plan is to upload pictures each night of the day's goings-on. The computer I brought with me is a full-grade POS so I can't guarantee anything but I will do my best for you guys that couldn't make it here. (If any of you that are staying at Embassy Suites hear loud vulgarities that begin with "f" coming from the fourth floor, that will be me scolding the effing computer). Took the train into town this morning and had a walkabout. It was hot as an insensitive metaphor, as we say down in Texas, in Chicago today. The upside was that the girls were attired accordingly and Michigan Avenue was indeed Magnificent. (Sorry guys, no photos. "Excuse me, Miss. May I take your picture and put it on the internet? My website needs some eye candy." Uh-huh.) When I wasn't being a leering pervert I felt like Clem Kadiddlehopper gawking the tall buildings. Golly! Went for a tour of Wrigley Field in the afternoon. It's a gem of a ballpark but it was a bit strange being there with no game being played. Am looking forward to being part of the Wrigley crowd this weekend. Have tickets for Saturday's game with the Pirates. That's it for me tonight. I'll post again to inform y'all, as we say out in Hawaii, when I have uploaded more photos. ================================== Wednesday afternoon: The votes are all in and I am an insensitive mofo. It is not my style to deliberately piss people off; the offending simile has been removed. My intent on the thread is primarily to share any halfway decent photos I take. I don't want the thread to detour into whether I am a pig or not. Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . . <a href="http://imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika" target="_new">http://imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika</a> edited to fix link.

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07-30-2008, 05:45 AM

Posted By: leonThanks for posting a thread like this and I will see you in several hours....if you are around. Tonight is the 5pm-9pm show night so it's going to be a little bit late of a one....I should be at the Embassy Suites at around 2pm-2:30pm today and will head over to pick up my badge, cases, etc.... (knock on wood).....

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07-30-2008, 06:18 AM

Posted By: Peter_SpaethIf I were a woman reading the above description I think I would be offended.

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07-30-2008, 06:53 AM

Posted By: StevePeter beat me to it. Tex, just a wee bit outta context here. Try these; It’s hotter than a snake booty in a wagon rut in Odessa. Or, It’s hotter than an armadillos' hide at a West Texas picnic on the Fourth of Joooly. Appreciate the rest of your report though. Wrigley is on my bucket list and Chitown is a fun city, but be safe. Steve F

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07-30-2008, 06:58 AM

Posted By: Tom BoblittMonday night late......was in the show most of the day yesterday while people were setting up. Gonna be pretty big--about like the last couple Nationals here. Not as big as the 1993 National at McCormick place though. Went to the Cubs game last night....IN MILWAUKEE......little 90 mile road trip. Beautiful stadium..........will try to upload some photos later like David........

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07-30-2008, 07:45 AM

Posted By: Peter ThomasShould get in to Sofitel about 3:30 this afternoon. Will get over to pick up tickets and catch up with who I can find at the show. A little sad that Chris will not be there, first National on my own, but he is going to be in New York earning some money for future cards. Peter

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07-30-2008, 08:12 AM

Posted By: Marty Ogelvienice post David,Did you go without the Mrs'?

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07-30-2008, 10:36 AM

Posted By: paulstrattonYou're one funny mofo David. Keep the updates coming.

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07-30-2008, 11:55 AM

Posted By: BobDavid- great post, keep them coming for all of us guys stuck at home <img src="/images/sad.gif" height=14 width=14> TBob

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07-30-2008, 01:05 PM

Posted By: S GrossDavid, FYI, when you edit a post it messes up the link. What I do is re-cut-and-paste the link everytime I edit. not being critical <img src="/images/sad.gif" height=14 width=14> , just missing out on the fun ..... <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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07-30-2008, 01:17 PM

Posted By: Dan BrettaHere's a link directly to David's National pics. <a href="http://imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika/bbbofsfirstclass/thechicagonational" target="_new">http://imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika/bbbofsfirstclass/thechicagonational</a>

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07-30-2008, 09:17 PM

Posted By: DMcDHow ya doin', sportsfans! The first day of the National is pau. Got there at 5, stayed until 9, walked miles of aisles, saw plenty nice cards and jawboned with lots of Net54ers. Took a few photos, just had a look at them and unfortunately many of them are a tad on the crappy side, mostly either due to poor focus or flash blowback. Nevertheless, I am in the process of editing them and hope to upload a couple of dozen in the next hour or so. I need to take the Imageevent site off-line in the meantime. I will edit this post when the pikkies are ready. ====================== OK, the pictures are uploaded and the site is back on-line. It's not photojournalism at its best, my pictures don't really capture the sheer vastness of the show nor much of the great cards I saw (loads of glorious cabinets, razor sharp CJS, Richard M's killer Breisch-Williamses, the list goes on) nor the convivial jocularity (Barry can translate) and all-around good BSing that went down wherever there were Net54ers to be found. I'll take another shot at it tomorrow. Gotta go crash. Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . . <a href="http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika</a>

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07-30-2008, 09:27 PM

Posted By: AlanWe got in about 8 pm local time. Just finished dinner. Now deciding what to do.... !!!

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07-30-2008, 10:49 PM

Posted By: paulstrattonInstead of Mr.Mint they now have Mr.Armpit by the front door?

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07-30-2008, 10:55 PM

Posted By: Jodi BirkholmGizmo has that coveted spot.

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07-30-2008, 10:56 PM

Posted By: DMcDPaul: Unfortunately, Brockleman-Luckey is actually situated nowhere near the front door, more like Outer Boony Boony Land, but it is still the Hub of the Universe as far as the show is concerned and a swell place to hang out, too. Jody is correct. Go figure.

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07-30-2008, 11:04 PM

Posted By: paulstratton I was just messin' with Leon, I figured they wouldn't want to be by the front door anyway.

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07-30-2008, 11:09 PM

Posted By: MVSNYCthanks...great report so far! i can't wait to walk those aisles... so, how much cash is Leon holding? the guy behind him looks very sad that he's not holding that wad...haha. p.s. nice Boston Garter <img src="/images/wink.gif" height=14 width=14>

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07-30-2008, 11:39 PM

Posted By: Dan BrettaGreat photos David...keep 'em coming. I have to ask - who has that Omaha cabinet and what are they asking for it?

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07-30-2008, 11:57 PM

Posted By: DMcDDan: Tik & Tik, $950, I believe, but my memory, she no so good. The card has your name all over it.

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07-31-2008, 12:40 AM

Posted By: Leslie Westbrook...that dinosaurs-eating-baseball-players picture REAL bad.

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07-31-2008, 06:59 AM

Posted By: AlanMichael - When will you be here ?

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07-31-2008, 07:24 AM

Posted By: JimmyDan, some great pictures Thanks Jimmy

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07-31-2008, 07:48 AM

Posted By: Jeff LichtmanDavid, nice pictures, much appreciated. Please have Pat wrap up that Alpha Engraving McGraw and send it my way.

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07-31-2008, 08:17 AM

Posted By: DMcDJeff: SGC has a showcase entitled "The Patrick Preece Collection" for which you can pick your favorite superlative- stunning, breathtaking, jawdropping, all of the above. Holy Moses! The Alpha Engravings alone were worth traveling 5000 miles for. That AE McGraw is my favorite. I will take some more pictures of PP's cards today and post them this evening. Are you coming to Chicago btw? Hope so. Guys: Tonight is the social affair of the year, i.e., The Net54 Ball, and therefore my photo site update may not happen until the wee hours. I will alert y'all on this thread when the pictures are up. National doors open in less then 15 minutes. Gotta rock and roll.

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07-31-2008, 08:42 AM

Posted By: Bryan LongNow I am jealous. I wish I could have gone. Those cabinets look great! I was able to speak with Patrick Preece last year in Cleveland and his collection is quite amazing. Doe sanyone happen to have Leon's cell number on the board that would be willing to let me know what it is? Brian, do you have it? .

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07-31-2008, 09:18 AM

Posted By: Alan UDavid, nice photos, thank you for posting them. I've never been to a National, but now I really want to go.

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07-31-2008, 10:36 AM

Posted By: MVSNYCAlan- i'm finishing up some things in the office now, and will be catching a 4pm flight from LaGuardia...i'll be at the Net54 Party tonight... looking forward to breaking bread with you all... MS

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08-01-2008, 02:53 AM

Posted By: DMcDIt was a long and satisfying day at the National. Dropped off some cards at SGC and completed my canvassing of the convention floor (which is about the size of friggin' Rhode Island; oh, my aching feet!). Wanted to see everything in general prior to zeroing in on certain dealers which I will do tomorrow. Picked up a number of obscurities which were way far off my want-list radar but for which resistance was futile. Main keepers were a beautiful photograph of Prince Oana fireballing for Aratani and a handful of photos of Honolulu Braves (thirties Hawaii semi-pro brewery league) which need to be seen to be appreciated and a mysterious post card depicting a group of ballplayers in an array of major and minor league uniforms posing on a small town street with no clue as to who what where when other than the dealer's notation "South Dakota 1945". One of the great things about the National is that you can march the card over to someone like Mark Macrae, then lean back and listen to him brainstorm baseball. I'll post the card when I get back home and maybe some of you can help identify the players. I am just about positive however that Joe Jackson isn't in the picture. This evening was Leon's dinner. Must have been 60 or 70 people there. Prior to dinner we were treated to a series of talks by Phil Garry, Mark Anderson from Beckett, Brian Dwyer from SGC, Josh Evans of Lelands and Doug Allen of Mastro. Subjects ranged from HOFer rookie cards to corporate mission statements to the cost curve of T206 Wagners. Each talk was interesting and each guy knew how to speak to an audience. There were no clinkers. Dinner was followed by the aformentioned convivial jocularity and good fellowship and plenty talk story. No blood was shed. I've got another 40 or so photos which I will upload tonight. I purchased a mini-computer last week before I came to Chicago. It's about the size of a paperback and I thought it would be perfect for traveling. It is, unfortunamente, a complete piece of junk. It's an Asus; I think it was manufactured in North Korea. Click on a command, it hangs five ten fifteen seconds, an eternity. Long story short. I ain't got enough gas left to fight an axis-of-evil computer. It's 2 a.m. I gotta get some sleep. I will upload the photos and save the editing, captioning etc until later. Apologies for a sloppy site. Tomorrow is a busy day. More card gawkin' and motor-mouthin'. Mastro's live auction in the evening. Should be fun. ======================== My memory isn't what it ought to be; I have an especially difficult time remembering names. I'll forget a person's name thirty seconds after I shake his hand. This is not a good thing. Apologies to Jay (but sorry, brah, that shirt would get you arrested in Waikiki) and whomever else whose name I got wrong. Thanks for pointing that out, Harry. Hope I get this edit right and don't bugger the http link. In case I do I think youse guys know how to find the pictures by now. Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . . <a href="http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika</a>

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08-01-2008, 04:19 AM

Posted By: barrysloateDavid- cool pictures from the dinner...but that's Jay Miller, not Ray.

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08-01-2008, 05:07 AM

Posted By: Rob D.David, Your efforts are much appreciated!

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08-01-2008, 05:26 AM

Posted By: paulstrattonedit due to complete lack of sleep...keep up the good work David

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08-01-2008, 08:33 AM

Posted By: Matt GoebelDavid, The updates and pix are great - thanks! It looks like a blast, I wish I could be there. What a treat to see Patrick's collection in person, truly monumental. Is that a Billiken P Perez in your cache? Matt

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08-01-2008, 08:41 AM

Posted By: Aaron SeefeldtI was at the national all day and evening on Wednesday... Lots of HIGH sticker prices on items... there is material there and excellent material to be found but the prices seem to be on high retail side. Cards available for sale of note: n175 Large Gypsy Queen King Kelly, d304 complete set for lower price than the Cobb alone sold for in last Goodwin auction, saw a Wolverine PC Cobb, several Balt. Newsboys, couple of Big Heads, several small n175s, Pinkerton cabinet Wagner, e300 Plow's Plank (only one known), e92 Wrong Back (Menagerie) Wagner batting, t206 Sovereign Cobb Red port (now mine! thanks DK), W. Johnson throwing Sovereign back, several e99s and e100s, t206 Cobb Bat. Uzit, e107 Cy Young PSA 5... and of course several nice dealer tables (Including Leon's!). Spoke with Friend who spent all day there yesterday (net54 member) and he said nothing happening much there for dealers yesterday... lack of action being either trades or purchases. I'm heading back this afternoon (I live 20 mins. from convention) and will post another update by Saturday. Personally, I had a blast as there is some excellent auction material to view and lots of cheaper oddball issues to scour through... - Aaron Seefeldt

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08-01-2008, 08:50 AM

Posted By: Bryan LongI have heard from a few people as well that the sticker prices on many cards are way above market value. I guess they have to make their money somehow <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> .

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08-01-2008, 09:26 AM

Posted By: DMcDThanks for all the positive comments, people. The National experience is too huge to capture with a two-bit digital camera but I am doing my best. I wish you all could be here for the real deal. I am having a terrific time and my guess is alot of the other guys would echo the same sentiment. Matt: That is indeed a Billiken Perez. Those little guys can really grow on you. Liked it the best of Ryan's Billikens. The photo "pops" pretty nice. Had a chance to hang around the Cuban Baseball table and admire Mistah Christoff's interesting array of tropical cardboard, and to talk story with da kine and with the amazing young Mr. Rice (who sends his greetings to Max btw). Wish you were here, buddy. P.S. Thanks for those cool "Hawaii" cards! Aaron: Thanks for your great post. I think your observations bring this thread to a better level than my newby musings. (I feel a lot like Gomer Pyle around some of you guys). It was a real pleasure to meet you at the B-L table the other day. Wish more guys that are here in Chicago would chime in; this thread would benefit from additional pairs of eyes and ears. (Edited for spelling)

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08-01-2008, 10:00 AM

Posted By: BobDavid- I'd be interested to know what the general consensus was regarding attendance. It looks a little on the lean side but I guess you'll know more after today (Friday) and Saturday. Also, there hasn't been any word yet on caramel cards (E93s, E94s, etc) Just wondering if there are any available and what they are going for vs. what they sell for on ebay etc. Keep up the good work, my friend, your thread and pictures are great. I wish I were there. TBob

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08-01-2008, 10:04 AM

Posted By: Dan BrettaThanks for making the time for us folks who couldn't be there David. You have a very desercning eye...I especially enjoyed this photo of Joe Jackson taking some time out of his schedule for some Net54ers. <img src="http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika/bbbofsfirstclass/thechicagonational/websize/DSC06059.JPG">

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08-01-2008, 10:28 AM

Posted By: DMcDTBob: Compared to the other National I was at in Anaheim the crowds appear to me to be way more sparse. I would venture that the dealers are hoping that the weekend crowd will pick up. I am not a caramel guy, yet anyway. I just nod my head when somebody mentions E-Ninety-whatevers and pretend like I know what they are talking about. I hope someone else can weigh in and answer your question. Hope those ribs have stopped giving you grief. Dan: Bingo! Heading across the street now. Gotta go spend some money.

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08-01-2008, 02:04 PM

Posted By: samuelI hope I'm not out-of-line, since I don't know anyone here, to say that I'm really enjoying this thread. thank you for letting me in on something I wasn't able to experience.

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08-01-2008, 02:17 PM

Posted By: Bryan LongSeeing all the pictures - it is really killing me that I was not able to attend this year. I hear there are some really great items there as usual - most of which I would not be able to buy. I missed not attending the net54 dinner. It is a great event that all should try and attend at some point. Meeting the people we talk to all the time on here is the best part, besides seeing a crap load of cards that I will never be able to buy <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> Everyone there is very lucky and I will see you all next year! .

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08-01-2008, 03:22 PM

Posted By: BobSee Bryan, if you hadn't spent all that money in Vegas buying future book tickets that the Indians were going to win the World Series in 2008 you'd have had a ton of money to spend on cards in Chicago. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> Just kiddin' Looking forward to seeing you and Jimi in Indiantown next year for the National. Hopefully you guys can get us some more great tickets for the game! tbob

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08-01-2008, 07:29 PM

Posted By: Rick McQuillanPlease tell me that the price sticker isn't stuck directly on the slab of the King Kelly! (Photo 52) Rick

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08-01-2008, 09:51 PM

Posted By: BobC'mon guys, you are leaving the rest of us hanging!

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08-01-2008, 11:46 PM

Posted By: 1880nonsportsmust give you my thanks for all the pix! Super! I was there for only a couple of days and no time to see anything. You made me feel like I was there..........

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08-02-2008, 02:40 AM

Posted By: DMcDGot a late start today. Arrived at the show around noon. First off, stumbled across a vendor that had really cheap fifties Topps cards so did a bit of upgrading to my '53 and '57 sets. Then wandered over to Tony E-Trade to shoot the bull and admire his Zeenuts and D304s, but didn't buy anything. Next went over to Terry Knouse to look over the amazing array of cabinet cards he has this year. Ended up buying a couple; an Arlie Latham Player League cabinet and one of Hank O'Day. (I've got some shots of the cards on the picture site). These cards are going to be my big keepers from this National; the rest is gravy. Also had the opportunity to get some education from Terry about 19th century cabinets. Terry knows alot and he is generous in sharing his knowledge. Next wandered over to Leon and Scott's table to do some consigning of some of my dupes. Picked up some neat postcards along the way. Never saw any FBI agents, but did get some stink eye off a CTA crossing guard. Before I knew it the afternoon was pau and it was time to head to the Mastro auction. It was to be held at the ESPN Zone in downtown Chicago. They had buses for us; Friday pm traffic was hellacious but we still managed to get there on time. They had a great turkey dinner buffet waiting for us. Not just generic "great" but like, Holy Moses! this place is just a Chucky Cheese for grown-ups why is this turkey better than anything my mom ever cooked? But I digress. Auction started at 9. The venue wasn't quite what I expected. I had envisioned James Mason and David Niven types in a formal theatre setting but it was just a bunch of us pudgy white guys in a sports bar. Nevertheless, the auction proceeded at a quick pace. A lot of stuff seemed to underperform the "minimum estimate". I thought the BG Speaker was a good deal at 13K and the W600 lot at $22K seemed low. I had my sight set on the 1912 NY Giants portrait. Went bid for bid with a phone bidder but eventually had to fold my hand. The photo in real life was stunning in a way that the catalog barely suggested. It was much larger than you would think and the contrast and, above all, the clarity made it so vivid. The phone guy is going to be very happy once he peels away that yellow Mastro tape. The big drama of the evening, of course, was the T206 Wagner. It got to a million in no time, and a phone bidder and a proxy mysteriously duked it out until it topped at $1.35 million. It was a bit of a thrill, by the way, to be allowed to touch the Holy Grail earlier in the day. Some guys might think it's no big deal but I thought it was cool. (Edited for spelling)

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08-02-2008, 05:44 AM

Posted By: CyHi David, I also want to thank you for taking the time to take pictures and upload them for the members who could not attend the National. The pictures are quite nice. Sincerely, Cy

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08-02-2008, 08:16 AM

Posted By: Jodi BirkholmDavid, Is Terry K. "Tik n' Tik"? If so, I saw the cabinets to which you refer. Did he give you any insight as to where all of those were obtained? There were a couple I thought of picking up, but I didn't. I may give them a call later on.

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08-02-2008, 08:51 AM

Posted By: Jeff LichtmanDavid, your posts made me laugh twice: the 'axis of evil' computer you purchased and the 'stink eye' you received in Chicago. Thanks for the effort and pictures; you're a good guy.

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08-02-2008, 08:52 AM

Posted By: DMcDJodi: Terry Knouse = TIK Sr. Terry gave me a about three-quarters-of-an-hour worth of insight into these cards and 19th century cabinets in general and it was like a freshman sitting in on a graduate seminar. I will count it as one of the best if not the very penultimate [ <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> ] experiences I have had in Chicago which includes being born here some six decades ago but that is another story. As for your specific question as to where did he find them I misplaced that factoid in my addled memory. Since you are at the show I would encourage you to return to TIK & TIK and talk some story with Terry and maybe pick up one of these babies if you are into it. Prices were in the ballpark of a decent T3, not exorbitant. You know you are addicted to Net54 when you have Cubs tickets behind home plate, kickoff is two hours and about twenty hard miles away and you are drinking motel coffee in your boxers whilst chatting on the internet. Gotta jam.

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08-02-2008, 09:09 AM

Posted By: Jeff LichtmanOk, three times now. <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

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08-02-2008, 09:55 AM

Posted By: brockDMcD, Were they letting people touch the Lou Gehrig jersey at all, because thats an item i would rather want to hold.

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08-02-2008, 09:57 AM

Posted By: Dan BrettaWere the feds letting people touch Bill Mastro? Sorry.

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08-02-2008, 11:15 AM

Posted By: Aaron SeefeldtWas at the National yesterday (Friday) for a few hours. I started off the show with a 3 way trade involving another dealer and collector. Ya just gotta love 3 ways!!! Dealers were mostly saying the show was "slow" but hoping to get better with Saturday/Sunday foot traffic. It's no wonder foot traffic is slow... costs $11 to park and $18 to get in. That's basically $30 before you look at a card/jersey/whateverfloatsyourboat. Goodwin's table had items for his vintage auction with bidding to start on Aug. 28th. Has some great items including an entire e125 Pirates set that is new to the hobby. Both Wagners are being sold individually and the rest sold as a group. About 1/2 have the flaps intact (including both Wags and Clarke). He also has a high grade set of d304s... boy they are coming out of the woodwork now. That's 2 sets of d304s in the Convention (I had mentioned in my previous post that another dealer is selling a complete set for $95K including the Cobb PSA 4). Mastro's next auction (starts around same time as Goodwin's) has a near complete set of 1909 Derby Cigars (11/12). They are all graded Auth. I didn't look for other items as I had "tunnel vision" on the Derby cards... tuff set. I did notice that the Wagner Pinkerton (fielding pose) had switched tables, don't know if it was consigned/traded/sold. The new sticker price is set at $25K (SGC 50). I sold one about 10 years ago for $2200... doh! It seemed to me like there were quite a few cards at the show with stickers at $25K and up... no wonder dealers are complaining, they are selling cards at car prices... I always have nice dealings/chats with Dave (Bagger). He has changed his inventory to include more cards under $500 and only a few over $2500. His view is that with a tuff economy, cards move better under $500. I would have to agree. One dealer at the show had several complete Wheaties sets from the late '30s. I've always like the Wheaties as they are fairly priced with beautiful artwork... Doug Allen called them the "poor man's T3s" and I would agree. The National is always fun to go to. Even if you don't find things you like, there are great things to see. Where else can you go and hold in your hands a T206 Wagner PSA5 MC, a n175 Large King Kelly, a T206 Cobb w Cobb back, an e90-1 Jackson SGC70, a t206 Cobb battoff UZIT GAI6.5, 10 different e107 HOFers, 2 d304 sets, to name just a few... I found plenty of things to peruse and purchase at decent prices... Just have to look a while. There are numerous dealers that will take the time and converse with you... truly helping with any information they can. And then there are the dealers that don't say a thing and are extremely cold/paranoid? Lots of characters in this business. I was at the National for 2 days and that's enough for me (totally tapped out as well). If you plan to walk the show in one day, plan on hoofing it for about 10 miles... The entire lower level of the Steven's Center. In terms of the walking and space, it is the complete opposite of the old "East Coast Nationals" in White Plains. Yet there was not an open booth. Next year it is off to Cleveland again and in 2 years will be in Baltimore. Numerous dealers/collectors I spoke with said they would never do another National on the West Coast (was in Anaheim 2 yrs ago) as they are the poorest attended, far below Cleveland even. Happy collecting all. -Aaron Seefeldt

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08-02-2008, 12:26 PM

Posted By: BobThanks for the report Aaron. I am curious about what was being offered for sale and what was selling, specifically, if caramel cards in the e93, e94, e95, e96, e97 and e98 sets and tobacco cards from the t210 set are available. (I am presuming that the sticker prices on these cards are much higher than what they go for on ebay but luckily there are some dealers who will come down on prices for a sale).

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08-02-2008, 12:34 PM

Posted By: Aaron SeefeldtSorry I can't help you much TBob... I was mostly looking for supplements. If it helps, I didn't see any new dealers with vintage cards... Not many photos either.

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08-02-2008, 01:19 PM

Posted By: Bob LambAaron, I have heard that they were considering Baltimore but has this been confirmed? You are probably right , I have just been out of the loop lately. Regards, Bob Lamb

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08-02-2008, 01:51 PM

Posted By: Aaron SeefeldtBob, Not 100% sure about Baltimore. A dealer I was talking with who does the Nat'l every year told me Baltimore is in 2 years and then back to Chicago...

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08-02-2008, 03:17 PM

Posted By: Steve DawsonRegarding Baltimore apparently being picked for 2010, why do the convention organizers continually completely ignore the western half of the country? I live in San Antonio, Texas (stationed here in the U.S. Air Force), and am originally from San Diego, California. Over the last 18 Years, the Air Force has stationed me in Texas, Colorado, Montana and Texas again. I am unable to travel the distances necessary to go to the "National" convention, since they are never anywhere near me. There are plenty of other collectors who would absolutely love to attend a National, but can't, simply because of the travel involved. The only way I've been able to buy cards is over ebay. The only convention I'm ever able to go to is the Tri-Star one in Houston TX (twice a year), and they are absolutely dreadful for pre-WW2 cards. If I wasn't looking to finish up Dodger and Angel team sets, I would be shut out entirely. WAKE UP NATIONAL COMMITTEE!!!!! You have turned the "National" Convention into just another "Eastern U.S." card show. Quit ignoring everything and everybody west of the Mississippi River!!! Steve Dawson

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08-02-2008, 03:21 PM

Posted By: BobI just can't believe that St. Louis isn't ever considered for the National after the great show in 1995. I can understand dealer's attitudes toward California shows but why not St. Louis?

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08-02-2008, 03:46 PM

Posted By: Ed McCollumIt would seem logical to put the show in the middle of the country. People from either coast would have less travel distance, and those in the middle would more be able to attend on a regular basis. The only National I've been able to attend is the one in St. Louis. The distance between it and Chicago may not seem great, but it is the difference between driving and flying, and when adding the cost of accomodations, anywhere I would need to fly puts the National out of reach in terms of cost. Denver would also work.

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08-02-2008, 04:51 PM

Posted By: Turner EngleWhere do I start? This was my third year attending the National, and I must say, I really enjoyed the show. Having the oppurtunity to see the PSA 5 MC Wagner in person at the Mastro booth, as well as the T206 framed near set was probably worth the trip alone. The high-grade D304's at Goodwin's was also a highlight for myself to see in person. Sticker prices on most items seemed astronomical, but some great deals could be found as well. Just a bit of digging was needed. Many dealers showed interest in purchasing pre-war material that was probably needed for their inventory. I did see a near or complete set of T206's with the asking price of $42,500. I can't remember the exact price but I believe it was somewhere in that range. The T206 Shag Shaugnessy hoard of 16 or so was very neat to see at the Huggins & Scott booth also. I did get a few cards crossed at SGC, where I found Brian Dwyer to be a huge help as well as a great guy. The Thursday night Net 54 dinner was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The speakers were excellent, and I found the "guess the HOF rookie card game" put on by Phil Garry to be fun. It was great to meet many Net 54 members that I only knew through emails or phone calls, as well as people I had met at a prior National. I had the oppurtunity to see and meet Marty Kohler, Brian Weisner, Ryan Christoff, Mike Peich, Zach Rice, David Rosenberg, Rob Silverman, Jeff Drum, Tom Boblitt, Shawn St. Clair, Adam Warshaw, Gary Nucherno, Toby Perterson, Ed Hans, Richard Wong, Dan McKee, Steve Murray, Mike Gray, Leon, Bill Cornell, Brian Dwyer, Scott Mosley, Michael Goldberg, Rich Klein, Lyman and Brett Hardeman, David McDonald, Mark Tylicki, David Bryan, and Jeff Prizner. If I happened to forget your name, I apologize. Overall, the show was great IMO. I came out with some great finds as well as some excellent deals that I'm very happy about. See you all in Cleveland. My Best, Turner Engle

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08-02-2008, 11:32 PM

Posted By: Jodi BirkholmThis show was a sore disappointment from an autograph standpoint. Nearly all the decent material I viewed was stale--I had seen most of it sold in various auctions over the last twelve months. Shows are no longer the optimal way to unearth fresh material. Yawn. I may as well have stayed home. Several people have asked me how I can sustain my existence without setting up at shows. Honestly, what show patron is going to race up to my booth to ask for an autograph of an obscure player who perhaps ten people are familiar with? It would be ridiculous to pay the nearly $1000 it cost for a small table at this year's National. I really don't understand the train of logic some of the dealers were following. I saw more than one table set up with mostly $5-20 autographs of ballplayers/golfers, etc. framed or displayed in plaques with preposterous price tags attached to their corners. It was pitiful--I wish these dealers all the best, but please, for your own sake, learn a little bit about business before dropping that kind of money on table space!

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08-03-2008, 12:07 AM

Posted By: Marty KohlerTurner,....... thats a thoughtful and well written report....You are a fine young man and it`s guys like you hopefully, that will be the future of our hobby...... Good Luck with those T 205`s ...A real pleasure meeting you,..Marty GO YARD

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08-03-2008, 01:05 AM

Posted By: Rhett YeakleyJodi, I didn't attend this year but I know my brother Rhys was set up and he has great material that is definitely not "stale" as he doesn't do shows, period. I am sorry that you didn't enjoy the show, however, maybe it is time to start collecting cards like the rest of us. (insert smiley) -Rhett

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08-03-2008, 03:17 AM

Posted By: Bottom of the Ninth<A HREF="http://www.network54.com/Forum/567138/thread/1217587726/last-1217750689/The+National ">Here is a thread</A> which would be a far more appropriate place for Jodi's post. Seems it was a pretty good show for vintage baseball cards which is really the focus of this forum.

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08-03-2008, 05:55 AM

Posted By: Tom Boblittto what Marty said. With great kids like Turner collecting this stuff, we all have a bright future. Was great meeting you and your dad Turner!

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08-03-2008, 06:34 AM

Posted By: DMcDWords that are weighty with nothing but trouble Theriot to Cedeno to Lee Saw my first game ever at Wrigley as the Cubs made easy work of the Pirates. Had a terrific seat at field level behind home plate from which to drink in the glories of the Taj Mahal of Baseball and to conjure images of Dizzy Dean, 75 feet and 75 years away, and Charlie Root looking to kill Ruth with a heater, and Hack Wilson and Ernie Banks and all the rest. What I really appreciated about Wrigley were the sounds of the place. The aggregate voice of the crowd wasn't smothered by some damn state-of-the-art sound system playing ten gazillion decibels worth of We Will Rock You or Help Me Rhonda. The place had a hum; you could hear the players talk. Made it back to Rosemont in time to hit the show for a couple of hours. Primarily spent my time at Ryan Chistoff's table and came away with a peachy Billiken Cueto and some good converstion. Also spent some time (and a little money) at the Helmar Brewing booth. If any of you are not familiar with what they are doing, they are a regional brewery in the midwest and they offer a whole range of premiums such as cards, silks, panels etc that depict baseball images as well as other sports. Their choice of baseball subjects is eclectic in a fun way, deadball players and modern ones, negro leaguers, even Japanese ballplayers and House of David guys. It is modern stuff to be sure but it is not to be mistaken for shiny crap; it captures the soul of baseball like no contrived throwback issue ever could. Present was one of the artists, Monty Sheldon, a big, friendly guy, and all I can say is "He got skills". Charlie Mandel is doing a really good thing for the hobby. (By the way, the guy who posts under "billcarrigan" might want to check out the original art for the Helmar Carrigan card and Brad Green might want to look at the Lefty Grove portrait. Both are on my picture site). Thanks to Aaron for your posts which brought a level of erudition (depth, polish and breadth, for those that slept through high school English) to this thread which I am unable to match, and to young Turner who is indeed his Dad's pride. And thanks to Jodi, too. This is only about the third thread I have started in five years on the board so I guess it is natural to feel a bit proprietary, right or wrong, and your post was cool with me. You made some valid points which I think could be extrapolated to card sellers as well. Jeff L.: Glad I'm getting a couple of laughs out of you. Wish you could have made it to the dinner. I would have paid good money to watch Doug Allen's Q&A if you'd have been in the audience. Twenty or so new photos now on the ImageEvent site. Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . . <a href="http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika</a>

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08-03-2008, 06:45 AM

Posted By: Rawn HillThanks for the Carrigan shot. Rawn

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08-03-2008, 03:31 PM

Posted By: Vincent I realize I'm probably well behind the times, but I recall being told by several dealers (years ago) that they used the National Show primarily as an opportunity to acquire new inventory, or to make initial contact with individuals with collections to sell. The only sales concern for these dealers was to sell enough merchandise to cover their food, travel, and booth costs. But now that I think about the last two or three National Shows that I attended, I realize I wasn't greeted nearly as often with "whatcha got to sell". I guess time has passed me by. Just my two cents worth.

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08-03-2008, 08:31 PM

Posted By: DMcDHit the show for about four hours today. You go to a booth, look at some cards, get talking and before you know it you've shot an hour. Did such at Bagger's table, then talked story with Charlie Mandel at Helmar for a bit, took one more sad look at the 1912 Giants photo at Mastro (for which I was the penultimate bidder) then spent a very pleasant spell conversing with Kristin Buckler of "Loo-a-ville" who does a little baseball card selling with her husband Chris and who is Southern Charm personified. I picked up a T206 Johnson portrait and a T207 Johnson from Kristin which will fit nicely on my photo site's "HOF: First Class" album. Could have kicked myself because I didn't notice a neat Geo. Miller Dean (uncancelled) hiding in plain sight in their case until some gent strolled up and undertook a polite haggle with them. I was praying the deal wouldn't go down but it did. I was ready to pounce. Oh well, I had alot of great pick-ups and I am not going to complain. By about three o'clock a lot of tables were shutting down so I just bopped around, picking up a few upgrades for my '53 and '57 Topps sets, a decent raw T206 Latham to complement the cabinet I bought from Terry Knouse, and a Ramly of Bugs Raymond for a type card. Also got a chance to meet Rhys Yeakley who has a long ride back to Idaho to look forward to and who is keeping his fingers crossed for a Boise National in 2011. Rhys wins the Grand Prize for best business card at the National for the (fantasy) Mayo Sockalexis image. I have only 10 or 11 new photos to load today. One of the pictures is of a glass negative of a deaf ballplayer on a team called the "Silents". There are one or two guys who have posted in the past who collect items relating to deaf players; if this is of interest to you, shoot me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch with the dealer. It is really pretty cool and would probably develop a nice picture. There is a PSA6 M116 Wood for $3750. Who says this card is rare? One of our ranks, I forget whom, has extolled the virtues of the CJ WaJo. Here then for your dining and dancing pleasure is about the nicest example of the nicest card, yours for a measly $32.5K, the price of a new car as Aaron wisely noted above. That's it for me, folks. It has been a whole lot of fun in Chicago. I'll let somebody else gripe about the high prices, the thin crowds, the remote location etc. I have seen more incredible cards than I can count and managed to snag a few of them; I have met some great people and have enjoyed a lot of great conversations. I saw a Cubs game at Wrigley and held a T206 Wagner. It has been a gas! I am off to Victoria tomorrow morning. Don't worry, there won't be an "Aloha from British Columbia" thread anytime soon. See you all in Baltimore in 2010. == PAU == Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . . <a href="http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika</a> Edited for spelling

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08-03-2008, 08:39 PM

Posted By: Max WederDavid I'll wave to you at the airport. Are you crossing the pond to the big city at all while you're here?

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08-03-2008, 08:39 PM

Posted By: Ken McMillanJust got back from the national. Not nearly as good as Cleveland last year. Seemed to be less vintage this year and not nearly the quality. Managed to pick up a couple of cards in my search for E121 yankees but not nearly the number from last year. Saw the Cubbies on Saturday from the left field bleachers pick up a W. Fun trip in general, but the show did not seem as well organized. Personal opinion only. Kmac

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08-03-2008, 08:42 PM

Posted By: Jeff W.Just want to say thank you for the many photos and play by play action at this years national. The last national I went to was in Anaheim a few years back and would love it if they brought it back to California. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon! But, I really appreciate all the stories and look forward to meeting all of you in the future. Jeff W. P.S. If any of you are in San Diego in the future let me know and we can meet up and see a Padres game! Although I don't know if any of you have ever heard of the padres...........

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08-03-2008, 08:50 PM

Posted By: MattDavid - Thanks for taking the time to keep us all in the loop.

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08-03-2008, 09:45 PM

Posted By: AlanHere's my National report. I drove from the Washington, DC area to Chicago on Wed. I got into the Rosemont area about 8 pm. The trip took about 14 hours including stopping for lunch on the road. I had dinner at a local restaurant and then checked into the hotel. On Thurs., I got to the show lobby about 9:30 am. It wasn’t that many people waiting to get in. They started letting everyone go in before 10 am. The layout of the convention center was really weird. At the National in Cleveland, all the dealers were in one huge room. Here, there were groups of dealers in separate alcoves (rooms), so it made it especially difficult to start at isle 100 and go to the end in order. I was there all day Thurs. It was an absolutely incredible show !!! It had so much material from vintage stuff to the shiny stuff and everything in between. Cards, memorabilia, autographs, equipment, etc,... absolutely everything. It was great seeing collectors & dealers from Net54. It looked like there was a decent crowd. There seemed to be more kids there, probably since it was free admission for kids througout the entire weekend. I absolutely loved the network54 dinner Thurs. night. It was easily the highlight of the entire Chicago National experience. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was great meeting/seeing EVERYONE from the message board. I'm not even going to try to name everyone I met that night. Great conversations with all. The speakers were great, especially Josh Evans from Lelands. It was also especially nice that he sat down at our table for a while during the evening. I went to the show again on Friday. I was invited to attend the PSA registry luncheon (thanks to a collector friend on the PSA registry) even though I don't have a single card graded. Still, it was really nice meeting/seeing the PSA registry guys. They all seem to enjoy the friendly competition of the registry. PSA's Joe Orlando did a Q & A session. Levi (707 Sportcards) brought up some excellent points regarding the new “.5” grades. The food wasn't half bad, either. Joe O. handed out an early edition of the Collecting Sports Legends: The Ultimate Hobby Guide book that all PSA collectors club members will receive. It’s too bad that I could not afford the donation cost ($100) to attend the Mastro live auction Friday night, because my dinner meet-up idea at Shoeless Joe’s restaurant didn’t really work out too well. However, I did have dinner there with sports equipment collector extraordinaire Carlton H. from the the Net 54 Memorabilia Forum, so things worked out great nonetheless. I left Chicago Saturday morning to drive back home to the Wash, DC area. I thought this National was as good as Cleveland was last year. I prefer the open parking, like in Cleveland, but that’s just my own personal opinion. But, it was nice that everything was all together, so it was simple to get to the Net54 dinner, for example. The layout of the National tables took some time getting used to. Crowds seems to be similar, probably more kids. Many dealers that I talked to said that although the crowds were decent, sales were down. Even though I bought almost nothing at this National, it was one of my most enjoyable, fun & rewarding experiences at a sports collectibles show that I've ever had. Period. Alan <img src="http://vbbc.forumotion.com/users/17/23/61/smiles/136179.gif">