Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Savage
I have found this thread to make great reading. I am a dealer who has exhibited at the National every year since 1981- and it is always great to read the customers review of the show.
I exhibit at The National to do many things: 1) Buy 2) Sell 3) Re-engage existing customers 4) Make and meet new customers 5) Network with other dealers 6) Observe trends and learn what is happening in the macro of the hobby 7) Have some meals with old friends 8) Refocus my little company on the ultimate goal of serving our customers. 9) Have fun . (Not necessarily in that order!)
I think my company is able to accomplish most of these objectives at every National- but I think there is always room for improvement. I try to price my cards and memorabilia fairly- based on what I have had to pay for the stuff in today's market- and also what I feel is a price that will make a sale happen within a reasonable amount of time. I also try to buy at fair prices- without overpaying(though sometimes this happens)- with an eye to how the purchased items might be sold.
The ultimate success test - is if transactions happen. I believe this is true for buying and selling. I have a big sign in my office which says "YOU ARE NOT RUNNING A MUSEUM - KEEP THE INVENTORY MOVING".
One of the posts in this thread said something about many dealers not being very good at what they do..... and somedays that may be the case for me. But I, like most dealers I know, are trying to serve our customers fairly- and make a reasonable living at the same time. This can be a delicate balancing act. As collectors have hundreds of different ways to collect and enjoy the hobby- dealers have many different philosophies on how to run their businesses- with varying degrees of success and customer satisfaction.(As has been voiced in this thread).
I feel the beauty of the National is that it is big enough to allow most everybody to get out of it- what they want. To steal a couple song names from my favorite rock band "Dawes"- the National is "A Little Bit of Everything" and hopefully everyone can have fun "Somewhere Along the Way". I look forward to Cleveland in 2018.
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Anyone who says the regret going I don't get. All the activity, all the cards, all the wisdom in the room, all the history of the game . . .really pretty intoxicating. I was a little exhausted running around and not having enough time and was cranky at the end but I will definitely come back. We can all fight on prices, but the one thing I would say to dealers is please have your stuff priced. When things aren't marked at all I just assume you are trying to rip people off based on their appearance and sizing them up.