Thanks to everyone for your kind words and plugs for Monster Cards. Very much appreciated!
Usually I'm content to sit back and stay quiet on these boards, soaking in the knowledge of members, but I'll throw in my two cents on card shows in the Midwest since it is a topic literally very near to my heart.
I'll second Tony's notion to seek out Beckett's show calendar. It's handy and sortable:
http://www.beckett.com/venue_manager
PSA's calendar might also be useful, as they usually only send staff to larger shows, and those shows populated by vintage dealers:
http://www.psacard.com/Resources/Shows/. One caveat - sometimes PSA is just on-site for purposes of autograph verification.
You also may find success latching onto a dealer's website to see the shows they attend. And not just mine! Sports Memories, 707 Sportscards, etc. Those dealers usually only travel to the 'big-boy' shows on the circuit, and thus would probably lead you to places that are worth your time.
I would lightly recommend swinging over to St Louis for one of Dave's monthly shows, but there are many more vintage dealers represented at the 3-day shows at Westport mentioned above.
To best fit your needs, the Sun-Times is a must-do event. And The National will return to Chicago in 2015. (
National Schedule here.)
IMO, it is continually becoming tougher to find good shows to attend. Despite the fact that I love to get out and meet customers (and other dealers), the internet has become a great resource for transactions even though it's harder to form a relationship through scans, the USPS, and PayPal.
The attendance in St Louis is spotty - seemingly dependent on the time of year or who the autograph signers are that day.
Even Orland Park, IL, which 'supports' two shows/month, features a limited amount of customer traffic. And with the promoter unfortunately succombing to the effects of aging, I'm not sure if anyone would continue to carry on that show (would you, Tony?) if he gave it up.
Not to be disparaging, but from personal experience and anecdotal evidence, Springfield (IL), Peoria, Bloomington, and Indianapolis aren't going to feature the vintage you're searching for. I certainly wish that wasn't the case, as I would enjoy some more local-ish shows to set up at.
Good luck!
-T