In years past...usually I go to Chicago and it ends up costing $1500 just for the trip...most cards are overpriced and I end up regretting that I could have stayed home and bought a babe ruth card with the $$$$.
This year I decided to go last minute...Lee Behrens offered a free bed one night, and a home base at his table...combine that with a mid $200 flight...a free hotel with points for fri night...it was a very cheap trip!
I liked the venue...I found it much easier to navigate than Chicago...there were a lot of food options...ladies hawking beer like at a ballgame. People complained about the parking but I did not have a car. It really added to my experience being able to hang out at Lee and Glen Mechanick's booth...Glen has some sick 19th century stuff and it was cool to have people coming up wanting to sell stuff. As per usual most tables were ebay shrines with overpriced cards that we see on ebay every day.
There were definitely deals to be had. I feel like I got a very fair price on an r315 ruth. I've been looking for a nice centered 53 bowman whitey ford for a long time. In one row at the national there were 2 similar examples...neither centered well enough for my taste...one graded one not. The graded one was $350 ...the non graded $70. I thought I'd have patience to sort through bargain boxes but I did not.
Friday I spent most of the day there and by 1-2 I was walking dead...exhausted!!!!! I tried to go through the whole show once then I circled back to see if the ruth was still there and I snagged it.
Green cobb...being the hot card in the hobby now was scantly represented. Most examples for sale were lower grade and shamelessly overpriced...one Pathetic example with the corner torn off had an asking price of $2300. All cobbs were hot...overpriced dietsches sometimes not even 1907 examples priced at rookie prices.
Goudey Ruths were flying off the shelves when fairly priced. There were a fe handfuls of oddball ruth issues mostly 150% priced. Lots of rookies at the auction houses.
Unbeilievable stuff on display at SGC and the big houses. I saw 3 wagners...pristine mantles...handfuls of ruth rookies...amazing autographed card collection in next REA...incredible game used ruth bats...tons of rtuh auto balls.
I enjoyed it this year!
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