I drove, accompanied by another local collector, 3 hours each way thru rain and snow from No. Va. to attend the Phily Show on Saturday. And, I was glad I went, as I was able to obtain some cards for my type collection (see pics on December pickup thread). Granted, the current Phily Shows are mere shadows of the incredible Willow Grove & Ft. Washington Shows, which I long for as much as anyone else who ever attended them. But, other than the Chantilly, Va. shows, which are are notch or two below the Phily Shows with respect to having vintage material, there aren't any decent shows within a reasonable drive from my house to attend. And, despite all the vintage material now available online (auctions, eBay, Net54 BST, etc.), nothing excites me more than seeing vintage cards & memorabilia in person! I can understand where those who have world class collections (think Leon, whom I truly enjoyed meeting and chatting with
) might have been disappointed with the Phily Show, but such is not me. And, I enjoy seeing the choice items the auction houses bring to these shows; seeing the 1921 Baltimore Tip Top cards, for example, live and in person was a thrill for me, as I may never again see any of these cards live and in person again in my lifetime. So, I conclude by saying, long live the Phily Show, even in its diminished state!!