NonSports Forum

Net54baseball.com
Welcome to Net54baseball.com. These forums are devoted to both Pre- and Post- war baseball cards and vintage memorabilia, as well as other sports. There is a separate section for Buying, Selling and Trading - the B/S/T area!! If you write anything concerning a person or company your full name needs to be in your post or obtainable from it. . Contact the moderator at leon@net54baseball.com should you have any questions or concerns. When you click on links to eBay on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Enjoy!
Net54baseball.com
Net54baseball.com
ebay GSB
T206s on eBay
Babe Ruth Cards on eBay
t206 Ty Cobb on eBay
Ty Cobb Cards on eBay
Lou Gehrig Cards on eBay
Baseball T201-T217 on eBay
Baseball E90-E107 on eBay
T205 Cards on eBay
Baseball Postcards on eBay
Goudey Cards on eBay
Baseball Memorabilia on eBay
Baseball Exhibit Cards on eBay
Baseball Strip Cards on eBay
Baseball Baking Cards on eBay
Sporting News Cards on eBay
Play Ball Cards on eBay
Joe DiMaggio Cards on eBay
Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
Bowman 1951-1955 on eBay
Football Cards on eBay

Go Back   Net54baseball.com Forums > Net54baseball Main Forum - WWII & Older Baseball Cards > Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12-05-2017, 07:01 PM
tedzan tedzan is offline
Ted Zanidakis
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pennsylvania & Maine
Posts: 10,053
Default Reminiscing...Spring Garden, Willow Grove, Ocean City, Fort Washington, Reading Shows

Bob Schmierer and Ted Taylor (show promoters) started the Philly Show BB card show on Sept 27, 1975 at Spring Garden College (Philadelphia suburb).
This one day show generated a lot of interest. Oct 1-2, 1976 they repeated it and their featured guest at this show was hobby pioneer George Moll. Who
was the major force behind all the Bowman Gum Company sports & non-sports cards (Play Ball's, Bowman BB & FB, and non-sports sets like the famous
1939 Horrors of War cards). In addition, Bob and Ted produced B/W 49-card series, which they referred to as the "1947 set". Examples shown here.......




The 1976 show was a great success, so they repeated it in the Fall of 1977. This time they expanded their 1947 BB card series by adding 64 more cards.

By 1978, Bob & Ted realized they needed a larger facility. They re-located the Philly Show to the George Washington Convention Center in Willow Grove.






I have an endless amount of stories I can share with everyone on this forum about my tremendous experiences at the Willow Grove Show (March 1981
to December 1992)....Fort Washington Show (1993 -2006)....Reading Show (2007 - 2008). But, for now I'll relate this story to you......

Circa 1986.....four of us were in my room at the GW Motor Lodge, prior to the show on Friday afternoon. Bill Mastro was shopping around a "sharp" (the
operative adjective) T206 Wagner. If I recall Bill wanted $25,000 for it. We all took a close look at it and told Bill "too expensive". That same card is now
the PSA 8 "Gretzky Wagner".
Why didn't the 4 of us pool our funds and purchase this Wagner from Bill ? ?
You explain it...I cannot not !



.




Please feel free to share with us here your Philly Show memories dating back to the original Spring Garden College days....or, the Willow Grove shows
or, the Ocean City shows, or the Ft. Washington shows....or, the Reading shows.

Looking forward to reading your responses.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

Last edited by tedzan; 12-07-2017 at 07:06 PM. Reason: Correct typo.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12-05-2017, 07:55 PM
Rhotchkiss's Avatar
Rhotchkiss Rhotchkiss is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 4,256
Default

Ted, I don't know if it is the same George Washington Motor Lodge, but every year in high school, my school (Bullis) was invited to the Christmas city wrestling tournament in Bethlehem, PA - some of the best wrestling in the country in the late 80's and early 90's - and we would always stay at a George Wahington Motor Lodge and it looked just like that. That pic brings back memories of sleepless and starving nights thinking about food, weigh ins, and the kids I had to wrestle the next day (often ranked top 25 in country). And then we would hit Midway diner truck stop (????) on way home and pig out.

Thanks for the pic (and the flash back).
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12-05-2017, 08:42 PM
tedzan tedzan is offline
Ted Zanidakis
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pennsylvania & Maine
Posts: 10,053
Default

Hi Ryan

There were quite a number of George Washington Motor Lodges along major hi-ways in Pennsy. For example, along the TPKE
there was one at Neshaminy, Willow Grove, King of Prussia and Northeast Extension Interchanges.

And, several in the Lehigh Valley area. All of them basically were constructed the same.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12-05-2017, 08:57 PM
BearBailey BearBailey is offline
Brandon Bailey
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 370
Default

I was a proud member of EPSC from 1989-1993 then I went away to college, and only got to go sporadically. I Started going to the shows with my Dad in 1988. Some of my favorite memories were when it rained and would come through the roof so the small isles got smaller. I remember getting great advice from Joseph Del Grippo one of the few dealers who would always spend time with kids. Buying a Pete Rose rookie from Brian Kaplan and his wife convinced him to give me a deal since I was a kid, and then paying in all 5, 10 &20 from mowing grass. My Dads favorite thing was going to an Italian restaurant called Dori’s(I think) where the elderly waiter called us both boys great food close to the motor lodge.
Took my boys for the first time last year, this show will always be my favorite.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12-06-2017, 02:27 PM
hangman62 hangman62 is offline
Ralph Gee
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: N.J.
Posts: 1,358
Default Philly show

Boston Sea Party

I remember that place !
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 12-06-2017, 02:59 PM
moeson moeson is offline
Howie Schenker
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 436
Default

I remember some great in-show auctions where the dealers were too busy with customers to leave the table and bid. I also recall the fire marshals restricting admission at Willow Grove due to overcrowding.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 12-07-2017, 08:44 PM
spec spec is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 344
Default

Throughout the 80s and early 90s I'd take the train down from Boston for the Friday preview, using your fine SEPTA commuter rail to get from 30th Street Station to Willow Grove, then hiking a mile or so to reach the George Washington Lodge. After filling my acquisitions box with goodies, I'd retrace my route, riding the Night Owl back to Boston for an early morning arrival and a nap before I had to be at work Saturday afternoon. Made the trek a couple of times to Fort Washington, but the last time returned with only one card, so abandoned the ritual. I met a lot of hobby legends there, including Tom Reid, who was quite a character as I'm sure you remember. We'd talk union politics as much as cards.
B.ob Ri.ch.ardson
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12-10-2017, 03:09 PM
tedzan tedzan is offline
Ted Zanidakis
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pennsylvania & Maine
Posts: 10,053
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by spec View Post
Throughout the 80s and early 90s I'd take the train down from Boston for the Friday preview, using your fine SEPTA commuter rail to get from 30th Street Station to Willow Grove, then hiking a mile or so to reach the George Washington Lodge. After filling my acquisitions box with goodies, I'd retrace my route, riding the Night Owl back to Boston for an early morning arrival and a nap before I had to be at work Saturday afternoon. Made the trek a couple of times to Fort Washington, but the last time returned with only one card, so abandoned the ritual. I met a lot of hobby legends there, including Tom Reid, who was quite a character as I'm sure you remember. We'd talk union politics as much as cards.
B.ob Ri.ch.ardson

Hi Bob

Great story......especially your trip from Boston > Philadelphia > Willow Grove or Ft. Washington Shows.
I did the reverse to get to Boston and New Hampshire Shows from my NJ (or Philly) homes.

Indeed, Tom Reid was quite a character. Back in the 1980's (when I lived in Toms River, NJ), Tom would
occasionally be down visiting relatives. Tom would drop by my home and go thru my "esoteric" stuff (he
had all the regular issue sportscards and non-sports cards in the hobby)

I miss Tom very much. He had more BB card and BB card dealer story's than most anyone in this hobby.
And, he was very shrewd in our "cash/trade" deals. I never got the better of him on any of them.



TED Z

T206 Reference
.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12-11-2017, 07:09 PM
tedzan tedzan is offline
Ted Zanidakis
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Pennsylvania & Maine
Posts: 10,053
Default Willow Grove

Diagram of the showroom at the George Washington Convention Center (161 dealer tables). A scan of the
dealer's list will be forthcoming for anyone interested in who was "wheeling-n-dealing" here in the 1980's.






Everyone's favorite dining place was the Boston Sea Party, which was a short walk from the Show. You selected from 3 piers of food.
The 1st pier offered some really great appetizers (including huge Alaskan King Crab claws). In the 2nd pier were a variety of seafood.
And, the 3rd pier had an amazing selection of desserts.

Just up the road (US Route 611) is a great German-American Restaurant....OTTO's. And 4 miles north was the Warrington Inn, where
you could get some really delicious Steaks, Chops, or Italian cuisine.


Hey Leon......You would have really enjoyed the Boston Sea Party.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.
Reply With Quote
Reply



Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
The Philly (Ft. Washington/Reading) show Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 2 02-03-2009 09:52 AM
Fort Washington show Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 11 08-26-2005 05:18 AM
Fort Washington Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 2 04-28-2005 11:30 AM
Fort Washington Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 17 03-15-2003 04:37 PM
West Chester / Willow Grove Archive Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions 3 02-22-2002 04:28 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:44 AM.


ebay GSB