Reflections on 30 years of the Philly Show

[tedzan]

Since 1981, I have continuously done the Philly Show. And, this past weekend at Valley Forge, I have set up at my last show there.

It all started for me when I did the famous Willow Grove show in March and September of 1981. I have an endless amount of stories
I can share with everyone on this forum of my tremendous experiences at the George Washington Convention Center in Willow Grove,
Pennsylvania from 1981 to December of 1992.

Bob Schmierer (promoter) re-located the Philly Show to the Ft. Washington Expo Center, in March of 1993. This was a significant im-
provement over the Willow Grove facility. After 14 years, the Expo Center closed down, and the Philly show relocated to Reading, PA
for 5 shows Dec. 2007 - Sept. 2008.

March 2009, Hunt Auctons took over the Philly show. Relocated it to the Valley Forge Convention Center, where it's been for 6 shows.

It's been a great run for me these past 30 years, wheeling & dealing Sportscards at this show. But, most important of all are the great
people I have met at this show....that have become life-long friendships.


I'll leave you with one of my stories......

Circa 1986....four of us were in my room at the 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 then told Bill "too ex-
pensive". That same card is now the PSA 8 (so-called) Gretzky Wagner.

Anyhow, I thought it would be more interesting to have you guys chime in with your past Philly Show stories. I am sure you have many.

Incidently, the Valley Forge show this weekend went very well for me.....several "walk-ins". I sold quite an eclectic bunch of cards (in-
cluding approx. 100 - T206's). Furthermore, quite a few Net54 guys were at my booth, including some that I have not seen in a while.
Also, Mike Peich and I engaged in a very interesting trade/cash deal.


TED Z

[oldjudge]

Ted--It's always sad when an institution like yourself stops setting up at a show. Why the decision to stop?

[bh3443]

I first attended and set up at this legendary show in 1981 with my friend and veteran hobbyist Bob Thing. I loved the Friday night auctions and I always won a ton of items to bring back to my store in Framingham, Mass.
Bob and Ted were great hosts for this event. I even liked staying at the run-down George Washington Motor Lodge! the best dealers in the country were set up offering great material everytime. What a great time it was to be a hobbyist in those early Willow Grove days.
The day a guy was trying to peddle all those fake Pete Rose Rookies sticks out in my mind because he wanted to trade a bunch of them to me for a 1933 Goudey Lajoie card I had on consignment.
I remember the deal made by MVP plastic sheets of Ohio to sell massive amounts of sheets to my pal Bob.
Some of the best memories I have in the hobby center around the Willow Grove shows.
In my opinion it was the people that made this show so much fun. Everyone from the organizers, dealers to the collectors helped put this event on the map. It was an amazing show in so many ways.
I went to the other locations, but for me, the magic was gone.
I miss those days and in particular those shows.

[barrysloate]

Ted- you haven't told us why you are no longer setting up. If you had a good show, with several walk-ins, I would think that would be the incentive to keep doing it.

[tedzan]

Barry and Jay

1st....the Valley Forge show has become an autograph extravaganza. This show really does not need any BB card dealers.

Why I did better this weekend ? There were considerably less vintage card dealers, therefore less competition. There are
more Auction Houses set-up than vintage card dealers.
Also, for unexplainable reasons, quite a few Net54 members showed up; and, I gave them some nice deals.

2nd....the cost of an 8-foot table booth is twice the cost of the shows when Bob Schmierer ran the Philly show.


I will continue to set-up at the National's (East of the Mississippi) with Mark Macrae.

And, I will continue to set-up at the Cooperstown Show every Summer during HOF weekend.


Best regards guys

TED Z

[judsonhamlin]

Wow - I'm sorry to see that you're done with the show. You've been its biggest booster on this forum and I, for one, have always enjoyed talking to you when I go.
I agree that the show bears little resemblance to the Willow Grove or Ft. Washington years, when it was worth the annual EPSCC membership fee to get in an hour early on Friday and not have to stand in the long lines that snaked out the doors.
The show will likely stumble on with fewer vintage dealers each show - but, I suspect, without many of us on this forum watching it atrophy.

[sox1903wschamp]

Originally Posted by tedzan

I will continue to set-up at the National's (East of the Mississippi) with Mark Macrae.


TED Z

So you will be in Chicago next year for the National? If so, great!

[Michael Peich]

Hi, Ted,

I am so sorry to learn that you have attended your last Valley Forge show. For the relatively short time I've been going to shows (ten years), I've always enjoyed making deals with you. In fact, two of my three most memorable purchases/trades involve you.

#1 was February, 2003 when I was just starting my T3 set and I bought 26 cards from you (averaging VG) for the princely sum of $950. You were incredibly generous because you knew how serious I was about the set. That purchase, which included three HOFers, got me to the goal line of completing the set, including variations.

#2 was this past Saturday when I traded you a Cy portrait (Sovereign back), a card I originally bought from you, for another Cy portrait and a few other cards. What made the trade so special was the fact that my Cy was the final card you needed to complete your Sovereign 206 subset.

#3 is Ron Barrett who pointed me in the right direction when I started collecting 206s, and gave me some generous discounts on cards in order to help me get started. I would always bring Ron and Sheila freshly baked cookies prepared by my wife, Dianne.

So, I'll miss you, Ted, and will look forward to seeing you each year at the National.

Cheers, Mike

[mets41]

I also set up next to Ted Z (I live 15 mimutes from the GW Lodge in Willow Grove Lodge). In the 80's Chris Short of Wilmington, DE, and former Phillie pitcher in the 60's was a regular attendee of the show (he collected Phillies cards). At one of the shows he was talking of the GREAT PHILLIE FOLDUP IF 1964. Short's openion was the fold was entirely the fault of manager Gene Mauch (he pitched the staff's 2 aces Short and Jim Bunning so much during the last 2 weeks of the season that their arms were ready to fall off).

[ethicsprof]

Leon,
great story. i bet ole TRex had some cards that would make the rest of us
salivate!! Eating at the restaurant where you had your own key to let yourselves in and feast on home cooking makes me salivate even now!
Reminds me of when i took a trip through Mayberry,NC and had an amazing feast of those yummy fried potatoes, as you so accurately describe them.
Many thanks for sharing the Leon--Ted baseball card picnic!
and Merry Christmas to you and to Ted and Charlotte as well.

all the best, ole friends
barry

[mets41]

Hello Theodore--

Do you remember when ex-fillie pitcher chris short would come to the EPSCC shows at the George Washington Lodge in Willow Grove as a collector? He told us the story of how he got back into card collecting as an adult. The house he lived in as a child in Wilmington, DE, was continuously family owned (his brother was living in the house). The brother called chris one day and said "I found our childhood card collection in the house. Do you want the cards or should I give them to the trashman?" Chris recovered the cards and resumed collecting. As an adult coming to card shows (by this time he was retired as a player) he was trying to collect all fillie cards (mostly from the 1950's) and we were able to help him reach his goal. One time chris had signed on to be an autograph guest at an EPSCC show on Saturday afternoon starting at 2 PM. He showed up first thing in the morning and the promoter thought there was a screw-up until chris said "I collect cards also and want to check out the inventory of your dealers before I'm scheduled to start signing the autographs."

[tedzan]

Hey guys,

I thought that reviving this 4 year old thread in which many of us reminisced over the good ole Philly Shows would be a nice tribute to Bob Schmierer.

And, for the newer Net54 collectors to gain an appreciation of one of the great BB card Shows ever in this hobby during the 1975 - 2008 era.

Do chime in with any of your stories regarding the Spring Garden, Willow Grove, Fort Washington, Reading, and the Ocean City Philly shows.


TED Z
.

[tedzan]

The site of the Willow Grove BB card Show......the George Washington Motor Lodge and Conference Center.






TED Z
.