Will anyone be giving a blow-by-blow account from the National this year?

[uyu906]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Rich, I did see some E210s at the show on Thursday & Friday, but not all that many. I do specifically recall seeing a couple of York Caramel WaJos.

Rats! I still need a Johnson. Oh, well. . . .

[spacktrack]

I just posted a few dozen pictures of our display at the show on Facebook for those of you who weren't able to make it to AC. Check them out and give us a like for more updates as it gets closer to the auction.

https://www.facebook.com/RobertEdwardAuctions/

We've met dozens of Net54ers this week, given out a lot of pins, and even steered some new members to the board. It's been a great show for us, and we picked up some incredible stuff that we can't wait to show off.

Brian

[gnaz01]

Originally Posted by spacktrack

I just posted a few dozen pictures of our display at the show on Facebook for those of you who weren't able to make it to AC. Check them out and give us a like for more updates as it gets closer to the auction.

https://www.facebook.com/RobertEdwardAuctions/

We've met dozens of Net54ers this week, given out a lot of pins, and even steered some new members to the board. It's been a great show for us, and we picked up some incredible stuff that we can't wait to show off.

Brian

Awesome pics, Brian.

[david_l]

Originally Posted by uyu906

I did notice one dealer who had a at least one display case with pre - WWI sports cards, and 1 case of pre-WWII sports cards. Saw at least 3 dealers with the pre-WWII Olympic sports cards.

Neat. I'm glad to hear people are displaying and selling them. Thanks for letting me know.

[Steve D]

Here are some pictures a CU member posted on their boards, showing BBCE's recent "Arizona Find" of Old Judges:






Steve

[Steve D]

Here's more from the CU boards:






Steve

[Joe_G.]

Originally Posted by glynparson

My awesome dad for all his help this weekend. I was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease after a nearly year long battle they finally figured out what it was. It has left me weak and tired and he has certainly picked up the slack for me. If I seemed aloof or stand offish to anyone this weekend I apologize. Again Love you dad and thanks for all of your tremendous help.

Sorry to hear this Glyn, so many times Lyme disease is diagnosed late which makes treating it a bit more challenging. Hang in there, hope you are on the path to a full recovery with no long term issues.

Best Regards,
Joe G.

[Joe_G.]

Love Brian's pics of REA booth, can't wait for fall auction!

The Arizona Find OJs look fantastic, some nice cards mixed in there.

[Stonepony]

Originally Posted by Steve D

Here's more from the CU boards:






Steve

Wow

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Steve D

Here's more from the CU boards:

Really? Stickers directly on the slabs?

[glynparson]

The stickers are directly on the flab. It's no problem if you use removable ones. Cards look like crap displayed in bags and customers want the cards priced sovthey need not ask prices. Probably something you should consider if you are setting up at your show.

[Huck]

Also, with high end cards like those depicted, the dealer does not have to keep opening and closing the case, which helps diminish the chance of a duo working in tandem to steal cards.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by glynparson

The stickers are directly on the flab. It's no problem if you use removable ones. Cards look like crap displayed in bags and customers want the cards priced sovthey need not ask prices. Probably something you should consider if you are setting up at your show.

Hi Glyn, met you with David Birmingham. It's my experience that even removable stickers become less removable with time. I'm assuming those are yours? I was mesmerized by your T206 display, so I must've missed them!

I bag and sticker my cards. Different strokes. The stickers in question are indeed small and well-placed, it just surprised me to see them on the slab. With your inventory you clearly don't need me telling you what to do!

Speaking of my show...

[glynparson]

Not part of mine but I do sticker. I'll have to check out the bags you use may be better than what I have tried. I am honestly not sure if I will be in town that weekend I will have to check. Dave is agreat guy it was nice meeting you. I believe we sat next to each other at an auction of his back when it was in Hershey. I remember winning a nice 1962 Maris not sure what else either of us bought that day. I'll be at his September sale hope to see you. If I find I am free I may give you a call about the show you are certainly putting in some effort for which I applaud you many promoters don't work so hard. I think this could be a nice consistent show if you keep pushing.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

That's some memory! Hershey was at least 3 years ago now!

September I'm at a show but I will definitely be at his auctions October and November, though October conflicts with Chantilly.

Thanks for the encouragement, trust me there are times when I think "man this takes a ton of work to even try to do correctly!" but I really feel like most shows the dealers are just commodities and I want them to feel more like partners. Any thoughts you might have feel free to PM me! We're always listening.

The dream is to eventually grow it into a large multi-day show. Split Rock has the facilities and they've been a great partner so far. We expect to take a loss this time out, we just hope we don't lose our shirts!

Thanks again, and you really do have amazing stuff! Anyone looking for a great T206 selection tomorrow you HAVE to stop by Glyn's booth.

[Tennis13]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Really? Stickers directly on the slabs?

This is the place I bought my Gehrig. Sticker didn't even cross my mind. I bought last year's card with a sticker on back. Is that a faux pas? If so, why? It made it so much easier for me to shop and walk through the show quicker.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Just that some people (one of whom is me) have had bad experiences with stickers leaving very difficult to remove residue. If the sticker hasn't been on long it shouldn't be a problem. But even removable stickers can get dicey if they've been on a while, or have sat and baked in a hot car etc...

If the stickers came off for you no problem than there's definitely no issue. I also whole-heartedly agree that it is nicer to shop at the table of someone who has his inventory priced as opposed to feeling like I'm getting sized up when I ask for a price.

[Al C.risafulli]

I was really impressed with this year's show, it was one of the better Nationals I can remember. In terms of consignments, it was the best show LOTG has ever had; I'd even say it was better than any TWO shows we've done, combined. The fall auction is going to be an outstanding one.

That said, the best part of the National, for me, is spending time with everyone and getting to meet and shake hands with so many Net54 members. It never ceases to amaze me how awesome everyone is, and how much fun I have at the show, just talking with people.

Handwritten Springsteen lyrics aside, my favorite items that I saw this year were the Christy Mathewson military ID in Kevin Keating's booth, along with a stunning Goodwin Round Album with its pages all professionally matted and framed to make a beautiful display.

And of course another awesome thing was what seemed like an increase in the number of kids who were there, opening packs and getting genuinely enthusiastic about what they got.

One last highlight was the fact that DJ brought a 1984 Topps rack pack box to the booth, and it stayed there for two or three days. During that time, various collectors would occasionally stop by and open a pack, and we'd sit there and reminisce about pulling a Mattingly or a Strawberry out of a pack back in those days. Thanks to DJ for the great conversation piece.

Can't wait til next year's show!

-Al

[Snapolit1]

Every time I saw you Al you had two fists full of holders and another stack or two on the table waiting to be looked at. Can't wait for the next auction.

[GasHouseGang]

I saw this 30 minute video of a stroll around the convention that was posted by Steel City Collectibles. It's at least a small fix for those of us that didn't get to attend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uABhfN7pRks

[gnaz01]

That first dealer they show is kinda shady (hey Dan)

[vintagerookies51]

Do the majority of people actually go to the National ready to buy? I'd imagine if I went it would be more for the experience rather than paying more for cards that are readily available on eBay for much less... Or are some prices there comparable?

[ullmandds]

I go to the national with a pocket full of cash...prepared to buy if I see something I want. From my experience the last 5-8 years....I will likely not employ this tactic anymore if I ever attend a national again.

For me it would be a social experience with the cards taking a back seat.

As many have said for what it has cost me in the past to attend the chicago show...I could have stayed home and added a decent ruth...or aaron rookie to my collection.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by vintagerookies51

Do the majority of people actually go to the National ready to buy? I'd imagine if I went it would be more for the experience rather than paying more for cards that are readily available on eBay for much less... Or are some prices there comparable?

Just like anywhere else there are great deals to be had at Nationals. It just takes effort.

[basesareempty]

Originally Posted by uyu906

I saw about 5 dealers with Old Judges. I believe the dealer that had the most had about 25 total. The other four had about 10 each.

Steve and Reed from Baseball card Exchange had a nice grouping of 25-30 OJ's from a recent find in Arizona in PSA 4-6 range that were really nice. If you just wrote off that entire area because he was located in the unopened/corporate area you missed them.

[packs]

I found a lot of the prices to be out of control. I tried to work with some dealers but they were often only willing to budge $100 or so on their cards. Trying to sell was a nightmare as well. For some reason their cards always seemed to be worth more and my cards always seemed to be worth less by virtue of who owned them.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by packs

I found a lot of the prices to be out of control. I tried to work with some dealers but they were often only willing to budge $100 or so on their cards. Trying to sell was a nightmare as well. For some reason their cards always seemed to be worth more and my cards always seemed to be worth less by virtue of who owned them.

Yea....I thought used car salesmen were bad!

[rats60]

Originally Posted by vintagerookies51

Do the majority of people actually go to the National ready to buy? I'd imagine if I went it would be more for the experience rather than paying more for cards that are readily available on eBay for much less... Or are some prices there comparable?

It is like any show. Some dealers are there to sell cards and some are museums. Last year I got a good deal on a t206 Magie. See the thread on the M116 Bates. There are reasonable prices on some cards, but you can also get good buys on things that rarely hit Ebay.

[Steve_NY]

I have done 34 nationals and have seen the good and the bad, well not very bad except for both earlier nationals in A.C. So I kind of expected this A. C. to be similar. In fact this was probably my best national in 10 to 15 years.

If you pick up many new acquisitions, and don't bring the same display every year, you are bound to do well if you are different than everyone else. If you load your display with 1950s and 1960s cards, you will not do well unless you already have a defined client base that buys from you every year.

For example, a potential customer saw that I had the best graded Cuban, Japanese and Caribbean cards. He asked if I had any Valenzuelan cards, and I responded that I had a 1962 Spahn in grade 7, 8, 9 or 10. He said that was impossible and wanted to see the card. It was in grade 7, and is the highest grade being a 1 of 2. He wanted to do some research on it, and left to contact me this week. I am not counting the days, because I let my stock sell itself; if he decides against it, such is life.

My point is that if you don't visit every table, you will never know what you are missing. Five of the cards that have already been posted as pickups were from me. I am not one of the big guys who pick up large finds, but I tend to focus on special items that are in demand or no one has ever seen it, including me.

Stop by next year as I am the 8th booth straight in the door.

But I will report that I have spoken to many other dealers who responded that they were down in sales from 20% to 50% or more. Maybe I was just lucky but before the show opened to the public, I was already up almost 200% from last year, so this was a great show for me.

Steve Sabow
Dynamictwo@aol.com

[Exhibitman]

I have been to every National since 2003. This was the worst. Logistically, it was a nightmare for anyone traveling from the West. AC is not near anything, really, and has a small airport that is served only by Spirit, which is the worst airline around. I had to split my trip into two pieces to get in and out of there and maintain my sanity in the process. It was an ordeal. It is actually easier to get to London from L.A.

As a consequence of the travel logistics and the higher cost of hotels for the show, a good many vintage dealers did not make the journey or did so but only with what they could carry on a plane. That was problematic for me. I tend to collect oddball items, regional cards, team issues, etc., so when the bulk is missing from the booths, so is my target material. I need to pick lots of random stuff to find the items I collect; little of that at the show. There was quite a bit of nice mainstream slabbery, but that really isn't my speed at a show. I can get that stuff on eBay or in any of the dozens of AH's.

I basically finished my real shopping by Thursday and spent the rest of my time filling in items in my postwar mainstream collection. Nice cards and cheap, but hardly worth a trip to AC. I really only got three decent prewar items, another Thorpe strip card in the Indian headdress and a pair of Diamond Dust cards (Grove and Vandermeer), both on Wednesday morning during set-up.

One more rant: there is no friggin' way that the National needs that much floor space. That is just nonsense. The sheer amount of dead space and useless area on that show floor was proof. The corporate carpet was vast and empty, and the pack break pavilion was also big and basically deserted.

On the plus side, I did get to meet and chat with Riddick Bowe, 2x heavyweight champ and HOFer, and get him to sign a ticket from one of his Holyfield fights:



And I got this graded:



And this too:



Plus, I was able to drop off my order with SGC for their August special and give them the Thorpe and the Diamond Dust cards in that order, a cost and effort saver.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Northviewcats

A lot of effort went into your post, Tennis13. Especially after spending time on the floor at Nationals. I enjoyed reading it. Thank you.

Joe

A big +1 on that--thanks much for taking the time!

Larry

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by brass_rat

One of the more interesting things I've seen is the dealer who had a stacked full case of 60's decade Mantles...all raw. He was happy that he had sold over 200 Mantles already, mostly to dealers. Doesn't seem to care that he's leaving money on the table...the collector that I was with explained that this dealer doesn't believe in grading. I'm sure the dealers buying those Mantles do though...



Cheers,
Steve

I'm personally more than a bit suspicious when a dealer has what appear to be NmMt or better valuable cards and they claim they don't believe in grading--caveat emptor, as a lot of danger lurks there. Hopefully the dealers buying knew what to look for in terms of edges and print dot patterns.

Thanks for the report, Steve,

Larry

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

there appears to be no shortage of jordan rookies at this years national!

Why would there be a shortage--in nearly 30 years of collecting, this card has never been in short supply.

Best wishes, Pete,

Larry

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Joe_G.

Sorry to hear this Glyn, so many times Lyme disease is diagnosed late which makes treating it a bit more challenging. Hang in there, hope you are on the path to a full recovery with no long term issues.

Best Regards,
Joe G.

Absolutely! My prayers go out for you.

Best always,

Larry

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by ls7plus

Why would there be a shortage--in nearly 30 years of collecting, this card has never been in short supply.

Best wishes, Pete,

Larry

well the sentiment seemed to be that the demand for jordan rookies was insatiable...perhaps not? To justify the ridiculous prices being paid for 9's and 10's...you'd think supply was short.

[Tennis13]

Originally Posted by ls7plus

A big +1 on that--thanks much for taking the time!

Larry

Anytime. I can't begin to tell you how much help everyone on this board has been to me the past 8 or so months I've been on. I had someone help me just the other day. Just trying to put in as much as I take out.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Leon

Just like anywhere else there are great deals to be had at Nationals. It just takes effort.

+++1. Didn't go this year, but came away with a 1913-1915 Pinkerton Matty (thanks, Glyn!) and a '34 Gold Medal Flour Dean (his 30-7 season--2.65 ERA when the league ERA was over 4.00!) last year in Chicago. Two treasures for me (and thanks to Leon for his input on the Matty).

Regards,

Larry

[toppcat]

To me there are five Nationals in one:

1) Vintage Card National
2) Modern Shiny Card National
3) Corporate/Case Break/Hit The Lottery National
4) Autograph Guest National
5) Hang Out With Your Hobby Friends National

I'm only interested in 1) and 5) but I guess that 2), 3) and 4) are what pay the bills.

[Jewish-collector]

You can also add in groups and/or subgroups

Non-Sports collectors
Baseball Memorabilia collectors
Football collectors
Basketball collectors
Hockey collectors
Golf collectors
Racing card collectors
etc,...

[Snapolit1]

Lots of pro wrestling stuff. To each his own. Most seems to be middle aged guys focusing on the stars of the 80s.

[tbob]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Didn't someone post a fake Namath Rookie on the board that was in a PSA holder? I'd be concerned if someone was offering me Namath rookie cards in high grade and large quantity. This same thing happened at one of the early National's when the Rose rookie was first hot and someone made some really convincing fakes. Several dealers bought them and were offering them at their tables. Later it was discovered they were fakes. Several dealers lost some pretty good money. I've seen some of these Rose rookies still floating around with FAKE stamped across the back.

I bought a NRMT 1965 Topps football set recently, minus the Namath card. I bought a Namath reprint on eBay as a placeholder until prices come out of the stratosphere and was shocked when I got it to see how authentic looking it was. It has made me realize that when I get ready to buy a Namath rookie it will be in a graded holder, regardless of condition. The "quality" of reprinted, fake, replicated (whatever you want to call them) cards has become very scary.

[e107collector]

Originally Posted by tbob

I bought a NRMT 1965 Topps football set recently, minus the Namath card. I bought a Namath reprint on eBay as a placeholder until prices come out of the stratosphere and was shocked when I got it to see how authentic looking it was. It has made me realize that when I get ready to buy a Namath rookie it will be in a graded holder, regardless of condition. The "quality" of reprinted, fake, replicated (whatever you want to call them) cards has become very scary.

Agreed. There seems to be two versions of the reprint. Here is the older one that I saw once in person. Hopefully no one here bought it - $445 for a worthless reprint.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Topps-F...p2047675.l2557

You could tell very easily on this example. See the tops of the letters in his name - they seem to have white on the tops that give it a 3D type look. The color is sort of faded in person.

The newer example seems too goo to be true. Just be careful and leery when buying a high dollar, ungraded card.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-topps-j...3D222206459600

Just my two cents.

Tony

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by e107collector

Agreed. There seems to be two versions of the reprint. Here is the older one that I saw once in person. Hopefully no one here bought it - $445 for a worthless reprint.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Topps-F...p2047675.l2557

You could tell very easily on this example. See the tops of the letters in his name - they seem to have white on the tops that give it a 3D type look. The color is sort of faded in person.

The newer example seems too goo to be true. Just be careful and leery when buying a high dollar, ungraded card.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-topps-j...3D222206459600

Just my two cents.

Tony

Please stop calling these reprints. Reprints are legal authorized reproductions, these are counterfeits and have no place in the hobby. I am CONSTANTLY reporting counterfeits being listed as reprints on ebay. Join me!

[tschock]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

You can also add in groups and/or subgroups

Non-Sports collectors
Baseball Memorabilia collectors
Football collectors
Basketball collectors
Hockey collectors
Golf collectors
Racing card collectors
etc,...

Color me confused, but isn't it called the National Sports Collectors Convention?

[glynparson]

Thnak you to those showing concern. My condition has improved greatly since my illness was identified and i took a regimen of antibiotics. I truly am feeling like myself again and am optimistic i will make a full recovery. Hopefully continue heading in the right direction and hope to be fully back to my old self by Chicago.

[Leon]

The quality of a lot of fakes and counterfeits has got a lot better the last few years, so it seems.

Originally Posted by tbob

I bought a NRMT 1965 Topps football set recently, minus the Namath card. I bought a Namath reprint on eBay as a placeholder until prices come out of the stratosphere and was shocked when I got it to see how authentic looking it was. It has made me realize that when I get ready to buy a Namath rookie it will be in a graded holder, regardless of condition. The "quality" of reprinted, fake, replicated (whatever you want to call them) cards has become very scary.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by Leon

The quality of a lot of fakes and counterfeits has got a lot better the last few years, so it seems.

I know all to well. I brought to the National a Wolverine PC of Cobb (batting) to be graded by SGC. I thought it might have a chance; it passed the sniff and paper tests, I checked with a few folks in the know who said they had never run across a bogus one, there were a few light spots and a corner wrinkle on the reverse, lending credibility and the corners were unevenly rounded. Well, submission made and 2 hrs later the verdict returned as counterfeit. Disappointed sure, but maybe a little wiser. In today's world of old raw baseball cards and PC's caveat emptor.
As an aside, the 2 hrs it took my poor Wolfy Cobb to be graded by SGC would have taken 48 at PSA. The surging crowds practically stampeding PSA and throwing their submissions around stood in stark contrast to SGC which resembled the Last Gulch Saloon with all the boys standing around looking slightly desperate.

[e107collector]

Originally Posted by Yoda

I know all to well. I brought to the National a Wolverine PC of Cobb (batting) to be graded by SGC. I thought it might have a chance; it passed the sniff and paper tests, I checked with a few folks in the know who said they had never run across a bogus one, there were a few light spots and a corner wrinkle on the reverse, lending credibility and the corners were unevenly rounded. Well, submission made and 2 hrs later the verdict returned as counterfeit. Disappointed sure, but maybe a little wiser. In today's world of old raw baseball cards and PC's caveat emptor.
As an aside, the 2 hrs it took my poor Wolfy Cobb to be graded by SGC would have taken 48 at PSA. The surging crowds practically stampeding PSA and throwing their submissions around stood in stark contrast to SGC which resembled the Last Gulch Saloon with all the boys standing around looking slightly desperate.

John,

Any chance you could post an image of the card? I've never seen a counterfeit Wolverine Cobb. Scary stuff

Tony

[begsu1013]

.

[Yoda]

Tony, I would be more than happy to scan if I knew how to. My PC skills are still sorely lacking. But wait... the fact that you and several knowledgeable people have never seen a counterfeit one before gives me faint hope that SGC got it wrong and mine just might be ok. Perhaps PSA or BVG might express a favorable verdict. Or I might just tuck it into my Cobb collection, believe it to be real and say to hell with the grading cos. Just before I submitted the card to SGC, I was sitting behind the cases with a bunch of fellow old geezers swapping baseball card lies at the LOTG table. One of the gentlemen there, probably a Net54 guy whose name I never got, apparently an expert on early baseball PC's, took a look at it for a long time, wasn't happy with a couple minor things but said he thought it might have a chance.