No more Fort Washington show???

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Jay B

Thanks for confirming my recollection of when T206 card prices suddenly
"jumped up" (almost an order of magnitude); and why this occurred at the
SF National. This news reveberated thru the hobby coast-to-coast in the
summer of 1987 and by the September Willow Grove show prices on most
T-cards reflected this significant increase.

Also, I clearly recollect that all Mantle cards went up 4-fold. For example,
I specifically recall selling a 1951 Bowman Mantle for $200 earlier in 1987 at
the March WG show. By the Sept. show, the same Mantle card was selling for
anywhere from $800 - $1000. Even an easy to find ExMt 1966 Topps Mantle
jumped from $50 to $200, overnite.

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Posted By: barrysloate

That just shows the effect a single collector had on the market, when a Jim Copeland changed the price structure for all vintage cards and forced the entire collecting community to join the bandwagon. Today, however, there are many collectors with the means of a Copeland and the market is much deeper. That's a good sign.

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Posted By: jay behrens

I had forgetten about the Mantle situation too. The other memorable experience fromt that show was screaming at Rosen "I am not your wholesaler!" after he tried cherry pick my cases, demand I give him an outrageous discount and getting upset with me when I wouldn't cut him any more than 10% off. When I asked him if he would ever give me that kind of price break on anyhting I bought from him, he said no. So why the hell would I give him a huge discount?

One other memerable transaction was selling a Reggie Jackson rookie card to Reggie Jackson. I thought that was pretty neat.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: Tom Batchelor

Do any of you remember Marco Rol ? I worked for him at Southern Cards in Charlottesville, Va. while I was in college and med school in the mid to late 80s. I remember he always spoke fondly of the Willow Grove show and mentioned several of your names.

I was really fortunate to be working for him when he purchased several hundred mint T cards from an older gentleman that walked up to him at a show in Richmond. I bet some of you on this board bought some of those cards from him. I remember that he let us cherry pick as many as we wanted for $100 each. Sure wish I still had them.

If anyone knows where he is, I would love to contact him.

Thanks in advance.

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Posted By: Troy

Tom,

I think he promotes the Collector's Showcase of America shows with Niall Hayden in Chantilly,VA. Their email address is csashows@aol.com.

Your Welcome

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Posted By: Tom Batchelor

Thanks Troy. I remember Niall well too. He lived in a loft above Marco's store for awhile in college. I can't wait to contact them.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Barry

No argument regarding the effect on BB card prices by Jim Copeland in '87.
However, he's just one person. There were many more significant factors
that affected the sudden rise of card prices across board that year.

Interest rates were significantly dropping. For example, I re-financed my
mortgage (from 14% rate when my house was built in 1983) to 8% in 1987.
In addition, that fall we had a scare when the Stock Market took a big dive.
Many Stocks' investors switched over to the "safer" collectibles markets.

Also, in the process of re-financing, people were deriving extra cash from
their equity and spending it. I did exactly that and with these extra $$$$
I bought BB cards.

The combination of all these factors in '87, and into the 1990's, really
"stoked" a "bull market" in the BB card hobby during that period.

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Posted By: barrysloate

No question there was a confluence of events that triggered the rise of card prices, among them that wealthy Americans were getting wealthier and looking for places to put their cash. But if I had to come up with a single factor it is that baseball cards are really aesthetically pleasing. People just like to have them and collect them and look at them (I can no longer say "and hold them" because they are imprisoned in slabs). And a seemingly endless number of people keep coming into the hobby.
But that is today. Prior to 1990, it was unusual for someone like Jim Copeland to sink such enormous sums of money into baseball cards.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Barry

Regarding the Jim Copeland collection, in amassing it, didn't he limit his
buying to just a handful of dealers ? It isn't like he was spreading his
$$$$$ around for many in the hobby to benefit. It was a very tightly
controlled situation. So, I really wonder how much he influenced the
rising prices back then in the late '80s.

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Posted By: jay behrens

He limited his buying to certain dealers, but it was known who was doing the buying the for them. They tried to get as low a price as possible, but they also paid very well when they had too and took advantage of that fact.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.