Best Card Shows for PreWar?
 

Hello everyone! First post here besides a WTB post. I was hoping to tap into the knowledge and experience of this group in asking what card shows have you all been to where you've had the best luck / success finding pre-war baseball cards?

Thanks,

Bill

The biggest card shows will always have the most selection from any era. For me that would be the Shriners show in early November. Can’t wait!

Jason, are you referring the Shriners show in MA, not too far from Boston?

The Philly Show always has a bunch of vintage and the only show I have done out of state besides the national. A lot of great dealers and hobbyists there.
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I can't speak for Jason, but the Shriner's show in Wilmington MA, about 20 minute Northeast of Boston always has a lot of pre-war. It is Nov 4-6, here is the website http://gbsccconvention.com/ By far the best show in New England.

Note there is also a show at the Shriner's in the Spring, put on by Rich Altman I believe, which is good but not quite at the same level as the November show.

Ah, excellent, see you there Bob!

The Megalopolis (or what some people call ACELA) is by far the best area for pre-war cards. Basically, anything from New England to Chantilly on the East Coast (Including Philadelphia and Strongsville) is going to have the greatest preponderance of pre-war (and pre-1980) cards

Rich

Not been to the Philly show, but I've heard that next to the National it is the best

Thank you for all the responses! I will certainly need to check some of these out!

Yes I should have clarified. Shriners in Wilmington November 4-6 this year. This is a terrific show, lots of heavy hitters come in from all over the country. It’s not the National or anything like that but it’s a great show. Can’t wait!

I do the Shriners show in Wilmington (used to be the Boston card collectors show. I have done every one since day 1 (tells you I am old). But a great vintage show with many old time dealers including the Great Bob Thing. Bob goes back to the early 1970’s.

vintage show
 

Hi billbays- not sure where you are located. The April show in Strongsville,
Ohio (immediately south of Cleveland) is a wonderful vintage show. It has
a retro feel to it, people elbow-to elbow and almost no modern stuff in sight.

Trent King

I'm going to second this. The fall GBSC Shiner's show is the one show to attend in New England, I put it in the great category. It's on a similar level as any Philly show. The Rich Altman show in the spring is fair-good depending on the year, I'd compare it to the White Plains, NY. I can take or leave the spring show but the fall is worth the drive every time.

Anyone know of any in the San Jose area? Just moved out here

No one has mentioned the Strongsville show just outside of Cleveland. Usually held over a long three-day weekend in very late March, or April, each year. It is literally just a couple freeway exits down from where the National gets held in Cleveland at the IX Center. The Strongsville show is also the longest running, continuously held sports card show in the US (and the world for all I know), and even eclipses the National by a couple years. The show has historically been virtually all vintage, and no or extremely little modern. Always had a lot of pre-war.

Philly show is the best!!! Great dealers, tons of vintage...oh and it helps that it is only an hour or so (or less) away from anyone in the tri state area.

Strongsville
 

Agreed with Trent — STrongsville is really slanted to pre-war / vintage …. Would be nice to see them move it to a bigger venue … Been around a long time .. First show I ever went to … at age 10 — ya a long time ago

Go Tribe !

Philly and Boston are good compared to others, always a good number of vintage dealers - good luck if you are going soon! Boston in Nov- Don always has a great selection! and Philly in Dec

Jimmy

The Strongsville show has been going since 1978. "The Professor", Jeff Sindelar, used to run it with friends of his for the longest time. And after his passing, Paul Fusco took over the helm, and made sure to keep it vintage. Paul passed away in January of the year before the pandemic, so his wife, Debbie, ran it that one last time in 2019, before the pandemic cancelled the next two years. Finally came back this past Spring, but the Holiday Inn it had always been held at was taken over by Best Western, so it is no longer the Strongsville Holiday Inn show, as it was commonly referred to locally. And the show has now been taken over by the guy who owns and operates the Toronto Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo, Steve Menzie. The Show's website still advertises it as a premier vintage show, so hopefully the new owner will continue that tradition going forward.

There’s also a ~ Monthly Show in the Boston area (Dedham) that always has great vintage and pre-war representation. However, it can be hit or miss since these shows occur frequently and sometimes vendors skip certain shows so only worth going to if you’re in the area.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the Philly show in the past, and hope to get to the one in December this year.

I went to the Strongsville show this past April and the show was absolutely packed on Friday, so packed you had a hard time seeing what was on the tables. So packed that within an hour of the show everyone was sweating bullets and complaining. I literally had to leave the ballroom on occasion to get to some cooler air. I last attended the show in 2018 and it was probably around a quarter of the people. And I’m a young guy and average build. Not sure how the big guys and older gents suffered through.
This place was packed with a noticeable older crowd so that tells you everything you need to know about the vintage market at that time. Anyhow selection was great if your looking for raw, not too much graded stuff. Tobacco and candy cards a plenty.
This show desperately needs a larger venue. It was far too crowded to the point where it felt unsafe. Unless the venue changes I’m likely not going back.

There are a few shows out here, but not much in the way of vintage. At least from what I've seen. I still need to check out the Sacramento show, but the ones in San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland are petty much all modern with a heavy emphasis on modern basketball Warriors cards and some 49ers cards as well as lots of random ultra modern rainbow glitter cards. And it's the same people setting up at each show. Maybe 1% vintage, if you're lucky.

No one goes there, it's too crowded :-)

Serious, it is a pretty decent show but the aisles are so narrow that, to me, it is not worth the effort. Would be great if they had a bigger hall or moved the autograph guests to a different room

I'm 20 minutes from the Shriner's and always go. Is it worth the long drive from Boston to Philly? Or would I just see the same dealers.

Card show in So. Cal.?
 

Please let me know. I would like to reserve a table to sell some "dupes" from 1909 to 1969. Who knows maybe I can find some Schutter Johnson's and 48-49 Leafs for myself.

Thanks, Mike Ryan gmryan9@msn.com

Blah figured that lol. Thanks! Going to check out stevens creek card shop as I think they have some vintage and its close to me.