Setting up at Chantilly this weekend?
 

Hi there,

Who is setting up at the Chantilly show this weekend? I'm going to go for a few hours on Friday and Saturday, and I'll be on the lookout for two cards:

1911 T205 Gold Border Christy Mathewson (SGC-PSA 2-3)
1937 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37 (SGC-PSA 2-3)

If you'll have either (or both), let me know and I'll come by your booth!

Thanks,
Dave

I'll be at booth 601 and have close to both cards
 

In my usual spot - up front booth 601. I have a beautiful 34 Goudey Gehrig #61 in an SGC 3.5 and an incredible American Beauty Back T205 Matty in a PSA 4

Always looking to buy or trade for quality vintage and accepting select private consignments.

Planning to be there Saturday.

I'm planning on being there as a buyer on Saturday. First time making it up there in 25 years! looking for 52 Topps to get for my set. Particularly raw highs.

Also meeting a close friend, "Uncle" Dick DeCourcey, who is literally like an uncle to me. One of the best humans I have ever met, much less in cards. I have been to his home the last few summers and will again this year.

I'll come check out any board members!

Today, I headed out to Chantilly, to purchase admission and other tickets for Sunday. I thought the place would be a cricket fest but when I pulled up the parking lot was jammed. The line to get in was out the door! I almost turned around to head back to work. I parked the car and decided if I should just come back on Sunday. I noticed the entry line had died down, so I decided to head in. The joint was popping. I was shocked to see that many people in there on a Friday afternoon. I purchased my autographs tickets and perused the floor for a bit, stopped to purchase admission for Sunday and then headed out. With the amount of enthusiasm witnessed today, the hobby looks to get in good shape, even with the markets in turmoil the past two days.

Heading there today (Saturday) with my son after lunch.

Very “Jelly” as my kids say… wish I could go too. Enjoy and good luck for your card hunt.

Every show nowadays is packed.

I have been going to the Chantilly Show forever. When I arrived shortly after noon today, the parking lots were fuller than I have ever seen them before! Enjoyed chatting with several Board members.

My brother and his son were there and said it was absolutely packed. They’re into modern basketball, which maybe somewhat represents the demographic of that aspect of the hobby. They spent quite a bit of money on several boxes and ripped the packs open together to create a great memory and try to discover a Cooper Flagg auto. Same perhaps for modern baseball, lots of younger collectors accompanied by their patent(s), or their parents getting back into the hobby and introducing their kids to it with today’s superstars.

I’m curious if the continued and lasting strength of this collecting hobby is mostly driven by the total demographics…many young parents with kids (or modern collectors sans kids) decades away from retirement and no material impact on their current living expenses from a downturn in the stock market (their money of which is more likely tied up in 401ks, than active stock market investment).

My take.., the stock market hasn’t hit the card show market. Shows are packed.

One thing in 87-88
 

After Black Monday, many people went back to baseball cards as an investment so the market boomed when the stock market tanked.

If it's not a recession but just a stock market correction, there could well be another addition to the exploding card market. People will look for a more fun way to utilize their $$$ and cards are more fun the CNBC or Fox Business.

Glad to hear this, but I would like to see a show this size without the autograph guests--not that I have anything against them--to gauge the strength of the card and memorabilia markets. It does seem that there is a new generation of younger collectors of what we used to somewhat derisively call "shiny stuff" coming to and setting up at shows, but Chantilly has for decades been mostly an autograph show with the dealers as window dressing, and I wonder if that's changed much. In any case, packed is packed and that's great.

Hank, traffic in the aisles was heavy as was traffic at the tables of dealers with the "shiny stuff." The traffic at the tables of vintage dealers seemed good, and I hope these dealers did well.

+1

I stopped in today on the way home from western VA and the place was busier than I have ever seen before.

Huh? Ryan, I thought your home these days is your "gentleman's farm" in western VA. Hope all is going well for you and yours.

I just got back from the show. After a two year hiatus it was good to be back at a CSA show. Why the hiatus? Total lack of decent baseball guests.

The place was busy. I believe it is a mix of both aforementioned demographics leaning heavier to modern collectors sans kids. Oh, kids were present, just not enough to sustain a hobby. To me the vibe is more of an investor, trading, box breaking fest then the Tuff-Stuff and Marco Rol (RIP) CSA shows of my thirties and forties. Pokemon? Actual tables with no merchandise just buying? Interesting business model. It is an endless flip-fest until it isn’t.


I hear you Hank. Today, the crowd was on the floor, not in the autograph area and the lineup today was decent. I arrived just before noon and the line to purchase autograph tickets was minimal. I was there to get Jim Thome. Show wise, perhaps there is now something for everyone, okay, okay not pre-war collectors, though there was a smattering of material. Memorabilia wise there was not much there. Long time vendor Mendy’s did not show up or I just missed them. CSA or local code might be prohibiting dealers from building their booths upward. I could see the entire floor from end to end without much visual interference. Mendy’s always had the five or six, 7 foot tall lighted display cases filled with memorabilia. With the small flat fee for STAR autograph guests north of $100, perhaps some autograph collectors are being more selective. I refuse to pay $350 for Big Papi. Until his price comes back to reality his signature will be missing from my HOF picture. I always remember the refrain a fellow collector responds with when asked about missing signatures, “Well, I don’t have Babe Ruth either”.

[QUOTE=Huck;2508111]

Actual tables with no merchandise just buying? Interesting business model

I should remind you that was the Alan Rosen way of setting up at a show. Just him and a cohort or two or three and money to spend on cards. Been done before and will be done in the future

Rich

I went and had a good time on Friday. It was really crazy busy. Bought a few cards, sold a few books, but nothing staggering. The was very busy. I've been going since the first one.

[QUOTE=Rich Klein;2508112]True. I question whether Rosen purchase material was coming through the Chantilly doors. Also, Rosen died in 2013. It was just something seldom seen at a CSA show. That collection of tables seemed to be pretty busy.

You didn't mention you were a Net54 member when you were at my table!

I'll gladly draw two lines ending in loops on your item for half that.

really cool to connect with you guys today. i see a couple users i met already in this thread! i was the shaved head guy late 20s early 30s. really great to chat with you aquarian + others. we have such a great community. ended up grabbing a great t206 waddell.

would love to get to strongsville sometime soon and connect deeper with everyone. the conversations were phenomenal. its so nice to connect and chat the intricacies of the hobby in person. this was my first show; won't forget it!!

Great to hear, Val, perhaps some dealers of both kinds of material will weigh in on what was moving and where the action was for this crowd.

Agree that Chantilly was pretty crowded. I got there an hour after the show opened on Friday and had to stand in line for almost 20 minutes. That's never happened before.

Picked up some great great items but all football related.

jeff

LOL. No, its not my primary residence... yet.

Congrats on the Baltimore Orioles Card in LOTG -- so tough. I saw Dan M at the show today and was shocked to learn he didnt win the Lefty Grove (fell asleep). Sorry I missed you Val, but good to see some old friends