One dealer who I have dealt with often has his own rule of thumb in regards to setting up at a show such as this....he "staffs" his tables with one person per table and he is a floater. This year, as in past years, he has 4 tables at the National so he brings 4 others with him.
Another dealer I spoke after the last Chicago show was selling complete sets from the 50 and 60's. He had one table and brought another guy with him. While the other guy was away, he was "showing" some of the keys cards from the sets (PSA Mantle's etc) to some seemingly prospective customers. While he had the sets in locked cases, he remembered that the lookers had put the graded star cards on the cases after they finished looking at them and then began negotiating. He remembered another looker coming over and setting down a box he had been carrying on the cases. Then the graded star cards were gone. He told me that he felt that these thieves used some type of box with a bottom that was hollowed out that some how was able to pick up the cards once set down on them. Not sure this is true or not about the box, as it would be just as easy to quickly pick the cards up while he was engaged with another prospective customer.
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