[buymycards]

It is no longer called the Sun Times show. It is now the "Fanatics Authentic Sports Spectacular", with a heavy emphasis on autographs.

Admissions is $10, which is less that I paid in previous years. The last time I went to the show, parking was $18.

I have been to the show a few times. I like the spring show and the June show better than the fall show. (I'm not sure whether or not they still have the June show.)

Here my take on the show, and everything depends on your goals.

1. I haven't had much luck selling to dealers at this show. It seems like a lot of the dealers are fairly local to Chicago, and they are loaded up on items from the Chicago teams, so they aren't looking to buy many Chicago items. Most of the dealers didn't seem interested in buying, or even looking at my stuff, and any offers were extremely low. I know that the dealers are buying to resell, but even with that in mind, the offers were really low.

2. If you are looking to buy items to flip on eBay, or to flip at other shows, this may not be the show for you. The dealers prices seemed high and they didn't seem to want to negotiate. I was looking for bulk purchases but I didn't find any deals that worked for me. I have always had great luck at the other Chicago shows, but not the fall show.

3. If you are a collector, you can find a good assortment of 50's and 60's cards, and a decent assortment of pre-war cards. The prices are fairly high, but you might find some good deals.

4. If you are planning on attending on Sunday, the dealers start clearing out at noon, and by 1:30 many of the dealers are gone. I usually stay until the last dealers clear out, hoping to see if I can find some good buys. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I do like the show and I always enjoy myself and find a few items for my personal collection, but sometimes I wonder if it is worth the 8 hour round trip, admission fees, tolls, 440 miles worth of gas, and the parking fee, plus the constant construction on the interstate and the heavy traffic around the Donald. E. Stephens Center.