[Archive]

Posted By: Aaron Seefeldt

Was at the National yesterday (Friday) for a few hours.

I started off the show with a 3 way trade involving another dealer and collector. Ya just gotta love 3 ways!!!

Dealers were mostly saying the show was "slow" but hoping to get better with Saturday/Sunday foot traffic. It's no wonder foot traffic is slow... costs $11 to park and $18 to get in. That's basically $30 before you look at a card/jersey/whateverfloatsyourboat.

Goodwin's table had items for his vintage auction with bidding to start on Aug. 28th. Has some great items including an entire e125 Pirates set that is new to the hobby. Both Wagners are being sold individually and the rest sold as a group. About 1/2 have the flaps intact (including both Wags and Clarke). He also has a high grade set of d304s... boy they are coming out of the woodwork now. That's 2 sets of d304s in the Convention (I had mentioned in my previous post that another dealer is selling a complete set for $95K including the Cobb PSA 4).

Mastro's next auction (starts around same time as Goodwin's) has a near complete set of 1909 Derby Cigars (11/12). They are all graded Auth. I didn't look for other items as I had "tunnel vision" on the Derby cards... tuff set.

I did notice that the Wagner Pinkerton (fielding pose) had switched tables, don't know if it was consigned/traded/sold. The new sticker price is set at $25K (SGC 50). I sold one about 10 years ago for $2200... doh!

It seemed to me like there were quite a few cards at the show with stickers at $25K and up... no wonder dealers are complaining, they are selling cards at car prices...

I always have nice dealings/chats with Dave (Bagger). He has changed his inventory to include more cards under $500 and only a few over $2500. His view is that with a tuff economy, cards move better under $500. I would have to agree.

One dealer at the show had several complete Wheaties sets from the late '30s. I've always like the Wheaties as they are fairly priced with beautiful artwork... Doug Allen called them the "poor man's T3s" and I would agree.

The National is always fun to go to. Even if you don't find things you like, there are great things to see. Where else can you go and hold in your hands a T206 Wagner PSA5 MC, a n175 Large King Kelly, a T206 Cobb w Cobb back, an e90-1 Jackson SGC70, a t206 Cobb battoff UZIT GAI6.5, 10 different e107 HOFers, 2 d304 sets, to name just a few...

I found plenty of things to peruse and purchase at decent prices... Just have to look a while.

There are numerous dealers that will take the time and converse with you... truly helping with any information they can. And then there are the dealers that don't say a thing and are extremely cold/paranoid? Lots of characters in this business.

I was at the National for 2 days and that's enough for me (totally tapped out as well). If you plan to walk the show in one day, plan on hoofing it for about 10 miles... The entire lower level of the Steven's Center. In terms of the walking and space, it is the complete opposite of the old "East Coast Nationals" in White Plains. Yet there was not an open booth.

Next year it is off to Cleveland again and in 2 years will be in Baltimore. Numerous dealers/collectors I spoke with said they would never do another National on the West Coast (was in Anaheim 2 yrs ago) as they are the poorest attended, far below Cleveland even.

Happy collecting all.
-Aaron Seefeldt