[rugbymarine]

My dad and I had a great time at the Philly show last night. Here are my thoughts/observations:

1) TONS of post-war vintage material. I walked every table, and I would guess at least half the tables had significant quantities of vintage. There was something for everyone.

2) Lots of high-end graded vintage for sale.
- 1959 Gibson RC SGC 9.5
- 1952 Topps Jackie SGC 8
- Mantle, Aaron, Mays, Clemente, Williams

3) Plenty of low to mid graded vintage as well. Plenty of nice cards <$500.

4) Hordes of raw vintages to flip through. I'd guess about 20 tables had chairs in front of them all night. Collectors with lists, sorting for hours. Really cool to see.

5) I don't collect as much pre-war as most on here, but it was awesome to see that as well. I was blown away by how many tables had tobacco cards, caramel cards, Goudeys, etc

6) Got to meet some of great people on net54.
- Howard Chasser (hcv123), A Few of my Favorite Things had a great display filled with quality vintage material. Make sure you stop by.

- I spent some time talking with Bill Brodhead (bbsports) about t206. His display is unreal. Truly the king of the t206.

- Stopped by Ted Z and Dan's booth, and found some common ground since both of them, as well as my dad, served in the military. Both great guys willing to share stories about the hobby.

- Also talked to Larry Dean for a while. Great selection. Fair prices. And the conversation and stories were worth stopping by.

7) Prices are high. I built lists of the cards that I was looking for in various grades, as well as my top buy price for each grade. When I do this, I compare recent sales, and I do take into account any differences in sales tax and shipping costs. Like the general market shows, I believe there should be a premium on cards with strong eye appeal and good centering. I saw exactly 1 card that was priced at my price level (and I bought it!). Everything was 20-50% high. There was a specific raw 52 Topps HOF that I was looking for in VG-EX range. Several BIN on eBay around $100 from reputable, high-quality feedback sellers. There were plenty of examples at the show, and the only card listed below $200 was an absolute beater with a missing corner (sticker $115). I know there is always room for negotiation, and I made offers on dozens cards. There were cards were the ask was double, so I didn't bother insulting the seller. I was always polite and sellers were as well, so no hard feelings. But don't go expecting bargains.

All in all, an amazing experience. I talked to many people that drove 3+ hours to be there and said it was worth it. If you're free, take the time to go.