National: Any Seller's perspectives?

[Snapolit1]

OK, so it was hot and crowded and exciting and the food choices sucked and there were super cool things to see and not enough places to sit.

Any sellers on the board care to weigh in and pass along their experience and what they heard first hand from other vintage sellers? What was hot (besides the room itself)? What was cold? Did you see young bucks moving over from Modern, or was it still a largely middle aged to older crowd of buyers?

[Interested in the opinions of folks who were actually there, and not board readers like myself weighing on what they assume it must have been like based on the photos and stories they have read. No offense intended.]

[Leon]

Most, but not all, vintage sellers said they had really great shows.

Everything was a bit too expensive for me but I picked up a few things. From my perspective, the kids are still only collecting for dollars. It is what it is. Maybe I am wrong, but that is the way it looked to me. A few youngsters doing vintage but 95% just gambling with new stuff....
.

[Donscards]

JJust back from the show--needless to say, a outstanding show--I did well selling (mostly pricey vintage) for me the buying across the table was best ever--alot of times the person wants high VCP leaving me no room and I have to pass--but I guess I got lucky at this show and buying was great=One of my favorite sales was selling a $5400 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth to a 14 year old youngster--He was so professional in the whole process--I couldnt believe he was 14 counted out the $100's like a pro--everyone at the booth was amazed--Anyway sold alot of big boys and bought some too--favorite was a 1914 Cracker Jack Honus Wagner that looks like a 4 or 5 (Beautiful)--so it was nice to see some young buyers looking and buying vintage cards.

[the-illini]

Mentioned this in another thread but my sales were amazingly good considering my table /section was behind a giant wall for some corporate company. I guarantee a large number of attendees didn't even know my section of tables existed.

When we were signing up for next year, we increased from one table to two. Guy at the table selection area told me "we would rather you not sign up for two; there are hundreds of people who still need tables". I told him to save that story for the next corporate booth that wants to buy in.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by Donscards

One of my favorite sales was selling a $5400 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth to a 14 year old youngster--He was so professional in the whole process--I couldnt believe he was 14 counted out the $100's like a pro--everyone at the booth was amazed--

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

Rich Parents, most likely!

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by Seven

Rich Parents, most likely!

I guess so, what with all those child labor laws still being in place.

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by Seven

Rich Parents, most likely!

Lime green Izod with the collar turned-up.

No chance his parents are not wealthy. They can't meet the rent, but he's in his room with his Babe Ruth card.

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

I'd guess working for about an hour selling Italian ices at a convention center without Air Conditioning!

[Bkrum]

I was a first time vintage dealer at the show and lucked into a relatively small table with four cases. I sold nearly all of my 50s slabs of mays, aaron, clemente, mantle. There is so much of this stuff in the room it comes down selling for $25 less than the other guys which I was willing to do. Was a little disappointed in my T206 sales although I did sell a Cobb and plenty of others. In hindsight I probably should have dedicated two cases to them instead of one. Sold a good chunk of my 52 Red Mans and 56 yellow basepaths. Did very well on raw 53 Topps high number and oddly 1951 Topps red and blue backs. Several Cleveland fans wiped out my oddball Indians stuff. It was interesting seeing the deals that walked up to the table. I bought some nice things for my PC and missed on some things I could/should have bought. I also bought some stuff I really didn’t want because the price was good. Learned a lot and would be better prepared next time. Overall it was a memorable experience and tons of fun.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

That was the part of Don's post that jumped off the screen for me as well. I don't recall making too many $5,000+ purchases at age 14 (even adjusted for inflation). But good for the kid putting the money into a classic Ruth card instead of a modern flavor of the week. If he keeps the card, I think he will be very happy with that decision a few decades from now.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

That was the part of Don's post that jumped off the screen for me as well. I don't recall making too many $5,000+ purchases at age 14 (even adjusted for inflation). But good for the kid putting the money into a classic Ruth card instead of a modern flavor of the week. If he keeps the card, I think he will be very happy with that decision a few decades from now.

Maybe dad put him up to it (with dad's money) assuming a kid would do better with a decent guy seller.

[pclpads]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

That was the part of Don's post that jumped off the screen for me as well. I don't recall making too many $5,000+ purchases at age 14 (even adjusted for inflation). But good for the kid putting the money into a classic Ruth card instead of a modern flavor of the week.

If he keeps the card, I think he will be very happy with that decision a few decades from now.

Not likely. Five will get you ten that the kid and daddy put it on feebay or in a big AH in the next 30 days. My guess is they are both flippers and not buy it and holders.

[Chicosbailbonds]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

Probably flipped some parallels he won in a break. That’s how they do it now.

[Exhibitman]

The more things change the more they stay the same. I used to flip cards for a profit all the time. How I financed my collecting as a kid. I bought 'em at an antique store I'd found that sold cards 12 for a buck, and sell them for a quarter or two at school, flip the profits back into it.

[CA Esq]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

$2000/hr pretending to be a humanoid robot on Tik Tok.

[CJinPA]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

Surely a rarity but my son used his saving from working at a local McDonald's (14's can work in PA) and cut lawns for 12 families in our neighborhood. He was into technology, not so much Dad's passion for vintage cards.... he bought 2 Bitcoin in the summer of 2017. It can be done, with focus.

I'd love to know that kids story - does he have one foot in modern where he could flip some cards to fund a purchase for an all-time great? Did Mom and Dad front him the money, or did he save over time? Definitely unique - I love those stories.

[marcmandel]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Where does a 14-year old get $5400 from?

What Don's not saying is the 14 year old also said he was "set up" down the hall as a dealer and he loved vintage in his case. This 14 year old was very smart and very tuned into the good stuff, for sure.

[Exhibitman]

The promoters could pretend it isn't 1994 and set up an app to alert autograph customers where and when to go to the area.

[Exhibitman]

I love the pavilion idea. Put the corporate up front and the services (graders, autographs) at the back, and all of the card dealers in the center. The corporate people force everyone to walk thorugh their maze of whatever on the way in and out, the autograph pod people can wait in a dedicated area, maybe with chairs like a medical waiting room, and the card people can congregate in the middle. Problem solved.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I love the pavilion idea. Put the corporate up front and the services (graders, autographs) at the back, and all of the card dealers in the center. The corporate people force everyone to walk thorugh their maze of whatever on the way in and out, the autograph pod people can wait in a dedicated area, maybe with chairs like a medical waiting room, and the card people can congregate in the middle. Problem solved.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the Corporations shell out big money for the square footage. Lose the Corporations pushing the new stuff and the National could be held in your local armory. It is an interesting time in the hobby. The card companies create scarcity by creating 1 of 1's and limited runs which creates a frenzy of buying and selling and more importantly moving cases and cases of product. The Corporations could give a rats arse about vintage, that supply is fixed. The Corporations want to push the latest rage. Case in point, on one of the recaps I saw a company Wild Card Inc. (https://www.wildcardtradingcards.com/). I can't recall a card with a production run over 50. 1 of 1's. Autographed cards with a run to 10. I believe the cards are college uniform only but you get the drift. The new stuff is just physical bitcoin, just don't get caught holding the bag. If you hate holding the bag just have the cards put into the Ebay Vault. Extraction fees are capped at only $50!

Vintage to the new collectors is old school, boring bonds. The auction houses primarily deal in vintage. The TPG's don't care, new or old, they get paid either way.

That is the beauty of the hobby. There is enough room at the trough for each collector's niche.


Other interesting things.

A protector for the slab (https://slabstrong.com/our-shop/). Extra protection for those of us who occasionally fall down elevator shafts. Interesting product.

Saw a video of a dealer, who was just cleaning cards for collectors before submission to a TPG. I wonder how many collectors who paid for that service.

Slab displays. Nothing new. (https://standupdisplays.co/collectio...om-card-stands). Kind of cool.