My Chicago Show Experience....Drum Purchase!

[Chicago206]

Just got home an hour ago from the Chicago SunTimes show. Its the 1st sports card show (other than the 40 table Holiday Inn types) that I have ever been to. I went there with $3500 in my pocket and a simple goal....buy either a Drum, Uzit or Red Hindu (or any combo), and get out.

Well, 10 seconds after I walked in, I almost fell over! Right there in the very 1st dealer case in front of the entrance, sitting in the middle, was an Uzit! I secretly thought to myself, how could I be so lucky? What I failed to realize is that it was Goodwin's auction case, and the card was part of a complete set of T206 backs. They were all there, BL460, RH, Drum, even the Cobb. So I wasnt able to negotiate on that one....on to the next vendor.

Although there were a good 150 vendors there, and probably at least 30 who had T206 cards in their cases, I couldnt find any backs rarer than brown Hindu. Finally I stumbled onto 707's table and my eyes were immediately drawn to that sweet, soft purple color! 2850 was on a little sticker on the slab, which was a bit more than I wanted to spend on a Drum specimen. I talked to the dealer, Jim was his name, and we agreed to a cash price of 2500 if I wanted the card. At this point in time, I had seen far less than 1/3rd of the show, and my palms began to sweat. Jim told me there were none of what I was looking for except in the Goodwin auction. I told him I still wanted to look around before blowing my whole budget. Told him i'd be back if nothing caught my eye.

About an hour later (maybe even less) I found myself back in front of his table. I was an under bidder on the recent ebay Drum that sold for 2326 as my bid was 2200. I thought to myself, if I was willing to pay 2200 on a GAI 2, why not 2500 on a PSA 2? I also knew I woulda kicked myself all the way home had I not bought it....so I laid out 25 crisp $100 bills and havent stopped smiling since!

There were exactly 2 Drum cards at the show.....the one I nabbed and the one in the Goodwin collection. No other Uzits, RHs, or Lenox cards to be had either. I finally got my Drum!