Future of cards shows

[bbcard1]

I sold my advertising company right before COVID and had intended to get back in to show promotion. I was pretty successful back in the day, did a lot with CSA and I understand the marketing part pretty well.

I think there is a great opportunity for the 30-50 table local/regional show with free or inexpensive autograph guests, much like the 80s and 90s. This has been made viable by the increasing fees of eBay and a general uptick in interest. I am planning on promoting a few shows in 2022. We'll see if I'm right.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I am planning on promoting a few shows in 2022. We'll see if I'm right.

According to the consensus here so far, nobody will be coming to your shows by then.

[packs]

All due respect but this cycle has repeated itself more than once in recent memory. You don't recognize Pokemon, which should be an indicator of the bust ahead.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by packs

All due respect but this cycle has repeated itself more than once in recent memory. You don't recognize Pokemon, which should be an indicator of the bust ahead.

I've been going to and setting up at shows for 40 years, I've seen all the cycles repeat themselves, just never paid much attention because I had no interest. Beanie Babies, Pogs, Pokemon, inserts, refractors, whatever, they all passed by and were a part of the scene at shows but not part of my scene, there was no reason for me to investigate them further. I guess this was just more of that on a larger scale at Philly, and things will get back to their old sleepy selves before too long. At least there will be a lot of lessons learned by these kids on both sides of the ledger. Does this generation collect anything? Did your generation collect anything they still care about? If not, I find that incredibly sad, but to each generation their own.

[packs]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

I've been going to and setting up at shows for 40 years, I've seen all the cycles repeat themselves, just never paid much attention because I had no interest. Beanie Babies, Pogs, Pokemon, inserts, refractors, whatever, they all passed by and were a part of the scene at shows but not part of my scene, there was no reason for me to investigate them further. I guess this was just more of that on a larger scale at Philly, and things will get back to their old sleepy selves before too long. At least there will be a lot of lessons learned by these kids on both sides of the ledger. Does this generation collect anything? Did your generation collect anything they still care about? If not, I find that incredibly sad, but to each generation their own.

I'm from my generation and I collect cards. But it didn't matter when I was born. I was going to do it anyway. We would all probably say the same thing and we are all similarly aware of how small our circle is. It will always be that small. If you remember that you won't get burned.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by packs

I'm from my generation and I collect cards. But it didn't matter when I was born. I was going to do it anyway. We would all probably say the same thing and we are all similarly aware of how small our circle is. It will always be that small. If you remember that you won't get burned.

Admit it, you're a throwback!

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

According to the consensus here so far, nobody will be coming to your shows by then.

I am often wrong, but I think this is a good bet. In addition to fees, the high cost of postage have made selling the moderately priced cards difficult via on-line selling.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

I am often wrong, but I think this is a good bet. In addition to fees, the high cost of postage have made selling the moderately priced cards difficult via on-line selling.

I hope you're right. I got so excited at Philly, but the younger guys here have brought me back to earth!

[packs]

I don't mean to be negative. I've just seen it before. I'm also frustrated by the infiltration of the hobby by non-hobby people, which is not a good thing in my opinion.

[bounce]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't mean to be negative. I've just seen it before. I'm also frustrated by the infiltration of the hobby by non-hobby people, which is not a good thing in my opinion.

Not picking on you, but this is part of what I'm talking about. If the hobby is going to sustain, it needs more interest and more people. Those people are by default currently "non-hobby" people, right?

[packs]

Originally Posted by bounce

Not picking on you, but this is part of what I'm talking about. If the hobby is going to sustain, it needs more interest and more people. Those people are by default currently "non-hobby" people, right?

I wasn't talking about all people. I was talking about most. If you are a serious collector you are aware of how small your circle is. That circle will always be that small. There will be someone to take your place but there won't be a waiting list.

[bounce]

To add to some of the sentiment around the Philly show, the Tristar show in Houston the weekend of June 4-6 was highest attended in maybe 10+ years (?), and there really were no autograph guests that would "move the needle".

Had my best show since I began "dealing" around 4-5 years ago. There was plenty of energy in the room, as someone earlier pointed out about the hobby in general. One change at this show - if you didn't have a reseller permit, you weren't SUPPOSED to be able to get a table. That's something that I think most promoters should actually consider implementing to (1) cut down on the number of "dealers" and (2) ensure that the dealers aren't just flippers or fly by night one timers. This in turn should help limit the number of tables, which I think is actually a good thing for an event, but realize it's not necessarily in the best interest of the promoter. Good promoters figure out how to make a good balance of that so there is some "value" to actually having the table.

I would say that a lot of the early "action" was still between the dealers, but I think that's true of just about every show and that's not different today than it was for the past several years. However, saying those people aren't "collectors" I think is not entirely accurate. What I'm finding is most of them collect something (besides dollar bills), some are just most focused on what they keep and they see the flipping as a means to get the funds - my own activity for the past several years is not far off from that. I had to start buying and selling more modern cards in an effort to get funds together for my vintage purchasing. It's not net zero to me (I spend more than I bring in), but that supplement "feeds the beast".

I keep hearing plenty of doom and gloom from people for all kinds of reasons, inflation, crypto crashes, lack of stimulus, insert any reason you want to. I actually think that's mostly coming from collectors who are irritated by higher prices for things they want to buy, and on the other side the flippers who may be trapped in cards at higher prices as in the short run seems like modern especially is coming down. Pretty much everything is still quite a bit higher today than it was a year ago, and I believe that has as much to do with interest as anything else. Show attendance sure sounds to be proving that out from what I've seen personally and heard about other shows. I expect the National should probably confirm it, as most are expecting record attendance there as well.

It seems to me that at the shows, and online, the interest in the hobby is maybe as high as it's ever been. That's a good thing. More interest should translate into better things across the board, but since the space is unregulated in virtually every sense, there will be bad actors and fly by nights who just pass through. Tell me how that's different than 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago...And yes, Panini and Topps will overproduce (already have) which will create some fluctuations in pricing. None of this is new.

There's been overwhelmingly too much focus on the prices and values of cards in the past year, versus the actual "art" of the cards themselves. I can assure you that the nostalgia factor is as real as it gets at these shows, and while that's something that will likely get quenched it's nowhere near run it's course yet. The hobby needs to continue to educate better and try to move away from just these headlines of values if it's going to sustain. I think there are enough people who know that who will find their space in it and help things move in a positive direction for everyone. There's plenty of opportunity out there still, and some good new tools and sites that actually make collecting and education more accessible. Again, those are positives that the hobby needs more of.