Feel free to share a cool card show memory

[sixpointone]

Hi All,

Joining this message board has me thinking about a lot of nice times that revolved around sports cards. It gave me the idea to start a thread to share such memories.

I was at a baseball card show, and George “Boomer” Scott was signing. My Uncles and myself were talking to him a good long while. Shy as I was in my early teens, he was so friendly that I was very talkative. I asked him if he owned a rookie card of himself, and he replied come to think of it I do not. He then handed me some money, asked me to go around the show, and see if I could not locate one for him. When I did, and came back with it, he was most excited. That is one of my fondest memories from that time.

If this is not the correct forum, please feel free to move it. I’d love to hear some of your stories.

Best,
John

[Zach Wheat]

That is actually a neat story. Where & when did this occur?

Z

[sixpointone]

Hi Zach,

The older I get the worse my memory is. That said, I would guess in 1989, or maybe 1990. It was at a small baseball card show I believe in Burlington, MA. Potentially it was in Woburn, MA. I was and am proud I could play a small part in helping the Boomer own his own rookie card.

Best always,
John

[Harliduck]

That's a great story...I dug that. If I had a rookie card out there I would own like 200 of them...haha.


In 1990, the peak of the junk wax era, I was one of the rare guys in my area who had a decent amount of vintage. I had about 10-12 shops (only 1 is left!! wow) would call me when they had special requests from customers and I would either trade that for junk wax (haha) or consign. It was a good deal for both parties and I became good friends with all the shop owners.

My buddy and I got the hair brained idea to host our own show to make a few bucks and help our shop buddies. We rented the local elementary school cafeteria for $20 bucks (buddies with the janitor who ran it) and charged $25 a table and the goal was 20 tables. We ended up selling 30 tables and turned folks away (just word of mouth, and ran out of room) and honestly we were hoping to get maybe 50-60 people to show up. For $25 bucks the table owners figured if no one showed up they would still make enough money from the table owners to make it worth their while. I was ecstatic, we were already at $700 profit without doing a thing...a lot of money to a couple of 20 year olds at the time!

We put an ad in the local paper, and put up signs around town. Nothing else. We did however put up a sign by the freeway offramp which we found out was illegal, but very effective. So...we charged $1 entry free...mostly so we could just find out how many people came. The show started at 9am...and we had a crowd waiting! Shocked, we ended up having over 1500 people come through! The table owners were absolutely shocked, and most sold out of what they brought, it was a total frenzy. We also auctioned off a 1961 Mint Koufax for a dollar a ticket along with some free door prizes. Sold over 300 tickets for the Koufax, was shocked. (also found out later that wasn't kosher, but hey, we were just kids!).

Long story short, the shop owners for years bragged how our little show was by far the most profitable they had ever attended, and we were teased how much we should have charged for the tables and even had we charged $2 admission how much more we would have made. Just goes to show you how crazy that era was and being in the Seattle area how much Griffey ignited the hobby. Exciting and fleeting times.


We have a couple of local shows in our area now...fun to go to, never really much vintage. I love a good show, and it's been years since I have been to one. One day I would love to go to the National...

[Brian B@rry]

Mostly lurker here but I have a good story about a card show.

I was probably 16 when I went with my brother and my dad to a show in the Chicago suburbs (1974?). Toward the end of the day we spotted a 1933 Goudey Ruth at a table, but above our budget. It was probably $30.00. We drooled over it but we just didn't have enough money.

The dealer was an older gentleman, an obvious veteran of the early days of collecting. He asked us how much money we had. We emptied our pockets of all the loose bills and change we had and it came to about $17.00. He said, "OK, help me load up the car and I'll sell you the card for what you have left."

It meant that we left the show a little late and my dad had to check the dealer out to make sure he was OK, but he was, and that's how I got my first Ruth. Still have it and although it's not in perfect condition, it's a nice presentable card.

I don't really collect anymore, but I read this forum pretty regularly and I've tried to play it forward. Once in a while an acquaintance will mention a card he or she used to have and if I can, I just give it to them. Makes them so happy and in turn makes me so.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Brian B@rry

Mostly lurker here but I have a good story about a card show.

I was probably 16 when I went with my brother and my dad to a show in the Chicago suburbs (1974?). Toward the end of the day we spotted a 1933 Goudey Ruth at a table, but above our budget. It was probably $30.00. We drooled over it but we just didn't have enough money.

The dealer was an older gentleman, an obvious veteran of the early days of collecting. He asked us how much money we had. We emptied our pockets of all the loose bills and change we had and it came to about $17.00. He said, "OK, help me load up the car and I'll sell you the card for what you have left."

It meant that we left the show a little late and my dad had to check the dealer out to make sure he was OK, but he was, and that's how I got my first Ruth. Still have it and although it's not in perfect condition, it's a nice presentable card.

I don't really collect anymore, but I read this forum pretty regularly and I've tried to play it forward. Once in a while an acquaintance will mention a card he or she used to have and if I can, I just give it to them. Makes them so happy and in turn makes me so.

\


Nothing wrong with being a lurker . The angst on this board sometimes can be intimidating....and it has lessened considerably in the last 8-9 years.

Cool story. Nice way to pick up a Ruth.

Z

[The-Cardfather]

The year was 1976 or 1977, and I was 14 or 15 years old. I was attending one of the semi-annual card shows at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan (New York City). It was late in the afternoon and I had developed a bad headache. I was sitting in the lobby, where they had plenty of plush chairs and sofas.

I probably had my face in my hands when I was approached by an older gentleman who inquired if I was okay. I told him that I had a bad headache. He asked if I was staying at the hotel. I explained that I had attended the card show and was waiting for my headache to subside before taking the subway home to Brooklyn. (I'm paraphrasing. I don't think I used the words "attended" or "subside" at age 15.) He asked if I had taken any aspirin, and I said that I had not. He then walked away, only to reappear within two minutes with aspirin and a paper cup of water. I took the aspirin and thanked him before he walked away.

A few months later, I attended a smaller card show. (I don't remember where.) I ran into the aforementioned gentleman there. Much to my surprise, he was signing autographs. His name was Cal Abrams - former Brooklyn Dodger.

[irv]

Originally Posted by Brian B@rry

.

Great stories, guys. Thanks for sharing them!

[Volod]

Originally Posted by The Cardfather

...I ran into the aforementioned gentleman there. Much to my surprise, he was signing autographs. His name was Cal Abrams - former Brooklyn Dodger.

Really like that story. It's so easy to forget that ballplayers - or celebrities in general - are often down-to-earth, decent human beings. I think that is because a minority of them are at the opposite pole and get a lot of the media coverage.