What Are Your Earliest Card Show Memories?

[TheNightmanCometh]

So, I've never been to a card show, but I'm considering going to the Long Beach Expo in June. What are the prices like at these shows? Are the dealers willing to haggle on pricing? Should I just consider going on Sunday and look to make the best deals at the end of the day?

[tjenkins]

I remember my first card show experience very well, and it wasn't the greatest experience. It was just after I graduated college in the late 80's. I was walking from table to table when I came upon one table that had a lot of modern basketball. Michael Jordan in particular. A young man came up with a pile of vintage baseball, the good stuff, 50s and 60s Mantle, Mays, Aaron and the like. The boy in my best guess was probably 10 years old. He plopped the cards up on the table and told the dealer, "I would like to trade these for some basketball, especially Michael Jordan." I understood the value of the cards, even back then and I don't think the young man did! The dealer proceeded to tell the boy that that stuff was pretty old and he would have tough time moving them so he picked out the good ones and told him he would trade about ten star basketball for them, worth a couple of hundred bucks. I said, "Whoa, this is not right, his cards are worth thousands." I asked the young man if his Dad was around. The dealer proceeded to tell me, "Move on or I will call security!" I very quickly snapped back and said. "Go for it, we will see where this ends up! This is wrong!" I told the boy that he needs to find his Dad and he pointed him out to me. I promptly got the Dad and made him aware of the situation and told him he should be with his son when trading those cards and that they were worth thousands of dollars. The Dad told me the cards were given to the boy by his grandfather to trade for what he wanted. The father was very appreciative and the boy by the end of the day had some really cool stuff, but the event kind of left a bitter taste in my mouth. All's well that ends well, thank God!!

[SAllen2556]

About 1978 in Dearborn, Mi. Jim Hawkins, Free Press sports writer and avid collector, used to hold huge card shows a few times a year, at least half the size of the National if you can believe it.

Bugged my Dad to take me because I wanted a Mickey Mantle card. Spend a whole $5 on 1969 Topps. Met the legendary Al Rosen, who was actually very friendly to me - of course I was only 12. I didn't realize what a hotbed Detroit was for card shows in the 70's. Alas, they have all but disappeared around here.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Set up at the first National held in NJ, Parsippany in 1984 with my dad as I was only 15 and not of legal age to enter into a dealer contract. Had lots of funning dealing with the Boggs, Mattingly, Strawberry, etc. rookie cards that were being hoarded by the smart collectors.........