What Are Your Earliest Card Show Memories?

[nickedson]

A month after graduating from high school in 1972, I set up at the Midwest Sports Collectors Convention in Troy run by Lloyd and Carol Toerpe. What an experience! I talked to a ton of hobby "big names" that I had read about in The Sports Hobbyist like Frank Nagy, Don Steinbach and many others. We all carried our checklist books around since we were all collectors. We sold our doubles and cards we didn't want anymore in order to complete our sets. I had just started working on a 1952 Bowman set and Don Steinbach offered me 125 different in EX-MT condition for $75. I bought them... and them he came back with the '52 Bowman Mantle and Mays cards for $15 each. I thought about a half hour about it, then went back and bought them. On Saturday, Ernie Harwell made a visit and we put our covers on our tables while Ernie talked and then we did a Q&A. It was one of the greatest weekends of my life and helped launch a lifelong journey that goes on to this day!

[oldjudge]

The first card show I remember going to was the Greater Boston Show in probably 1991. At the time I was collecting football cards, no baseball, with my two sons. I had gone up to the Boston area with a curling team to compete in a local bonspiel. We had the afternoon off and one of the guys on the team, Ed Morley, who was a big Detroit (and Old Judge) collector and wanted to go to the show, so I tagged along. I remember that he dragged me over to a table that had a lot of Old Judges and told me I should consider buying some of them. My first reaction was, after my experience with all the colorful football cards, that they were really ugly. I did not buy any at the time. However, I guess that subliminally I was bitten and that show had a significant impact on my life thereafter.
I also remember a White Plains show where Ron Vitro sold me a group of ten Old Judge HOF cabinets. Ron at that time used to have great 19th century material. For those who don’t know Ron he is also one of the nicest guys anywhere.

[Golfcollector]

I can’t remember the specific first show but my first venture into getting cards at a “show” was at the monthly Pershing Flea Market in Lincoln NE. (this would have been in the 1982-1985 range). This is where my hard earned lawn mowing money met its demise.

Most were guys that just were collectors and did stuff out of their homes and likely also set up at some shows as well. I remember one guy that had a bunch of complete sets (most were newer) he must have opened a ton of new product. I remember seeing 9 pocket pages full of Mantle cards from the 50’s and 60’s from another guy. He wanted to have Mantles. I was a Yaz collector in my lawn mowing days and I remember trading him a 66 Mantle for a 61,64,65,66 and 68 Yaz and thought that was a fantastic trade at the time. If memory serves me correct the high price guide value on the Mantle at the time was like $15 or $20.

Beckett Magazine first coming out, and being excited to be able to pick up Baseball Card News and Baseball Cards Magazine (which the only place I could find those at the time was at this flea market.) Perez Steele postcards being a big rage.

I remember one guy that was always set up on the middle of the West side – he hand binders full of T205’s , and T206’s , Mecca Double Folders, other older tobacco issues. I likely did not look at them too close because at the time, it was not important to me……I was too caught up in getting my Yaz collection completed and picking up cards of Mays and Aaron. If I only had spent more money on the older cards and not an 84 Fleer Set or those 83 Action All Stars!

[JeremyW]

My first show was in the early-mid eighties. My dad, who has zero interest in baseball, took me. It was less than less than an hour away at a hotel banguet/convention room. Just to see that many cards in one room blew me away. I had been collecting cards of the future HOFs, in my mind, for some time. Seaver, Reggie, Nolan, Stargell, Yaz, Bench, Rose, & even Garvey. To see Mantle, Mays, Aaron, etc. was amazing. There was a '53 Topps Mays that looked "mint" to me for sale. I can't remember how much it was, but it was way out of my league.

Jay, I'm amazed that you started collecting baseball cards in '91. I would have guessed much earlier.

[oldjudge]

Like most, I collected as a kid. The early-1990s was my second stint. It coincided with my kids being old enough to collect with me.

[scgaynor]

My first card show was 1982 Oxon Hill Md. I don't remember what I bought, but I got Joe Dimaggio's autograph for $10 (he was the only signer at the show).

First show that I set up at was 1985 somewhere in Northern Virginia. I remember that I made just enough money to pay my table fee, and purchased a box of 1985 Donruss which had just come out and was super hot. My local card shop could not get their hands on any so I had to buy one at the show. It was selling for $25-30 a wax box, at a time when Topps and Fleer was like $10-15 a box.

[tedzan]

My teenage Daughters got me back into this hobby in the late 1970's. My first two BB card shows were small ones in New Jersey.
In the Spring of 1981, my first major show was the Willow Grove Show in Pennsylvania (at the George Washington Motor Lodge).

The best way to describe this Show is....it was absolutely SURREAL !





I acquired many cards that weekend to fill out my sets, and here are the two cards I remember the best....

My very 1st T206......





A 1949 LEAF color variation of Stan Musial for my LEAF set...…




TED Z

T206 Reference
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