Going to card shows in the 1970s

[lumberjack]

When I got back into collecting in the mid 1970s, there were regional shows. Cincinnati, Willow Grove, St.Louis, Cleveland, Detroit....SCD would review the shows, which were considered a big deal.

The Detroit show was never, in my time, held in Detroit. Troy and later Plymouth, Michigan hosted the Detroit shows. Charles Brooks would do shows at his store on the East Side of Detroit, but the decent shows were in the suburbs.

Detroit held an early National in 1982 or so. This was in the middle of one of our recessions (Paul Volker had just pulled the plug on money). I mention this because there was an auction on Friday night, the opening bids were very high and nobody would bid on the lots.

There were always a lot of veteran collectors, guys who had been doing this since the 1930s. That was pretty cool. Sellers would come from all around the midwest for these things. There was no Mr. Mint in those days, the closest thing to a high-profile dealer was probably George Lyons, who also wrote for SCD. I remember a guy from St. Louis (his name escapes me), who wore a replica uniform of the 1887 St. Louis Browns. It seems to me he glued 19th century cards to heavy stock so people could view them better. Can you believe that?

The scene was very laid back. It was a hobby for a short time. It makes me crazy when people use that term to describe what's going on today.
lumberjack

[ocjack]

A little bit later than the 70's, but the East Coast National was able to get Topps to reprint some of their cards for their show in 1991. And while it's a reprint, it's printed by Topps, so it's sort of, kind of a legitimate Topps card lol

[Mark]

I really enjoy this thread. Interesting stories and good memories. A couple of years ago, I found this nametag from my first card show. It was in Detroit, August 21-22, 1971. I think it was at a Holiday Inn somehwere in the Detroit area. I remember meeting Frank Nagy and talking to him about his Wagner t206. He told me that someone offered to trade him a station wagon for it earlier that day. It was a very exciting place for a kid like me, but I also remember that the selection of cards, sets, etc. was small compared to what we have now.

[ocjack]

And these from a San Diego show in 1982

[TCMA]

Here's a piece I wrote for the SABR Baseball Cards Committee blog a few weeks back. All about some of the earliest conventions:

https://sabrbaseballcards.blog/2020/...ars-ago-today/

[Troy Kirk]

I'm bummed that you can't find yourself in one of the pictures, Mark, I was really hoping you were in there. I wish I had taken more pictures. I have no idea why I wasn't in the directory, I was at the very first show and all of the others for the first few years at least. I don't remember the souvenir cards, but who knows, they may pop up in one of the boxes I've been opening lately. I do think I have some type of map of the bay area with collectors names showing in the areas where they lived.

[Beansballcardblog]

I'm younger than most that have posted (born in 1979, collecting since '87), but love hearing about hobby history. Thanks to all that posted, this was a truly enjoyable read.

-kin

[brewing]

Originally Posted by lumberjack

The Detroit show was never, in my time, held in Detroit. Troy and later Plymouth, Michigan hosted the Detroit shows. Charles Brooks would do shows at his store on the East Side of Detroit, but the decent shows were in the suburbs.

I believe 1982 was the first year I went to a show. I think it was in Troy. There was an ad in the Detroit News sports section and I begged my mom to take me.

There seemed be shows almost every weekend in the Detroit area from 82 till I left the area in 87.

[oaks1912]

Troy,
After showing the photos to two relatives, there is a good chance that the kid wearing the Goodyear jacket in pictures #2 & 20 is me. There isn't a clear shot of his face where I can be 100% sure, but I did have one of those Goodyear jackets when I was a teenager that I wore for about a year. I've always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. I do not remember that specific t-shirt, but that was 45 years ago I would have been just shy of 14 years old. If you could get a close up on the cards in Rich's binder, I'd probably remember looking at those......... especially if they were Zeenuts.....

[Seven]

Reading through this thread is fascinating. Really Makes me wish I was born a few decades earlier! Can't wait to start going to shows again once the pandemic is over.