Your Favorite Local Shows, Past and Present.

[philliesfan]

The George Washington Motor Lodge in Willow Grove for me. Bought my first T206 there from another attendee. It was a trimmed at top Mathewson for $16.00.
I do miss those days of almost no parking and having to follow people to their cars to get their parking spot........to the 75 people in line in front of you to get in.......to the inhale and suck in your gut to get to the next table......Oh the good old days.
Bob

[Yoda]

As a dealer living not too far away, I think the Willow Grove and Ft. Washington were my favorite shows.
The Gloria Rothstein shows were always fun and GR herself was a real piece of work.
Growing up there were no shows. Just us neighborhood kids trading under a shady tree.

[DHogan]

The card shows at Boston College High School in south Boston were amazing. I remember when Bill Russell first started signing autographs at $350.00 in the early 90's. That would have been my whole weekly pay check.

[spec]

I remember well that BC High show when Russell ended his policy of not signing autographs. Waiting outside for the show to open I got to chat with another autograph guest, Moose Skowron, who was a great guy.
No compendium of local shows would be complete without mention of the Bishop Guertin show in Nashua, NH, which was New England's semiannual show in the 70s and 80s. Bill Dod and his baseball team ran this show in the high school gym and cafeteria with tables manned by most of the region's leading collectors as well as dealers. The material that changed hands in Nashua still boggles my mind.
Bob Richardson

[jcmtiger]

Michigan had many shows in the 80’s & 90’. Plymouth was one of the best, also Dearborn, also Mall shows were popular. A lot of small shows at VFW & other halls. Miss those days. Joe

[mikemb]

Yea I remember all those shows in the 80's and was at many of them. Besides some of the ones already mentioned, I also went to shows at the local malls (Middlesex Mall seemed to have a show 3 or 4 times a year) and the Holiday Inn on Route 22 in Springfield had at least a show every month.

I remember looking at the show listing in Baseball Hobby News (I think) and there were always 3 to 5 shows every weekend withing a short drive.

Mike

[Rich Klein]

I was a vendor at many of the 1980's New Jersey shows. The Sunday Parsippany shows were the best in North Jersey and I had some days when I sold just an amazing amount of cards/dollars. Always bought well there as well.

Rich

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by spec

I remember well that BC High show when Russell ended his policy of not signing autographs. Waiting outside for the show to open I got to chat with another autograph guest, Moose Skowron, who was a great guy.
No compendium of local shows would be complete without mention of the Bishop Guertin show in Nashua, NH, which was New England's semiannual show in the 70s and 80s. Bill Dod and his baseball team ran this show in the high school gym and cafeteria with tables manned by most of the region's leading collectors as well as dealers. The material that changed hands in Nashua still boggles my mind.
Bob Richardson

Bishop Guertin was a great show. You would have pretty much every hardcore collector from the Boston area make that drive up Rte 3. Being right off of the highway was a bonus. You would not only get some of the dealers who did the Greater Boston show there were also those who only did shows in NH and VT.

I liked the VFW show in Braintree. That was a fun Saturday show. I remember buying a beautiful 1950's 5x7 photo of football HOFer Bob Waterfield signed in fountain pen at one of those shows for $3.00.

Big Billy Hedin also ran some decent shows. I think he did the Mansfield show.

[spec]

[QUOTE=Originally Posted by Michael B
I liked the VFW show in Braintree. That was a fun Saturday show. I remember buying a beautiful 1950's 5x7 photo of football HOFer Bob Waterfield signed in fountain pen at one of those shows for $3.00.

Big Billy Hedin also ran some decent shows. I think he did the Mansfield show.[/QUOTE]

Michael,
That Braintree show was run by Bob Polio, a longtime collector who I heard was still running it until a year or two ago. Though small, it featured top dealers Ron Johnsen, Paul Longo and Art Andersen, from whom I bought some wonderful cards over the years.

[t213]

I've been attending Nick Shoff's shows in Tyson's Corner, VA; Silver Spring Armory; and now Annandale, VA for 30 years

Andy

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by spec

Michael,
That Braintree show was run by Bob Polio, a longtime collector who I heard was still running it until a year or two ago. Though small, it featured top dealers Ron Johnsen, Paul Longo and Art Andersen, from whom I bought some wonderful cards over the years.

Bob ran a nice little show. When I first started going I did not own a car, but figured out I could get there via the Red Line. That was especially nice if I was going to hit the record stores in Kenmore Square after. No need to worry about parking and dealing with the SE Expressway.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by DHogan

The card shows at Boston College High School in south Boston were amazing. I remember when Bill Russell first started signing autographs at $350.00 in the early 90's. That would have been my whole weekly pay check.

Those were run by Bob Rose and his brother. I believe they were from Taunton. The show where Russell signed was his first ever show signing. They had a reunion of most of the 1956-57 Championship team. I had been corresponding with one of the members who had fallen off of the radar, Dixie "Dick" Hemric. I tracked him down in Indiana I believe. They had a private dinner that night at the hotel, Sheraton Braintree. I was invited. It was great to just sit there and listen to them talk about their lives. Russell was the only one who did not attend. One of the next shows had Jo Jo White. They forgot to send a car for him to get to the show so I drove him. Those shows ended when one of the Rose brother got cancer and passed away.

[DHogan]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Those were run by Bob Rose and his brother. I believe they were from Taunton. The show where Russell signed was his first ever show signing. They had a reunion of most of the 1956-57 Championship team. I had been corresponding with one of the members who had fallen off of the radar, Dixie "Dick" Hemric. I tracked him down in Indiana I believe. They had a private dinner that night at the hotel, Sheraton Braintree. I was invited. It was great to just sit there and listen to them talk about their lives. Russell was the only one who did not attend. One of the next shows had Jo Jo White. They forgot to send a car for him to get to the show so I drove him. Those shows ended when one of the Rose brother got cancer and passed away.

Thanks for the information Michael.