The National will be interesting

[notfast]

Originally Posted by packs

I don't really think shows of any scale are a barometer of the market. I've been to more shows than I can remember and I rarely ever bought anything at them, even going back all the way to the early internet days. I have always found the card show to be more of a museum than an active trading ground but it doesn't stop me from having a good time looking around.

I can remember the early eBay days when I would be at a show trying to work a deal and out would come the price guide. The dealer would decide what condition their card was in, and then tell you why this particular card is a lot nicer than the average card and worth above book value, meanwhile any time I tried to sell one of my cards it was always poor eye appeal and the dealer could only offer below book value on it.

Hasn't changed much, but I still have fun.

Shows are probably the best barometer of the market IMO. You need all types of people to be engaged and all types of people attend shows.

[packs]

Originally Posted by notfast

Shows are probably the best barometer of the market IMO. You need all types of people to be engaged and all types of people attend shows.

Maybe a barometer for the health of card shows but doesn't trading need to occur for it to be a barometer of the market? There are a lot of threads about shows on the board all the time. Occasionally someone has some nice scores that they post but for the most part, they are simply reports of what was seen and light on buying.

My personal experience has been that the card show is more of a museum experience for people to look at things rather than an active trading post.

[JollyElm]

At the show I just went to on Saturday, the same vintage dealers still displayed the exact same cards they displayed at the last show I was at a couple of months ago. If you took a photograph of their cases at each event, it would look as if they were taken on the same day. Nothing changes. Crazytown pricing.

319. Louvre Affair
Cards that sit forever unsold due to their seller’s penchant for ‘museum’ pricing.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

At the show I just went to on Saturday, the same vintage dealers still displayed the exact same cards they displayed at the last show I was at a couple of months ago. If you took a photograph of their cases at each event, it would look as if they were taken on the same day. Nothing changes. Crazytown pricing.

319. Louvre Affair
Cards that sit forever unsold due to their seller’s penchant for ‘museum’ pricing.

“Louvre Affair” might be your best pun yet. Bravo.

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

“Louvre Affair” might be your best pun yet. Bravo.

I thought that it meant cheating on your wife with a tennis scorekeeper ? ?

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

“Louvre Affair” might be your best pun yet. Bravo.

Well, thank you, kind sir.

Even though puns are thought of as the lowest form of humor, I completely disagree. Effective (that there is the key word) pun-play is super frickin' tough!!

[Steve_NY]

As a National booth holder for 40+ years, I am always interested in tracking the trends - but those same trends do not always surface at the National. I have survived all of the downturns in the hobby over the past 48 years. How do I do it? Evolve - Even at the National, I don’t believe that you should set up a similar display two years in a row. Yes, even though I see the same customers and more every year I really want them to see a different display of items I have for sale. So when I hear that dealers set up the same display every month at a show, that is just not the way to attract customers and keep them coming back.

Am I concerned about this National, yes and no. I am showcasing a display that i used to do off and on in the 80s and 90s, and expect that customers will appreciate what I have to offer. It took me a week to prepare for 30% of that display and will continue to prepare the rest over the next month.

As long as the people show up, I contend that if you have a killer display, and you stand out, then they will always find you whether you are set up in the front of the room or in the rear.

[Casey2296]

I don't particularly care about trends but I will overpay for the cards on my wanlist.

[notfast]

Originally Posted by packs

Maybe a barometer for the health of card shows but doesn't trading need to occur for it to be a barometer of the market? There are a lot of threads about shows on the board all the time. Occasionally someone has some nice scores that they post but for the most part, they are simply reports of what was seen and light on buying.

My personal experience has been that the card show is more of a museum experience for people to look at things rather than an active trading post.

I don’t think the stuff that people on this board collect is stuff that moves well at any show. Generally speaking.

Our small portion of the hobby isn’t a good representation of the whole.