Reflections on 30 years of the Philly Show

[tedzan]

I just read your offer in your post #38......
"I would also like to extend an invitation to Ted Z to come out of retirement, especially if he would be so kind as to accept the offer
of a free booth at Oaks."

I have already signed up for your April 1911 show in Oaks, PA. Levi B. has my contract. I signed up for an "L" shaped (corner) booth.

Please email me directly regarding your offer at........
tedzan11@comcast.net


And please, no PM's.

Thanks much,

TED Z

[oaks1912]

Ted....I know its hard to end a tradition, but as you & I have discussed many times , there have been many changes since we met at Willow Grove in the early 80's, and not all of them are positive...... As you recall I stopped coming East after the first Fort Washington show in the early 90's, when the first round of changes were happening..... I know that it wasn't the facility (GW Lodge), as I could write a book on my experiences with the facility , but something about the cramped conditions gave the place a sense of excitement, unless of course you were located on the aisle with Rich Altman & Lou Avon on either side of you... The Chilean miners are about the only ones who could relate to you in that case..... The roof of the place had 'old swiss cheese' shingles, and if you didn't have a leak over your table, the smell of musty, heavily trafficked carpet competed with the greasy, St Patrick's Day style (Green) hot dogs that stayed on the grill until they sold, or disintegrated, whichever came first..... Of course, if I could go to a show like those great ones ('82-'86) and pick up what I did buy in the day, the smell of moldy carpet, the teacup saucer mattresses, the mystery meat covered with lumpy gray gravy served at Martha's Restaurant (until the health department shut it down), the irregular hot water, or running water at all, nor the non insulated rooms without heat for the December and March show.... none of these.... would stand in my way from going back there again, although this time I'd be better prepared with a fully insulated haz-mat suit, and a box of granola bars to cover me for a few days..... Great to hear that you're doing the 'new' show, and don't be surprised if you see someone from 3000 miles away pop in...

[barrysloate]

I think Ted means April 2011, not 1911.

[HRBAKER]

This is a great thread!
Thanks for the stories guys!

Jeff

[tedzan]

"April 1911"......
was that a slip of my finger on the keyboard, or was it a Freudian slip ?

You didn't know that built in my mind is a "Time Machine". Consider this....if we could go back to the Spring of 1911,
and know what we know now....we would be opening up LENOX and UZIT cigarette packs and cornering the market
on the last run of T206 cards.

Just think how many Cobb (bat off shoulder) cards you would find ? Or, Lajoie (batting) cards you could hoard away ?






No, that wasn't a "typo", Barry.....I was dreaming away.


Best regards ole friend,

TED Z

[Rich Klein]

The "Boston Sea Party" which was just down the road from the GW. An all you can eat seafood buffet -- Leon, you would have LOVED that place, and they even had one in Houston -- so you might have been in one before you ventured up to the DFW area

Rich

[Rich Klein]

One of my favorite memories was going to dinner with Frank Barning, the late Rich Hawksley, and a few other hobby heavyweights. We went to a diner-like element for dinner with an 20 page menu so I figured out what I wanted and gave a specific order -- Rich H was so tired from the show's hours, etc that all he told the waitress was -- whatever he (me) just ordered -- was fine for his order as well

[tedzan]

Thanks for the memories........

Hey guys, I have to elaborate on what Rich just brought up......The Boston Sea Party restaurant. It was just a short walk away up the hill
from the Willow Grove Show. It was a fabulous seafood buffet-style place. Many of the dealers would get together there on Saturday nite.

For those unfamiliar with this seafood restaurant, it was franchised across the country during the mid-1970's. The quality of its seafood was
consistently good. I have eaten at the Boston Sea Party in Denver, Carol Stream (south of Chicago), Cherry Hill (NJ), and Willow Grove, PA.
It was an adventure to dine there. The set up was 3 long buffet "Piers" full of delicious goodies to select from. Pier 1 contained the seafood
appetizers, Pier 2 was stocked with the main entrees, and Pier 3 had a huge selection of desserts.

In the 1970's, for about $20, you could eat all you wanted till you dropped. By the mid-'80s the price went up to $25 (still a bargain). Then,
by the early 1990's this chain of restaurants abruptly closed down. Never understood why.

Oh well, if you were a seafood lover, the Boston Sea Party was a really great place to eat.....while it lasted.


TED Z