Sharp Elbows necessary in this hobby?

[Oldtix]

Ah, walk-ins. I remember struggling with "wolverine" collectors...so named because if they couldn't make the buy on the cheap themselves (and they rarely had deep pockets), they would foul it for anyone else by giving the potential seller ridiculously high value estimates.

The smartest solution I ever saw was at a show in the 1970s, where the convention operator stopped all the local walk-ins at the door and offered immediate public auctions of the material...fair to both exhibitors and attendees. The owners loved it (they knew they were getting the best price) and all interested parties had a fair shot.