Oaks Show question and pick-ups...

[Bobsbats]

Having attended almost every Willow Grove/ Ft. Washington/ Valley Forge Show over the last 30 years, I thought that the show seemed to have a smaller crowd than the Valley Forge show....BUT, I can see huge upside for this venue. There was a ton of space there and Dealers looked like they had ample space for all of their inventory. I saw some vintage stuff, and managed to pick up a fantastic Spaulding Auto model Bat of Bresnahan from MHGPro at the show. The aisles were wider for walking, the dealers semmed generally nicer, BUT the one thing that drives me crazy is when Dealers complain about slow sales, than at 4:30 ( closing time 5:00 ) they have either their tables covered already or packed up.... I get it, it was a slow day, but you never know when YOUR customer will be walking in the door.

Overall, I think this show has a huge upside and I hope the slower sales from 1 show, don't stop people from giving it another shot.

Bob Hamlin

[danmckee]

I had a GREAT show!! I haven't set up in the Philly area for about 2 years now and did very well! National type numbers! Thanks to everyone that stopped by and chatted.

Traffic was light (customer traffic) but dealer attendance was huge! I hope the dealers come back!

It was great to make a little money and not have to give it all to the Show Promoter!!!

This show is a keeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Hank Thomas for the killer Walter Johnson items he sold me.

Dan Mckee

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by danmckee

I had a GREAT show!! I haven't set up in the Philly area for about 2 years now and did very well! National type numbers! Thanks to everyone that stopped by and chatted.

Traffic was light (customer traffic) but dealer attendance was huge! I hope the dealers come back!

It was great to make a little money and not have to give it all to the Show Promoter!!!

This show is a keeper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Hank Thomas for the killer Walter Johnson items he sold me.

Dan Mckee

Ahhhhh...so you are the lucky winner of the Johnson sweepstakes! Congrats, I hear it is a major piece...the dealer who was telling me about it nearly wept because he didn't get a shot at it.

I set up by Ted Z and. darn, I had fun. Ted also aided and abetted my quest for a low grade T206 set...

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by Bobsbats

BUT the one thing that drives me crazy is when Dealers complain about slow sales, than at 4:30 ( closing time 5:00 ) they have either their tables covered already or packed up....

Bob Hamlin

First, I have to admit I didn't have the problems most dealers have. I am liquidating a collection for a friend SOOO I just need to worry about getting a decent/fair price and I don't have to worry about making a profit or replacement value. But while a lot of guys were whining Saturday evening, I popped an $800 sale...it was pretty much wholesale, but that's still a nice sale given the state of the economy. Honestly though the guys who were around me, even those who did not have a big show, were great, friendly and I feel fortunate to have made their acquaintance. This was my first show I have set up at in 15 years and I had such a blast I am thinking about coming back in November if I still have any inventory.

[JLange]

I attended Sunday and it was very different from a Philly show indeed. The foot traffic seemed lighter than I am used to seeing, but instead of dealers grousing or complaining to me a customer (as I have had happen countless times before at other shows) dealers instead went out of their way to chat and learn more about my interests. I talked more about baseball and cards than I have for a long time. I even had some folks ask me what I knew about some of the cards and pins that they were offering, so they could better serve ANOTHER customer (which I felt was a positive). I regret not meeting folks like I had hoped (maybe next time, Leon!) but I will come back and I will tell my friends to go. Now, I sure hope the dealers come back because that would be my major worry if it was indeed lightly attended and if they did poorly.

[tlwise12]

Did anyone notice any Zeenuts, Negro League stuff, or Cuban stuff???

[JamesGallo]

This show was pretty slow. There really seemed to be even less customers then at Hunts shows. Sunday was just plan bad. The show was supposed to close at 4pm and pretty much every dealer was gone by then.
I was open on time and stayed till the end on Friday and Saturday, but it seemed the sales just weren't there for me.

Many dealers I spoke to had good shows because they had regular customers come in, that is great but it does not show a growth of the hobby or a draw that other shows didn't have.

I did talk to a far number of Net 54 folks and I was set up behind Ted :-)

Chatted with Leon, Val and a few other folks from the board I had not met before.

There were some fresh dealers which is good for all, but I didn't have a ton of luck buying much for myself. I was happy to make a very late purchase (pretty much after just about everyone was gone) of a Schalk card that was a large upgrade. Beyond that I bought some comics, a Gandil blanket and some signed checks. I had a few things graded and sent off some other cards as well.

From a dealers standpoint when your sitting around for hours at a time, there isn't much to do, so I think when a show is this dead I would expect dealers to be on the phone or doing other things. That being said if I was on my phone and saw someone at my table I would ask them if they needed anything so I was certainly open to chatting and several times I put down my phone an chatted :-D

I think there is a balance of bored and unhappy and disinterested. I am never disinterested in talking to a customer, but when I am sitting for hours at a time I have to do something.

All in all I think the show was ok. The weather wasn't good, the weekend wasn't great, and the location can be a pain to find if you don't know how to get there. I talked to one person from Boston who walked everywhere and he felt it wasn't user friendly in that respects (which I agree).

I think this show will keep the dealers for 1-3 more shows, but if the attendance doesn't improve a lot it will get small fast.

James G

[kcohen]

I just returned from the show and came away with the feeling that it has promise even though the foot traffic was indeed slow. I nonetheless did pretty well with sales. I chatted with Marco at the end and he said he's planning the next show for the second weekend in November. That should be good timing inasmuch as it's long enough after the September Hunt show but beats the December show to the punch. I also think he intends to maintain the same more modest autograph guest model with the emphasis left on cards and memorabilia. The merchandise was overwhelmingly skewed toward vintage with very little new stuff in the room.

The downside was that I was set up across from Ted Z. and had to look at him the whole show. Actually, your most enjoyable company was great to nullify the soporific effects of the slow traffic and bad weather. Always fun talking cards and politics. Was great seeing and meeting other fellow Net54ers. Nice to meet for the first time Todd BBCard1, Bill Latsko, Dan Paradis, and Judd Hamlin. As always great to chat with Dan M., Leon, Big Fish, Tony, Mike Peich, Tim Newcombe, HankPhenom, Val K. and anyone else I may be forgetting.

Lastly,I got to meet and take a photo with one of my boyhood favorites, Jim Kaat.

[JamesGallo]

You know what I find to me very funny. Baseball is played in the SUMMER and yet they are few if any summer shows. I guess everyone does other things....?

I do think the modest autograph guests with maybe 1 or 2 bigger names is the way to go. I felt the free autos at this show were far better then the free ones at other shows :-D

James G