Aloha from Chicago

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Ok, three times now.

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Posted By: brock

DMcD,
Were they letting people touch the Lou Gehrig jersey at all, because thats an item i would rather want to hold.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Were the feds letting people touch Bill Mastro?


Sorry.

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Posted By: Aaron Seefeldt

Was at the National yesterday (Friday) for a few hours.

I started off the show with a 3 way trade involving another dealer and collector. Ya just gotta love 3 ways!!!

Dealers were mostly saying the show was "slow" but hoping to get better with Saturday/Sunday foot traffic. It's no wonder foot traffic is slow... costs $11 to park and $18 to get in. That's basically $30 before you look at a card/jersey/whateverfloatsyourboat.

Goodwin's table had items for his vintage auction with bidding to start on Aug. 28th. Has some great items including an entire e125 Pirates set that is new to the hobby. Both Wagners are being sold individually and the rest sold as a group. About 1/2 have the flaps intact (including both Wags and Clarke). He also has a high grade set of d304s... boy they are coming out of the woodwork now. That's 2 sets of d304s in the Convention (I had mentioned in my previous post that another dealer is selling a complete set for $95K including the Cobb PSA 4).

Mastro's next auction (starts around same time as Goodwin's) has a near complete set of 1909 Derby Cigars (11/12). They are all graded Auth. I didn't look for other items as I had "tunnel vision" on the Derby cards... tuff set.

I did notice that the Wagner Pinkerton (fielding pose) had switched tables, don't know if it was consigned/traded/sold. The new sticker price is set at $25K (SGC 50). I sold one about 10 years ago for $2200... doh!

It seemed to me like there were quite a few cards at the show with stickers at $25K and up... no wonder dealers are complaining, they are selling cards at car prices...

I always have nice dealings/chats with Dave (Bagger). He has changed his inventory to include more cards under $500 and only a few over $2500. His view is that with a tuff economy, cards move better under $500. I would have to agree.

One dealer at the show had several complete Wheaties sets from the late '30s. I've always like the Wheaties as they are fairly priced with beautiful artwork... Doug Allen called them the "poor man's T3s" and I would agree.

The National is always fun to go to. Even if you don't find things you like, there are great things to see. Where else can you go and hold in your hands a T206 Wagner PSA5 MC, a n175 Large King Kelly, a T206 Cobb w Cobb back, an e90-1 Jackson SGC70, a t206 Cobb battoff UZIT GAI6.5, 10 different e107 HOFers, 2 d304 sets, to name just a few...

I found plenty of things to peruse and purchase at decent prices... Just have to look a while.

There are numerous dealers that will take the time and converse with you... truly helping with any information they can. And then there are the dealers that don't say a thing and are extremely cold/paranoid? Lots of characters in this business.

I was at the National for 2 days and that's enough for me (totally tapped out as well). If you plan to walk the show in one day, plan on hoofing it for about 10 miles... The entire lower level of the Steven's Center. In terms of the walking and space, it is the complete opposite of the old "East Coast Nationals" in White Plains. Yet there was not an open booth.

Next year it is off to Cleveland again and in 2 years will be in Baltimore. Numerous dealers/collectors I spoke with said they would never do another National on the West Coast (was in Anaheim 2 yrs ago) as they are the poorest attended, far below Cleveland even.

Happy collecting all.
-Aaron Seefeldt

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Posted By: Bob

Thanks for the report Aaron. I am curious about what was being offered for sale and what was selling, specifically, if caramel cards in the e93, e94, e95, e96, e97 and e98 sets and tobacco cards from the t210 set are available. (I am presuming that the sticker prices on these cards are much higher than what they go for on ebay but luckily there are some dealers who will come down on prices for a sale).

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Posted By: Aaron Seefeldt

Sorry I can't help you much TBob... I was mostly looking for supplements.

If it helps, I didn't see any new dealers with vintage cards...

Not many photos either.

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Posted By: Bob Lamb

Aaron,
I have heard that they were considering Baltimore but has this been confirmed? You are probably right , I have just been out of the loop lately.

Regards,
Bob Lamb

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Posted By: Aaron Seefeldt

Bob,
Not 100% sure about Baltimore. A dealer I was talking with who does the Nat'l every year told me Baltimore is in 2 years and then back to Chicago...

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Posted By: Steve Dawson

Regarding Baltimore apparently being picked for 2010, why do the convention organizers continually completely ignore the western half of the country?

I live in San Antonio, Texas (stationed here in the U.S. Air Force), and am originally from San Diego, California. Over the last 18 Years, the Air Force has stationed me in Texas, Colorado, Montana and Texas again. I am unable to travel the distances necessary to go to the "National" convention, since they are never anywhere near me. There are plenty of other collectors who would absolutely love to attend a National, but can't, simply because of the travel involved. The only way I've been able to buy cards is over ebay. The only convention I'm ever able to go to is the Tri-Star one in Houston TX (twice a year), and they are absolutely dreadful for pre-WW2 cards. If I wasn't looking to finish up Dodger and Angel team sets, I would be shut out entirely.

WAKE UP NATIONAL COMMITTEE!!!!!

You have turned the "National" Convention into just another "Eastern U.S." card show. Quit ignoring everything and everybody west of the Mississippi River!!!


Steve Dawson

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Posted By: Bob

I just can't believe that St. Louis isn't ever considered for the National after the great show in 1995. I can understand dealer's attitudes toward California shows but why not St. Louis?

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Posted By: Ed McCollum

It would seem logical to put the show in the middle of the country. People from either coast would have less travel distance, and those in the middle would more be able to attend on a regular basis. The only National I've been able to attend is the one in St. Louis. The distance between it and Chicago may not seem great, but it is the difference between driving and flying, and when adding the cost of accomodations, anywhere I would need to fly puts the National out of reach in terms of cost.

Denver would also work.

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Posted By: Turner Engle

Where do I start?

This was my third year attending the National, and I must say, I really enjoyed the show. Having the oppurtunity to see the PSA 5 MC Wagner in person at the Mastro booth, as well as the T206 framed near set was probably worth the trip alone. The high-grade D304's at Goodwin's was also a highlight for myself to see in person.

Sticker prices on most items seemed astronomical, but some great deals could be found as well. Just a bit of digging was needed. Many dealers showed interest in purchasing pre-war material that was probably needed for their inventory.

I did see a near or complete set of T206's with the asking price of $42,500. I can't remember the exact price but I believe it was somewhere in that range. The T206 Shag Shaugnessy hoard of 16 or so was very neat to see at the Huggins & Scott booth also.

I did get a few cards crossed at SGC, where I found Brian Dwyer to be a huge help as well as a great guy.

The Thursday night Net 54 dinner was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The speakers were excellent, and I found the "guess the HOF rookie card game" put on by Phil Garry to be fun.

It was great to meet many Net 54 members that I only knew through emails or phone calls, as well as people I had met at a prior National. I had the oppurtunity to see and meet Marty Kohler, Brian Weisner, Ryan Christoff, Mike Peich, Zach Rice, David Rosenberg, Rob Silverman, Jeff Drum, Tom Boblitt, Shawn St. Clair, Adam Warshaw, Gary Nucherno, Toby Perterson, Ed Hans, Richard Wong, Dan McKee, Steve Murray, Mike Gray, Leon, Bill Cornell, Brian Dwyer, Scott Mosley, Michael Goldberg, Rich Klein, Lyman and Brett Hardeman, David McDonald, Mark Tylicki, David Bryan, and Jeff Prizner. If I happened to forget your name, I apologize.

Overall, the show was great IMO. I came out with some great finds as well as some excellent deals that I'm very happy about. See you all in Cleveland.

My Best,

Turner Engle

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

This show was a sore disappointment from an autograph standpoint. Nearly all the decent material I viewed was stale--I had seen most of it sold in various auctions over the last twelve months. Shows are no longer the optimal way to unearth fresh material. Yawn. I may as well have stayed home.

Several people have asked me how I can sustain my existence without setting up at shows. Honestly, what show patron is going to race up to my booth to ask for an autograph of an obscure player who perhaps ten people are familiar with? It would be ridiculous to pay the nearly $1000 it cost for a small table at this year's National. I really don't understand the train of logic some of the dealers were following. I saw more than one table set up with mostly $5-20 autographs of ballplayers/golfers, etc. framed or displayed in plaques with preposterous price tags attached to their corners. It was pitiful--I wish these dealers all the best, but please, for your own sake, learn a little bit about business before dropping that kind of money on table space!

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Posted By: Marty Kohler

Turner,....... thats a thoughtful and well written report....You are a fine young man and it`s guys like you hopefully, that will be the future of our hobby...... Good Luck with those T 205`s ...A real pleasure meeting you,..Marty

GO YARD

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Jodi, I didn't attend this year but I know my brother Rhys was set up and he has great material that is definitely not "stale" as he doesn't do shows, period. I am sorry that you didn't enjoy the show, however, maybe it is time to start collecting cards like the rest of us. (insert smiley)
-Rhett

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Posted By: Bottom of the Ninth

Here is a thread which would be a far more appropriate place for Jodi's post. Seems it was a pretty good show for vintage baseball cards which is really the focus of this forum.

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

to what Marty said. With great kids like Turner collecting this stuff, we all have a bright future. Was great meeting you and your dad Turner!

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Posted By: DMcD

Words that are weighty with nothing but trouble
Theriot to Cedeno to Lee

Saw my first game ever at Wrigley as the Cubs made easy work of the Pirates. Had a terrific seat at field level behind home plate from which to drink in the glories of the Taj Mahal of Baseball and to conjure images of Dizzy Dean, 75 feet and 75 years away, and Charlie Root looking to kill Ruth with a heater, and Hack Wilson and Ernie Banks and all the rest. What I really appreciated about Wrigley were the sounds of the place. The aggregate voice of the crowd wasn't smothered by some damn state-of-the-art sound system playing ten gazillion decibels worth of We Will Rock You or Help Me Rhonda. The place had a hum; you could hear the players talk.

Made it back to Rosemont in time to hit the show for a couple of hours. Primarily spent my time at Ryan Chistoff's table and came away with a peachy Billiken Cueto and some good converstion. Also spent some time (and a little money) at the Helmar Brewing booth. If any of you are not familiar with what they are doing, they are a regional brewery in the midwest and they offer a whole range of premiums such as cards, silks, panels etc that depict baseball images as well as other sports. Their choice of baseball subjects is eclectic in a fun way, deadball players and modern ones, negro leaguers, even Japanese ballplayers and House of David guys. It is modern stuff to be sure but it is not to be mistaken for shiny crap; it captures the soul of baseball like no contrived throwback issue ever could. Present was one of the artists, Monty Sheldon, a big, friendly guy, and all I can say is "He got skills". Charlie Mandel is doing a really good thing for the hobby. (By the way, the guy who posts under "billcarrigan" might want to check out the original art for the Helmar Carrigan card and Brad Green might want to look at the Lefty Grove portrait. Both are on my picture site).

Thanks to Aaron for your posts which brought a level of erudition (depth, polish and breadth, for those that slept through high school English) to this thread which I am unable to match, and to young Turner who is indeed his Dad's pride. And thanks to Jodi, too. This is only about the third thread I have started in five years on the board so I guess it is natural to feel a bit proprietary, right or wrong, and your post was cool with me. You made some valid points which I think could be extrapolated to card sellers as well.

Jeff L.: Glad I'm getting a couple of laughs out of you. Wish you could have made it to the dinner. I would have paid good money to watch Doug Allen's Q&A if you'd have been in the audience.

Twenty or so new photos now on the ImageEvent site.

Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . .
http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika

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Posted By: Rawn Hill

Thanks for the Carrigan shot.

Rawn

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Posted By: Vincent

I realize I'm probably well behind the times, but I recall being told by several dealers (years ago) that they used the National Show primarily as an opportunity to acquire new inventory, or to make initial contact with individuals with collections to sell. The only sales concern for these dealers was to sell enough merchandise to cover their food, travel, and booth costs. But now that I think about the last two or three National Shows that I attended, I realize I wasn't greeted nearly as often with "whatcha got to sell". I guess time has passed me by.

Just my two cents worth.

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Posted By: DMcD

Hit the show for about four hours today. You go to a booth, look at some cards, get talking and before you know it you've shot an hour. Did such at Bagger's table, then talked story with Charlie Mandel at Helmar for a bit, took one more sad look at the 1912 Giants photo at Mastro (for which I was the penultimate bidder) then spent a very pleasant spell conversing with Kristin Buckler of "Loo-a-ville" who does a little baseball card selling with her husband Chris and who is Southern Charm personified. I picked up a T206 Johnson portrait and a T207 Johnson from Kristin which will fit nicely on my photo site's "HOF: First Class" album. Could have kicked myself because I didn't notice a neat Geo. Miller Dean (uncancelled) hiding in plain sight in their case until some gent strolled up and undertook a polite haggle with them. I was praying the deal wouldn't go down but it did. I was ready to pounce. Oh well, I had alot of great pick-ups and I am not going to complain. By about three o'clock a lot of tables were shutting down so I just bopped around, picking up a few upgrades for my '53 and '57 Topps sets, a decent raw T206 Latham to complement the cabinet I bought from Terry Knouse, and a Ramly of Bugs Raymond for a type card. Also got a chance to meet Rhys Yeakley who has a long ride back to Idaho to look forward to and who is keeping his fingers crossed for a Boise National in 2011. Rhys wins the Grand Prize for best business card at the National for the (fantasy) Mayo Sockalexis image.

I have only 10 or 11 new photos to load today. One of the pictures is of a glass negative of a deaf ballplayer on a team called the "Silents". There are one or two guys who have posted in the past who collect items relating to deaf players; if this is of interest to you, shoot me an e-mail and I'll put you in touch with the dealer. It is really pretty cool and would probably develop a nice picture. There is a PSA6 M116 Wood for $3750. Who says this card is rare? One of our ranks, I forget whom, has extolled the virtues of the CJ WaJo. Here then for your dining and dancing pleasure is about the nicest example of the nicest card, yours for a measly $32.5K, the price of a new car as Aaron wisely noted above.

That's it for me, folks. It has been a whole lot of fun in Chicago. I'll let somebody else gripe about the high prices, the thin crowds, the remote location etc. I have seen more incredible cards than I can count and managed to snag a few of them; I have met some great people and have enjoyed a lot of great conversations. I saw a Cubs game at Wrigley and held a T206 Wagner. It has been a gas! I am off to Victoria tomorrow morning. Don't worry, there won't be an "Aloha from British Columbia" thread anytime soon. See you all in Baltimore in 2010.

== PAU ==

Vintage cards, scantily-clad Chicago maidens, uku-zillion penguins, authentic Dutch people and more at . .
http://ImageEvent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika

Edited for spelling

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Posted By: Max Weder

David

I'll wave to you at the airport. Are you crossing the pond to the big city at all while you're here?

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Posted By: Ken McMillan

Just got back from the national. Not nearly as good as Cleveland last year. Seemed to be less vintage this year and not nearly the quality. Managed to pick up a couple of cards in my search for E121 yankees but not nearly the number from last year. Saw the Cubbies on Saturday from the left field bleachers pick up a W. Fun trip in general, but the show did not seem as well organized. Personal opinion only.

Kmac

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Posted By: Jeff W.

Just want to say thank you for the many photos and play by play action at this years national. The last national I went to was in Anaheim a few years back and would love it if they brought it back to California. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening anytime soon! But, I really appreciate all the stories and look forward to meeting all of you in the future.

Jeff W.

P.S. If any of you are in San Diego in the future let me know and we can meet up and see a Padres game! Although I don't know if any of you have ever heard of the padres...........

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Posted By: Matt

David - Thanks for taking the time to keep us all in the loop.

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Posted By: Alan

Here's my National report.

I drove from the Washington, DC area to Chicago on Wed. I got into the Rosemont area about 8 pm. The trip took about 14 hours including stopping for lunch on the road. I had dinner at a local restaurant and then checked into the hotel.

On Thurs., I got to the show lobby about 9:30 am. It wasn’t that many people waiting to get in. They started letting everyone go in before 10 am. The layout of the convention center was really weird. At the National in Cleveland, all the dealers were in one huge room. Here, there were groups of dealers in separate alcoves (rooms), so it made it especially difficult to start at isle 100 and go to the end in order.

I was there all day Thurs. It was an absolutely incredible show !!! It had so much material from vintage stuff to the shiny stuff and everything in between. Cards, memorabilia, autographs, equipment, etc,... absolutely everything. It was great seeing collectors & dealers from Net54. It looked like there was a decent crowd. There seemed to be more kids there, probably since it was free admission for kids througout the entire weekend.

I absolutely loved the network54 dinner Thurs. night. It was easily the highlight of the entire Chicago National experience. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was great meeting/seeing EVERYONE from the message board. I'm not even going to try to name everyone I met that night. Great conversations with all.

The speakers were great, especially Josh Evans from Lelands. It was also especially nice that he sat down at our table for a while during the evening.

I went to the show again on Friday. I was invited to attend the PSA registry luncheon (thanks to a collector friend on the PSA registry) even though I don't have a single card graded. Still, it was really nice meeting/seeing the PSA registry guys. They all seem to enjoy the friendly competition of the registry. PSA's Joe Orlando did a Q & A session. Levi (707 Sportcards) brought up some excellent points regarding the new “.5” grades. The food wasn't half bad, either. Joe O. handed out an early edition of the Collecting Sports Legends: The Ultimate Hobby Guide book that all PSA collectors club members will receive.

It’s too bad that I could not afford the donation cost ($100) to attend the Mastro live auction Friday night, because my dinner meet-up idea at Shoeless Joe’s restaurant didn’t really work out too well. However, I did have dinner there with sports equipment collector extraordinaire Carlton H. from the the Net 54 Memorabilia Forum, so things worked out great nonetheless.

I left Chicago Saturday morning to drive back home to the Wash, DC area.

I thought this National was as good as Cleveland was last year. I prefer the open parking, like in Cleveland, but that’s just my own personal opinion. But, it was nice that everything was all together, so it was simple to get to the Net54 dinner, for example. The layout of the National tables took some time getting used to. Crowds seems to be similar, probably more kids. Many dealers that I talked to said that although the crowds were decent, sales were down.

Even though I bought almost nothing at this National, it was one of my most enjoyable, fun & rewarding experiences at a sports collectibles show that I've ever had. Period.

Alan

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Posted By: Anthony N.

David-
thanks for the report and the pictures. It was really great chatting with you, and I hope to see you again in a couple of years.

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Posted By: DMcD

Max: Heading straight from YVR to Tsawassen ferry and will be staying put in Victoria. Jeannette has an ugly chore list waiting for ol' Ferris Bueller here. Leaving for the islands next Monday. I wish I could make your barbecue later this month but reality beckons. One of these years. Regards to Jennifer from the McDonald Hyphen Vander Kooys.

Anthony: Was nice to meet you. I made a note to myself to scan and post the "To a great fighter from a lucky one" Joe Louis photo when I return. You'll dig it.

(Edited for mo' bettah English)

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Posted By: Mark Evans

The National was a terrific experience. Thanks to Leon for coordinating the dinner and to all its sponsors. Great to see old friends and to make new ones.

Although I bought only a couple gifts for friends, it was great fun just to walk the floor. If a giant baseball card show doesn't make you feel like a kid again, you're in trouble. To those lurkers who have never attended a National, drag your butt to Cleveland and include the Net 54 dinner in your plans. You won't regret it. Mark

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Posted By: Powell

I coud not make it to the national, but am intersted in the Plow's Plank. Do you have the dealer's name and number by any chance? Thanks, Powell