Observations from the Card Show Front Lines - UPDATED!!!

[JollyElm]

STUPIDLY LONG READ AND VERY BORING!! Many apologies!!

There was a show out here yesterday, which was a first in a very long time for this collector, so I headed to it quicker than a fat guy to the Golden Corral buffet table (or a skinny guy to a yoga class, if you prefer), and this is what I walked away with...

1. Backpack Mania
You know how when you see a black and white picture from an old baseball game and everyone in the stands is wearing a top hat or a bowler or whatever? Those hats have now been replaced by backpacks. Every single person walking around was strapped into a backpack, so whenever a person turned to look at a table, the space they took up was now doubled. Walking the aisles of the show was like pulling a Catherine Zeta-Jones, contorting your body into a million different, strange positions to avoid hitting the security lasers.

And you know the lone guy in the ancient ballpark photo that you spot NOT wearing a hat? That was backpack-less me.

2. Parallel Generation
As is often repeated time and time again, the show was comprised of close to, if not surpassing, 90% modern stuff. Cruising past these tables, you saw a hundred different people with cameras attached to their heads or chests, all talking about how many views their latest 'reveal' video got. And basically each conversation among these 'kids' went something like this: "Flecky-Jump-Jump739 told me he pulled a (here is where a thousand adjectives describing the colors/rarity/pseudo-scientific descriptors of a specific card went) of (here is where the name of some apparently popular player from who knows what sport went)!!!!!"

I guess this is how my parents felt like when my older sister wanted to listen to the Beatles and not that old Perry Como guy.

3. Phoning It In
Like ancient warriors and their spears and lances, everyone at the show attacked the tables with their phones leading the way. Most of the conversations you could hear were potential buyers scrolling around like mad as they told and showed the sellers exactly what past sales of the same cards went for.

The best overheard response by a seller with a 'high' price: "Sure, my friend, you can show me a great pillow on your phone...or you can actually lay down on an extremely comfy one right here, right now."

4. Old Schooling Around
On the subject of phones, there were two basic types of sellers. First, the ones who have evolved and use past sales data sites to 'justify' their pricing to any inquiring collector. These guys are the 'good' sellers who know the business well and look you straight in the eye when you ask about a price. They want to make big profits, obviously, but won't try to deceive you on their way down that road. Since their pricing was eBay-sold normal to begin with, you were already in a good neighborhood, meaning if you were able to get the price even lower, you made a nice score. Those are the guys I gravitated to and was really happy with my purchases. They were very personable and did a brisk business (or more specifically, had plenty of people looking at and buying their stuff and were always engaging in warm-hearted conversations with potential customers).

Funny thing is, as I negotiated to get cards lower than eBay sold prices, not once did a seller simply reply with, "Yeah, but that quoted price also had shipping fees and tax charged, neither of which is reflected in the final amount, so the true price was much higher." If I sold at these shows, that would be the first arrow out of my quiver. Don't tell anyone.

Which leads to the 'bad' sellers still apparently living in a forgotten time. The ones who have no prices on anything, and seemingly never make a sale. As a test, I looked up past sales for a PSA 6 1964 Topps Willie Mays a guy had for sale. Generally, they go for around $220 and up a bit (not scientifically scrutinized, just a quick look-see), so I went and asked the gentleman what his price on the card was. He replied (with a toothy salesman's grin), "Let me see," as he pulled out his phone and scrolled around. Arriving at a price in his head, his body language was what we've all seen a million times - the discomfort of a slight shrug as his lips moved as he debated with himself, and then in an act of pretend surrender, he placed the card close to me (salesmanship 101) and said, "I'm going to take a bath on this, but I'll let it go for $450." As I said thank you and started to walk away, he called out, "Wait, what were you looking to spend?" Holding up my phone (on the exact same site he was undoubtedly just looking at), I replied, "Well the last eBay sales were about $200 to $222, so I'm out. Thanks anyway."

His final words to me? "Oh, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." No, he won't.

5. Weirdness
Jose Canseco was signing autographs somewhere. A day later, and I still have no idea where he actually was. There was that thread here awhile back where guys asked their wives to quickly name any baseball players they could, and Canseco was probably DING!! DING!! DING!! the winner. Well, holy heck, while chatting with a random guy in his #33 jersey, I was told that his wife's one 'hall pass' was Jose Canseco. Not only was he completely happy with that, he said (unsolicited, mind you) it would be great if Jose banged his wife (who was two feet away), because that would say a lot about himself and his choice of a hot wife. Anyone witnessing my reaction would say, "That guy in the Bills hat just made an over-the-top dumbfounded face that no one on Earth has ever seen before!!"

What I should have said was, "Dude, be real. Any guy will basically stick his 'bat' in any woman. There's nothing more to it," but that would've broken his A's-green heart.

6. Eplasticity
Lastly, when it comes to TPGs, not only did I see an astounding number of SGC slabs ("They sell for a little less, but they're sent back to me in days, NOT years"), but a huge amount of the numbers on the holders being bought were 3s and 4s (I grabbed a PSA 3 1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams). That is quite a change for the Topps-era cards I seek. It used to be really only sixes or sevens and above (again, not scientific, just anecdotal) made an appearance. The term I came up for for the newfound 'acceptance' of lower grade cards is "Slack Jacket," meaning being inside of a plastic tomb basically hides any creases, wrinkles or other non-blatantly obvious problems. (Pseudo-psychology attempt warning) A lot of slack is given in one's head. A flat slab is not creased, so in your mind the card it holds is no longer creased.

Not only were those cards flying off of the tables, it seemed the vast majority of cards on display were in that general neighborhood. It's either due to the TPGs being harsher graders these days or to the fact that people are sending in more lower grade cards than ever before. Probably a combo of those two things.

But it was fun as hell to be in that environment again!! Woo Hoo!!

[jethrod3]

I enjoyed your observations from the front lines, Darren! Not boring to me at all! Looking forward to more from the roving reporter!

[timzcardz]

Well I sometimes bring a back pack, but I am a large enough guy that it doesn't double my space. Maybe only 50% more!

At least it's not a rolling case on wheels that are akin to battering rams!

[Exhibitman]

The worst are those damned Zion custom card cases all the shiny crapsters lug around. Gonna have to wear soccer shin guards at the National this summer.

[ejstel]

I have been attending more shows lately...with the modern I have 0 knowledge if a Joe Burrow card should be $10 or $100k... when I see a middle aged dealer who spans vintage and modern I am astonished.

I have been moving more to graded vintage....I have just bought too many vintage cards then only saw the flaws at home...could have just rolled down the window and thrown the money right out.

To me graded balances it all with vintage...yes there are still some who say ' this should grade higher'- for all of THEIR cards........someone ( or a computer) should have already caught the crease only slightly noticeable on the back under the dark print. I hope ;(

I carry a backpack for trade (+ water & snacks), usually present option for cash and trade.... and items i share are usually what I want to move from my collection.



Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[G1911]

Was this the Concord show?

I am guilty of the backpacks and phone use. Seems wise to use tools

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by G1911

Was this the Concord show?

I am guilty of the backpacks and phone use. Seems wise to use tools

Yeah, that's the one. Had my phone in use almost the entire time, so I'm tools-wise as well. Did you see Jose Canseco?

[ALBB]

Yea, I see loads of those black hard case pelican suitcases that kids carry around !

[hcv123]

Really enjoyed the read and observations!

[Volod]

Funny stuff. I think the last show I attended had zero people with backpacks, and if anyone wanted to make a phone call, it had to be dialed on the payphone in the hotel lobby. Autograph signer may have been Bob Feller, but not sure.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Yeah, that's the one. Had my phone in use almost the entire time, so I'm tools-wise as well. Did you see Jose Canseco?

I ended up not going, since I figured it was mostly the same vintage dealers from the Sacramento show and they haven’t had enough to significantly change their stock since the last one. Canseco was supposed to be there for 2 hours Saturday.

[Harliduck]

That was an awesome read...love the Conseco bit...haha....

We had a couple of decent shows here in the Seattle area this past year and I swear, outside some dude wanting Conseco to nail his wife, I could have wrote the same observations! The tables with no prices...I keep walking...the tables with the +20% because I am here in person...keep walking. I don't think those guys sold a single item! Anyway...I'm not a backpack guy...I bring a box I carry to put my purchases that fits in my hoodie front pocket...old school baby...


I'm too confused with the new stuff...Joe Burrow was mentioned...there is like 100 plus rookie cards for him! Where does one begin? I do fall for the local talent, I have my share of refractor this, or sparkle that for Julio Rodriguez...but outside of that...I need my batting averages to be set in stone. I know how Hank Aaron ended his career, I don't know how Bobby Witt will end his...

Thanks for the write up Jolly...LOVED IT!!!

[Gorditadogg]

Enjoyable reading, Darren, thanks for your man-on-the-street perspective. We are lucky in Chicago, I think. We've made peace with the mods. I keep my eye out for the backpackers, though, I do gotta stake out my space at the tables.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[steve B]

The most recent show I went to I used my phone for the first time.

Not to look up prices, but to access my checklist/sreadheeets I have in the "cloud"

It worked pretty well, slow loading, and occasional problems leter because the synching didn't work like I thought it did and apparently many of my checklistspreadsheets are old enough they're in an older format and have to be converted.

[gonefishin]

JollyElm - great thread. If you stop collecting cards you should go into Stand Up - I'll attend! Thanks for the read.

[GRock]

I go to 10-12 shows a year and the amount of people bringing a suitcase full of their stuff has went up tenfold in the last two years.

Most ungraded sharp looking vintage have flaws that have kept them from a NM or better slab, and the few that are really good are already priced as if they were graded.

Personally, I prefer to buy centered cards that look like a 7 or 8 but are 4's due to a print dot or a small surface wrinkle.

Not saying you can't get lucky and find some NM-MT raw older stuff, but you are going to pay a fair price.

I have some blazers in slabs I really like, but I like the 4's that look like 8's just as much.

On a side note, Burrow mania has hit my house as my son collects Football (I am 95% baseball) . He has caused me to buy a lot of shiny #9 rookies and I just started into old football now as well.

First order of business a Bowman Paul Brown

Happy hunting!

[parkplace33]

Great read. Some thoughts:

"Sure, my friend, you can show me a great pillow on your phone...or you can actually lay down on an extremely comfy one right here, right now."

– Great response. I have the card, buy it now.

"I'm going to take a bath on this, but I'll let it go for $450." As I said thank you and started to walk away, he called out, "Wait, what were you looking to spend?" Holding up my phone (on the exact same site he was undoubtedly just looking at), I replied, "Well the last eBay sales were about $200 to $222, so I'm out. Thanks anyway."
His final words to me? "Oh, thanks. I'll keep that in mind." No, he won't.

- Truer words were never spoken. Also, the bath comment, that is a sympathy ploy.

It used to be really only sixes or sevens and above (again, not scientific, just anecdotal) made an appearance.

- Totally agree with this. These cards are now straight to the auction house.

[UKCardGuy]

Great Post. I've not been to a card show since 1983 but I might have a chance of getting to the national this year. Threads like this are great reading. Thanks.

[Kutcher55]

Really Fun read. One thing I have noticed at shows in the past year are guys who take themselves too seriously. Self styled “experts” who think they are exceptional because they have a few dozen Benjamins in their pocket and know a few things about vintage. They usually have big mouths and make sure the people around them know they are big time. Ran into one at a show today and wanted smash him in the face.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

Really Fun read. One thing I have noticed at shows in the past year are guys who take themselves too seriously. Self styled “experts” who think they are exceptional because they have a few dozen Benjamins in their pocket and know a few things about vintage. They usually have big mouths and make sure the people around them know they are big time. Ran into one at a show today and wanted smash him in the face.

Comes under the adage "better to let people think you are an idiot than to open your mouth and confirm it."

I met one of these smug card bros recently and it was all I could do not to bitch-slap the obnoxious off his face. I got news 'bro': I don't want to shake your hand fifteen times in a short conversation, I don't care how many Mantle cards you say you own, and you and I definitely don't know each other well enough for me to do the bro hug with you at the end. Just...go back to modern pack breaks where you belong. And all you pesky kids get off my lawn.

[EldoEsq]

Honest question, I don't know what you collect, but without a backpack, what do you do with your purchases?

Keep them in hand? Put them in your pocket?

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[raulus]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

Honest question, I don't know what you collect, but without a backpack, what do you do with your purchases?

Keep them in hand? Put them in your pocket?

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Fanny pack? Trench coat inner pocket?

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

Honest question, I don't know what you collect, but without a backpack, what do you do with your purchases?

Keep them in hand? Put them in your pocket?

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

I use a backpack or a messenger bag because I feel the exact way you do about it.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by EldoEsq

Honest question, I don't know what you collect, but without a backpack, what do you do with your purchases?

Keep them in hand? Put them in your pocket?

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Don't get me wrong, I certainly have nothing against people using them, it wasn't some sort of criticism, but it was just surprising how many people had full-on backpacks this time around. A drastic change from yesteryear. It looked like a Tenzing Norgay convention was in town.

In general, I use a smaller, easily maneuverable canvas bag (with things inside of it to protect any purchases) to hold my stuff.

Every time I tried to walk down an aisle between the tables, this is what I was confronted with...

backpacksblockingtheway.jpg

[GasHouseGang]

Do you have a term for that Darren? Maybe "backpack blockage" or something like that?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Don't get me wrong, I certainly have nothing against people using them, it wasn't some sort of criticism, but it was just surprising how many people had full-on backpacks this time around. A drastic change from yesteryear. It looked like a Tenzing Norgay convention was in town.

In general, I use a smaller, easily maneuverable canvas bag (with things inside of it to protect any purchases) to hold my stuff.

Every time I tried to walk down an aisle between the tables, this is what I was confronted with...

Attachment 560950

I am guilty of another card sin . I bring a full on backpack with a camouflage pattern because that's what I have laying around and it works well.

Now if I was smart, I would dangle it off one shoulder to force a gap between me and the person next to me trying to edge in to look at the cards I am looking at and invading my personal space like its an olympic sport.

[cgjackson222]

Threads like this are why JollyElm is my favorite member of Net54.
Great stuff!!

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by cgjackson222

Threads like this are why JollyElm is my favorite member of Net54.
Great stuff!!

Ha!!! You think a nice little comment like that is going to make me forget that you didn't send me a beautiful box of chocolates this Valentine's Day???? It's going to take a lot more than that, sir!!!!

[1952boyntoncollector]

i would think the best things to buy and sell for sealers and buyers are ungraded cards..on the internet it tough to really know how the card really is but in person would solve that.

even past sales on ebay dont mean as much on raw cards so it allows more flexibility for both parties...also i would think there is more likelihood of returns on ebay on raw cards so the dealers dont have to deal with that on in person sales where the card is inspected in hand

to a lesser degree i would think lower graded cards would also be easier to sell in person...one mans 1 is another mans A etc...

how bad is that wrinkle etc...perhaps thats why you see those 3's and 4's sell more easily in person...

[mrmopar]

The whole scene seems to have changed dramatically since Covid awakened all the long sleeping "collectors". That, the increased pricing spikes on just about everything and the cost and increasing issues with mail (theft, poor packaging, rising costs, sellers refusing to combine shipping, etc) are leaving very little to be desired about collecting anywhere but in person at shops or shows, if you even have that in your general vicinity. many do not anymore.

I thought facebook might offer some additional spots to discuss cards in addition to the couple card-related sites like these I frequent, but I don't think I can take any more comp, bro, y'all, raw, slab, rainbow, my guy, tuxedo and a variety of other catch phrases that everyone seems to use and love now, none of which I will ever accept or use.

Someone posted on one of the facebook sites today asking what a Score Bo Jackson was worth, as he had just "pulled" one from what looked like a set, the one with the B&W shoulder pad image. How is anyone paying $10 for that Score base card. On a positive note, it's nice to see people coveting a card that isn't extremely valuable, but it also appears that popularity is driving the price of this card into a range that is unreasonable, given the quantity that must be out there in the market.

[jimtigers65]

Every time I come home from a show I say to nobody in particular “I’m going to invent a small backpack specifically for shows.” I usually get bumped numerous times while roving the isles.

A couple years ago I attended the Chicago National. One of my first stops, I set my backpack down and pulled out my checklist. The dealers daughter, around 10-years old told me that my backpack smells.

The Pelican cases crack me up. I’m stereo typing, but usually it is a younger collection with these cases. I’m sure I would have used one back it the day if it was available.

I was going to go to the Concord show but the rain helped me make the decision to wait for the 1 April show in Sacramento.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by raulus

Fanny pack? Trench coat inner pocket?

Trench coat of course!

[brad31]

Great read. I particularly liked your backpack analogy.

[YazFenway08]

and thank you for reminding me of Catherine Zeta Jones, burglaring circa 1998...

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

The whole scene seems to have changed dramatically since Covid awakened all the long sleeping "collectors". That, the increased pricing spikes on just about everything and the cost and increasing issues with mail (theft, poor packaging, rising costs, sellers refusing to combine shipping, etc) are leaving very little to be desired about collecting anywhere but in person at shops or shows, if you even have that in your general vicinity. many do not anymore.

I thought facebook might offer some additional spots to discuss cards in addition to the couple card-related sites like these I frequent, but I don't think I can take any more comp, bro, y'all, raw, slab, rainbow, my guy, tuxedo and a variety of other catch phrases that everyone seems to use and love now, none of which I will ever accept or use.

Someone posted on one of the facebook sites today asking what a Score Bo Jackson was worth, as he had just "pulled" one from what looked like a set, the one with the B&W shoulder pad image. How is anyone paying $10 for that Score base card. On a positive note, it's nice to see people coveting a card that isn't extremely valuable, but it also appears that popularity is driving the price of this card into a range that is unreasonable, given the quantity that must be out there in the market.

It's almost like these people have been locked away for three years with no contact with other people and nothing to do but play with their cards and themselves...

[soxandcubbies]

That was awesome!

I work for the postal service at one of the processing plants and my favorite one of your observations was the backpack. I see 20 somethings walking around with these tiny backpacks that you be hard pressed to get a bottle of water in much less any personal belongings. Whether it's Transformers, Star Wars or the like, proportionally, they look quite odd, especially on a larger person. All I keep thinking of when I see one is Chris Farley singing, Big Guy in a little coat.

[JollyElm]

THIS IS ANOTHER STUPIDLY LONG (AND BASICALLY JUST STUPID) AND VERY BORING READ!! Many apologies!!

It is meant for entertainment purposes only and no actual conclusions should be drawn from the verbiage. Be sure to eat a hearty meal before attempting to slog through it.


There was another show out here this past weekend, and I sped into town to grab some cardboard and some laughs (not necessarily in that order), and here is what I walked away with...


1. Showsupials
The first thing I noticed, or more accurately, DIDN’T notice, were the backpacks. Whereas the last show I attended looked like it was held inside of a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Nepal, because of the overabundance of backpacks, this time there wasn’t a rucksack to be seen. It was sort of jarring, the sudden sea change in carrying equipment. Maybe it was due to the heat? Who knows. It seemed like the only thing people had to store their purchases in this time was their pockets.


2. Neighbor Blindness or Failure to Case the Joint
There were a few times where different dealers at adjoining tables had the exact same number-graded cards for sale, separated by merely a few feet, but at wildly different prices. They didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on right next to them. One guy had two separate PSA 6 1966 Topps Pete Rose #30 cards for sale at $150 each. About seven feet away at someone else’s table, the same card had a $318 (talk about a weird number) price tag on it. All three looked very similar, so they were basically the ‘same’ card. Think about it - Dealer #1 had two of the cards at less than half the price of Dealer #2’s, and neither of them had sold. That means his ‘low’ $150 price was too high, so what in high heck was going on in Mr. $318’s head??

Which somewhat leads into...

3. Taking a Satchel Paige from the Oldest Trick in the Book
At some point, the 1953 Topps Satchell (sic) Paige started becoming a card that was on everyone’s radar, and you always make a mental note when you see one. I saw two different sellers who each had a PSA 3 prominently displayed for sale. Since I visited every vintage table a hundred times, I can say without hesitation that those were the only graded threes in the room. One seller had his listed for $1,600, and the other for $900. I was at the $900 table when a guy went up to him and said (lied), “The guy over there is selling the same card for $800. If you want me to buy it from you, you’ll have to beat his price.”

The seller being no fool (and probably thinking, "Is this guy really trying to pull the old ‘beat the fake price’ scam on me?") scrolled around on his phone, and then said, “One just sold for $1,300 and the few before that went for between $900 and a grand, so my price is on point. I suggest you go buy that other guy’s card as quickly as you can.” I had to turn my head away so no spit flew out of my mouth as I guffawed. When the silly deceiver left the table, I noticed he didn’t head in the direction of the other Satchel Paige table. Funny.


4. Rapporical Question
There’s a sales tactic at shows where dealers will ask you something related to the team on the hat or shirt you’re wearing in an attempt to form a quick kinship and draw you in as a customer.

One guy pointed at me and said, “That’s an old Buffalo Bills hat, right? Yeah, I get it, I’m from Carolina.” (I have no clue what the tie-in between Western New York and North Carolina coud possibly be...except that they are both east of California...so I had no idea what he was getting at.) And he happily said he’s also a big Bills fan. (Let’s be honest, I am probably the only Buff fan within a 2,000 mile radius, so I decided to have some fun.) Half-jokingly I said, “Okay, you love Buffalo? I will buy something off of you if you can name a single Bill other than Josh Allen.” Knowing I had him, he chuckled and said, “You know...that heart attack guy or whatever from last year.” At least he made me (uncomfortably) laugh, so I bought a card off of him.

Another guy looking at my hat told me, “I wish I had bought Josh Allen rookies when I had the chance. You realize the same thing is going to happen with Brock Purdy cards, right? Now is the time to buy ‘em.” As he pointed at the group of Purdy cards in his display case, I replied, “Wow, that was quite the quick transition there from the Bills to the Niners. Smooth. I’m going to call you ‘Mr. Segue.’”

It gets better. After lunch, I put on my Mets hat instead. Passing by tables, someone semi-shouted, “Mookie Wilson, right?” (I guess he was playing some sort of name a random Met from the past game??). I said, “Dude, don’t you remember talking to me?? I was the guy in the Bills hat just an hour ago!!”


5. Language Barrier
You know when you’re clicking around on your TV and end up on some foreign channel and have no frickin’ idea what anyone is saying? Or pretend you’re stuck in a UN General Assembly meeting, but left your translation earpiece back at the hotel. That’s exactly what it felt like when I was checking out vintage cards at a table which abutted one selling the shiny modern stuff. The words, phrases, players, etc., emanating from the assembled masses was a profound mix of hi-tech sounding gibberish and gobbledygook. Lord knows what they were talking about.

But you know what’s the same in every ‘language’? The outrage over crazy pricing. No matter how many unintelligible-to-vintage-collectors adjectives and descriptors were being thrown around while describing (I assume) modern cards, when I heard, “Wait, you want $400 for this card??!! That’s crazy!!!” I didn’t need a translator to understand it.


6. Red Headed Step-Grader
I didn’t run into too many CSG holders, but when I did, their size disparity had them situated unceremoniously in the backs of the boxes of slabs, almost entirely ignored. (Warning! Not a scientific assessment...) You get the general feeling that buyers/sellers don’t yet hold the company in high esteem (meaning, of course, as moneymakers), and I didn’t notice anyone buying the slabs, especially since dealers usually had ‘PSA-worthy prices’ attached to them. That just won’t fly at this point in time.


7. Having a Coniption (Perfect) Fit
There seems to be a lot more dealers using those overly snug ‘perfect fit’ type of graded card sleeves to house their wares. For a casual lookie-loo like me, it is a nightmare. Argh!!! I want to view each card out of the sleeve to get as close to it as possible for an assessment. But you need the delicate dexterity of a neurosurgeon to free a slab from one of those guys. In at least one attempt in three, pushing my (non-sausage) finger inside one to get the card out caused it to rip along the seams!!

People say cards present really nicely inside of them, but those same f*ckers will tell you fat guys look marvelous in skinny jeans.


8. Universal Acclaim Disclaim
Everyone loves to complain. It’s in our DNA. If you’re reading this thread, you’re undoubtedly complaining about it. That’s life. But when every single person is complaining about the same thing, there’s gotta be something to it, right?

This show had an incredible amount of newly graded PSA/SGC cards available for sale. Everything obviously just came back from the TPG’s. It didn’t matter which table you stopped at or which dealer you talked to, you heard him (or her, see #10 below) bitterly complaining about the grades their vintage cards received as they showed them to potential buyers:

“In what universe is this Morgan Rookie ONLY a 5???!!!”

“I always predict my cards will get lower numbers than they deserve, so I won’t be disappointed later...but all my stuff came back EVEN LOWER than what my fake lowball predictions were!!! It ain’t right!!!”

A guy referring to one of his PSA-graded cards called it a “Tom Thievery!!”

At every table, every minute of the show there was number-unhappiness...but will people stop sending off cards to be graded? NOPE.


9. Don’t Get P.T. Barnumed
The famous showman once said (although there’s no evidence he said it), "There's a sucker born every minute," so make sure it ain’t you.

A couple of tables were filled with PSA graded cards with cert numbers starting with 7’s and numbered relatively sequentially. The dealers obviously just recently got everything back from PSA. However, their displays also had one or two major cards that did not sit inside of holders. The immediate thought was, “Wait, this guy ONLY sells graded cards, EVERYTHING he has is graded...so why weren’t these big-money cards also slabbed??”

Sure, you can choose to believe nothing's up and he just happened to get them in the days before the show, but were I a betting man, I would wager all of my money that he did, in fact, submit them with everything else to PSA, but they were rejected and he has no intention of disclosing that information to anyone.

I could be wrong, but as Sergeant Esterhaus used to say on 'Hill Street Blues,' “Let's be careful out there.”


10. Day Laborers from the Modeling Agency or Attack of the Table Hussies (no disrespect intended)
There seemed to be a serious uptick in the amount of ‘hot chicks’ (no offense) hawking cardboard to the masses at this show.

When most of us think of ladies at a card show (my apologies), it would involve a chubby, middle-aged guy sitting beside his similarly proportioned wife, both of them chowing down food from styrofoam takeout containers as their lips smack and they try to swallow before answering any questions you may have, neither of them deigning to even stand up. But at yesterday’s show, it was a Bimbo Blitzkrieg (no offense intended or implied). A whole bunch of sellers had their wives/girlfriends/other out front and center, womaning (wait, why does “manning” have two n’s, but “womaning” would only have one??) the show tables.

It certainly makes sense. Collectors are base creatures. If the right girl smiles at us, we would happily pay $200 for a PSA 3 1991 Score #270 Mickey Tettleton card if she said that was the price.

One seller told me, “My prices are firm, they aren’t changing. So, tell me, who would you rather buy a card from, me or giggling Sarah (no offense, as she was literally prone to chortling) over there?” There’s a lot of wisdom in that statement. I got the distinct impression that not only did she know nothing about cards, but she had no connection to the seller and was probably just hired for the day. This method should be outlined in Business 101 textbooks.

I don’t want to exaggerate, but he had her at one end of his table while he stood (with all of his card knowledge being squandered) alone at the other. If that table was a ship, it would’ve been listing, because of all the people crowded in front of her. One disappointed patron bemoaned his failure to impress her, by muttering, “If I was still good looking, I could’ve gotten her (no offense, females should not be looked upon as prizes to be won).” Sadly, he had something in his hand as he walked away, so she obviously used her feminine wiles (no offense, wiles are independent of gender) to coax him into buying something. Foolish man.


11. All’s Fair in Love and War and Baseball Cards
When I told a seller I was chatting with how it wasn’t fair to the other dealers to have a stone cold 10 (no offense, it is always appropriate to assign number grades to cards, but never to women) at your table to draw old, ugly guys like me to their tables, he told me, “No way!! I used to play that game by having my hot wife (no offense, all women should be respected for the entirety of their being and not solely on looks) work shows with me. Doing shows is expensive, so if Bethy in a low cut top helped me cover my nut, I was all for it.” (The odd thing is, although you hear the phrase “cover my nut” here and there on TV, I don’t think I ever heard someone say it in person before.)

Looking me over to gauge my age for a proper reference, he further added, “She was “Hot for Teacher” video girl hot. Swear!” (I don’t believe him.) I joked that it sounds like she deserved a Nobel Piece of Ass Prize (no offense intended, as honors should never be awarded based on outward appearances). Suddenly his demeanor turned a bit melancholy, and he concluded with, “But she divorced me, because she said I was so crude and swore too much.”

Assuming that “swearing” was the left coast version of “cursing,” I said, “Fuck yeah!! I fucking curse all the fucking time!!” A tear nearly came to his eye as he told me that comment made his fucking day! God, I like that guy!!


Until next time, my fellow collectors complainers!!

[clarke442]

I was just at a show out here in Massachusetts and can commiserate with you about the backpacks.
Not only are they unaware of their spacial relations with blocking the aisle . . . they give you a dirty look when you bump them trying to squeeze past.
Good Times.

[robinsonmantle]

I have seen some backpacks but some recent shows have the booths and isles too close so little room to walk by without bumping into someone. What surprised me is the lockboxes of all sizes walking around and by people of all ages.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JollyElm]

...

[cgjackson222]

That's pretty funny that dealers are hiring Hot ("for Teacher") women to "man" their booths for them. Between the table fees and the hiring of the hot women, that's a fair amount of money needed to recoup so they can "cover their nut."

Also, love the dealer using the term "Tom thievery" to describe how PSA was low-balling his cards when grading them. Is "Tom thievery" a distant cousin of "tom foolery"?

Thanks for the read, Jollie!

[Joeybats]

Darren, thanks for a great thread. I went to a show for the first time in a while this past weekend. Disappointing to say the least, given that about 5 of the 50 tables had vintage and only two of those vintage hockey. Had I wanted I could have bought a wide variety of shiny, sparkly cards that were likely released from the factory last week for the low price of a bazillion dollars. There will be a lot of “collectors” that will be sadly disappointed and out a good deal of cash in the short term as their “investments” in Johnny Noname aren’t worth diddly squat despite being a yellow, holographic, diamond shine, retro, acetate, die cut 1/25.

[Kutcher55]

Great stuff Darren. Your storytelling skill is high end. Loved the last little vignette about the guy and his former hot wife.

[Kutcher55]

btw slightly off topic, but since a thread needs a card, here's a recent ebay transaction. Note any difference between the card for sale and the one I received in the mail? I had to chuckle when I got this. I paid nothing so whatever, but seriously? There's gotta be a name for this sort of selling practice.

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

btw slightly off topic, but since a thread needs a card, here's a recent ebay transaction. Note any difference between the card for sale and the one I received in the mail? I had to chuckle when I got this. I paid nothing so whatever, but seriously? There's gotta be a name for this sort of selling practice.

Looks like a digital trim job.

What say Darren, 'Digitrim'? or do you already have a term for this type of practice?

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

Looks like a digital trim job.

What say Darren, 'Digitrim'? or do you already have a term for this type of practice?

Fear not, I have the subject covered (as well as other bits from this thread) and it will be a part of the next round of 'Collectorisms'...coming soon to a thread near you!!!

--elm

[deweyinthehall]

There will be a lot of “collectors” that will be sadly disappointed and out a good deal of cash in the short term as their “investments” in Johnny Noname aren’t worth diddly squat despite being a yellow, holographic, diamond shine, retro, acetate, die cut 1/25.[/QUOTE]

My thoughts exactly (and even some Johnny Somebodies!)!

[David W]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Fear not, I have the subject covered (as well as other bits from this thread) and it will be a part of the next round of 'Collectorisms'...coming soon to a thread near you!!!

--elm

Can't wait.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Kutcher55

btw slightly off topic, but since a thread needs a card, here's a recent ebay transaction. Note any difference between the card for sale and the one I received in the mail? I had to chuckle when I got this. I paid nothing so whatever, but seriously? There's gotta be a name for this sort of selling practice.

People suck.

[JollyElm]

ANOTHER LONG AND RIDICULOUS ASSESSMENT OF A SHOW...but at least this one has a couple of photos!!

Caffeine required, massive amounts of caffeine. It's not my intention to put you to sleep, but your mattress is undoubtably gonna be calling to you.


Another semi-local show occurred yesterday, and I decided at the very last moment to make the drive to see some treasures, and here are some thoughts...



1. In Plain Sight
Not sure if it’s the way of card shows across the country now, but it seems the vast majority of the ones I’ve been to lately had the autograph guests tucked away out of public view in some sort of labyrinth, only visible to the attendees who paid the fees to have items signed and then led through a maze to go see (and most likely be ignored by) the player in person.

The signer here was Orlando Cepeda, and it was nice that he was right there in front of anyone who wanted to look. Here’s a zoomed in shot of him stylishly sipping a soda (actually, since this is California, it is very likely something from Jamba Juice)...

orlandocepedasippingsoda01.jpg

If I read the faraway sign accurately, it cost $40 to get a card autographed. Didn’t talk to his point person, but as the photo indicates, there didn’t seem to be a lot of activity there. Could be wrong.


2. Swing And A Mislead
This ‘yute’ (random ‘My Cousin Vinny’ reference) walked up to a major vintage dealer’s (large and brimming with activity) table to ask if he was interested in buying some very old cards. His curiosity peaked by the inquisitor’s steel case/safe, the dealer asked him what he had.

The reply was, “Koufax, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, William, Campy, Berra and Clemente. All of the major guys.”

Everyone ‘round the table’s ears popped up (mostly through the jealousy of, “How come this never happens to me??!!”) and the kid drew a captive audience. He remarked, “I got these from my grandfather,” and that made everyone drool. The mention of a grandfather means the 1950’s and earlier, right??!!

And now the big reveal...jimmying open his case, he pulled out a small stack of toploaders (everyone’s heads excitedly leaned it to get a closer look), and what treasures did they hold?? A bunch of lower grade 1975 Topps MVP cards!!!!!!! Technically, they do contain the players he mentioned. Argh!! A collective sigh echoed through the venue, as this boy’s fifteen minutes of fame stopped dead after only about two minutes. What a disappointment to the collected collecting masses.

This is where it hurts me (and probably MOST of us a bit). When someone mentions their grandfather’s cards, they are talking about the stuff he actually got from the packs he opened as a boy. This guy’s granddad was collecting NOT in the 1950’s or 60’s, but in the mid-1970’s. How the heck is that grandfather age now??? I need a nap.

In retrospect, the whole thing could’ve been avoided. I’m quite sure he also threw in the names Groat, Jensen and Burroughs as he was rattling off players, so I guess we all should’ve known it was going to be a big fail.


3. Slight Uptick in Modern Dealers
The percentage of tables hawking modern cards seemingly went from last show’s 99.3% up to 99.7% now. “Vintage?? We don’t need no stinkin’ vintage!!!”


4. Dead Centering
It’s often been mentioned how Brooks Robinson has clearly been an undervalued Hall of Famer forever. For the everyday collector, the want of his cards centers around a couple of standouts, like his rookie card or the coveted and pricey 1967 high number.

Well, after his very recent passing, the number of B-Robby cards sitting in display cases has grown doubly, triply exponentially. It seemed virtually every dealer had Brooks Robinson cards occupying prominent positions in their cases, surrounded by the usual assortment of Mantles, Mays, Aarons, Ryans and Clementes. And we’re not talking about the rare stuff, just the basic 1960s-70s cards.

Sometimes effective marketing is depressing.


5. Semi-Karma
We all know those sellers who couple their stupid pricing with an inability to ever stop talking as they push you to buy their stuff. One I’ve seen at every show I’ve attended out here was drastically different this time. Whenever I was in close proximity to his table, he sat silently with a styrofoam takeout container beside him. He didn’t appear sad or forlorn (otherwise, I’d feel bad that maybe something bad happened in his life), but it seemed like he finally acknowledged (Ha! No way!) that his loud and boisterous pestering of showgoers doesn’t actually work to create sales.

We’ll see what version of him shows up at the next show.


6. My Favorite Player is Cash
Glancing at a dealer’s table which ran the gamut from vintage to a ton of modern stuff, I was witness to something that completely sums up what modern era baseball card ‘collecting’ (purposeful air quotes) seems to have become.

A young guy - late teens, early 20’s - was surveying the table when the dealer, with a big smile on his face, asked, “Hey, who’s your favorite player?” in an attempt to see if he could direct him towards some stuff and make some sales (see 'Rapporical Question' in post #37). The ‘kid’ replied something to the effect of it was Ohtani and Trout (and then going into a lengthy soliloquy) explained that due to their injuries he wasn’t sure if selling their cards now would be the right move, because if they return and continue to be great then their cards would increase nicely in value. "Or do I assume that although all of their cards are dropping right now, I should still get out and limit my losses?" This went on for a while and there were multiple references to return-on-investment, and I swear he used the word “commoditization.” At points he was pointing out sales of cards on his iPad. On and on it went. He also mentioned Pete Alonzo in the same vein, as well as other names who I am unfamiliar with, but assume are big stars (I know nothing about today’s game).

Every word uttered was about the value of cards, the up and downs of the card market, and what his next moves should be.

When it finally ended, the dealer had a dumbfounded look on his face, so I leaned in to the ‘kid’ and explained, “He asked you who your FAVORITE PLAYER is. Who do you like to watch?” After making a sort of scoffing noise, he looked around and replied, “How am I supposed to answer that? I dunno.”

YOW-ZUH.

We all have a favorite player or players that are burned into our souls. These names are established when you’re a kid. My holy trinity is Willie Mays, Dave Kingman and Reggie jackson. No thought required. You ask me who my favorite player is and their names immediately come out of my mouth. The friends I grew up with? The same thing, almost entirely Mets and Yankees, and nobody has to think about it. “You know mine’s Doc Gooden.” “Graig Nettles for me.”

This ‘kid’s’ concept of ‘favorite’ only means who will return him the most profit on the sales of his cards. That’s it. No appreciation for the player himself, just his card prices. He couldn’t comprehend the base emotion of being a red-blooded American with an all out love for a player. He’s probably never even stepped onto a diamond in his entire (albeit short) life.

SMH.


7. Randomly Funny Moment
I finally got a tank top version of a baseball card shirt I created, so I broke it out for the show. As I approached a Net54 member’s table, his mom (who works the shows with him) smiled hugely at me and (referring to my shirt) said, “You’re a good boy to love your mother so much.” She was obviously very proud of me (stay tuned, that changes) for wearing this garment...

tanktopbitchFRONT03.jpg


Having no choice, I humbly said, “Lady, you really need to look at the back of it,” and proceeded to turn around to let her see it...

tanktopbitchBACK03.jpg


When I turned back around, the guy also working the table was guffawing (it’s always nice to be appreciated), and the mom’s face was red with a bit of embarrassment, but smiling broadly as she proudly pointed at her son and said, “Well, I never threw out any of his cards, look...” (as she 'presented' everything on the table) and crossed her arms in a happy triumph.

It was obvious that she wanted to laugh at the shirt, but chose to be more reserved. We parted the bestest of friends.


8. Low-Grade Larceny?
We all hate ‘Highed Pricers’ (See what I did there? The prices are too high and they are hidden), who keep their price stickers out of sight (my ‘Collectorism’ for this is Snakebelly Pricing). It usually leads to a look of shocking disbelief on your face after you ask him about a card, and he takes it out, looks at the sticker on the underside and reveals his (larcenous) asking price.

There was a dealer who employed this method at his table, but the weirdness of it was his entire inventory was low grade cards. I don’t believe he had anything over a PSA/SGC 2. And we’re NOT talking about any ‘big money despite the grade’ 1950s Mantles and Robinsons, we're talking 1960s/70s ‘regular’ HOFers. They are basically 'valueless.'

If you’re set on way overcharging for cards in garbage shape, it may be time to find another vocation.


Until next time, my fellow collectors anti-snakebellyists!!