National 2011

[mjkm90]

I returned home about three hours ago from two and a half days at the National in Chicago. While the show was really lacking figural pieces that myself and many others here collect, it did have a lot of quality pieces. I had a great time meeting and chatting with soo many hobby friends that I could fill this page, but spent most of my time with Ryan Sims (sundev151), Mark S. (perezfan), Brett Lowman (Play Ok Antiques), Carlton, and John Kanuit.

Here are my purchases.

First up is a heavy figural bank. While the bank is common, the stands NEVER turn up and I couldn't pass on the opportunity to add this piece to my collection.


I added some much needed rare Cubs pinbacks and a few other miscellaneous pins. These were had a bargain prices from dealers not specializing in pins. No two came from the same table. There were quite a few quality pinbacks at this show, which made me very happy.



I have been after this pennant for three years or more. It is exceeedingly rare. If fact, Mark (Perezfan), D. Bushing, and two prominent pennant dealers I showed it two had never seen another. I LOVE crossed bats. It was also very reasonably priced.


I purchased this rare Zimmerman bat from a fellow collector. More crossed bats on the very heavy 1920s bat. Fair price, but not a bargain.


Here is the find of the show for me and one of the best of my lifetime. This is a trophy I've been after for 10 plus years. This example is dated 1912. Outside the two or three trophies on display in the auction booths, this was by far the best trophy at the show (not bosting, simply offering you show perspective) and it comes with a GREAT story.


Here is the tale of my trophy find. On the SECOND day of the show I was down in a far corner of the convention center digging through the booths of smaller dealers. There were a lot of ball cubes, modern crap, and junk in the area. Anyway, I came out of the rest room and decided to go all the way back to the front entrance and work the room again. I walked around the corner of the of the farthest booth rather than cutting through, which would have been faster and easier. This particular booth I walked around had NOTHING I would have walked within 20 feet of otherwise. As I turned the corner I happened to look down, and on the edge of the table sat this trophy. I about fainted when I saw it. I grabbed it and looked for a tag. There in blue ink was written 1912 and $200! If figured the dealer missed a zero and asked him what the best he could do on this piece was expecting him to say $1,800. Well...he said $175... I took a deep breath, pulled out my cash with shacking hands, completed my purchase, and spent the next four hours bouncing off the ceiling! I still cannot believe this piece wasn't seen by someone else.

For those who aren't familiar with this trophy, it is made by Pairpoint for the Draper Maynard Sporting Goods company, it stands 10" high and is about 9" across, and the bowl is copper. They usually sell in the $1,200 to $1,500 range. Needless to say this made my collecting year.