Well, my last blog about the Orland Park show was in October. There have been about five shows I've attended since October and of course, I failed to take notes, so I don't have a whole lot to offer.

Some of my overall observations about the Orland show...

Each show appears much the same for me. I get to hang out with my pals Larry, Will, Joe, and Paul. I also see a lot of other friendly faces. There is now a concession stand which has me excited. 

On the down side, my sales have gone down. While attendance is steady at this show, for some reason my sales have taken a nose dive. I think one of the problems is that less and less collectors attend this show. It seems like most customers coming to my table want wholesale deals so they can resell my cards. I can't make money with these customers, I need collectors. Not just any collectors, I need some guys working on vintage sets and ready to spend a little dough. Where did all the Orland collector go?

I still get a handful of regular collectors who I really appreciate. You guys know who you are and a big thank you for your support! Overall, it seems like the amount of Orland vintage collectors has shrunk.

I don't even know what to bring out any more. I brought all of my display cases at the March show and sales were minimal. I didn't bring out my 1950's binders in March, I'll have those this month.

Buying, on the other hand, remains strong at Orland. I've bought quite a few cards these past five months at Orland and will probably continue to do so. 

As far as the thief goes, I told him in January to stay away from my table. So far, so good.

The next Orland show is Saturday, April 27, 2019. I hope to see a return of the hordes of vintage collectors. My baseball binders are pretty well stocked. I need to work on the others. Let me know if you are looking for anything special.

Today, I would like to report on the recent Gonzaga Hall shows. 

The January show was held the 13th which ended a long show layoff for me. I usually don't go more than a week or so without doing a show but since I did not schedule a January show at the Salvation Army, I had no show to attend for about five weeks. I cannot remember the last time I went more than two weeks without a show, let alone five. So I was rearing to go on January 13.

I woke up that morning at the crack of dawn as usual. I loaded up my car and was on the road to Gonzaga around 7 a.m. After about a half hour or so of driving, the electrical in my car started to go wacko. The car was shutting off and on the the steering was locking up. My electric steering light came on. I got a little freaked out and pulled off the road somewhere north of Kenosha. I texted dealer Gary George to tell promoter Keith that I was having car trouble and would not make the show. I also emailed Keith.

I got back on the highway and drove home. I went over to the Firestone by my house because I knew they were the only place open on Sunday. A mechanic checked out my car and could not find anything wrong. The wacky electrical stuff did not happen while he was futzing around in there. He sent me on my way. Of course, as I drove away, the wacky electrical stuff started again. I eventually had the battery replaced and now it is driving just fine. I am so sorry I did not make the January show. I hated to miss the show!!

At the February show, someone showed me the cards, pictured above. For the life of me, I cannot remember who it was. Anyway, I remember taking the photo because the cards are incredibly cool.

Pictured above are a handful of cards from the February deal. 

Pictured above are a handful of cards from the March deal.

The next Gonzaga show is Sunday, April 14, 2019. In the meantime, my next show at the Salvation Army, 8853 S. Howell, Oak Creek, WI, is just a few days away on Saturday, April 6, 2019. I'll have a ton of new stuff out at the show. Also, 27 dealers have signed up so far. As a result, I'll have 50-plus tables at the show Saturday. Be sure to come hungry and try some food at the concession stand. All concession sales benefit the Salvation Army. As usual, two free packs of cards for everyone who attends. I've picked up all sorts of wax to give away. No admission!! See you Saturday!!!

As someone who has a journalism degree and who has worked professionally as a newspaper reporter, I am the last guy to media bash but there is a first time for everything. Check out this story:

https://nypost.com/2019/02/07/babe-ruth-card-bought-for-2-could-be-sold-for-millions/

The gist of the story is that a guy who knows absolutely nothing about nothing, let alone baseball cards, purchased a Babe Ruth card at a card shop for $2. Numbnut now thinks he has a $2 million card and it is going to change his life. How in the world is this story spreading across the country? I can hear old Professor Carson advising us newbies in Journalism 101 to check our facts. Nobody involved in this train wreck bothered to check their facts.

First of all, a card shop owner, who is in the business of selling cards, is not going to sell a $2 million dollar card for $2. The shop owner knew all along that the card was fake but dishonestly told our hero that he couldn't find any information about it anywhere on the internet. A quick eBay search netted a listing of a lot of 100 fakes for $5.50 (at $2 a pop, that is a nice profit):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-CARD-LOT-BABE-RUTH-HERPOLSHEIMER-CO-BOYS-FASHION-SHOP-NY-YANKEES-ACEO/323678259860?hash=item4b5cba4a94:g:BPMAAOSwP61bSgE0:rk:32:pf:0

I actually purchased two similar cards at the Gonzaga show last year from a seller who professed he did not know whether they were real or not. My cards were not Ruths but Walter Johnson and Jimmie Foxx from the same set as the Ruth. I was skeptical but purchased them anyway for a few bucks. I studied the ones I purchased for a month or so, figuring they were fake but looking for evidence. I knew all along that the seller was not going to sell me a 5K card for a few bucks but the cards were in a group of others that I wanted because I knew those cards were real like a 1950 Bowman Johnny Mize and a 1951 Bowman Leo Durocher.

The cards I purchased were worn and tattered. They looked like they could have been printed in the 1920s. What I realized, after staring at them for a month, was that the print was not worn and tattered. Essentially, someone took some old-looking cardboard, probably they made it look old, then printed the Walter Johnson image and the back advertisement onto the old-looking cardboard. The forger failed to make the print look old. If he would have scratched it up a bit, maybe I would have believed I had a real card and then would have shipped it off to SGC for authentication (I hate PSA). 

Now the card that numbnut bought at the card shop is so obviously fake that I feel really sorry that he could be duped so easily. His card is perfect. The cardboard is whiter than white. No wear whatsoever. Sharp corners, sharp edges. Does such an authentic version of this card exist? Maybe but highly unlikely. The cards were collected by kids in the 1920s. Children that played with them. Brought them to school or the playground. Often in those days, they pasted them into scrap books. So finding one in pristine condition with not a single iota of wear or tear is next to impossible. The whiter than white cardboard is an easy giveaway. The white color should have at least a few smudges from dirty or chocolatey kid hands.

I regularly get presented with fake pre-War cards at shows. They are usually encased in those screwdown holders from the late 1980's/early 1990's. When I see vintage cards in screwdowns, I automatically assume they are fake. This guy's million-dollar Ruth is in a screwdown.

This story is so sad. If you watch the video, the guy is holding his kid and he starts crying when he talks about the millions he is going to get for the sale of his... obviously fake card in the screwdown holder.

I almost want to send him some cards for free. Real cards. I feel so sorry for him. It seems like his life is crap and he thinks that now it is going to be great because he is going to get millions for his... obviously fake card in a screwdown holder.

I am also concerned about the message that this story sends to the national public about our hobby. Yes, the hobby is racked with thieves and scoundrels. But for every thief and every scoundrel there are dozens of awesome people who love and enjoy a truly wonderful hobby.

Instead of glorifying a poor sod who purchased a fake card and how he is preparing for his new-found riches, the better story would have been a cautionary tale. Check your facts! Most importantly, don't count your chickens before they hatch!! It is so simple in 2019 to determine whether your vintage card is real or not. Put a little effort into finding someone with a little knowledge online -- it takes a matter of seconds.

​I wish this story would stop spreading!! Make it stop!!!!

I have been in a funk these past six weeks or so due to my diabetes. Because of the disease and the drugs to treat it, I have no energy. I really just want to spend all day in bed and some days I do.

However, last Sunday's show in Orland Park (January 27), gave me a much-needed energy boost. It seemed like most everyone who came to my table had read my last blog, even though I hadn't posted one in months. I saw so many friendly faces and had such a great time. That show really gave me a recharge and I really appreciate it.

Below is a blog I wrote months ago but failed to post due to said lack of energy. The blog is from my November show at the Four Points Sheraton in Milwaukee. 

Four Points Sheraton, Milwaukee, November 3, 2018

Over the weekend of the October show, the hotel manager, who does not actually work at the hotel but in an office in Schaumburg, Illinois, finally charged my debit card for the September show, after I made repeated requests to do so over the course of the month. Then the next day, she charged my debit card twice for the October show!

I immediately requested a refund for the over charge. She said no. We argued for a couple of weeks and finally agreed to use the second charge for the November show. She also agreed to give me the second room at half price.

Luckily, our own Mike Mahan, who deals in both vintage and modern cards, recently became employed by the hotel as its on-site sales manager. The off-site manager did not stick to our agreement and sold the second room to another event. Without Mike working at the hotel, I might have been in trouble but Mike took care of me and was able to put me in both the larger Mitchell and Concord rooms, at a price that did not break the bank, as I had a run of dealers call and ask for tables. Thanks Mike!
​
Turns out that this was my largest show to date with 21 dealers and 50 tables. There was also a tremendous turn out of customers. I went through a ton a wax for my giveaways, purchasing several boxes from wax dealers Roger Baehr and Brian Christopherson during the show. This may have been the most wax I’ve gone through. 

I just can’t say how cool it was to see so many dealers and so many tables at my show. I received a ton of compliments during the show from both customers and dealers alike, which I really appreciate. My philosophy as a show promoter is pretty simple – make a show that I, personally, would want to attend as a customer. I think I’ve done that by providing a friendly atmosphere, free admission, a great variety of dealers, and a free gift of wax packs, good wax packs, not just junk, for everyone who attends. There were two tables with kids selling Pokemon and other non-sports cards which is so incredibly awesome. This is a hobby for young and old and it is so rewarding when both turn out and have a great time.

Another great thing I observed at this show was the large amount of people hanging out all day at the show, socializing and having a good time. I think the social aspect is the most important part of my show. I want people to hang out, talk cards, sports, whatever, and have a good time. I’ve always felt that as a sports card dealer, I am sort of like a bartender at the neighborhood tavern where regulars come in, get to know everybody, and chat like family. I really enjoy talking with everybody who stops into the show. I learn something new about cards or the history of sports at every single show. What it comes down to, is that anyone can go online and buy a card, but it is so impersonal. At my show, you get to see the card in all of its paper glory before making the purchase and you get to talk with the seller and meet a ton of collectors. I consider everyone there my family and good friends. Many of the guys, both dealers and customers, I’ve known for years. It is such a tremendous atmosphere and I look forward to it every single month. When this month’s show was dying down and dealers were packing up, man, I didn’t want it to end! I could have stayed all night and talked cards, bought cards, sold cards.

Speaking of purchasing cards, I certainly bought some cards and other stuff at this show. Prior to the show, a couple of guys emailed, texted, and said they had cards to show me for potential purchase, so I came prepared with a pocketful of cash.

Larry hit me up very early during set up with a box of publications from the 1920s through the 1950s. I bought ‘em. It is tough to find a dealer more reasonably priced than Larry Larsen. Thanks Larry!

Then a new customer came in with his childhood collection. He had a binder filled with 1961 Topps including some stars like Koufax, Gibson, Aaron, Billy Williams rookie, and some high numbers. There was a smattering of other years including a 1959 Aaron and a 1966 Rose. He also had a Milwaukee Braves pennant from the 1950’s and a 1970 Brewers pennant. I made an offer and told him to shop the group around. He came back to me and I bought the cards and the pennants.

I picked up some 1954 Bowman football from Jerry. I purchased a couple of cards from Eric. I bought a Tony Perez rookie from new dealer Dave. I bought some good stuff from dealer Scotty P. I also bought about 40 publications from the 1940’s from Tom and Josh.
The funny part was I didn’t buy anything from the guys who I had spoken to prior to the show. We just couldn’t work out deals. Which is fine. It doesn’t always work for everybody. I’ve bought from them in the past and I am sure I’ll buy from them in the future.

On the selling front, I had a tremendous day. Unfortunately, I realized half-way during the show that I forgot to write down my sales. So I am not exactly sure of what I sold. All I know is that money kept going out of my pocket for purchases but was shortly replenished by sales. I went home with money in my pocket, which as a dealer who likes to buy, is not easy to do!

Let’s see what I can remember… Jerome as usual hit my newest reloaded binder, 1962 Topps baseball. Thanks Jerome! A regular customer purchased my 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle along with a handful of 1958 Topps which he said completes his set. Woot! I love being able to help someone complete their set. He also told me something very interesting. We got to talking about 1961 Topps and he told me that when he was a kid in 1961, the later series, the one with the high numbers, was never distributed in Milwaukee. As a result, he had to wait until he was an adult to complete his childhood set at card shows. I always assumed that the last series was distributed nationally but kids had lost interest by the time they came out in the fall.

Back to sales, Paul purchased some old hockey cards. John, who said he lives on Howell, the same street where both the Sheraton and the Salvation Army Community Center are located, purchased some 1970’s football. A regular customer purchased a T206. One of my regular autograph hounds, purchased some cards to send out in the mail for autographs. He told me there are still a handful of guys living from the 1949 Bowman set. He was happy to see that I had a nice selection of 1949 Bowmans.
​
Jim K. purchased some 1955 Topps baseball. I had quite a few new customers and if I may brag a little, my show seems to draw in folks who are interested in rejoining the hobby after years of being out. I had a bunch of new guys buy cards.

What a great show! I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who participated, both dealers and customers. Man, you guys really rocked it this month!!

I am ecstatic that the show will be continuing in 2019 at my new location, the Salvation Army Community Center. Those folks are excited to have us come there. Their youth group is going to run a concession stand at each show as a fundraiser for the sports teams.

First show at the Sal, 8853 S. Howell, Oak Creek, WI, is this Saturday, February 2, 2019. We will smash my dealer record from the November Four Points Show with 27 dealers scheduled for Saturday! I'm supposed to go up tomorrow to set up the room, weather permitting. We may be in two rooms with around 60 tables. See you Saturday!

Once again, I've fallen way behind on my show blogs. It has become increasingly difficult for me to get it done. One of the problems is that I'm just beat after the shows. Then I'm just too busy during the week to get it done. Another problem is that if I don't take notes, I forget what happened at the show. I lost my short term memory years ago. As a result, I fall way behind on the blogs. I am going to try and lay some scattered thoughts here.

Sunday, October 21, 2018, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

So I have a limited memory of this show. I have been setting up at Orland Park for 20 years or so and they really all blend in together at this point. I started to take some notes early on but was distracted by the thief. I do remember that I was very busy at this show and the thief came to my table four or five times. I struggled to keep an eye on him. I think at one point I enlisted Will to shadow him. But alas, he got me. He kept looking at my 1953 Bowman football. Every time he left, I checked the binder to make sure the cards were still there. The last time he was at my table I was at the far corner helping a customer while the '53 Bowman binder was at the opposite end of the table. The thief held up some pages in the binder so I could not see what he was doing from where I was standing. I was unable to go over to him because I had a display case open and was showing high-end cards to a customer.

After the thief left, I was able to check the binder and saw that a bunch of cards were gone. I also looked for the thief and he was long gone. @#$%&!!! He got me. I probably lost $30 or so in cards. 

Thankfully, I had an excellent day selling cards and had a good time hanging with all the regulars, so I was able to put the theft out of my mind. I know I bought a bunch of stuff at the show but cannot remember exactly what I purchased.

Before the thief distracted me from taking notes, I jotted down a handful of sales. My main man Paul purchased some 1969-70 Topps hockey. A regular customer purchased a 1964 Topps Duke Snider and also pulled some cards from my Dollar Box.

Then there was this guy I have seen at all the Chicago-area card shows for years. He always asks me whether I have any 1970 Fleer World Series cards. In the past, I have always told him that I did not have any but he should keep checking with me. So, for the past two decades, he has diligently checked in with me to see whether I had any of those '70 Fleers. Well, just before this show, I finally put together a group of them and placed them in one of my odd-ball binders. I can't tell you how awesome it was to finally tell him I had the '70 Fleers. Oddly enough, he approached my table and didn't ask for the cards. Did he really give up after all these years? I stopped him and showed him the cards. In my head, I heard marching band music as I finally informed him that I obtained some of the cards and showed him the binder. He was pleased and purchased a bunch of them. Unlike most cards on my tables, I don't have a backstock of the '70 Fleers. I wonder if he will keep asking me for them? I do not know when I will obtain any more of them. They are not particularly valuable but you just don't see them at shows. I could probably find them online but I do very little online shopping. I find it too time consuming and frustrating. Most of my buying is done at shows with dealers and customers bringing me cards to purchase. At least I finally had the cards for this collector!

On a completely different note, I am saddened to report the passing of some amazing Midwest dealers. Indianapolis vintage dealer Wayne Johnson died on December 19, 2018. I first observed the mentioning of Wayne's death on Net54, a day or two after he died. I did not believe the report because I just saw Wayne in November at the Sun-Times show and we had a nice conversation about 1966 Topps baseball high numbers. As the days went on, I saw more and more chatter online of Wayne's death. Sadly, it was true.

I have known Wayne for a long time. Along with the Sun-Times show. I regularly ran into him at other shows in Indiana, Ohio, and the Pittsburgh show. He was always a warm and friendly face behind a phenomenal display of vintage cards. Wayne was one of those dealers that only has high-grade cards on his tables. His set up was always beautiful.

Some years ago, I oftened trucked down to Indianapolis for the monthly show at the La Quinta Inn. Wayne always had the back tables in the room. Many times I was fortunate enough to be set up next to him and really enjoyed his company. He was extremely intelligent and an incredibly knowledgeable sports card dealer. His stock was superior to anyone else at that La Quinta show. I was impressed that he even bothered to set up there. I am sure there were many shows where he did not make much in sales because it is tough to sell high-end expensive cards at small shows. But I learned that he didn't set up at that show to make money. Instead, he was there to support the young promoter which I thought was incredibly cool. They don't make too many like Wayne Johnson. My sincere condolences to his family and many, many friends.

Once again I learned of the passing of another dealer on Net54. Paul Fusco died on January 6, 2019. We had been emailing each other in December regarding the show he promotes -- the Ohio Sports Collectors Convention. Again, I was shocked to learn of his passing. Paul was so full of life and a character to boot. I always saw him at the National and at his show in Strongsville, Ohio, where I have been setting up these past few years. When I first asked for dealer space at his Strongsville show, he responded that I had to prove to him that I was a vintage dealer. He hated modern cards and his Strongsville show is vintage only.

Thanks to this website, it was fairly simple to show him that I am a vintage dealer. Like Paul, I do not have any interest in modern cards. Next to the National, Paul's show is the best one around. It is just so awesome to be in a large room filled with vintage cards and memorabilia.

When I would see Paul at the National, he was soft spoken and mellow. Very friendly. At his Strongsville show, he was very animated. He would inspect all the dealer tables to see if anyone was displaying modern cards. If he viewed modern cards on a table, he would demand that the dealer remove them. I found it so entertaining. One time, after I watched him berate a dealer to having modern cards on his table, he come over to me and stated that he hated modern cards and called them a "cancer." I loved it, he was a show within the show. 

Man, I am going to miss Paul Fusco. He treated me so well and I absolutely loved his Strongsville show. My condolences to his family and many, many friends.

Shows just are not going to be the same without Wayne and Paul. The passing of these guys has left a huge void in the hobby. I was lucky to have known them.

I just learned, again on Net54, that the man I consider as the grandfather of card shows in the Chicago area, Bruce Paynter, died on January 20, 2019. I am so sorry to hear of Bruce's passing. Any time I hear the name Bruce Paynter, I am pulled back into my childhood. A flood of great memories, some of which I'll share here.

My golden era of collecting was from 1975 to 1980, about age 8 through 14. When I was a lad, I discovered baseball cards in an aisle at the pharmacy blocks from my house. In those days, most neighborhoods in the Chicago area had a pharmacy before places like Walgreens moved in and put them out of business. The pharmacy in my neighborhood was an awesome place. Seems like as soon as I could walk, I would walk the few blocks from my house and purchase bags of candy. Eventually I started buying Wacky Packages and other decals that came with sticks of gum. 

It was in 1975 that I bought my first pack of baseball cards. The wax pack cost 15 cents. I spent a ton of time in the candy aisle of the pharmacy that summer of 1975. I remember that I constantly pestered my mother for 15 cents.

This was also pre-strip mall days. The pharmacy was a stand alone building. On one side was a gas station on the other side was a house. Next to the house was a place called Convenient Food Mart. The Convenient was a mini-general store. We didn't have a grocery store in my neighborhood and my mother often dragged me to the Convenient to pick up this or that. Well, that summer of '75, I discovered that the Convenient sold cello packs and rack packs, which were not available in the pharmacy. The cello packs cost a quarter while the rack packs were 50 cents. 

I was amazed at the cello packs because they contained more cards than the wax packs and you could see the top and bottom card. Naturally, I searched for Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and local heroes Dick Allen and Bill Madlock. The problem was that the Convenient was run by this mean old couple. Any time I picked up a cello pack or started looking over a rack pack, they screamed bloody murder. If I was there by myself, they would kick me out of the store. When I was with my mother, I could hand her a pack while they screamed at me. So I wasn't ever really able to search the packs like I wanted.

I blame that crochety old couple for my inability to obtain a Jim Willoughby card in 1975. I also seemed to pull hundreds of Larry Christainson minis. I hated pulling minis. I wanted the regular size cards to complete my set. Oh, and there are always some know-it-alls at the card shows who tell me minis were not available in Chicago in 1975. What? I pulled tons of them. Yes they were here in Chicago!

Another great thing about collecting cards in 1975 was that every freakin' kid in the neighborhood and every freakin' kid in school collected cards. So there was a lot of trading going on. Nobody had Jim Willoughby!!!

I think it was in 1978 that I discovered Sports Collectors Digest which at the time was absolutely amazing. It must have been 100 -pages thick back then. I think it was in SCD where I learned about the Chicago Sports Collectors Association. Though, my memory is a little hazy. I may have learned about CSCA from my friend Chuck's dad, who was a sports card dealer.

As an aside, Chuck's dad Jeff was a complete dick. He held several garage sales in the summer where he just sold cards. I bought tons of cards from him. In the summer of 1980, I was about 12 cards away from completing the set. I purchased tons of cards that summer but there were those 12 that alluded me. I went over the Chuck's house to see of Jeff had the 12 cards. He took me down into his basement where there were hundreds of thousands of cards all boxed and shelved. It took him an hour or so to find the 12 cards to complete my set. The whole time he bitched at me and told me to never do this again. First of all, I was 14, he was a grown man and a sports card dealer! Why wouldn't I ask him for the cards? Well, I never purchased any cards from Jeff after that.

Now it may have been Jeff who hooked me up with the CSCA because he was a dealer at the three shows Bruce Paynter and his CSCA put on every year in the late 1970's. I just can't remember.

Anyway, I joined the CSCA in either 1978 or 1979. Bruce Paynter was the president. He sent me an ID card showing that I was a member. I also received regular news letters from him.

Getting to those three yearly CSCA shows held at the Hillside Holiday Inn was difficult because I was too young to drive and my pops thought spending money on baseball cards was a waste. So I had to beg and beg to be driven to Bruce Paynter's shows. Often my dad would drop me off in the morning, go to work, come back and get me at the end of the show. Sometimes he stayed with me at the show which sucked for me because he didn't want to stick around. After he would make me leave, he took me to work with him at his office in Downtown Chicago where I would be stuck until the evening. I would sit in a room and just stare at the cards I purchased for hours.

But those days that he dropped me off were some of the best I can remember. It seemed like a lot of parents dropped off their kids at the shows and left us there all day long. I made a ton of new friends at Bruce Paynter's shows. Kids that lived in different suburbs and went to different schools. We would meet up at each of Bruce's shows and trade amongst ourselves. Some guys sold stuff. I remember one kid had a box of cards signed by Joe DiMaggio. He wanted just 10 bucks for one. I forked over 10 bucks when I only had 20 to spend for the day. I remember regretting spending the 10 bucks on the DiMaggio autograph. The more I thought about it, I wondered how this kid had a box full of DiMaggio autographs. He told me DiMaggio was a family friend. I felt like I had been duped. It was not until recently that I learned that the DiMaggio autograph was real! I finally had it authenticated at one of the Nationals a few years back. I wish I could find that kid again!

Anyway, being a member of the CSCA and going to those Hillside Holiday Inn shows fostered my love of vintage cards that 40-some years later still rings true. I really owe it to Bruce Paynter and am so sad to learn of his passing. RIP.

On a lighter note, my first show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, is slated from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 2. 2019. I have had a tremendous response from dealers thus far with 22 planning on setting up. This may be the most dealers I have ever had and we are still two weeks away... more may sign up. I am stoked for this show!! I'll try and post another blog sooner than later. Cheers!

Sunday, October 14, 2018, Gonzaga Hall, Milwaukee, WI

Okay, I want to step back a month to the October Gonzaga show. I can't seem to blog these shows in any sort of order. I am writing this one on Thanksgiving (Happy Thanksgiving!). My son is next to me watching a cartoon called Chowder where one of the characters is a fart. Yes, you read that right, a fart. So this fart cloud is following the main character around and, well, farting. It is very unpleasant. So I am trying to block out this Chowder cartoon and write this blog.

Anyway, I had a very nice show in October at Gonzaga. Jim purchased some 1954 Topps Braves. Jerome attacked my newly reloaded 1960 Topps binder. George continued to work on 1963 Fleer baseball. A new customer, James, told me he has observed my posts on Net54, a pre-War sports card forum. James purchased some 1959 Topps baseball.

Paul purchased some 1976-77 Topps basketball along with '75-76 and '76-77 Topps hockey. A new customer purchased some 1976 Topps baseball. A regular customer purchased some 1975 Topps baseball. Jason purchased my 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie. Thanks Jason!

A regular customer purchased some 1948 Bowman basketball. Another regular purchased some 1952 Topps, a 1963 Topps Y.A. Tittle, a 1951 Bowman Norm Van Brocklin, and some 1960 Fleer Greats. A new customer purchased a 1965 Philadelphia Paul Krause.

A regular customer purchased a 1934 Diamond Stars Stan Hack. Bill drove up from Illinois and purchased my 1966 Topps Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, and Brooks Robinson. A regular customer purchased a 1964 Topps Roger Maris. John purchased my 1966 Topps Willie Mays along with a bunch of '66 commons.

Then there were the knuckleheads, a group of guys I have never seen before who camped out in front of my tables buying and selling cards amongst themselves. When they started to place their cards and do their transactions on my tables, I had to tell them to move along. I actually told them to conduct their business elsewhere because I pay for the right to sell cards on these tables. One of the younger guys mocked me when I said conduct business. Well, isn't that what they were doing? The young guy was buying and selling cards on my tables. I don't know what else to call it. I don't know who these guys were. I did not see them at the November show, thankfully.

So instead of moving to another place in the room, they just stepped a few feet back from my tables... complete, utter knuckleheads.

Anyway, I was having a monster day selling cards so these guys could not ruin my day. I continued with strong sales. A regular purchased a Tony Taylor autograph. Another regular purchased some 1960 Topps baseball. Another regular purchased a 1958 Topps Joe Adcock. 

A customer I see every so often purchased some 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game. Terry purchased some 1960 Topps football which he promptly returned to me at the November show. I really hate returns. I am not Macy's. Once you buy a card, that card is yours. Down the road, if you don't like the card, you can always sell it, don't return it to the dealer. Terry is notorious for returns. In fact, he is the only customer that returns cards.

On a lighter note, it was nice to see Andy, who was in town from Florida. Andy never returns cards. We always work out a cash and trade deal. This show was no exception. Eric purchased a 1958 Don MacMahon. He told me MacMahon tried to retire in the 1960's to coach but was called back into duty because the Braves needed some pitching. 

On the buying front, I purchased some 1963 Topps and some 1936 Goudey Wide Pens. I had a really great show.

Next up is my show December 1st at the Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee. Sixteen dealers so far. I expect one or two will sign up during the week. We will be in the Rembrandt and Monet Rooms. I've picked up some great wax to giveaway and everyone who enters the show will get three free packs of cards. I'm also bringing free doughnuts.

This is my last show at the Clarion/Four Points Sheraton after four years and three months. On the one hand, I'm kind of sad. I had a really great run there. It is too bad the Marriott Corp bought and ruined the hotel. On the other hand, I am excited about moving to the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, Wi. The Salvation Army folks are so incredibly nice and  supportive, I can't wait to get going there. 

So I'm skipping January, no show. Then the first show at the Salvation Army will be February 2, 2019. In the meantime, come on out to my last show at the Sheraton on December 1st!

Four Points Sheraton, Milwaukee, November 3, 2018

Over the weekend of the October show, the hotel manager, who does not actually work at the hotel but in an office in Schaumberg, Illinois, finally charged my debit card for the September show, after I made repeated requests to do so over the course of the month. Then the next day, she charged my debit card twice for the October show! I immediately requested a refund for the over charge. She said no. We argued for a couple of weeks and finally agreed to use the second charge for the November show. She also agreed to give me the second room at half price.

Luckily, our own Mike Mahan, who deals in both vintage and modern cards, recently became employed by the hotel as its on-site sales manager. The off-site manager did not stick to our agreement and sold the second room to another event. Without Mike working at the hotel, I might have been in trouble but Mike took care of me and was able to put me in both the larger Mitchell and Concord rooms at a price that did not break the bank, as I had a run of dealers call and ask for tables. Thanks Mike!

Turns out that this was my largest show to date with 21 dealers and 50 tables. There was also a tremendous turn out of customers. I went through a ton a wax for my giveaways, purchasing several boxes from wax dealers Roger Baehr and Brian Christopherson during the show. This may have been the most wax I’ve gone through. I definitely need to restock before the December show.

I just can’t say how cool it was to see so many dealers and so many tables at my show. I received a ton of compliments during the show from both customers and dealers alike, which I really appreciate. My philosophy as a show promoter is pretty simple – make a show that I, personally, would want to attend as a customer. I think I’ve done that by providing a friendly atmosphere, free admission, a great variety of dealers, and a free gift of wax packs, good wax packs, not just junk, for everyone who attends. I had two tables with kids selling Pokemon and other non-sports cards which is so incredibly awesome. This is a hobby for young and old and it is so rewarding when both turn out and have a great time.

Another great thing I observed at this show was the large amount of people hanging out all day at the show, socializing and having a good time. I think the social aspect is the most important part of my show. I want people to hang out, talk cards, sports, whatever, and have a good time. I’ve always felt that as a sports card dealer, I am sort of like a bartender at the neighborhood tavern where regulars come in, get to know everybody, and chat like family. I really enjoy talking with everybody who stops into the show. I learn something new about cards or the history of sports at every single show. What it comes down to, is that anyone can go online and buy a card, but it is so impersonal. At my show, you get to see the card in all of its paper glory before making the purchase and you get to talk with the seller and meet a ton of collectors. I consider everyone there my family and good friends. Many of the guys, both dealers and customers, I’ve known for years. It is such a tremendous atmosphere and I look forward to it every single month. When this month’s show was dying down and dealers were packing up, man, I didn’t want it to end! I could have stayed all night and talked cards, bought cards, sold cards.

Speaking of purchasing cards, I certainly bought some cards and other stuff at this show. Prior to the show, a couple of guys emailed, texted, and said they had cards to show me for potential purchase, so I came prepared with a pocketful of cash.

Larry hit me up very early during set up with a box of publications from the 1920s through the 1950s. I bought ‘em. It is tough to find a dealer more reasonably priced than Larry Larsen. Thanks Larry!

Then a new customer came in with his childhood collection. He had a binder filled with 1961 Topps including some stars like Koufax, Gibson, Aaron, Billy Williams rookie, and some high numbers. There was a smattering of other years including a 1959 Aaron and a 1966 Rose. He also had a Milwaukee Braves pennant from the 1950’s and a 1970 Brewers pennant, pictured below. I made an offer and told him to shop the group around. He came back to me and I bought the cards and the pennants.

I picked up some 1954 Bowman football from Jerry. I purchased a couple of cards from Eric. I bought a Tony Perez rookie from new dealer Dave. I bought some good stuff from dealer Scotty P. I also bought about 40 publications from the 1940’s from Tom and Josh.
The funny part was I didn’t buy anything from the guys who I had spoken to prior to the show. We just couldn’t work out deals. Which is fine. It doesn’t always work for everybody. I’ve bought from them in the past and I am sure I’ll buy from them in the future.

On the selling front, I had a tremendous day. Unfortunately, I realized half-way during the show that I forgot to write down my sales. So I am not exactly sure of what I sold. All I know is that money kept going out of my pocket for purchases but was shortly replenished by sales. I went home with money in my pocket, which as a dealer who likes to buy, is not easy to do!

Let’s see what I can remember… Jerome, as usual, hit my newest reloaded binder, 1962 Topps baseball. Thanks Jerome! A regular customer purchased my 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle along with a handful of 1958 Topps which he said completes his set. Woot! I love being able to help someone complete their set. He also told me something very interesting. We got to talking about 1961 Topps and he told me that when he was a kid in 1961, the later series, the one with the high numbers, was never distributed in Milwaukee. As a result, he had to wait until he was an adult to complete his childhood set at card shows. I always assumed that the last series was distributed nationally but kids had lost interest by the time they came out in the fall.

Back to sales, Paul purchased some old hockey cards. John, who said he lives on Howell, the same street where both the Sheraton and the Salvation Army Community Center are located, purchased some 1970’s football. A regular customer purchased a T206. One of my regular autograph hounds purchased some cards to send out in the mail for autographs. He told me there are still a handful of guys living from the 1949 Bowman set. He was happy to see that I had a nice selection of 1949 Bowmans.

Jim K. purchased some 1955 Topps baseball. I had quite a few new customers and if I may brag a little, my show seems to draw in folks who are interested in rejoining the hobby after years of being out. I had a bunch of new guys buy cards.

What a great show! I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who participated, both dealers and customers. Man, you guys really rocked it this month!!

I am ecstatic that the show will be continuing in 2019 at my new location, the Salvation Army Community Center. Those folks are excited to have us come there. Their youth group is going to run a concession stand at each show as a fundraiser for the sports teams.

One more show at the Four Points Sheraton on December 1!!! Hip, hip, hooray!!! If someone ever runs a show at the Four Points Sheraton, keep in mind that it won’t be me. I refuse to ever deal with the Marriott Corp. again.
​
I am not going to hold a show in January. I will start up at the Salvation Army on February 2, 2019. In the meantime, let’s get another large crowd for one last hurrah at the Four Points Sheraton on December 1, 2018. I’m bringing doughnuts (Mike don’t kick me out!).
​

Orland Park Civic Center, September 23, 2018, Orland Park, IL

I'm starting to feel the love at the Orland Park show. Two guys brought me coffee. Woot! Thanks Larry and Will!!

I did not have a large number of sales but they were decent and added up. A regular purchased some 1970 Topps Super, a regular customer purchased a 1963 Topps Hank Aaron, a father and son team decked out in White Sox gear purchased some 1965 Topps Embossed.

Jon bought some 1977 and 1979s, Dan bought some 1957 and 1958s, Larry picked up some 1975s, a regular customer purchased some 1957s, another regular customer purchased some 1968 Topps Game, Rick bought some 1955s, 1956s and 1957s. Thank Rick!

Gil picked up some 1964s, Joel purchased a bunch of Bears from the 1950s. A new customer purchased some 1966 Philadelphia football, and a regular customer rounded out my day with some 1959s. 

​I know there were some other sales but I got bogged down and did not write them all down.

On the buying front, I bought a bunch of 1960 Topps.

Nothing else much to report other than it was another pleasant day in Orland Park. I'll next be at Orland on November 18. Also, mark your calendars for my final show at the Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee. I have finalized the contract with the Salvation Army Community Center in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and will move my show there on February 2, 2019. Woot!

September 16, 2018, Gonzaga Hall, Milwaukee, WI

It was nice to be back at Gonzaga after missing the August show for a family vacation. I was surprised at the small crowd. Usually this show is packed to the gills. Though, over the years I have observed that all shows suffer from attendance during football season. Despite the smaller than usual crowd, my sales were quite good.

Jerome got things going for me with a nice purchase of 1956 and 1957 Topps baseball. Paul purchased some 1975-76 Topps hockey and a 1975 Topps George Brett rookie. You know, I don't know how many times people come up to me and say hockey does not sell in Milwaukee -- NOT TRUE! There might not be an NHL team in Milwaukee but there are quite a few NHL fans and card collectors. I sell a great deal of vintage hockey cards in Milwaukee. 

Back to my sales, George purchased some 1963 Fleer baseball. Matt, a graphic artist who has promised to design me a logo (where's my logo Matt!) purchased some 1977 and 1978 Topps football. Lately, I have been selling a lot of late 1970's football cards. A semi-regular customer purchased some 1967 Topps baseball.

A guy who told me he was visiting from Minneapolis purchased some 1973 Topps football. Jim, Milwaukee's biggest Roberto Clemente fan, purchased some 1953 Topps baseball. A regular customer purchased some 1979 Topps baseball. A gentleman wearing a St. Louis Browns hat purchased some 1975 Topps minis. Tim was in town from Madison and purchased a bunch of stuff. Thanks Tim!

I know I sold more stuff but I didn't write everything down. I try but get distracted. On the buying front, I picked up some T206s and T207s along with a 1975-76 Indiana Pacers ABA Media Guide.

I know I have quite a few shows that I need too blog. I am not sure if I'll have time this week to drop another blog. I'll try. Work and family keep me crazy busy. My next show at the Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell, is coming up on November 3, 2018. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Once again, we will be in two rooms. I have some new dealers and picked up some new wax to give away. Just two more shows left at the Sheraton, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1. I am skipping January. My first show in 2019 will be on February 2, 2019, at the new location - The Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The community center is on the same road as the Sheraton, just a mile or two south of there. What a difference a new location makes! The community center is very excited to host my card show and we are going to have their youth group run a concession stand as a fundraiser for their sports leagues. The concession stand is going to be a tremendous addition to the show, can't wait! In the meantime, come on out on November 3rd!!!

Four Points Sheraton, Milwaukee, September 1, 2018

Wow! Time flies! Seems like yesterday that Mark Smith and I were planning for a monthly Saturday show at the Milwaukee Clarion. The first show took place in September of 2014 and we had a tremendous response. The show was strong until June 2015 when it seemed like the bottom fell out. Mark dropped out after May because the drive from Michigan was just too much. I really sputtered until September of 2015 when I promoted my first anniversary with free doughnuts. I learned that Milwaukee sports collectors love doughnuts, especially the free kind. The room was packed that September and I have not had one mulligan of a show since August of 2015. Support from both dealers and collectors has been tremendous!

We have had a lot of fun these past four years. Each show after that September 2015 one saw more and more doughnuts and included coffee. We had all sorts of holiday parties where I brought out sandwiches. Then at the end of 2017 the Clarion was sold to the Marriott Corp. who renamed the hotel the Four Points Sheraton. I was so distraught when Marriott fired Clarion manager Jeff Weaver. Jeff was my greatest champion. He hooked me up with former Packers Dave Robinson and Gilbert Brown. Man, that was fun having those guys sign autographs.

I figured Jeff might have a problem with all the food I was bringing into the show... but he never said a word. He would come into the show and look for autographs for his collection. I think it was September or October of last year when the Marriott replaced Jeff with Jake. Ugh! Jake began his assault on my show from the get-go. We fought over the food. He said I couldn't bring in food. I showed him my contract which had no clause stating I could not bring in any food. I continued to bring in food and he bitched about it every month. I think it was the October or November show where Jake set up the room and did not give me any chairs. I went into a storeroom and found a bunch of chairs and carried most of them into the room myself. I have some elderly folks and others with various disabilities. I need to have chairs in the room.

The Marriott wanted to increase my room rental fee for 2018 and ban food unless I purchased it at quadruple the price from the hotel. Thankfully, Betsy Ignasiak was still there and she gave me a contract at my usual rate, though she had to place the no-food clause in the contract. 

The free food was such a hit, I was worried that the lack of food would kill the show. I decided to give away free wax instead of food. There was nothing in the contract that stated I could not giveaway non-food items. I skipped January and held my first 2018 show in February. The wax was a hit. Everyone loved it. It also seemed to draw in more families with kids.

By April, Betsy and Jake were gone and I had to deal with Stephanie, who, like Jake, went after me right away. She demanded that I give her my credit card number and pay for the room in advance. Well, the prior three-plus years, I always paid in cash after the show. I never missed a payment and there was never a problem. Well, most show days, Stephanie was not around and I ended up spending an hour or so after each show trying to find a hotel employee to pay. So I gave in and gave Stephanie my credit card number.

Then Stephanie called in April and said that my June show was cancelled. The hotel had an event taking all the rooms. I told her that I didn't care what else was going on at the hotel. I had a contract and I have spent time and money promoting my June show. I suggested we hold the show in the hotel's restaurant. She said no. Well, I am generally a very nice guy except for when I'm screwed with. I have no patience for people who think they can treat me like garbage. I put on my lawyer hat and drew up a breach of contract lawsuit and sent it to her. No response. I then put on my newspaper reporter hat (I was a newspaper reporter for 11 years prior to entering law school) and drew up a nasty press release announcing the situation to the world. I figured the May show would be my last at the hotel. My press release struck a nerve and got me a meeting with the Marriott Corp. regional director during the May show. 

I guess these Marriott folks have a culture of screwing people over and treating everyone like crap. The first thing the regional director says to me is that they never cancelled my June event. My response was that you better be willing to say that under oath before a judge because I have a lawsuit ready to go. As you all know, I am an attorney in real life and spend most every day in a court room. I was prepared to file my lawsuit in the 19th Judicial Circuit located in Lake County, Illinois.

So after a bit of an argument, the regional director suggested we hold my June show in the restaurant -- my suggestion to Stephanie two months earlier. I was so relieved that the June show would go on that I ceased being argumentative and thanked the regional director, who suggested we do lunch, which has never happened.

After the meeting, I thought maybe my troubles with the hotel were over. Not so! That same day, Stephanie brought me a new contract with terrible terms making me responsible for anything and everything that could go wrong in the hotel and out in the parking lot. The new contract also stated that the hotel could cancel my event at anytime without notice. I read the contract and tossed it into the trash. My current contract is still valid, they cannot force me to sign a new one.

I was very apprehensive before the June show. My trust in these folks was completely gone. I had also posted on various websites that the May show was my last. I tried to get the word out that the show was still on.

To my surprise, the restaurant was set up beautifully for the June show. They had given me many more tables than I had asked for and I was able to give most of the dealers an extra table at no extra charge. We also had a very nice crowd and a wonderful day. Stephanie was no where to be found. I met a new manager that day. Seems like everyone who works at the hotel is some sort of manager. I have actually never seen that new manager again.

The show went on all summer with no problems, even though I was expecting Stephanie to pull something. At the August show, I learned Stephanie was gone. Woot! I had been looking for a new location to host the show in 2019 and not having any luck. I figured I could renew at the Sheraton for 2019. The new manager I met in August told me she does not handle event bookings and gave me an email for the new event manager. Turns out the new event manager does not work for the hotel, instead, she works for a management company based in Huntley, Illinois, called Bask Development. Same old story with Bask Development. I sent the event manager an email. No response. Three weeks later I emailed the new manager I met at the August show and told her that the event manager is unresponsive. I immediately got a call from the event manager. I asked to renew for 2019. She said NO! I argued that my event is usually the only event in the hotel and asked why would  she say no. She responded that they no longer allow events to book more than a few months in advance. I told her I needed to book for the whole year so I could properly promote my event. She said she would talk to her manager. A week later, she emailed stating I can't book in advance.

                                                         BREAKING NEWS!
After a painstaking search, I have found a new location! The last show at the Four Points Sheraton will take place on December 1, 2018. I am not going to hold a show in January, 2019. The first 2019 show will take place on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell Ave., in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Generally, the show will continue on the first Saturday of the month in 2019. However, like January, there are a few more months I am taking off, namely July and August. The 2019 schedule will be as follows: February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, September 7, October 5, November 2, and December 7. 

This show will go on! These past four years have been tremendous! The anniversary show in September had a ton of dealers and was well attended. See my purchases, pictured below.

​I decided to try do something unique for the anniversary show and created a prize table manned by my son Kolby. I had a table full of great items like autographs, packs of cards, modern and vintage cards, lots, publications and bobbles. Folks were invited to pull a ticket out of a box and receive the prize on the ticket. I think the customers that partook enjoyed the prize table. Though, I observed that not everyone participated. I don't think I made it clear that I was giving away all the stuff on the prize table for free. I took home a lot of the stuff that I wanted to giveaway. What are your thoughts on the prize table? Was it a bad idea? Confusing? Did you like it? Should I do it again?

Anyway, I really thought of closing down the show this past spring but my enthusiasm for the show has been renewed by the tremendous support I have been receiving from both customers and dealers. I am very excited to move the show to the Salvation Army Community Center next year. In the meantime, I have two more shows set for 2018 at the Four Points Sheraton -- November 3rd and December 1st. I hope to see everyone at those shows!! A big thank you to everyone who has supported my show these past four years. I would not have been able to do this at all without all the customers and dealers. It is a really nice referendum on how I do things. Initially I sought to create a Saturday show, with free admission, and a unique edge, which I think I've accomplished... thanks to you!!! Cheers!!!  

Oh, and no thanks to the Four Points Sheraton, Marriott Corp. and Bask Development!!