I have been sick the past couple of weeks, so I apologize for not responding to calls. I don't think I had Corona Virus but I do not know for certain because I was unable to get tested. I called my doctor's office, they told me to stay away and go to the hospital. I went on the website for my local hospital and it instructed to stay away unless you can't breath. I was able to breath, though I did have some sort respiratory thing and have been coughing for weeks. I contacted my county health department, no help either.

I think Corona Virus tests are only available for White House staff, members of Congress and the NBA.

So I just did what I normally do when I have the flu: DayQuil, NiteQuil, and tea. In addition to the cough, I was woozy, nauseous, and had zero energy for about 10 days. Seems like all I did was sleep and the days flew by. Twelve days later, I still have that cough and my energy is not quite fully back but I feel sooo much better than I did just a few days ago. 

So here are my thoughts on Corona Virus. Those that think this is some sort of hoax or a plot to take down Trump are completely off their rockers. So are those that are comparing statistics between Corona Virus and the regular flu and misstating that this is
not as bad as the regular flu. Here's the problem with the comparison, the Corona Virus stats are going up exponentially, so there cannot be any comparison because we have not seen the bottom of the pandemic and we have no previous years on which to base such a comparison. In addition, the numbers are skewered because tests are not available for the mass population, as I found out first hand. This is NOT the regular flu and we do not actually know how many people are infected! With so few tests available, I gather that we do not know how many people are dying as a result of the Corona Virus. I am not going to play the blame game but from my observation, our ability as a country to deal with the pandemic appears extremely inept.

Also, we don't really know what happened in China since it is a military state and any statistics coming out of that country are not to be trusted. Was I the only one who observed the news story where a hotel in China was converted into a hospital for Corona Virus patients only to collapse once filled with people? What in the world happened there? I can only imagine what is really going on in China.

I have lived through many different strains of the flu and there seems to always have been a vaccine available. So I have been wondering for the past six weeks or so when I first learned about Corona Virus is why is there no vaccine? I also think this pandemic is only going to get worse until there is a vaccine. Since testing is only available to the rich and powerful, I am not going to hold out hope that a vaccine will arrive for us common folks anytime soon.

Therefore, my friends, I think we need to hunker down and stay home for the immediate future to avoid the spread of this horrible disease. As a result, my card show at the Salvation Army is postponed until June 6, 2020. There will be no shows in April and May at the Salvation Army. Not only is it now illegal to gather in the State of Wisconsin it is irresponsible to gather in groups during a pandemic.

I know so many wonderful people as a result of the card shows and I want everyone to stay healthy until we can safely get together again!

That being said, the March Gonzaga and Orland Park shows, where I am a regular dealer were cancelled this month and I am suffering serious card show withdrawal symptoms. I don't expect those shows to open in April either. What is a card show junkie to do? I have been sorting and pricing cards, so if we are ever able to have a card show again anywhere, I will be prepared!

I may start to post some cards on eBay if I can find some time. I have not done much on eBay for the past three or four years largely because the majority of my time has been spent at my day job, with family and my regular battles with diabetes.

I am actually at work now, my first time back since March 12. While I am not seeing clients and all of my co-workers are at home, I still have a lot of work to do. I am oh so thankful that the courts are closed, so I am going to use this time to catch up.

Again the April and May Salvation Army shows are cancelled while the June 6 show is a go for now. Please, stay home and stay healthy!

Saturday, March 7, 2020, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

Unbelievable! Did you attend the show? Did you see that crowd? Oh my!! We must have had over 500 people attend the show!! I don't understand how we keep topping our attendance? Where is everybody coming from?

Prior to the show I had an inkling that this was going to be a monster show. My phone was ringing off the hook along with a mass amount of texts, emails and Facebook messages.

Dealer tables for the March show actually sold out in February but I kept getting request after request for tables even after posting here and on Facebook that they were sold out. So I started calling dealers to confirm to see if they were coming and a few dropped out and I was able to add a few guys from the waiting list. Unfortunately on the day of the show, I had four no-shows which just pisses me off. If you reserve a table you MUST attend unless you're ill or have a family emergency. I could have let four more guys into the show from the waiting list. That's also $100 I lost. I still have to pay for the room, advertising and wax for my giveaway. It is really selfish thing to do to skip out on a show when you have reserved a table. 

There was a time where I would let dealers slide if they did not show up. Now that I consistently sell out and have a waiting list, these no-show guys are banned from ever setting up again. So in the future, anyone who commits to setting up better be there or they will be banned. It just isn't fair to the guys sitting on my waiting list and it is not fair to me when I have so many expenses and to top it off that is such an irresponsible jerk-off thing to do.

If you attended the show, you probably did not notice the no shows. After I finished setting up my tables, I took a quick walk around to see if there were any no shows and advised the dealers next to them to spread out, so we did end up with 67 tables full of stuff, the most tables to date.

As I stated before, I am slowly donating tables to the Salvation Army. They are up to 68 tables but I obviously need many more to satisfy all the dealers that want to set up. I am thinking of adding another row of tables, once we get six or seven more. Though if we keep getting 500-plus in attendance, it may crowd the room if I add another row of tables.

I am considering renting the back room or placing dealers in the hallway but of course, I just don't have the tables to expand right now. I may have to rent a truck, purchase a dozen tables and bring them up on a non-show day. This would be a great expense to me so I have to think that option over.

Anyway, a bunch of dealers showed up at 7 a.m. I would appreciate it if the dealers would show up at 8 a.m. I can't get into the building until 7 a.m. and I need time to layout the room.

I also have customers showing up at 8 a.m. when the show does not officially open until 9 a.m. I am not a big stickler on customers showing up early but I would prefer if they showed up at 9 a.m. and gave the dealers a chance to load in and set up.

So this show has become a monster. It is a full-time job when I already have a full-time job. If you read my last blog, you saw that I requested some help. I also put out a call for help in my monthly email blast.

Young Jason Tworek responded and was hired on the spot. Jason is a super nice kid and was an amazing help at the show. He oversaw my free pack giveaway which is a job in itself. I probably spent a good $500 on wax Saturday for the giveaway, including some 2020 Topps. Did anybody pull anything good?

Jason also watched my tables so I could take bathroom breaks and eat a couple of Sloppy Joes. Then he watched my tables for an hour or so when I had to go around the room and collect table fee from the dealers. I can't thank Jason enough for his help!

But I think the enormity of the show is making me a little flustered. I had a really hard time setting up. I brought out my really old stuff to place in my display cases. I brought out four display cases and then realized mid-set up that I only brought out enough stuff for three. So after I laid out all the cards I had to take them out and redo it in an effort to stretch the cards to four display cases.

Then I flat out forgot/overlooked an entire bin of binders. The bin stayed under my table the whole show and I never put them out even though I had plenty of space to do so. Maybe it is just old age but I can't believe how forgetful I've become.

Anyway, with 500-plus people in attendance, I was busy. Mark bought a bunch of 1964 Topps football out of my newly reloaded binder. Jim bought a bunch of Goudeys. Eric purchased a 1941 Double Play with Stan Hack. Joel, who drove up all the way from the south suburbs of Chicago, purchased my 1952 Topps Minnie Minoso rookie. Thanks guys!

In fact, a bunch of guys drove up from the Chicago area like Tim, Paul, and Willie. Thanks guys, I know it is a long drive for you and I really appreciate the effort!!

Robin purchased some 1970 Topps baseball. A bunch of regulars dinked through the binders. My guy from Green Bay who is working on the 1959 Topps football set found a bunch more cards. Terry Hatch made an appearance and found some '71-72 Topps basketball at my table.

Quite a few guys told me this was their first time at the show and they were impressed. I also had a bunch of guys compliment me on this blog. I really appreciate the compliments. I write it while I'm sitting at work when I really should be working on other things but this is much more fun to do. My co-workers probably think I'm nuts. My desk is covered in show fliers and dealer lists and table layouts.

So my sales were pretty good. Not quite as strong at last month but I can't complain. On the buying front, I picked up a stack of 1952 Topps commons, a box of early 1970's (I know, I know, but this is a good customer and he sold them cheap). I also bought some more 1915 Cracker Jacks and a couple of T206s from Tim.

I had a lady contact me before the show who is trying to sell her brother's collection. The collection is from 1958 to 1966. Mostly commons and no high numbers. There are some stars in there but they are off grade. I made an offer that I thought was really strong but she did not take it. The problem may be is that she has seen the high book value for the cards but doesn't seem to understand that her cards are nowhere near the high book value. The cards are beat and I just can't offer any more money unless I want to pay more than I can earn selling the cards, which I won't do. So, I was a little disappointed, I would have liked to have gone home with the cards. 

I had a bunch of new dealers at the show again. A lot of folks mentioned that this is
one of the things they like about the show is that I get a regular rotation of new dealers. It seemed like all the new dealers had modern cards. I think this may have been my first show where modern dealers outnumbered vintage. There was an incredible inventory of modern cards at this show. In talking with the dealers, it seemed like NBA rookie Zion Williamson was the hottest card in the room. The three wax dealers were all happy with their sales. I am really happy that this show can support three wax dealers.

Pretty much all the dealers seemed happy with their sales. I had one new dealer who was selling mini-helmets with Packers and Badgers logos. He said he made the helmets but did not sell one. I was disappointed because I like to see all the dealers make good sales. I think his problem was the price. It looked to me that the helmets were overpriced. I also thought he might have sold some if he had additional teams. I hope he gives it another try some time in the future.

I have already signed up a bunch of new dealers for the April 4th show. I have to sit down this week and figure out my dealer line up for that show. I am a little worried that I oversold it already. Worst comes to worst I'll give away my tables.

Looks like I will start having some retired baseball players come in to sign autographs. I have never handled this on my own before, opting to allow others to bring in the signers. So this will be a learning experience. I need to put some money up front for the players and also purchase photos and blank baseballs. Do I need to buy 8x10 toploaders for the signed photos? I am also thinking that I won't be able to set up on the days I have autograph guests. I hope everybody is okay with that. I will have Jason handle the pack giveaway.

The show is continuing to grow and morph. I appreciate all the kind comments on the show. I really work my tail off on this thing. When I first started the show in 2014, I had no idea that it would ever turn into the show it is today. In some ways, I kind of miss those 12-dealers, 20-table shows at the Clarion. They were so simple to manage compared to this megalith.

I always think about the June 2015 show which was my low point when I had only five dealers and maybe five customers show up. I was ready to throw in the towel after that one but I had a contract with the hotel through December and would still have had to pay for the room seven more times.

So I took some time to contemplate the situation. I realized that dealers would not come if I could not bring in customers. I started to look at the show from the persepective of a customer. What could I do to make this show different, to make this show stand out, and to encourage customers to attend.

I recalled the many morning legislative meetings in Springfield, Illinois, when I worked as assistant general counsel to the Illinois Secretary of State. The head of the Department of Business Services would go out before the meetings and purchase a few boxes of doughnuts from a local bakery. The doughnuts were delicious and there was always a little discussion about them before the meeting. A lot of the management folks seemed much more excited about the doughnuts than the legislative agenda.

Doughnuts, I thought, would save the show. Doughnuts, I observed, saved the show! Prior to that July 2015 show, I advertised that free doughnuts would be available at the show. That morning of July 2015, I saw a much larger crowd than June, and the guys went right through the doughnuts. Again in August, I advertised free doughnuts and the crowd grew once again.

Then I used something I learned when I was publisher of the Chicago Barfly Newspaper, prior to attending law school. The Barfly was a free paper I created and distributed to more than 700 bars and restaurants in Chicago every month from 1994 to 2001. As a free paper, I relied on advertising to pay the bills. I learned that if I could promote certain bars with articles, they would pay for regular advertising. One of my best tools at promoting bars was anniversary parties. The bars would schedule an anniversary party, I would write an article and compliment it with photos, and I am proud to say that we were able to pack those bars for those anniversary parties. The bar owners made a lot of money and were very happy with me.

Thus, in September of 2015, I promoted my show anniversary party, along with free doughnuts and free pizza and low and behold I had a large crowd attend the show. Based on the previous months shows I figured three pizzas would be enough. I was not prepared for the crowd and the pizzas were gone within five minutes. Each subsequent anniversary party I purchased more and more pizzas until the Clarion was purchased by the Marriot Corp. who put a stop to my food promotions. But the food worked and the word got out and more and more dealers wanted to set up. Then more and more customers attended the show. For the past five years, this show has done nothing but grow. 

Everyone seems to like what I am doing which motivates me to do more. Thank you all for your continued support. It has been quite a ride since that first show in September of 2014. I honestly can't take all the credit for the success of this show. The credit goes to all the dealers and customers who come out month after month and spread good cheer. As much of a headache that it can be to run this thing, it is still so much fun and I have a great time. The day goes by so quickly because I am so engaged and have such a terrific time.

One oddball thing I noticed Saturday is that a lot of guys would not shake my hand because of the Corona Virus. So I won't be extending my hand any more and will try to put out some hand sanitizer at the April show.

Also, it is much easier for me to respond to emails than to phone calls. I have a pretty busy work schedule and have a tough time answering my phone. Please contact me through abrandongordon@hotmail.com. Also, if you have a question about cards, go to my Facebook page and post the question. That way the regulars can answer the question and save me some time. Like I said, it is pretty much just me running this thing, no staff, so I can't answer the large amount of questions that come in. The best time to talk to me is at the show.

As I have mentioned before, I have a really good relationship with the Salvation Army. I could not have found a better partner for the show. So I am trying to help out as much as I can. I donate tables and we had a real nice fundraiser for their youth soccer league. Next up, I am trying to help them raise funds to replace the matts in the gym. If you look on the stage you can see that the matts are tattered and worn. We decided to hold a silent auction to raise funds for new matts. I am looking for sports memorabilia to be donated for the silent auction. One incredibly nice lady read about my planned silent auction and gave me $20 at the show. Thank you so much!! We have such great people who come to this show. I turned over that $20 to the Sal and we are on our way.

Again, the next show is Saturday, April 4, 2020. The dealer tables will probably sell out shortly, so contact me for dealer tables as soon as you can. If you commit to setting up, you gotta be there!

The next show where I am setting up as a dealer is this Sunday, March 15, 2020, at Gonzaga Hall, 92nd/Greenfield in West Allis, WI. I won't be at the Sun-Times show but I will have all sorts of new stuff out at the Gonzaga show. Come on out!

Did I mention that you guys are awesome! Thanks again for all your support!! Below are some photos from the show this past Saturday.

Look at that crowd at 9:29 a.m.!!

Pictured here is me and my pal Bill Stocks. Thanks again everybody! See you soon!!

Sunday, February 16, 2020, Orland Park Civic Center, Illinois

Crazy busy week of work so not much time to prep for the show. It seems like I have been working on reloading my 1968 Topps baseball binder forever. Hopefully I'll have it done by the Sal show on March 7.

That alarm at 6 a.m. Sunday morning stung like a bee. The only relief available was snooze. Needless to say, I was slow getting out of the gate on this morning. I noticed that the sun was out earlier than usual. I had been driving to shows in darkness the past several months. It was really nice to see the sun out early again and no weather to speak of.

I had an easy drive down to Orland. The parking lot was packed when I arrived at 8:20 a.m. Load in was tough because guys were sitting down on chairs in front of the dealer tables already. The room was packed while I was setting up. I tried to hustle but stopped to buy some cards from Junior. I finished setting up around 9:20 a.m. and the room was hopping! This was easily the largest Orland crowd in months. 

I was surprised at the early crowd because it is usually a late arriving crowd in Orland. There was a little lull around 11 a.m.. but then it picked right back up again. There were people in the room looking at cards at my tables up until 2 p.m. or so. 

I was very busy all day but it seemed like all the sales were for small dollar amounts and my final numbers were not as high as they should have been with that kind of crowd. So, I was a little disappointed.

​Buying on the other hand was....

In addition to buying a bunch of cards from Junior, Jeff T. hit me up while I was setting up and I ended up buying three 5,000 count boxes of early 1970's. I know, I know! But they were so cheap, I couldn't resist. I did reject the mid and late 1970's boxes.

Then I had a deal in place prior to the show with Joe who brought me 1966 Topps high numbers and 1964 Topps Coins. Thanks Joe! I bought some cards from Larry including a 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson. Then I bought a bunch of stuff from Larry's buddy, whose name escapes me. He had some Diamond Stars which turned out to be the buy of the day. I bought a few cards from Jim then ended the day with a big purchase from Walt. I was short 40 bucks, thankfully Paul lent me the dough. Thanks Paul!

I don't know how many thousands of cards I purchased today but it was a huge haul! Good thing I drove my wife's SUV to the show because I would not have been able to fit the cards in my Camry.

The highlight of the day was hanging out with Will's grandson Charlie. What a great kid. I think he is eight or nine years old and absolutely loves cards. It was fun watching him hop from table to table with unbridled enthusiasm. He loves new cards. He told me he doesn't like the "old-time" cards on my tables. He said they are "torture!" I had a good laugh.

Then there was a little political discussion at my table. I tried to stamp it out but guys are so passionate about their politics and once they get going it is tough for them to stop. I would prefer if we didn't talk politics. Card shows are my escape from the real world. When I'm at a card show I just want to talk about cards and sports. I am much more passionate about sports than I am politics and enjoy talking sports and food, for that matter. So let's make an effort to talk cards, sports and food at the card shows -- not politics. Thank you!

Speaking of food, I was disappointed that the concession stand did not have chili dogs today. Where were the chili dogs? I had two hot dogs with just mustard. I need more than mustard on my dog. If they are not going to bring out chili, they should at least have some onions and tomatoes to top out the dogs.

Though, complaining about today's show is difficult. It was a really good show. The room was packed so I can't ask for much else. Promoter Rich Troy does an excellent job with this show. I can't say enough about Rich. He is a tremendous promoter.

No shows for me next weekend. I am looking forward to the break after three straight weekends of shows. I am sleeping in next weekend! Woot!

A real nice guy came by my tables promoting a new show in Dolton, Illinois. We chatted for a while. I think it is great he is promoting a new show but I won't be there. I have too much on my plate and need some free weekends here and there. People ask me all the time to set up at this show or that show or they are contemplating on creating a show. Don't count me in because I won't be there. I've got my show, Gonzaga and Orland each and every month -- that's all I can do. Like I said, I can't wait to sleep in next weekend! I NEED to sleep in next weekend!!

After the break, I will be back at it on March 7 for my show at the Sal. I am pretty much all out of dealer space. The Sal show has exploded. I should be well rested and ready on March 7th. See you then!

Sunday, February 9, 2020, Gonzaga Hall, Milwaukee, WI

The year 2020 has not been kind to the Gonzaga show. Mother Nature has hit the show with weather events during the January and February shows. Neither weather event was bad enough to keep me from the shows but customers felt otherwise as evidenced by the crickets in the room during both shows.

There was some bad weather on the night before the January show but the day of the show, the weather was not bad at all and the roads were clear. I was told that folks living further north had to battle some ice. There were quite a few empty dealer tables during the January show.

Oddly, during the February show when the weather was much worse than January, I did not observe any empty dealer tables... just lots of empty space in front of the dealer tables where customers are normally located.

I loaded up my car about 6:45 a.m. Sunday and some light flurries started around the time I finished up. The snow never came down very hard during my drive up, so I was really surprised at the light attendance. 

Needless to say, sales were flat. If it wasn't for George purchasing my 1957 Topps Hank Aaron and my 1953 Johnston Cookies Warren Spahn, I would not have made table fee. Thanks George! Purchases were flat as well. I bought a little stack of cards from Scotty P. Thanks Scotty!

Of the folks that did attend the show, I received quite a few compliments for my show last week at the Sal. Thanks guys.

I had a new customer from Green Bay who had some interesting stories about growing up in the late 1950's and early 1960's in the shadow of Lambeau Field. He said all the players lived in his neighborhood and that Vince Lombardi attended his church. He said all the kids collected football cards but none collected baseball cards. He never asked any of the players for autographs but many of his friends carried footballs door to door to get signed. At the Gonzaga show, he was working on completing his childhood football sets.

I noticed that dealer Larry Larsen was not at the show. Hope all is well with Larry who is one of my favorites and definitely one of the funniest guys I know.

Not much else to report. I started packing up at noon. The snow picked up as I was loading out and the drive home was a bit dicey. Man, I hope that we get a break for the March show! I was lucky with my show last week. Next week, I'm heading to Orland Park and hope the weather holds out for that one. Have a great week, see you in Orland!

Saturday, February 1, 2020, Salvation Army Show, Oak Creek, WI

I should have known something was up prior to the show because I was overrun with emails, texts, Facebook messages and calls. Folks, I am just one person, with a full-time job and a family, I just don't have the time to answer all of these messages. I think I might insert a "frequently asked questions" section to this website. Let's tackle some of these questions now: 

(1) CAN I BRING IN CARDS TO SELL TO THE DEALERS?

YES! Please bring your cards in to sell to the dealers, just about all of the dealers are buying. I specifically only purchase vintage cards from the 1960's and older. Here is an important tip when selling your cards to dealers: research the "sold" price on eBay, NOT the current listing prices. There are many cards listed on eBay for $150 that will never sell for $150. If you look at the "Sold" listings, you will see that these same cards actually sell for $50, not $150.  

(2) WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY KOBE BRYANT ROOKIE?

As a vintage dealer, I just don't know the value of any cards newer than 1979. I am not the person to ask about modern cards. Again, the best way to determine the value of both modern and vintage cards is to check the "sold" listings on eBay. Also, there are many modern dealers at the Salvation Army show who would be happy to talk about your Kobe Bryant rookies or any other modern card.

(3) WHAT IS THE COST OF A TABLE AT THE SHOW?

Six-foot dealer tables are $25. 

(4) DO YOU HAVE TABLES AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT SHOW?

Usually, we seem to be at capacity right now so contact me sooner rather than later. You can send me an email at abrandongordon@hotmail.com or call or text at 773-616-3705. 

(5) CAN I SELL MEMORABILIA, NASCAR, NON-SPORTS CARDS, AUTOGRAPHS AND THE LIKE?

 YES! If you purchase a table, sell whatever you want on it.

(6) IS THE SHOW GOING ON AS SCHEDULED?

YES! I NEVER cancel this show!! Though, I have to say, I almost overslept on Saturday which got me wondering what would happen if I overslept and did not arrive until noon or so. I really think everyone would figure it out and set up without my input.

(7) WHERE IS THE SHOW LOCATED?

The show is held on the First Saturday of every month at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI.

(8) WHAT ARE THE HOURS?

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(9) WHEN ARE YOU GETTING ANOTHER AUTOGRAPH SIGNER?

I'm working on it and hope to have someone lined up soon.

(10) IS THERE AN AUCTION?

No, and that is by design. I think auctions distract from the show. I enjoy the ability to talk with customers without being drowned out by an auctioneer. 

(11) DO YOU CHARGE AN ADMISSION FEE?

No, admission is FREE.

(12) CAN I HAVE FREE PACKS FOR MY WIFE WHO IS OUT IN THE CAR?

No! Come on, really?

(13) WHY DON'T YOU DO A RAFFLE?

Good idea. I may in the future.

(14) CAN DEALERS BRING IN EXTRA CARD TABLES?

Yes, as long as you don't pinch space from dealers around you and as long as you do not block the aisles.

The above questions are the ones asked most often. I also get calls from people all over the country who see my phone number in Beckett or SCD and just want to talk. As I said, I work 50 to 60 hours a week at my real job then have a wife and two kids who need my attention. I just don't have the time to chat. However, if you come out to the show, I would love to talk with you then. I enjoy chatting at the show but prior, it is really hard for me to find the time.

Along those lines, I received a call last week from a guy located in some small town in Pennsylvania. He had some sort of weird accent. I am from Chicago and I know I have a weird accent. The problem is, I can't understand other people's weird accents. I honestly did not know what this guy was saying to me and we must have been on the phone for 30 minutes or so. It might be better to send me an email rather than call if you just want to chat, especially if you are not from the Midwest. I might have to find an interpreter for that Pennsylvania accent.

Needless to say, I was especially busy prior to the February Sal show with all these messages. I also spend a TON of time trying to get the word out about the show. I was especially successful this past Saturday. Wow! Where did everybody come from?

So, I was a little late getting to the show because I over slept. I was only about ten minutes late. I like to get there at 7 a.m. when the building opens so I can organize the tables and place nameplates on each table with a dealer's name. I try to have the dealers show up at 8 a.m. so I can get my nameplates out. But when I arrived at 7:10 a.m. this Saturday, there must have been a dozen dealers already there and loaded in! 

I was literally running around the room at 7:15 a.m. trying to get all the nameplates out before the rest of the dealers arrived. I made a couple of minor mistakes. I forgot to give Josh the third table he requested. Then I mistakenly placed each of Bob's two tables in two different aisles. Luckily, I had a few cancellations, so it was easy to move things around. Speaking of cancellations, I do not mind if you cancel after you have reserved a table as long as you give me a call, text, or email. That way, I can replace you and have the room laid out properly on the morning of the show. I had one dealer fail to show up and call. If you are a "no show," and have failed to let me know prior, I will not let you set up in the future. I shouldn't even have to mention it because if you are a responsible adult, you know better and you will call and let me know when you can't make it.  

In the week leading up to the show, I had three responsible dealers call me to let me know they could not make it. I had four new dealers call that week and because of these cancellations, I was able to provide tables to the new dealers. I had one guy show up at 9 a.m. on the morning of the show and ask for a table. I am out of tables on the morning of the show, we use every table in the Sal's possession. As I said in previous blogs, I am slowly donating more tables but we do not have enough tables right now to accommodate everyone who wants to set up. Luckily, the guy had his own tables so I found a spot for him to place his tables. Then he wanted me to help him carry in his tables when I had a crowd at my tables and I'm trying to do my pack giveaway. I can only do so much.

As you can see, the show is getting a little overwhelming for me. I never imagined it would grow to its current size and there does not seem to be an end in sight. I need help! So, I am offering $50 and all the Sloppy Joe you can eat for an assistant during the show. All I ask is that you arrive at the show at 7 a.m. and stay until I've loaded out. Your job will be to help me figure out where to place each dealer and to put the nameplates on the tables, give away the packs and answer all the questions from customers and dealers during the show. You will also have to watch my tables when I go around to collect table fee. You will also make our food runs to the concession stand so we can chow down on Sloppy Joe during the show. You will have time to walk around the show and shop, if you like. Send me an email at abrandongordon@hotmail.com, if you are interested.

Back to my show report, I think I finished setting up around 8:30 a.m. I brought out one display case with graded cards and all of my binders. New binders for the show were 1978 Topps baseball, 1977-78 Topps Hockey, and my binder of scorecards and programs. There were only a few customers in the room at 8:30 and I started to get nervous. George was the first customer, he beat me to the show. George hasn't been around in a long time. He was always the first customer when the show was at the Clarion/Four Points Sheraton. Then came usual suspects Mark, Jerome and Tim. I thought we would have had more people, even though the show doesn't officially open until 9 a.m.

With no customers to help, I opted to hit the bathroom. When I came out, the place was filled! Then they kept coming and coming, all day long. It was a mob scene!! This was easiest our best attended show in the five-plus years I have been running it.

Wow, just wow. I was worried about nothing. I know it is silly but I am always worried that no one will show up even though we seem to grow our crowd each and every show. I am so grateful to every one who came to the show. We had 31 wonderful dealers then an enormous crowd. Most every dealer reported great sales. Some were a bit shocked at the enormity of their sales. As the promoter, I want ALL the dealers to have great sales. I firmly believe that we are getting record attendance because of these great dealers. I want everybody to keep coming back, both dealers and customers.

I am curious as to how everybody learned about the show. Did you see one of my flyers? Did you learn about the show from Facebook? Did you find it in Beckett or SCD? Please let me know so I can make sure I continue to properly advertise the show.

A large number of guys mentioned this blog. It is fun when guys throw out verbatim something I wrote here. It seemed like someone mentioned this blog every few minutes at the show. Thank you so much for following my blog!

Let's get back to the dealers. I have been regularly offering tips to increase dealer sales and would like to continue doing so. Here is some advice for new dealers... check out the show before you set up for the first time. Take note what the other dealers have on their tables. Take note as to which dealers are busy and closely observe the items that are selling. I recommend you then stock your tables when you do set up with the items you observed selling at the other dealer's tables.

It seems to me that most of the customers that attend the show are collecting cards. There are a great many vintage set builders. There are others that collect hall of famers and rookie cards. There are many modern collectors who seem to gravitate toward autograph cards. I highly recommend that you place these types of cards on your tables.

Some dealers sell just vintage memorabilia and autographs, not cards. Sometimes these items sell very well and sometimes they do not move at all. If this is your inventory, be prepared to have some very good shows and some not very good shows.

I do NOT recommend placing modern collectibles on your tables, like things you can pick up at the stadium. You can also find this stuff at any grocery store or even a Walgreens or CVS. It is tough to make a buck with this stuff.

Every so often, I see NASCAR stuff on tables. This stuff does not move in Milwaukee. I have set up at shows in Indianapolis and NASCAR goes great there... but not Milwaukee.

Another age-old problem for some dealers is price. If your stuff is not moving, it is priced too high. Try lowering your prices and you should have better success. 

Like I said before, most dealers Saturday were in shock with their sales. We had a huge crowd and we had a lot of customers willing to spend some money. I had a great day! I sold a ton of stuff!!

I sold six or seven of my graded cards including a Bob Uecker Rookie and a Thurman Munson Rookie. Matt bought my 1948 Bowman Charlie Trippi. I sold some of my old scorecards. Then I had guys pulling piles and piles of cards out of my binders. Jim grabbed a bunch of 1960 Topps Braves. Robin grabbed a huge pile of 1970 Topps baseball. I ended up with a lot of money in my pockets. So I went on a buying spree. 

A regular customer offered me a Pete Maravich Rookie SGC 5 which I purchased. I picked up a pile of 1961 Topps football from Robin. I purchased a few 1915 Cracker Jack from Tim. I purchased a 1912 T202 Chief Bender from Mark. Then I purchased a bunch of old Sport and Sports Illustrated from new dealer John. I was pleased with my purchases.

While I was crazy busy all day, I did manage to snarf down two Sloppy Joes. Man, what a show! I don't know how we can top that one but let's give it a try!!

I would like to thank my pal Paul who drove up all the way from the far southwest suburbs of Chicago. This was Paul's first time at the show and he was impressed. Paul was a superstar and watched my tables for an hour or so allowing me to collect table fee from the dealers and to do a little shopping.

I try to make this show unique to other shows. One unique aspect to this show is that it is held at the Salvation Army, a charitable organization. I think we have a duty to go above and beyond and contribute to the great charitable work being done by the Salvation Army. I like to think of my card show as a partner with the Salvation Army. Along those lines I have been donating tables. You folks were kind enough to donate funds in November and December for the purchase of soccer uniforms for the youth teams that play at the Salvation Army. Thank you!

I was approached at the end of the show Saturday and told the Salvation Army needs funds to replace the padding along the stage in the gym. You can see when you attend the show that the stuffing is exposed and coming out of the padding. I was asked if we could conduct a silent auction at a future show and donate the funds for the purchase of new padding. I agreed. So friends, I am now looking for donations for this silent auction. I plan on donating some items myself. Get in contact with me for more information. We have the best dealers and customers in the country! Thank you for supporting my show and the Salvation Army!!

The next show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, will be on March 7th.

Next up for me is the Gonzaga show this Sunday, February 9. I plan on bringing out five or six display cases of football and basketball cards. I'm probably going to leave the football binders at home. My 1970's football binders took a beating at the Sal show.

See you this Sunday at Gonzaga!!

Please enjoy the photo progression below showing the Saturday crowd grow and grow.

Pictured above is dealer Gary George setting up at 8:43 a.m.

Here is the room at 9:14 a.m.

9:53 a.m.

Another shot at 9:53 a.m.

By 11 a.m. it was nuts! Look at all these people!! Thank you for making this an amazing show!!! Next Salvation Army Show is March 7th. See you there!!

January 19, 2020, Orland Park Civic Center

Back to back crazy weather weekends with rain, wind, snow prior to the Gonzaga show, then snow, snow, snow and crazy cold before the Orland show.

I saw the weather develop while at my real job on Friday. I work in beautiful Palatine, Illinois, in an office that has high ceilings and a lot of windows, so I always have one eye on the scene outside. Friday afternoon while I was sitting at my desk, the snow came heavy, blizzard-like conditions. The traffic on Dundee Road, just outside my main office window, was not moving. I decided to wait it out in the hopes the traffic would die out.

At about 7 p.m., I went out to clear off my car. There was easily four or five inches of snow on my car. Traffic had died down but the roads were a mess. I drove at 25 m.p.h.  the whole way home. I know I pissed off some SUV's stuck behind me but my Camry does not get good traction in the snow and I wanted to arrive home alive.

I am not sure what time the snow ended but Saturday was clear and the plows had removed much of the snow. I went into work Saturday afternoon and had no issues. By the time I got back from work, the temperature had dropped, it was butt cold.

I woke up around 6:15 a.m. on Sunday and loaded up my car. The temperature was 5 degrees. I know from living my whole life in the Chicago area that cold weather is no big deal as long as you layer up. I broke out the long Johns, donned three shirts and two coats. I was toasty.

The night before, another dealer called and asked if I was still going to Orland. He did not want to go because of the cold. I told him as long as my car starts and my doors aren't frozen shut, I'll be there. He didn't go. I had no issues other than some jack ass tailgating me at freakin' 7 a.m. on Sunday morning in 5-degree weather. I hate tailgaters. I am a very careful driver. I stop for animals in the road, I slow down for pedestrians and cyclists, so tailgating someone like me only increases the chance for accident and injury. I make a good living at my real job off dumbasses who tailgate.  

Once in Orland, I observed that the temperature had warmed up to a balmy 7 degrees. But once I exited my car, I was hit with wind. There wasn't any wind up north at my place. There is not much you can do with wind. It was brutal loading in.

Light crowd early on but I was not concerned because the Orland show has had a late-arriving crowd these past few years. By mid-morning the place was jammed. What else are you going to do on a cold January day? There is nothing better than a card show!!

It took me a while to set up. I brought out six display cases and all of my baseball binders along with the hockey, which Will requested. I kept most of the football and all of the basketball at home. With six display cases, I did not have any more room on my tables for more binders. I also didn't have any more room in my car.

Joe was the first customer at my table. He had emailed before the show and requested 1980 Topps. Joe has every year complete going back to 1952 Topps. I am not sure if he has the old Bowman sets. So he is starting on the 1980s because he enjoys set building but he is a stickler for condition. Before he completes his 1980 set he will go through tens of thousands of cards looking for perfect centering, edges, corners, surface. He will not place a card in his set if it has any defect of any kind.

Then Dan showed up. It was nice to see him, I have known him for years but have not seen him in awhile. Dan, is another collector, who like Joe, is working on 1980's sets but will only place perfect cards in his set. He offered me something like 30,000 1980 Topps that did not make the grade for his set, or sets, I should say. He put together three perfect sets of 1980 Topps. I declined the cards because I still have thousands of 1980 Topps that I purchased back in 1980! Also, except for the Rickey Henderson rookie, 1980 Topps are basically worthless. I will bring some out to shows but it is not worth my while to price out an entire set individually for set builders.

Back to Joe, he was disappointed in that he found only a handful of perfect 1980 Topps in my binder. On the other hand, he was pleased when he found some 1962 Post Yankees in my oddball binder and a few 1946-66 Exhibit team cards that I had brought for the customer from last month, who did not show up this time around. 

Another quick tidbit about Joe, I learned on Sunday that he is a season ticket holder for Notre Dame football and has been to every Notre Dame home game going back 50 years!

Back to the show, last month I brought out football stars for my display cases. This time around I placed in there baseball stars from 1954 through the 1970's. Rick found a nice stack of cards from all the cases. Thanks Rick! Larry picked up a bunch of 1955 Bowmans. Then my hockey binders got a work out, good thing Will requested them!

Chris found a bunch of cards for his sets. Later Chris's wife introduced herself to me and said Chris told her to contact me if anything was to happen to him. Funny, just prior to meeting Chris's wife, Dan told me he gave his wife my name and number with instructions to call me if anything was to happen to him!

First of all, you guys are not allowed to die on me, period. Secondly, if you do die, even though I do forbid it, I will help liquidate your collections but please leave your spouses a little more information. Maybe an inventory list and an amount of money they should receive for the collections. So who is going to volunteer to help my wife liquidate my collection should something happen to me?

Anyway, it was really great to meet Chris's wife. She is awfully sweet and I have been following the athletic prowess of their kids on Facebook. What a nice family! 

Speaking of families, I would like to give my best wishes to Paul P., whose mom has been ill these past few weeks. 

Another good friend named Paul made it out to the show and purchased a large number of 1958 Topps. Thanks Paul! Will purchased a bunch of 1975-76 Topps Hockey along with my 1968 Topps Gordie Howe. Thanks for the purchases and the coffee Will!

Joel found some 1952 Bowman White Sox for his team set. A bunch of other guys dinked around my binders and I ended up having a decent day, not quite as good as the December show, but good enough.

On the buying front, I went hog wild. Dave and I had a deal in place prior to the show. He stopped in around 11 a.m. with a Portillo's hot dog for me and two boxes of cards. Thanks Dave! Then I bought all sorts of stuff from Junior throughout the show including a 1959 Topps Mickey Mantle. I bought a stack of 1957's from Jim and another stack of stuff from Walt. Thanks guys!

The temperature warmed up to a balmy 19 degrees during load out at 2 p.m. Me, Will, and Joe capped the day at the sub shop. I went with the "Depth Charge" sub which contains ham, turkey and road beef. Will and Joe went with Gyros. Another excellent day well spent in Orland Park.

Next up is my show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, on Saturday, February 1, 2020. This will be my first show of the new year and should be a good one with 30 dealers already lined up with two weeks to go. I think I might cap it at 35 dealers, so if you are considering setting up, let me know sooner rather than later.

I am looking forward to having next weekend off. I need the time to recharge and to price some cards. I just finished my 1978 Topps baseball binder and will start work on 1977-78 Topps Hockey. I am planning to just bring my binders and just one display case with graded cards for the Salvation Army show. Let me know if there are any raw star cards you are looking for. See you in two weeks!

I leave you with a photo of Paul, Yours Truly and Will, from the Jan. 19 Orland show.

January 12, 2020, Gonzaga Hall, West Allis, WI

All week long, prior to the show, the weather reports called for a major weather event with high winds, rain then up to eight inches of snow ending in the wee hours before the show. I was sort of spooked, thinking I would not be able to make the drive from Illinois to Wisconsin. I even thought of calling in and cancelling. But I knew better. I have yet to see an accurate weather report ever. Also, the temperature in my neck of the woods reached 50 degrees on Friday and I could not see how it would possibly snow on Saturday.

So Friday night the wind and the rain came. I walked my dog in my backyard and it was a swamp. Though, it still was not very cold out. The temperature did drop on Saturday and the winds continued but no snow until very late at night. I figured I could make it to the show without a hitch. 

When I woke up early Sunday morning, there was maybe an inch or two of snow. I heard the plows go by in the middle of the night. I loaded up my car and set out on a very clear road, just a little wet but not covered in snow or ice.

The big test is usually the main road outside of my neighborhood. All clear. I hopped on the I294 Tollway heading north, all clear, light traffic. Twenty minutes or so later, I passed the Wisconsin border, all clear, light traffic. In fact, the roads were clear the whole way, about an hour and 15-minute drive.

Great, I thought, we're going to have a nice crowd because the alleged terrible storm was not so terrible and the roads could not have been better. Also the Packers-Seahawks playoff game did not start until after 5 p.m. This was a recipe for a great card show!

Wrong! Unusually light attendance. Where was everybody? The folks that did show up were happy and surprised to see me. I told everyone the roads were great, no issues whatsoever. With the light road traffic and much of the road construction seemingly completed, I had a really pleasant drive.

Thankfully, the folks that did attend the show, were serious collectors and my sales were better than expected. Thank you for showing up and buying some cards!!! Mark purchased a bunch of football cards from 1961 to 1963. Tim purchased my T206 Frank Chance. Robin picked up a bunch of 1967s. 

George found some cards. A regular customer purchased my 1957 Topps Gil Hodges. Eric purchased a bunch of 1958's and said he is getting closer to completing his set. Another regular purchased my 1962 Post Roger Maris. A bunch more regulars dinked around my binders. Then old friend Jason made an appearance. Jason used to be a regular at the show with his son Bart but cut back once Bart and his sister entered college, needing to spend his money on tuition rather than cards. I may be heading the same way as my daughter enters college shortly. Anyway, I was happy to see Jason and he purchased a bunch of cards from 1959 and 1960. He warned me that Bart is in grad school now so it may be awhile before he returns to another show. It was nice to catch up. Thanks for the purchases Jason! It turned out to be a decent day when it could have been trouble. 

On the buying front, I purchased a pile of Bowman football, 1951 to 1953, from Jerry. No big stars but I have a real tough time finding 1952 and 1953 Bowmans, so I was happy with the purchase. Jerry reiterated that he is planning to retire from card shows but he will at least be around through June. I told him I now have five months to convince him to forego retirement.

I also purchased a box of 1970 Topps. I was offered a large collection of 1971 Topps but turned it down, I just have so much of it and do not need any more.

All in all, a pretty good day. I had a doughnut in the morning but did not make it back to the concession stand in time for a hot dog. The auction ended around 10 a.m. and by noon the show was cooked. While I was loading my car, Jim called because Mark told him I had brought him some Goudeys. He said he did not come to the show because his driveway was icy.  

The drive home was unusually easy. I made it in about an hour.

Next up for me is the Orland show on January 19th. I had '52 Bowman baseball and 1977 Topps baseball reloaded for Gonzaga. I'm working on '78 baseball and hope to have it done by Sunday. Joe has asked for 1980 Topps baseball. Let me know if there are any more requests. I'm probably going to leave the hockey at home and will bring out three or four display cases. See you in Orland!

Sunday, December 22, 2019, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

Great, great day in Orland Park. One of my best of the year! 

My alarm went off at 6 a.m. I had a lot of trouble waking up. Once up, I could not find my box of Exhibits. Someone had requested the Exhibits last month. I was running late and did not have time to dig around the house. So I loaded the car with three display cases and most of my bins of binders. I left the basketball at home.

It was a pretty easy drive from the north suburbs to the south suburbs. I was on the road by 7:30 a.m. I normally like to leave by 7 a.m. I was a little worried about arriving late. Sometimes the room is crowded early on making load in a bit tricky. I arrived at the Civic Center around 8:15 a.m. 

Thankfully, load in was easy. Shortly after I set everything up, customers began to leaf through my binders. My 1967 Topps baseball binder received quite a work out. I am not sure when I will load that one up again. Will purchased a big stack and brought me some coffee. Thanks Will! 

Of course, the guy looking for Exhibits showed up. I'll try and get my act together for the January show and bring out Exhibits. Rick purchased a bunch of star cards and talked about some ailments. Since I talk about my health issues in this blog, a lot of guys discuss their ailments with me. Everybody needs to get their stuff checked out by a medical professional! I would not be here today if I did not see a doctor when I first started feeling ill from diabetes. Go see a doctor!

Back to happy stuff at the show. Rich, who promotes the show, hired an actor to play Santa Claus which I thought was pretty cool. Rich is a great guy and a tremendous promoter. We had a great crowd. I was concerned initially because I thought folks would be out Christmas shopping and skip the show. Apparently, everyone had finished their gift shopping because the show was packed!

I know I say this often but I am so thankful that Rich has a food vendor at the show. I never have time to eat before the show and I start to feel funky when I go without food. Man, that chilidog for breakfast was oh, so good!

Setting up next to me at this show was Andrew Weaver, who I mentioned in my last Salvation Army show blog. I enjoyed chatting with Andrew during the show. I hope everyone got to see his Ruth and Cobb autos.

A lot of guys noticed I was not at the December 8th Orland show. I just can't do two shows in a weekend any more. I do not have the stamina and try to do just one show in a weekend so I can rest one day before the workweek begins. The days where I do three shows each week are long gone!

I may skip some Orland and Gonzaga shows in 2020 on occasion to give my self a break. I need some days where I can watch closely what I eat, make sure I take my meds and keep track of my blood glucose levels. I noticed that Rich has two shows in March. I'll will skip the first one and set up at the second one.

I forgot to bring some paper so I could keep track of my sales. I had some really tremendous sales at this show. Chuck bought my Pete Maravich rookie. Thanks Chuck! I am so bad at remembering names, I had many guys purchase stacks of stuff out of the binders. Surprisingly, I did not sell any cards out of the hockey binders. I might leave those at home next month.

​I cannot remember the last time I was so busy that I could not leave my tables. As much as I enjoyed the sales, I really wanted to walk around the room and see what was out there but never got the opportunity. I was very busy from start to finish. I was really happy with my sales.

On the buying front, a few guys brought some cards to my table for purchase. I picked up a nice stack of cards including a 1958 Topps Willie Mays, a 1963 Topps Hank Aaron, a 1970 Topps Willie Mays and a 1962 Topps Bart Starr.

Then there was the guy walking around with a suitcase and asked me for a price on my 1962 Topps baseball binder and my oldest hockey binder. I started to add up then 1962 binder then quit, thinking there was no way this guy was going to shell out the money for the whole binder. I threw out some numbers at him and he just smiled and walked on. Most guys who ask for a price on the whole binder don't pull  the trigger. It is a real waste of my time to add up all the cards.

Lately, I have been thinking that I should not sell complete binders because of the work entailed in creating a new binder. It is always nice to get a chunk of change when a legitimate customer purchases a whole binder but it may not be worth it in the end when I factor in the work that goes into creating and updating the binders.

I am not a bulk dealer. Some guys are set up that way, not me. My bread and butter customers are the guys building vintage sets. My fantasy show is one where the only guys who show up at my tables are set builders. The guys (and gals) who buy my stuff for resale are a drag. I could do without the resellers. 

After the show, Will, Joe, Paul and I went over to the sub shop to cap a great day. Paul and Will are pictured above and below. One of the main reasons I set up at the Orland show is to hang out with Paul and Will. You would be hard pressed to find two better guys!

So that was my last show of the year and certainly one of my best Orland shows of 2019. When I look back on 2019, I had a pretty great year buying and selling cards. My show at the Salvation Army has exploded. The Orland shows were fairly consistent. Gonzaga was up and down sales-wise but I really enjoy myself at that show. The National was awesome. I enjoyed the Strongsville, Ohio, show, even though my sales are slow there. I am a glutton for punishment and have signed up for the Strongsville show in April of 2020. It was fun to be back in Cincinnati this past Thanksgiving. I had been considering the March Sun-Times show but observed that it is the same weekend as Gonzaga. I would rather set up at Gonzaga than the Sun-Times. I may consider the November Sun-Times show.

My inventory grew immensely in 2019. I need to reel my addiction because I am running out of room to store all these cards!! I hope to hit a flea market this summer with my 1980's and 1990's stuff. I really need to get rid of it and free up some space! I started to put a box of junk together, as Larry Larsen suggested, but ended up filling a 5,000-count box and slapping a $30 price tag on there. Larry's method of putting out a box and letting customers fill up a lunch bag for $10 is an intriguing idea but in the end I would rather just move boxes of this stuff. 

I am looking forward to another great year in 2020. I hope to add one more out of town date, maybe Pittsburgh. My first show of 2020 will be Gonzaga Hall on January 12. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, whichever holiday you celebrate, and I hope everyone has a happy new year! Thank you so much for regularly reading this blog and hanging out with me at the card shows. See you soon!

Sunday, December 15, 2019, Gonzaga Hall, West Allis, WI

That'll teach me to act like a know-it-all. With the Packers-Bears scheduled for noon on Sunday, December 15, I thought nobody would show up to the Gonzaga show. Instead, the place was jam packed. I was helping three-four customers at a time in the early morning. 

I didn't bring any display cases because I had thought the room would be empty and the display cases take a long time to fill and unfill. I wanted to get out of the show early and watch the game. I also decided to leave the display cases at home because I brought them all out last month. Of course, customer after customer asked if I had this star card or that star card. I told everybody I'll have them next month.

My pal Jerry Kvasnica told me last week at my show and again at Gonzaga that he is planning to retire from being a sports card dealer. Retire? This is retirement! It is too much fun to be a real job. There has to be pain and suffering for a job to be real, said someone very famous, I think. Every time Jerry tells me he is going to retire, I tell him he can't do it.

As much fun as this hobby can be, I find it depressing when a dealer or customer leaves the hobby. You develop relationships with folks and you expect and look forward to seeing them at the show on Sunday. I have known Jerry for 20-plus years having first met him at Fred Copp's old Oakbrook Terrace show in Illinois. Over the years we have made many trades and I have purchased many cards from Jerry, including this past Gonzaga show when he sold me a 1950 Bowman Tony Canadeo football card. Jerry is a great guy and an excellent vintage sports card dealer. He always comes up with amazing stuff. I can't imagine the Gonzaga show without Jerry manning his corner. He has been a huge supporter of my show and will leave a major hole in the dealer line up when he retires. Some people you just can't replace.

He has mentioned that he has some physical issues and setting up at shows has become increasingly difficult. I say, endure the pain and keep on setting up! What else are you going to do? I am kind of in the same boat. This stupid diabetes has given me a beat down. I had a really tough time of it Sunday morning but I made it through and ended up having a really enjoyable day. I can only hope Jerry reconsiders because I, for one, enjoy seeing him regularly and think he is a great addition to any show where he sets up.

It is mind boggling when I think about the Gonzaga show and the many dealers and customers who are gone from when I first began setting up around 20 years ago. I think it is a testament to the health of the hobby that Gonzaga continues to have a waiting list for dealers and continues to draw a large crowd, even when the Packers are playing the Bears at noon!! It is also a testament to Milwaukee which packed my show last week then Gonzaga this week. The hobby is alive and well in Milwaukee. Now, is not the time to retire!!!

Getting back to when I first started setting up at Gonzaga around the year 2000. I had great difficulty getting just one table back then. Once I was in, I had greater difficulty making sales, which is hard to believe if you saw the crowd at my tables this past Sunday. But in the beginning, customers avoided me like the plague. A handful of guys took the time to go through my stuff and buy a few things. I saw one of those guys this past Sunday. Unfortunately, I don't know his name. He does not show up regularly any more. He is an older guy with a hint of a German accent. He was building a 1954 Bowman baseball set when I met him 20 years ago. He was still working on that Bowman set when I saw him this past Sunday. He has purchased many '54 Bowmans from me over the years. I think it was Jerry who finally got him his Ted Williams. I have never had that Ted Williams card. One of these days, I am going to own that card!

Anyway, this old customer brought out his son this past Gonzaga show and they were doing some final upgrades before he sells his set next month. He told me he has a deal lined up but the buyer wants some upgrades. I told him how sorry I was to hear that he was going to sell his set, knowing the time and effort he put into building that set as well as my own contributions to the set. He told me he has some heart trouble and is going in for surgery soon and is worried that he won't make it out alive and figures it will be easier for his family to have the cash rather than the set. My thoughts and prayers are with this old friend. Hopefully, I see him next month building another set!

Speaking of set builders, they were out en masse on Sunday. I sold a ton of cards. My newly reloaded 1967 Topps baseball book got a work out. I probably don't have any high numbers left in there. I noticed that I am not selling as many basketball cards as I normally do. I have a really nice inventory of 1969 through 1971-72 Topps right now. I am wondering if I should keep those at home and bring out something else next time.

Another issue, an on going issue for just about most every dealer, is what to do with Junk Era cards. Over the past few years, my inventory has grown as I purchased some nice vintage collections but the sellers made me take their junk as well. I have been pricing whole binders of say 1990 Topps for just five bucks but can't get any takers.

Dealer Larry Larsen had a good suggestion when he advised I unload the binders and place all the cards in the box and allow customers to fill an entire lunch bag for ten bucks. I think I am going to give Larry's suggestion a try. I'll report back on how the box 'o junk works out.

Getting back to this past Sunday's Gonzaga show, I caught the results of the live auction for a box of 1980 Topps Supers. I remember buying these cards back in 1980. They are great glossy 5 x 7 photos of the players of the era. Unfortunately, they have no value... or so I thought. The box of supers went for 90 bucks in the live auction! I saw a complete set on eBay for $40. I would think you could find an unopened box somewhere for a lot less than $90. Maybe I'm wrong and the price has gone up on those. I was just shocked when I heard the final price of $90. I haven't tried to sell any 1980 Topps Supers in years but when I did bring them out I could not give them away. I might have to dig them out.

Well, at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, the show died. Man, if there wasn't that football game I may have had a monster day. I can't complain, though. I had a much better day than expected and I am still in awe at the size of that morning crowd. 

I purchased some cards as well Sunday but may have overpaid because I had money burning a hole in my pocket and I was eager to make some purchases. I picked up a box of early 1970's basketball and another box of 1950's baseball and 1960's football.

I was on the road home by 1:30 p.m. and pulled up to my house around 2:30 p.m. The football game was just entering the Fourth Quarter. I couldn't watch because the Bears were getting stomped. I think I was one of three Bears fans at the Gonzaga show. I ate some food and took a nap. Another Gonzaga show in the books.

Next up is the Orland show. I skipped the December 8 show, choosing to sleep in the day after my Oak Creek show. I just can't set up at two shows in a weekend any more then go to work on Monday. I need at least one day each weekend to chill out.

As always, I am stuck in a rut trying to figure out what to bring to Orland. Last month, I brought out five or six display cases and my baseball, football and basketball binders. I filled the display cases up with all my baseball star cards and football stars from the 1950s. So I am thinking of brining four display cases and put out my 1960's and 1970's football stars along with basketball and hockey. I may bring out some Exhibits because someone asked me for them last month. I think I'll leave the basketball binders at home. I hope we have some decent weather on Sunday. See you guys in Orland this Sunday, December 22, 2019 -- my last show of the year!!! 

Saturday, December 7, 2019, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

Wow, just wow! What a crowd!! Big turn out for the Dave Robinson signing at my monthly card show in Oak Creek. A huge thank you to Dave Robinson for coming to the show and to Nicholas Parsons and Midwest Sports Buffet for bringing Dave in. Dave signed my 1972 Topps football card that I picked up last weekend in Cincinnati. It is a great addition to my autograph collection!

I was crazy busy the week leading up to the show trying to deal with my real job and the loads of phone calls, texts and emails for the Sal show. I had to turn away 10 or so dealers because the Salvation Army does not have additional tables to accommodate them. As I stated in the past, I am slowly donating tables to the Sal and I will probably be able to add more dealers soon. I had 33 dealers and 64 tables for the December 7th show.

A few dealers have stated that they don't want to see additional dealers in the room. What do you guys think? I, myself, am split. On the one hand, I am just one person and trying to handle 33 dealers and hundreds of customers and watch my tables is very difficult. Plus, if I add more tables, we will lose some space in the room. Right now I think everything is comfortably spaced out. Though, I think I could add a couple of tables in front of the stage without tightening things too much.

On the other hand, I hate to turn dealers away. I appreciate that so many guys want to set up at my show. I also think from a customer's point of view, the more dealers and variety the better.

For now, I think I will add two or three more tables in front of the stage, if necessary. There was a buzz and electricity in the room Saturday with so many dealers and with Dave Robinson. As busy as I was trying to manage everything, I had a lot of fun and the day flew by. A huge thank you to my brother Jon for helping me out. Jon is a high school track and cross country coach and I won't be able to get his help again until the track season ends in June. I could really use some help. I may give my tables away and just give out free packs of cards because it is really difficult to man my tables during the show.

Though, I had an excellent day selling cards. I sold a ton of stuff! Thank you to everyone who bought cards from me on Saturday! Sorry, I could not spend more time with you and I appreciate everyone being so nice to Jon.

Surprisingly, as I walked around the room, many dealers reported slow sales. With such a big crowd, I did not think any dealer would have had a bad day. Over the years, I have tried to give out a few pointers to increase dealer sales based on my own success. My job as the promoter is to get people into the room and I have been extremely successful in filling the place up. Now, it is up to the dealers to take advantage of the crowd and make some sales. So, I regularly try to give a few pointers to help folks increase their sales.

I recently talked about price. One of the easiest ways to increase sales is to lower your prices. Another way to increase sales is to communicate with the customers. Say hello to everyone who walks by. Ask them if they need assistance. Ask if there are certain cards they are looking for. Make business cards with your telephone number and email and create a dialogue post- and pre- show. Before the show Saturday, dozens of guys emailed and texted me asking for certain binders and certain cards. I had several good sales lined up before the show even started. Also, talk to other dealers and learn what works for them. In talking with the dealers who were most successful Saturday, to a man, they had lined up sales before the show. One dealer had some customers come to his house on Friday to pick up cards and they came to the show Saturday to pay him for those cards.

Another tip is to promote yourself! Hey, write a blog!!! Sports card collectors know me in every freakin' corner of the country because of this blog. Create a Facebook page. Send out email blasts. Create a flyer. Get the word out as to who you are and what you sell and where you sell.

I market myself like crazy. Not just for sports cards but for my real job as an attorney. As a sports card dealer, I need customers, so I try to get the word out as to where I am setting up. As an attorney, I need clients, so I try to get the word out as to what services I provide. You have to market yourself! For example, I had the Sal show on Saturday, then on Sunday I had my suit on and appeared before a crowd at a church in Bartlett, Illinois, to discuss personal injury law. Afterwards, I signed up a bunch of new clients. You must market yourself!

I suppose I could do a little more to help market the dealers that set up at my show. I was thinking today that I need to put my skills as a former newspaper reporter to good use and create a bio section on this website for each dealer that sets up at my show. Along those lines, any dealers reading this, please type up some info about yourself and send it to me and I'll create a dealer bio page. Email me at abrandongordon@hotmail.com. This should be fun!

There are so many great dealers that set up at my show. I was incredibly impressed with the selection of cards in the room on Saturday. Here are my observations of Saturday's dealers:

Jerry had a display case filled with 1952 Bowman football cards. Next to the National Chicles, I think the '52 Bowmans are the toughest football cards to obtain. Roger had all sorts of new wax on his tables. I purchased another box of 2019 Heritage for my pack giveaway. Set up next to Roger was Craig, who had sold out half of his table. I was impressed to say the least.