Sunday, February 21, 2021, Pop-Up Shop, Palatine, IL

Another successful Pop-Up Shop is in the books. Like my card show in Milwaukee, a lot of planning and set-up time goes into the Pop-Up Shop. Prior to, I priced hundreds of cards for my display cases and loaded up my 1973 Topps Football and my 1968 Topps baseball binders.

If you have been to the Pop-Up Shop, the back room, where I keep all of the binders, is usually where I appear via Zoom in court most every day. I sat in that room Wednesday morning, prior to the Pop-Up Shop, and appeared via Zoom on a court case at the Skokie, Illinois, courthouse. I had hoped to start converting the room into binder mania after court but my case was complex and required another day, so the judge set it for Friday. As a result, I could not get a head start on binder mania.

All I could really do to prep during the week was clean and vacuum. Saturday became set up day. I also had two appointments to purchase some cards on Saturday. I ended up buying a few thousand cards, mostly commons, but good stuff from 1952 through 1976. I really appreciate when folks come to my office to sell me cards. 

Set up for the Pop-Up Shop began around 2 or 3 p.m. It took about five hours. 

Man, this thing is awesome! I was up early Sunday in anticipation of the day's event. I made it to my office around 7:30 a.m. I worked on making a sign for the parking lot. My office can be difficult to find because the building is set off from the road and my space in the building is in the back, along Dundee Road.

Scott was the first to arrive around 8:15 a.m. Scott is working on vintage baseball and football sets. As usual, he found quite a few cards at the Pop-Up Shop. Happy Birthday Scott and thank you for your purchases! Next in was Craig and Noreen who are working on vintage sets from all four major sports. They found a huge pile of cards at the Pop-Up Shop. Thank you!

Scott, Craig and Noreen all live in Illinois and regularly come up to Wisconsin for my card show in Oak Creek. I am so appreciative of the support. Of course, they also follow the blog. Thanks guys!

Next in was Don, who telephoned the night before to ask if he could arrive early. I do not mind early arrivals but I was glad he called because I might not have gotten there myself until 8:30 a.m. Big Tim was another early arrival. Tim purchased a large pile of cards. Thanks Tim!

Once the clock stuck 9 a.m., the place filled up. There was Bill, who has attended all three Pop-Up Shops. Bill found a pile of cards, including some non-sports. It was nice to see long-time customer Andy, who I have not seen in a while. Andy says he has been busy with his grandkids. Years ago I sold him a 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig which he still has. Andy bought a ton of stuff including my 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson and 1933 Goudey Tris Speaker.

Mike was another early arrival. I met Mike last month at the Pop-Up Shop and was glad to see him again. This time around he brought a buddy. Mike purchased a TON of stuff from piles of 1959 and 1962 Topps baseball commons to all sorts of stars, including some graded Pre-War. Thanks Mike!

I think I had just the right amount of folks at the Pop-Up Shop. I am afraid to purchase any advertising because I don't want too many people. I appreciate everyone who came, like Phil, who was at the first one and this one. Phil purchased a 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle and a 1965 Topps Embossed Mickey Mantle. Thanks Phil!

Milan, who I know from the Orland show, had emailed me earlier in the week. His buddy told  him about the Pop-Up Shop. Milan's buddy has been to all three. On this day he purchased a bunch of Willie Mays cards. Milan found a bunch of stuff for his vintage sets. Thanks guys!

George and Christy made the drive from Wisconsin and purchased some 1962 Topps. Thank you! Also coming down from Wisconsin was J.R. who purchased a pile of stuff. Thanks J.R.! A bunch of other regulars purchased cards for their sets. Some new customers found some vintage cards for their sets. Paul F. made his first appearance at the Pop-Up Shop and brought me some much-needed brand new Top Loaders. Thanks Paul!

Angel has now become a regular customer of the Pop-Up Shop. This month he purchased a large pile of 1960 Topps baseball. Thanks Angel! Mark appeared at the Pop-Up Shop for the first time. He purchased a nice pile of cards and entertained my brother John and I with some childhood collecting stories. The one I enjoyed the most was about the summer of 1969 when Cubs mania had swept over the Chicago area. Mark and his friends were big card collectors and purchased as many packs as they could. He said whenever they received a Cubs card they were overjoyed.

However, one Cub proved difficult to pull that summer -- Ernie Banks. He was a low number card that year, so you could only get him in the spring when the first series hit the stores. Mark said he did not know then that the cards were issued in different series and kept buying cards all summer in an attempt to snag a Banks.

Only one of his friends was able to pull a Banks card. As a result, that friend took on legendary status that summer. All of their other friends wanted to see the Banks card often because no one else could get one. So the owner of the Banks card carried the card in his front pocket all summer long to show it off. Needless to say, the card suffered greatly from being crammed into a kid's front pocket all summer.

A few years later, Mark continued to collect cards while his friends moved on to other things. So Mark approached his buddy and asked if he still had the Banks. He did. The buddy offered to trade it to Mark for a Mike Schmidt. The trade was made and Mark became the owner of the legendary 1969 Ernie Banks card.

Eventually, Mark was able to get a 1969 Banks in better condition and sold it to another buddy from the summer of '69. As time went on, the beat-up and worn out Banks was owned by the whole group from 1969. Years later, one of the owner's of the card brought it to Ernie Banks at an event to have him sign it. Well, Ernie looked at the tattered and worn card and asked if he should really sign such a card. The owner told him how important it was that he sign that very card. Ernie signed the card.

Well into adulthood, the owner of the card gave it to Mark, who was the last of the group to collect cards and told him he should be the keeper of the card. Today, Mark has the tattered and worn and signed Ernie Banks card. Not much value to that card in today's market with the condition issues. However, the value of the great childhood memories amongst this aging group of guys is priceless.

Thanks for the stories Mark! All in all just a tremendous day. My only complaint is that I only purchased one card, a PSA vintage hockey card. I would really like more folks to bring cards in to sell to me! I am always buying vintage cards!!

Next up is my show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, on March 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. As usual, dealer tables are sold out. I am expecting another large crowd. Concession stand should be open again. Get to the concession stand early because they sold out of food last month.

The Salvation Army is holding a food drive during the show and are asking for donations of non-perishable items. They will also have some kettles out for donations. Please donate to the Salvation Army as they are our partner in the card show and do many wonderful things for the community.

Next Pop-Up Shop is Sunday March 14, 2021, at the Law Office of Anthony B. Gordon, 201 E. Dundee Road, Suite 2, Palatine, IL. A big thank  you to everyone who came out to the last Pop-Up Shop. Hope to see you again soon!


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Saturday, February 6, 2021, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

Too bad nobody attended the show.......

I did not think the below-zero wind chill would stop anybody from attending the show and I was right. Easily the largest turn out to date. It is unbelievable that more folks are attending the show during the pandemic than pre-pandemic! Where did all these people come from? You know, I have been running this show since 2014, where have you all been?

I think I might need a bigger venue... the only problem with a bigger venue is increased costs. I am not sure the dealers would be willing to pay more in table fee. Also, I am probably going to have to start charging admission -- not to line my own pockets but to donate fully to the Salvation Army. The powers-that-be don't seem to like the huge crowd. Especially the knuckleheads who can't seem to cover their nose with their mask. I figure I could soften the blow if I charge admission and donate it ALL to the Salvation Army. You guys wouldn't mind paying a buck to get into the show, right? Especially if the entire admission fee collected goes straight to the charitable Salvation Army.

This thing has become a BEAST! I really never anticipated that it would grow into such a monster! When I started at the Clarion Hotel, I had hoped one day it could fill the ballroom at the hotel. Their loss! They should have never kicked me out. I can fill the ballroom and then some now!!!

I also never anticipated I would have to work so hard to pull this thing off. As I sit here and type up this blog, I'm getting one email after another requesting tables. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TABLES!! STOP ASKING FOR TABLES!!

The Sal offered a fourth room but there are some drawbacks. My costs would double plus they literally do not have any more tables. Dealers would have to bring in their own tables. I don't see how I could work it that way without knowing the size of the tables and having the room laid out prior to the show. Also, what do I charge a dealer who just brings in a small card table? I am just going to pass on this option and look for a large venue to hold a second show. I want to keep this one at the Sal and quite possibly run a second larger show, maybe quarterly. I need a big-ass venue which will probably bring a big-ass cost. Would dealers be willing to pay $50 per table for a larger show? Right now my $25 table fee is quite a bargain. I've seen the money that is changing hands. Wow!

The folks at the Sal have seen the money as well. Being a charitable organization that needs funding for great programs that help out the less fortunate, something is probably going to happen. They will probably raise up the room fee shortly. I'm getting those vibes. It is a shame that I just can't seem to run a show without interference from the venue. I need my own convention center!! I'll keep you posted but I think that admission fee is happening sooner rather than later. Remember that dollar admission fee will go straight to the Salvation Army and will help someone get a hot meal or a warm coat.

So, while the view from the outside looks like a huge success, the view from the inside shows one headache after another. I drove up to the Sal on Friday afternoon. I took a room at the Marriott up the street and took a nap. I had a long day of work. 

I awoke around 6 p.m. and went to the Target across from the Sal to purchase a table to donate to the Sal. I arrived near the end of the Sal's adult volleyball league. A nice crowd was playing volleyball in the gym. It looked like fun. I sat around for a while. When the last game ended, several of the players helped set up the show -- which was awesome. Setting up 73 tables by myself is too physically demanding for these old bones.

I lost some space in the gym this month because the Sal reopened their concession stand which is not a bad thing. I figured some dealers would be pissed that I had to move them back into the meeting room. For once, nobody in the meeting room or the hallway complained about their location. Thank you!

Now the guys in the gym are another story. One dealer texted me at 3 a.m. Saturday morning asking for a certain location in the gym. Come on now! Don't text me at 3 a.m. before the show! I was ready to kick that dealer out!!

Attention Dealers!! Stop asking me for a certain location!! I can't do it. I have a huge waiting list of potential dealers willing to take any space in the building. I am going to have to start getting rid of some guys. I really am tired of this!! It takes a herculean effort to put this thing on. I need dealers that are low maintenance. I can't hold your hand. Don't text me at 3 a.m. the night before the show! Stop obsessing about it. Get some sleep! Your location in the building means nothing! I prove this at every show by taking the tables furthest from the front door and closest to the exit. I had a monster show! My best ever at the Sal!! Stop whining that you don't like your location or you don't have enough space!! Seize the moment! If you can't make money at this show, no matter where you are located, then selling cards is not for you. They are hiring cashiers across the street at Target! Go there and leave me alone!!

I was talking with superstar Jason Galleske prior to the show. Jason was telling me how he loves this blog (thanks Jason!). His main comment: "You don't hold back!" No, I don't. This blog has always been a tool where I could vent. I am under more pressure putting on this show than ever before, I am getting it from the venue, 43 dealers, another 35 in waiting, and thousands of customers. I really need dealers to just come in, set up, sell some cards, then head home and not be a problem.

I really regret any time I bitched at a show promoter about anything. It is a tough job running a show, especially when you don't have ANY help. It is just me.

I spent three hours Friday night setting up the show. I got back to my hotel room around 10 p.m. I ate some McDonald's, watched some TV, then passed out. The best part of getting a hotel room near the show is that I get an extra hour of sleep! I can't tell you how I treasure that extra time.

So there were problems right away when I got to the Sal around 8 a.m. A bunch of dealers filled the "social distancing space" between dealer tables with their own card tables. I don't know how many times I have had to ask, it gets tiring. But I had to go around and ask everybody to move their tables from the social distancing area. These card tables are not allowed by the Salvation Army. When you guys place those card tables there, I get in trouble. We're on thin ice. The Salvation Army can cancel the show at any time. Do you want to be the reason the show is cancelled? 

My guy at the Sal pointed out another problem with the social distancing area. Card tables aside, no one was social distancing. That space between the dealer tables had runway traffic. The Salvation Army wants one-way traffic throughout the whole building, not scattered runway traffic everywhere. Well, our huge crowd had spilled everywhere. I am thinking the only solution is to place some duct tape in the social distancing area to block folks from filling the social distancing area. 

One more problem to point out... the huge crowds have brought out the thieves. Cards were stolen from tables both at the January and February shows. I HATE thieves. We all need to work together to stem the thefts. Dealers need to be vigilant. Keep an eye on your stuff during the WHOLE show. Don't let your guard down! Lock up cards in display cases. 

I recommend that dealers bring in their own mobile security cameras. Also, if you catch someone stealing, don't pummel them! I know that is your natural reaction, but as  your attorney I regret to inform you that you have no legal right to pummel a thief.. unless you are threatened with physical harm. 

Let's start catching and prosecuting these thieves. Believe me, when these idiots are taken out in handcuffs and hauled into jail with blood thirsty gangbangers, they will be crying for their mommies and regret snatching that Luka Doncic rookie. 

If you catch someone in the act, hold them there, call 911 and text me at 773-616-3705. I'll make sure the thieves are prosecuted and get jail time. There is no place at the show for thieves!!

While there are many problems at a show this large, there were also many, many bright spots including mass sales at my tables. I generally do my best to maintain a cheery demeanor and I was generally in a good mood Saturday. There is nothing like customers flush with Benjamins and spending those things at your tables. Man, that was fun.

So I was extremely busy all morning and raked in the dough. Then my relief came in the form of Jason and Andy, who for a small fee watched my tables from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. so I could manage the show. The Benjamins kept flowing to Jason and Andy. Thanks guys!!

I did not take any tables in January, partly because it is just too hard to manage both dealer tables and the show. I also have this huge waiting list of dealers hanging over my head and I wanted to give someone else an opportunity to set up. But with that large crowd in January, there was no way I was skipping out at the February show. I had just six display cases of stuff and sales were awesome! I think I am going to do six display cases again in March but instead of baseball, I'll fill them with football cards. I've got Jason lined up to help but I don't think I'll have Andy. I'm working on my brother Jon and my kids to help out. I need at least two people.

At the end of the day, I was pretty happy, though I could tell that the folks from the Sal were not happy. I have a lot of issues to deal with before the March show but man, this thing is really amazing. Most dealers were raking it in. Dealer Gary George commented, "I'm making more money than I did at any of the Nationals!" It has become a frenzy. It reminds me of the way shows were when I first starting going in the late 1970s. Those shows were frenzied. You couldn't even get to most dealer tables. As a customer, I rushed to purchase as much as I could until they kicked me out. Seems like that was the attitude of most of the customers on Saturday.

The best part of being a dealer is that you don't have to leave your table to purchase cards. I had four guys bring me boxes and boxes of cards. I made a huge haul! I still haven't even looked at everything I purchased. Thanks guys. It is so fun to buy cards!! I also met a guy who inherited a huge collection. I am hopeful that I am able to work out a deal to buy that collection. There is some really good stuff there!!

Let's keep the ball rolling! I need the dealers to be an asset and not a liability. I can't place you where you want to be!! I can't turn up the heat in the gym if you are the only one that is cold. Be an asset, not a liability. This show only thrives if we are all assets and nobody is a liability! 

I do not know what is in store for the March 6th show but if my sales repeat like February, man, I will be happy!!

Thank you everyone! It is you that has made this thing a booming success. I appreciate you... just don't text me at 3 a.m.

Reminder, I am converting my law office into a vintage card pop-up shop on Sunday, February 21, 2021, from 9 a.m. top 2 p.m. at 201 E. Dundee Road, Suite 2, Palatine, IL. The pop-up shop gives me an opportunity to put out most of my inventory. We're talking 15 display cases of vintage cards and hundreds of binders, all sports, from 1949 to 1981. Hope you can check it out!

Below is a photo of the back hallway at Saturday's show. All three rooms were crowded all day long! What a show!!

Wow, just wow! The Pop-up Shop has become my most successful sports card venture to date -- and that's saying something since I began selling cards in the late 1970's. I never imagined the Pop-up Shop would do so well. I was just looking to fill the void from the cancelled Schaumburg and Orland Park shows. Now I am just going to ride this wave and keep it going indefinitely.

I appreciate everybody who came out and bought cards. I sold a TON of stuff. I don't even remember what I sold. It was a frenzy. Big Tim was the first one to arrive. Tim bought a pile of stuff, and for the life of me, I can't remember what cards he purchased but thank you! Next was Scott, who needed a wheel barrel to cart out all the stuff he purchased. Thanks Scott!

Then there is the Mantle guy I know from Orland. If he reads the blog, please tell me your name next time. You have probably told me it in the past but I am so bad at remembering names. Well, the Mantle guy purchased my 1958 Mantle base card and the all-star along with a 1965 Topps Mantle. Thank you!

Then there is another collector I know from both Orland and Schaumburg whose name I forgot as well. He is always finding cards in my binders and cheapy boxes for his sets. Thank you! Then there is that nice couple from Des Plaines, who I know read this blog. Please let me know your names. I really appreciate you guys and thank you for following me for so long!! Of course, thank you for your purchases!!

Big Bill from Antioch purchased my 1959 Bob Gibson rookie, which is an absolute beauty. Thanks Bill! Then there was Will and Joe, who made my day. I have met so many great people over the decades of setting up at card shows. Will and Joe have become family. Love those guys! I have not seen them since I last set up in Orland back in February. Will purchased a huge pile of 1969 Topps including stars and commons. Joe purchased my graded 1968 Roger Maris and 1970 Rod Carew. Thanks guys! We're all hoping our pal Paul reads this and comes out to the February 21 Pop-up Shop.

Then I had some new customers. One guy purchased a bunch of 1962 Topps baseball, including Yogi Berra, a Babe Ruth commemorative card, and a bunch of league leaders. I did not get his name but I really appreciate the purchases.

Another new customer, Rich, came with his young son. Rich completed his 1976 Topps baseball set and made some headway on his 1970 Topps baseball set. Thanks Rich!

There was another new customer, who told me his name and of course, I forgot it already. He bought a pile of cards which I really appreciate! Then there was long-time customer Angel who purchased a large pile of 1958 and 1959 Topps baseball. Thank you Angel!

A couple of other good pals made some long drives like Jim from Wisconsin. The roads were really slushy in the morning and I really appreciate the effort and purchases! Thanks Jim! Gary came in from Rockford. It was good to see Gary out and about and recovered from his recent surgery. Thanks for coming Gary and thanks for the purchases! 

Ricky, who I met a few years ago in Orland, is working on the T206 set, among others. I did not obtain any new T206's this time around but Ricky found a bunch of 1954 Topps including my Jackie Robinson.

I might have forgot some others, sorry, I have no short-term memory. I really appreciate everyone who came out on Sunday. It is a bit of work converting my law office into a sports card shop for a day but well worth it. I spent all day today converting the Pop-up Shop back into a law office. It is kind of sad in a way, I much prefer to be surrounded by vintage sports cards than legal files.

Anyway, my next Pop-Up Shop will be on Sunday, February 21, 2021. I should have my 1973 Topps Football binder reloaded by then and possibly a few other binders. I plan to have a bunch of new stuff for my display cases as well. I was able to bring out a bunch of different items from the December to January Pop-up Shops and hope to have a great deal of new items for February. Hope to see some new faces at the February 21st Pop-up Shop. In the meantime, my Sports Card Show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, is scheduled for February 6, 2021. I have 43 dealers and 73 tables slated for the show -- should be my largest one to date. My waiting list is getting crazy. I am still taking names but it will probably be a few months before I get those people into the show. Hope to see everybody in a few weeks at the Sal!

Vintage Sports Card Pop-Up Shop slated for Sunday, January 17, 2021, at the Law Office of Anthony B. Gordon, 201 E. Dundee Road, Suite 2, Palatine, IL.

The December event went so well that I decided to run it monthly until the Gonzaga and the Orland Park card shows return. 

New for January, I plan to have hundreds more football cards for my display cases. I am also going to bring out my pre-War sports card binder, quarter box, some media guides from the 1970s, and some other goodies. The layout will be the same as December with 16 display cases in the main room and all of my binders will be in the back room.

This should be fun. I will be set up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hope to see you there. 

January 2, 2021, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

Several weeks ago, my guy Mark, who is in charge of events at the Salvation Army, sent me an email to confirm the January 2nd show. He asked if I wanted to move it to a different date because the Salvation Army would be closed on January 1 and there was no one to set up the show.

I blindly volunteered to come in on January 1 and set up the show myself. Mark said that was okay but asked me to think about it knowing what a beast it is to set up 67 tables, 100 chairs, and place wall signs all in three rooms.

Well, I had already been promoting the January 2nd date for months and felt I did not have a choice.

I was not up too late on New Year's Eve but it was tough to fall asleep due to all the knuckleheads in my neighborhood lighting off fireworks into the wee hours of the morning. I ended up getting a much later start than I wanted. I threw some clothes into a backpack, in case I wanted to spend the night in Milwaukee. I did not bring any of my cards because:

   (1) I was not sure if there were any tables available for me, due to the massive influx dealers.

   (2) it would have been a real hassle to deal with the cards if I was to spend the night. I am never comfortable leaving cards in my car over night. I am always worried about thieves. So if I brought the cards, I would have had to unload them into the hotel room.

   (3) Lastly, it has become too difficult to manage both my tables and the show.

As a result, I hit the road for Milwaukee at about 11:45 a.m. on New Year's Day with no cards in my car. I had heard reports about snow. Thankfully, the roads were clear when I started out. However, I was greeted by snow and blustery winds when I hit the Wisconsin border.

Around Kenosha, I took a peak in my rearview mirror just in time to watch an SUV spin out and slam into the center median. Boy was I spooked. I thought about pulling over but the roads were so messy, I was afraid I would spin out at the exit. So I stayed in the slow lane.

It wasn't long before I had to move to the left lane to avoid another spin out that I could see in my lane up ahead. Luckily, I did not spin out when I switched lanes. I was also able to get back into the slow lane once I passed the carnage. Man, was I nervous. Then I observed an accident in the southbound lanes involving two trucks and some cars. Southbound traffic was at a standstill for miles.

I was on pins and needles. The roads were bad. It was tough to even see the road and I was never sure that I was actually in a lane. Then you get the morons who haul ass or the morons who tailgate. I had to deal with both of those types. I just held my breath until I hit Ryan Road.

Thankfully the Ryan Road exit had been plowed and I was able to get away from some numbnut practically on my bumper. Didn't he see all the spin outs?

So the exit was plowed but Ryan Road itself was a mess. I kind of slid into the far left lane and slowly drove east toward Howell. A few MadMax types blew by me but I was not speeding up because I was not getting much traction. I almost slid into the intersection at Howell. 

Somehow I made it to the Salvation Army in one piece. Mark left me a key and I was able to get into the building. It was kind of spooky being in that place all by myself. I found the light switch in the gym and just stared at the vast space not really sure how to begin setting it up for the show.

I walked into the Fellowship Hall, the smaller room next to the gym, turned on the lights, then walked into the Hallway by the Chapel, turned on the lights and observed five or six carts filled with tables. I grabbed the nearest cart and tried to roll it into the gym. My back went out. Ugh!

I had to walk it off then was able to roll the carts of tables into the gym. Unfortunately, the gym was blocked by netting used for batting cages. I sent Mark a text asking for instructions to take down the netting. The instructions never came so I figured it out. I found a large ladder and forced my shaky diabetic legs up the rings, near the top, and reached for one of three hooks holding the netting to the wall, about 14 feet up. Back went out again. I climbed down and walked it off again.

Somehow I was able to get the three hooks unlocked and was able to get the netting and myself, safely to the ground. Then Mr. Shaky Diabetic Legs and Achy Back was able to roll the carts of tables into the gym.

My first inclination in the gym was to ditch the carts and shoot some baskets but I figured that would kill all of my arm strength and I would not have anything left to set up the tables.  I was really feeling old and out of shape.

I set to the task of pulling the tables off the carts, pulling out the legs and flipping them over and placing them in rows. I wanted to set up the room the same way Mark usually does it. I know that distancing the tables six-feet from one another was required. I also remembered that Mark places these large plastic dividers, I think of them as hockey boards. I remember when I was a kid in the 1970's, we used them to outline our floor hockey games at the local YMCA.

I did not know they were so heavy! They were stacked up in the hallway between the gym and the Fellowship Hall. It was tough to unstack them then drag them into the gym. They also fit together like puzzle pieces -- very heavy puzzle pieces. It took me a while to put them together but I felt sweet victory when the task was completed.

I then slowly built the rows of tables in the gym. I then had to figure out how I wanted to seat each dealer in the room then place name-plates on each table. Making sure each table was spaced out from each other by six feet. It took a long while to get all the tables in the gym set just right. Then I went about the huge task of placing a chair behind all the tables.

I was delirious and in much pain when the gym set up was completed. Somehow Mr. Shaky Diabetic Legs and Achy Back found some reserves and pushed the remaining carts of tables into the Fellowship Hall.

I had some old photos of the gym set up to use as a guide but had nothing to guide me for the Fellowship Hall. I also observed that there was a divider in the room that had not been there last month. Behind the divider was the remnants of the Salvation Army's Christmas gift distribution. 

I knew that Mark wanted the room to have one-way traffic, so I figured I would need four aisle to make the one-way traffic work. As I went about setting up the tables, I realized there was only space for three aisles. I spent a lot of time rearranging the tables but every way I went only gave three aisles. So I set up three rows of tables and three aisles. I was actually pleased with how it looked in the end. The room was much tighter than the gym due to space limitations. Social distancing would, and turned out to be, very difficult in the Fellowship Hall. Thankfully, nobody complained.

Up went all the chairs in the Fellowship Hall then Mr. Shaky Diabetic Legs and Achy Back was able to finish setting up the back hallway with the remaining tables. I actually felt pretty good at this point. I was sort of charged up and had a second wind which was spent placing signs all over the building, directing people for one-way traffic and from the gym to the Fellowship Hall and into the back hallway.

All in all I was able to blow through set up, it only took me five hours. I was in desperate need of a couch but none was to be had. I shut off all the lights, locked up then removed all the snow that covered my car. I really wanted to go home and get my cards but the roads were horrible. I slid out of the Salvation Army parking lot, slid onto Centennial Drive, then slid onto Howell and back to Ryan. It was a scary drive. I thought there was a hotel on Ryan by the highway but could not find one. I would like to thank the guy tailgaiting me on Ryan while my car slid from lane to lane. Thanks buddy! You're a credit to humanity!!

I turned around at the highway and headed back to Howell. I approached Howell very slowly to avoid sliding into the intersection and getting killed. I asked Siri for directions to the nearest hotel and she directed me to a Marriott on Drexel, just down the road. The hotel had a vacancy and I got a room with a king bed for a hundred bucks.

The Marriott parking lot was a mess and I had trouble getting into a parking space. I sort of figured I would not be able to pull out of the space in the morning but was too tired to put much thought into it.

My room was swanky! It had a full kitchen! The cabinets were stocked with pots and pans. If I would have known, I would have bought some groceries instead of settling for a sandwich at Panera. I had my choice between two different TV trays to use while I sat on the couch, ate and watched TV. I opted to use both trays. I then watched the Bucks beat up the Bulls.

Morning came with a thud. I thought about sleeping in, figuring the card show was set up and name plates were on all the tables. Did I really even need to go? That king-size bed was so comfortable and it was a rare opportunity for me to sleep without fighting my golden retriever for space. I think I hit the snooze three times before I pulled myself out of that comfy bed.

It was pitch black out when I left the hotel around 6:45 a.m. My car was covered in ice and it took awhile the scrape it off. The parking lot was still a mess but I was able to get my car out. I was pleasantly surprised when I got back onto Howell and it was well plowed. I hit Mickey D's then the Sal and was greeted by early bird dealers Roger and Steve. They both sell wax. Are all wax dealers early birds?

So normally I am running around rearranging tables and placing name plates while dealers are breathing down my neck. It was so nice to not have to do anything but eat my egg mcmuffin.

Without tables of my own and cards to sell, I did not really know what to do with myself. A bunch of dealers needed extra chairs and found myself fetching chairs early on. Then there are the guys who were not happy with their location and wanted to switch out. So I had three guys move from the Fellowship Hall and into the back hallway.

I received a bunch of texts from guys informing that they were arriving late. Understandable with the weather. I found myself monitoring set up, making sure all the dealers showed up. I ended up with just one no-show -- Ryan Dragoon. No call, no text. Nothing. Ryan, you are welcome to attend the show in the future but I will not be giving you a table ever again.

In the weeks leading up to the show I was overrun with guys wanting to set up. My dealer waiting list has 30 or so guys now. The largest it has ever been. I felt bad that I could not get more of them into the show. Next month, I'll take someone off the waiting list and give them Ryan's tables.

A bunch of dealers were late but everybody showed up except for Ryan. I had three no-shows last month, it was nice to be down to just one. 

When the doors officially opened to the public, the gym was filled with people at 9 a.m. By 10 a.m. the place was packed and it stayed that way all day! Huge turn out!! 

I enjoyed walking around, shopping, chatting. I received more names for my waiting list. Oh my!

I think this was the first show I ever ran that ALL the dealers reported excellent sales. I think this was my first January show as well. I normally go on vacation in January. I think January vacations are out now and I will run the show each year. It was a phenomenal show!

There were a couple of minor hiccups. A few guys got angry at me before the show because I could not get them tables. What can I do? I have limited space and limited tables. Don't get angry at me! You are welcome to set up in the parking lot at no charge with your own tables.

Speaking of the parking lot, we had a few numbnuts block the driveway to the senior housing that is located behind the gym. WTF? Why would anyone do that? It is clearly a driveway. We could have had a real problem if a medical emergency arose at the senior housing and ambulances were not able to go up the driveway. Please don't block the driveway to the senior housing. I can't believe I even have to say that! Overflow parking is available at Target across the street. Please park in the Target lot if the Sal lot is full.

Then we had a theft at one of the dealer tables. Someone stole some 2020 Prizm basketball rookies which totally sucked.

We had a really big crowd and I guess with big crowds comes trouble. Some guys were getting chippy. This is a card show. It is supposed to be fun. Chill out! If I ever catch any thieves, I will make sure they are prosecuted. These guys will be calling for their mommies once I have them locked up. I have to go to jail to visit clients. It is a nasty place!

Then there were the handful of guys who wore their masks around their necks and gave me serious attitude when I asked them to cover their faces with their masks. Hey! We have a great thing going at the Salvation Army. The whole thing ends if people don't wear their masks. I really need some help with this. If you see anyone at the show with their mask down, please ask them to cover up.

Also, I want to mention that someone left an 11x14 autograph photo on a dealer's table. I have the photo. You can come pick it up at my office in Palatine or I can bring it to the Feb. 6 show. Shoot me an email at abrandongordon@hotmail.com.

​Also, dealers, please do not place card tables or your carts in the aisles. Thank you!

Minor hiccups aside, it was a pretty great day. There was some money exchanged! Several dealers reported sales well into the thousands. Wow!

No sales for me. My cards were snugly at home with the golden retriever. But I did buy a bunch of stuff! See the pictures of my purchases below.

Thankfully, I did not have to take down the rooms. Mark and two helpers had it down in a tenth of the time it took me to put it up. Next month, I am going to come up the Friday before the show again. I won't have to set it up by myself but I will help out. It was nice to have it set up exactly how I want it. I will probably spend the night again but this time I am bringing some cards. I will have some tables. A bunch of guys were disappointed that I wasn't set up.  I'll have cards next month for sure! Though, I think I will take some months off again from selling. It is so much easier on me to just manage the show and not worry about selling cards.

This show has really morphed into something I never imagined but I am adaptable and am just going with it. The next show is February 6. Dealer tables are sold out. You can send me an email at abrandongordon@hotmail.com to be added to the very lengthy waiting list.

In the meantime, I am setting up again at my office in Palatine, Illinois, on January 17. My pop-up shop is really my best opportunity to sell cards these days. The Sal show is just too big now for me to sell. I really need to be a manager there now. I don't know when Gonzaga and Orland are coming back but until they do, I will sell cards monthly at my office.

Thank you to everybody who came out to the Salvation Army today. You folks are my motivation to bust my tail to put this thing on. I know I regularly complain but I do really enjoy it. I hope to see you next month!

Pop-up Vintage Card Shop, Sunday, December 27, 2020, Palatine, IL

So, as most of you know, I work as an attorney in real life while selling sports cards is my hobby. When I moved my law firm into a new office in September, I had in mind that I would use part of the office as a show room for sports cards. Around the same time, I put the word out to see if there was any interest in coming to my office to purchase cards. The response was poor so I shelved the idea for a few months until the Schaumburg, Illinois, show was cancelled, leaving me with just my Salvation Army show as my only outlet to sell cards.

Well, actually, the Sal show has not been much of an outlet for me as I have given up my tables because I am overrun with dealers. Tables for the January 2nd show were pretty much sold out after the December show. I still had a waiting list of dealers left over from December and am now up to 30 or so guys that I have no room for at the show. It is crazy! So, I will bring some stuff Saturday in case there is a no-show but most likely won't be able to set up. 

Essentially, I have no place to set up my wares -- not even at my own show! So back to the show-room idea. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to turn my office into a pop-up vintage sports card shop for one day on December 27th. I posted my plan here and on Facebook. I spent weeks organizing the office and stuffing files away in a closet. My office desks became tables for cards.

I brought in eight card tables from home that I have left over from my flea market days. Then I went out and purchased three 6-footers.

My office consists of two rooms with the front room slightly larger than the back. I had 11 tables in the front room and five tables in the back room. I placed publications and cheapy boxes on my co-workers desk. I brought out some complete sets including 1969 Topps Football, 1975-76 Topps Basketball, and baseball sets from 1975, 1977, 1978 and a dozen or so boxes of lots from various years and sports, and placed all that stuff next to the cheapy boxes. 

I then brought in 15 display cases, three of which are new. So this was the first time I have ever put out 15 display cases. I then proceeded to fill the cases, worried that I would not be able to fill them all. Well, I have purchased a ton of new inventory in 2020 and have priced much of it. Needless to say, I worried for naught because I could have filled up another three or four cases of stuff.

I had a case and a half of graded cards. It has probably been a year or so since I last brought out graded. I think it was at Orland and I sold most of it. However, I have since restocked and had a whole bunch of good stuff. In the other half of the graded case, I placed basketball and hockey cards.  

I filled two cases with pre-war then 10 cases with post-war baseball, lots of stars, high numbers and some odd-ball stuff. I was only able to do one case with football, mostly 1948 Bowmans. I have a ton of other football that I just was not able to get out. I also was not able to put out my Exhibits which I have a ton of right now as well. I have a ton of everything right now! My inventory is the strongest it has ever been!! So now I realize I need to purchase more display cases!!

In the back room, I placed out all my binders. The entire room was filled with binders. It was quite a sight to see. In fact, the whole deal was quite a site to see. I did not realize that I have so much stuff! Maybe I need to stop buying cards... not!!

I spent all day Saturday setting this crazy thing up. My pal Willie came by for an early-bird perusal. It was nice to have the company and great to see Willie who I have not seen since March. Thanks for the purchases Willie!

The office looked pretty cool once I finished setting every thing up. I was like a little kid and could not sleep Saturday night. I arrived at my office around 7 a.m. Doors opened at 9 a.m. I worked on drawing up some signs for the parking lot. My office is in a weird spot at the end of the building and can be tough to find. 

I had some time to kill so I went to Mickey D's and Walgreens. I cleaned the bathroom and thought about taking a nap but there was no place to lie down. After some caffeine, I worked on cleaning the glass on my display cases. I started to get nervous that no one would show up because there are usually a lot of early arrivals at a card show but not at my pop-up shop. I decided to take video of the cards in the display cases. I got through five or six cases when I heard the door and shut off the camera phone. It was my brother, who volunteered to help out and display some stuff on a table. I had no idea what he was bringing out. The last time we set up together was in 1989 and he was hawking Jerome Walton rookies. I was surprised to see a bunch of graded T206s and T205s. He also had four or five graded Johnny Unitas cards along with six or so Christian McCaffery rookies.

It was about 8:45 a.m. when my brother began to set up. At about 9 a.m., customers began to trickle in. Thankfully, everybody was good about wearing their masks. Big Tim was the first to arrive and he purchased a whole bunch of stuff, including my 1969 Topps football set. Thanks Tim!

Bill showed up bearing gifts, including three boxes of publications and a box of 1973 Topps baseball high numbers which were exchanged in a cash and trade deal. Thanks Bill. Then Bill's buddy Phil showed up and just about cleaned me out of Mantles. Thanks Phil!

Ricky, who I know from Orland, came by and purchased a bunch of T206s and T205s. Thanks Rickey! My main man Angel came by and purchased a stack of 1958 Topps baseball. New customer Ed, who said he lives down the street, purchased a whole bunch of stuff, including several Sandy Koufax cards and a 1950 Bowman George Connor football card. Donny came by and purchased publication. Thanks Don!

I have known the rest of the guys, who attended the pop-up shop, for years but I am so bad with names. You guys gotta come back and let me know your names and I will do my best to finally memorize them. The name disease has been a life-long affliction.

Anyway, these guys purchased a ton of stuff, quite a bit of cards out of the cheapy boxes, binders and display cases. Once again, I just about sold out of my graded cards. Man, what a great day! Actually, one of my best days ever selling cards!! I can't thank you guys enough!!

My final customer left around 1:30 p.m. My brother raced out and grabbed us some Taco Bell. I spent a few hours putting all the cards away. I was dead tired when I got home. I have a lot of work to do now pricing more cards and getting ready for my next pop-up shop on Sunday, January 17, 2021, at my office, 201 E. Dundee Road, Suite 2, Palatine, IL. 

The next one should be easier to do because I left all the tables and most of my display cases at the office. I am going to change some things up so I can have a large number of new items out. I have a ton of cards to price for the display cases. I probably won't bring out any graded cards this time. Instead, I would like to get out all of my football cards but will need some additional display cases. I probably won't bring out the publications, cheapy boxes and sets. I am going to bring out some new binders that I have been working on that include vintage post cards, wrappers, autographs, and team-issued photos.

On Monday morning, after my pop-up shop, I met a long-time collector at my office who is selling out. I spent several thousand dollars with him and picked up some great stuff for the next pop-up shop like 1952 Topps high numbers, some 1948 Leafs, 1955 Bowman baseball, 1952 Bowman Large Football and some 1955 Topps All-Americans. I should also have several of my regular binders reloaded by Jan. 17. Hopefully the weather cooperates and the next pop-up shop is as successful as the first one.

In the meantime, my Salvation Army Show, 8853 S. Howell, in Oak Creek, WI, is coming up this Saturday, January 2, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Once again, I will have 40 dealers on 65 sold-out tables. I am overwhelmed with calls for tables. Sorry guys, I just don't have any more space.

Hope everyone had a great Hanukkah and Christmas. Have a healthy and safe New Year and see you January 2nd at the Salvation Army and January 17 at my pop-up shop!!

​Pictured above and below are a sampling of some of the cards I had for sale at the pop-up shop.

With so few shows in 2020 and few opportunities to sell, I decided to create an event at my office where I can  show off and sell the huge amount of cards I purchased this year. I just have not had an opportunity to bring everything out. I have a tremendous inventory right now. I had a banner year for card purchases. A large amount of collections came my way in 2020. Now I need to raise funds for 2021 so I can make more purchases!

I will be setting up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 27, 2020, at my office, 201 E. Dundee Road, Suite 2, Palatine, IL 60074. My office is located on the west end of the building, along Dundee Road, one block west of Hicks Road.

I am going to bring out my full complement of cards and memorabilia. So I will have all of my binders, baseball, football, basketball and hockey, display cases, publications and cheapy boxes.

I will probably have 12 tables or so of stuff. Everyone must wear a mask!

Saturday, December 5, 2020, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

These are challenging times. Operating a card show in 2020 is an extreme challenge. I had one dealer cancel because he contracted Covid. I had three dealers that did not show up, did not call. I had 12 dealers on my waiting list, I could have plucked three off the waiting list if the absent dealers would have called to let me know they were not coming.

Thankfully, I did not have the mad rush of cancellations that I had the previous two months. I wish I could offer tables to everyone who wants them but with Covid, we are spacing out the tables and I cannot fit more than 67 tables in the building. Once we get through this mess, I can add more tables and dealers. But for now, I am just stuck.

I am getting more calls for dealer tables than ever before. I am kind of flabbergasted. It is a bit overwhelming. Anyone remember when the show was at the Clarion Hotel and I had just eight to ten dealers? Now I have 40 plus setting up and another dozen on the waiting list. Still no staff to help. It is just me to manage all the dealers plus take on mass amounts of calls from customers.

I also need dealers to stop requesting certain spots in the building. I just can't accommodate you. With such a large waiting list, just know you are lucky to even be set up at the show!

I try my best, I even gave up my tables so someone from the waiting list could set up. Then I had a cancellation the night before the show and ended up with one table. 

More rant: I am thinking of hiring a bouncer to deal with the knuckleheads who refuse to wear a mask or take it off once they enter the building. The show is only allowed to run thanks to the kindness of the folks at the Salvation Army. They have made it clear that the show ends if folks don't wear their masks. I think we're treading on water right now. One or two selfish A-holes are going to ruin it for the rest of us. I can't believe how selfish some people are!

Rant is over. Thankfully no one has reported contracting Covid from the show. Most people are pretty good about wearing their masks. I really appreciate everyone who sets up, attends the show, and wears their masks. 

For the most part, we have a very safe and successful event. I appreciate all the kind words and compliments I receive at the show. It is you good folks that keep me motivated to take on this beast and keep it going every month. It is a huge job and a TON of work.

One dealer told me I am going to have some competition because he is going to start his own show. Well, all I can say is good luck and more power to you! I don't consider any other show competition and I will never discourage anyone from operating their own show. As you know, I had some real trouble with the promoter from the Orland Park show when I started my show in 2014. I felt and still feel that Milwaukee is far enough away from Orland Park, Illinois, that there really was no conflict. I have also been really lucky because Keith at Gonzaga Hall has been really supportive of my show. I will offer that same support to anyone else who wants to run a show. Just be respectful and don't run it the same day as mine nearby. You can pass out fliers at my show and I will encourage folks to set up and attend your show as well. The bottom line for me is this is my hobby, I do this for fun. I never wanted to be a show promoter. I only created this show because I wanted to set up somewhere in Milwaukee on a Saturday. There were no Saturday Milwaukee shows at the time. I like to buy and sell cards. Running a show, not so much.

After this past show, I am hankering to set up again soon. Unfortunately, there is nothing else happening locally. I do not feel like driving three to five-plus hours to set up in some foreign burg. I welcome another local show!

I did indeed have some fun at the show on Saturday. I bought a ton of stuff from Bart Taylor. Thanks Bart! He also watched my table so I could go out and collect table fee from the dealers which was a huge help!

I appreciate everyone who stopped at my table and purchased some cards. Sales were down for me from November. I plan on bringing out my showcases for January and hopefully spur some better sales. I had brought out mostly football binders and was surprised I did not have better sales. I had some really good stuff. Oh well.

It is always fun talking cards. It is great fun buying cards. But I do have other interests. I am a huge classic rock music fan. I have been a big fan of The Who since I was a kid. I worshipped Pete Townsend and many childhood friends called me "Pete." So it was only natural that another huge Who fan was set up across from me at this show in the person of Bob Smith. Early on, I observed a tattoo on his arm that looked like The Who's mod insignia. Bob and I got to talking and indeed he had the mod insignia tattoo. Bob told me he has seen The Who 30 times! I am not worthy! I saw The Who twice in 1982 but did not get to see Keith Moon. Bob sold me a cool photo collage he created of Pete Townsend. Thanks Bob! It was fun hearing about Bob's concert experiences.

At the show Saturday, we did not have quite the crowd that attends a Who concert. Seemed like the crowd was a little down from last month which is understandable because we are in the middle of a freakin' pandemic! So I did have extra time to talk and stick by my table which made the day more fun for me.

I already have a dealer waiting list for next month which I suppose is a good problem to have. The calls requesting tables for the January show started on Sunday, just one day after the December show. Dealers! If you can't make the show for any reason, please call, text or email!!!! Let's allow others to enjoy setting up at the show!!

I hope everyone has a terrific holiday season! See you next year!

Tony

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

All of these daily COVID news reports are starting to scare the daylights out of me. I was very worried that the Salvation Army would cancel the show because the Wisconsin COVID numbers are skyrocketing. Many others felt the same way based on the large number of inquiries I received leading up to the show.

Adding to my fear was one dealer cancelling because he had contracted COVID. Three other dealers cancelled because they were sick but did not know whether they had COVID. Two more dealers cancelled because they had been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID. One dealer cancelled because he was watching the numbers, like me, and got spooked.

Thankfully, I never got that call from the Salvation Army. However, this particular show was especially difficult to do. I had all those COVID-related dealer cancellations then a number of other dealers cancelled in the days leading up to the show for other reasons. Ugh!

The COVID-related cancellations appear to be the new norm. The non-COVID related cancellations just suck. I need to be able to turn in an accurate table count to the Salvation Army early in the week so they can properly set up the tables before Saturday. It is just impossible to do with so many cancellations. Thankfully, I seem to have an endless waiting list of dealers so I can plug folks in shortly after receiving a cancellation... but it still sucks and is a ton of extra work.

I am tossing around some ideas to stem the dealer cancellations. One is I make everybody pay in advance and you lose your table fee if you cancel. Two, those that cancel without a legitimate reason, can't reserve a table again, they may opt for the waiting list but I will never again allow them to reserve a table a head of time.

Option one is tough because it creates  lot of extra accounting work for me. Option two, may just work out. So for now on, any dealer that cancels without a legitimate reason, will not be allowed to reserve a table ahead of time and can only be on the waiting list. Repeat offenders will just be banned.

I have the luxury of being somewhat harsh because I am overwhelmed with dealers. It is a rare show where I can get everyone who calls for a table into the show. I am amazed and appreciative of the popularity of the show which continues to grow, even during the pandemic. It boggles my mind at the number of dealers that are out there. Where were you guys in 2015 when I was struggling to find dealers?

It is a new era,  the December 5 show is already sold out of dealer tables. So anyone that wants to get on the waiting list needs send me an email at abrandongordon@hotmail.com. I was able to get everybody on the November waiting list into the show. I am hopeful that I don't have the same number of cancellations for December as I did for November. Man alive! But if you want your name on the waiting list, let me know, I will most likely be able to get you into the show.

Would you mind if I complain some more? Thanks! Cancellations aside, these dealers are so needy! In four decades of setting up at shows, I rarely asked a promoter for a certain location in the room. I don't care where my tables are located. Just give me a couple of tables, I'll set up my stuff and I'm good. Not so with my Salvation Army dealers. Gee whiz! I am overwhelmed with dealers requesting certain locations within the building. I just can't do it. For one, I don't set up the room. The staff at the Salvation Army sets it up on Thursday before the show. They never set it up quite the same. Often, I have to rearrange many of the tables to match my constantly fluctuating dealer list on the morning of the show. Then there are the number of dealers who arrive early, hindering my ability to arrange the room. Dealers! Please don't show up before 8 a.m. I need some time to properly arrange the tables and to place the dealer nameplates on the tables.

Anyway, the rooms are set up differently each month, so when dealers ask for the same spot, I don't know if that spot will actually be there for the next show. Plus, there is no way for me to chart the rooms because they are set up differently every month. It is just too hard for me to commit to giving anyone the same spot each month. All I can do is try. 

Along those lines, everybody wants to be in the gym. I don't have enough space to place all the dealers in the gym. I figure the fairest way to do it is to give the gym to the dealers that set up every single month. So, if you are a new dealer, you are most likely going to be placed in the meeting room or the hallway. When one of the gym dealers drops out, I can move you into the gym.

Regardless, I think many dealers place far too much emphasis on location. I have been selling cards since the late 1970's, and have probably set up at thousands of shows at this point, and not once did I feel my location made any difference in my sales. My sales depend on the number of customers at the show, the quality of my merchandise and my pricing. Also, being friendly goes a long way. Nobody wants to stop at a table manned by the Grinch.

For the November show, I gave myself, what most would consider, the worst tables at the show, which were the tables located furthest from the front door and the last two tables anyone who attended the show viewed as they left the building. You know what? I had a phenomenal day selling cards. I had five or more guys pulling cards out of my binders all day long. I don't need to be in the gym and I am really tired of guys asking for specific locations because it is a real hassle for me and I do not believe it will improve sales one bit. Plus, I am just one person who is trying to sell cards along with managing 40 needy dealers and 500-plus customers. I can only do so much. Rant over.

While it was stressful at times, I really had a great day and overall really enjoyed myself at the November show. I was too busy selling cards at my tables to walk around the show, so I do not have a whole lot of observations as to what occurred. We seemed to have a nice flow of traffic in the hallway where I was set up.

Seemed like we had more people at the November show than we had in October. Dealer reports on sales varied. Some dealers reported outstanding sales while others reported average. A few guys reported that their November sales were down from October. My sales were up and a big thank you to the multitudes of guys that bought cards from me. Also, a big thank you to my helpers, my daughter Tabitha and my friend Jason. I would not have been able to have a table then manage the show without Tabitha and Jason. Thanks guys!

With my pockets brimming with cash, I was not shy when it came to buying. I bought just about everything folks brought to me at my tables. I picked up some vintage Pittsburgh Pirates from Jim. I got some 1969 Topps Decals from Bruce. A new customer sold me some 1951 Topps Red Backs, and I picked up some 1957 mid-series from Terry. Thanks guys.

At noon at every show, I go from table to table collecting table fee. Well, my collections process turned into a buying spree at the November show. I purchased a binder of 1960's commons from Eric, a box with all sorts of stuff from Jeff, including 1962 Topps football, and the piece de resistance -- a 1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle and a 1954 Bowman Willie Mays from Bill, with an assist from Tim.

If you recall, back in March, when shows were shut down, I decided to fill the time building a 1954 Bowman set via eBay. Wow! It turned out to be a really frustrating process. I have been down to just two cards to complete the set for months, the Mantle and Mays. I was consistently outbid on eBay for the cards. Earlier I ended up purchasing a Yogi Berra from Tim on eBay and asked if he had the Mantle and Mays, which he didn't. But on this day, Tim saw the cards in Bill's case and even brought over the Mantle. I eventually went over to Bill's table and purchased both cards at a nice price and my set is now complete!!! I never thought I would complete that thing. Wow!

This little pandemic set build taught me a lot about eBay and card shows. I learned that card shows are a superior place to purchase cards over eBay. While the selection may not be the same, the pricing and ability to view and hold the card in person can't be overstated. Plus, no sniping!! Man, it felt good to complete that '54 Bowman set!!

Overall, I had a really great day, one that seemed to fly by (though if you ask my daughter, it went very slowly). I am looking forward to the December 5th show. I already have 40 dealers lined up on 65 tables. Dealers from November who did not confirm and want in on December, you need to confirm quickly. I will start to give away your tables as I build a waiting list.

I recently created a Frequently Asked Questions section on this site. Click on FAQ tab above. I'm hopeful the FAQ will help limit the multitudes of calls, texts and messages in the week leading up to the show. See you December 5th!

On a final note, I received a request from collector Wayne Villarrubia, who lives in New Orleans, for help completing his 1962 Jello set. Wayne informed me that the 1962 Jello set was a regional set, only distributed in Wisconsin and Illinois. He is seeking the following short-printed cards: 

1 Skowron, 13 Stafford, 63 Pagliaroni, 69 Keough, 70 Tasby, 95 Stephens, 112 Gilliam, 113 Larker, 115 Williams, 116 Coleman, 179 Law, 180 Haddix, and 181 Hal Smith.
​
"I am also interested in the other 8, if any pop up. Here are the other 8 SPs : 2 Richardson, 117 Freese, 118 Blasingame, 156 Maye, 157 Spangler, 166 Flood, 167 Simmons, and 168 Grammas. These 2 are not quite as rare, but still tough : 84 Martin and 143 Miller."

Wayne can be reached at the following emails: 
cannonballsun@msn.com or cannonballsun@gmail.com.

Sunday, November 1, 2020, Woodfield Hyatt, Schaumburg, IL

In the weeks leading up to the show, the Illinois governor upped his COVID restrictions. First the restaurants and bars were shut down in DuPage and Kane counties, then Cook, then Lake and McHenry. Stores and the like were limited to 25% capacity. I figured the show would be cancelled but I never received a call from the promotor, and others I talked to said the show was a go.

After a night of dishing out candy for Halloween and a surprising number of trick-or-treaters in my little burg, I struggled to wake up and get to the show. I made it there around 8 a.m. and thankfully observed that the show was indeed a go. I may be one of the few that happens to support the Illinois governor and his COVID restrictions. We are in a pandemic, people are dying. I've had two clients die. This thing is real no matter what the Looney Tune deniers say or do.

But while I do support the governor, I, like many others, am having a tough time adhering to the mandated restrictions, even though I know better. This pandemic has made me realize that I am incapable of going cold turkey when it comes to certain things. Big Gov. P needs to enforce his mandate so people like me, who just can't help themselves, will adhere to the restrictions. I admire folks with self-control. I struggle with diabetes because of a lack of self control. For example, I know that foods like potatoes increase my blood sugar more than candy bars but I just can't stop eating potatoes. I love the freakin' things and I have been eating them my whole life. Diabetes and this pandemic have given me a lot of insight into addiction, self-control and my own failings.

Yes, I am addicted to card shows. Somehow I made it six months without going to a show. I don't know if I can do that again. Thankfully, it looks like the Schaumburg show and my Salvation Army show can run during the pandemic.

I find it easier to attend these shows knowing there are precautions in place. Everyone generally wears a mask. There is hand sanitizer available and I use it. The tables are spread out. I did not have any issues Sunday breathing with the mask on all day but the straps did start to hurt my ears around noon and the last hour was a struggle.

Achy ears aside, I had such a nice day hanging out with Lou and Don at the Schaumburg show. The crowd was down from last month and we had a lot of extra time to chat. Lou has so many good stories from the old days of card shows going to back to the old Chicagoland Sports Collectors Association from the 1970's. It is really fun to reminisce. While chatting, I observed that we were more than six-feet apart and wearing masks. I feel fine now and hopefully none of us catch the COVID!

I want to talk about my friend Lou a little more. Like me, he suffers from diabetes and has been to hell and back the past few years. Diabetes is just an awful disease and Lou has been hit hard by it. I am so thankful that he is back setting up at shows after a long hiatus due to his diabetes.

Lou is good people, a rare character that I am so lucky to know. While we were sitting at the show Sunday talking, I came to realize just what a great friend Lou is and how he's always watching out for me. Case in point -- that hub bub with John Leary. Back when John Leary came after me, out of the blue, when Mark Smith and I started what is now my Salvation Army show, Lou was one of the few guys that came to our defense and told John that he was in the wrong and should leave us alone.

In case you haven't read my old blogs, here is the abbreviated version of what happened: shortly after Mark and I started the show in 2014, John Leary, the promoter of the Orland show, started telling everyone who would listen that we were stealing the dealers from his show in Orland Park for our Milwaukee show. According to quite a few folks, John talked all sorts of trash about us. None of this made sense to me because nothing could have been further from the truth. Mark and I started the Milwaukee show simply because we wanted to attend a Saturday show in Milwaukee which did not have a regular Saturday show at the time. However, all the while we were still setting up at John's show in Orland Park. There were a few dates that conflicted and we skipped Orland for our show on those dates but we never had any intention to sabotage the Orland show or stop setting up there. In our wildest dreams we never figured our show in Milwaukee, which is a good 100 miles or so north of Orland Park and in another state completely, would have any effect on John's show.

So Mark and I confronted John and rather forcibly told him to stop talking trash about us and to stop spreading lies. John's response was that we had no right to promote our own show in another state, 100 miles away, and should have asked for his permission before creating our show. He honestly said we had no right to create our own show and had to ask for his permission! I hate to speak ill of the dead, but John Leary was an asshole to the ninth degree who thought he was the king of the card shows and the rest of us were his lowly subjects. I was not about to kiss that SOB's ring. He had no right!

As a result, Mark and I stopped setting up at the Orland show where I had been a dealer for 15 years and rarely missed a show. On the few occasions I had to miss an Orland show, John was an ass about it. When I told him I wanted to take my family on vacation to South Dakota and miss one of his summer shows, he told me not to go because South Dakota was not on his bucket list!! I ignored him and had a great time seeing Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills and the Badlands. South Dakota should be on everyone's bucket list!!

Back to the hub bub... there were some emails exchanged. I basically told John to go fuck himself. He then called up everyone he knew and tried to show them the emails. Lou told John he did not want to see the emails and should stop attacking Mark and I. John obviously did not listen to Lou so I took a four-year hiatus from the Orland show.

Eventually, John died and a new owner bought the show from his estate. My main man Lou, told the new owner Rich, that he should call Mark and I and get us back in the show. Thanks to Lou, Rich called me and asked me to set up. So now I am back at the Orland show, happy as a clam. Plus, since I moved my show to the first Saturday of the month, it does not seem to ever conflict with the Orland show and all is good. Even better is that Rich, the new promoter, does not care that I run a show 100 miles away and in another state... and why should he? My show is 100 miles away and in another state!!! It does not have any effect on the Orland show!!! For some reason, my show drove King John crazy. It will never make sense to me. But I am so thankful for Lou standing up for me and for getting me back into the Orland show. 

Ah, lads, Lou's work was not done after Orland. After COVID hit and the Schaumburg show started up this past July, Lou called and said I should set up at that show. I was hesitant, being a vintage dealer at a show with a reputation for modern cards. In the end, I was desperate for a show and took Lou's advice and have really enjoyed the Schaumburg show these past few months and plan on continuing being a dealer there for the foreseeable future. The best part of the Schaumburg show is that I get to hang out with my pal Lou. I am so lucky to have Lou as a friend and to have him looking out for me!! Thanks buddy!!

Did I say that Lou always looks out for me? Well, Lou made my day Sunday when he brought in a guy selling his vintage collection. The seller showed his cards to Lou, who bought a bunch of them. Lou then sent the seller over to me and I bought a really nice group of 1933 Goudeys, 1934 Goudeys and 1948 Leaf. If I didn't run out of money, I would have bought more stuff!

Even though my sales were way down from last month, I had a really great day between hanging out with Lou and Don and purchasing some great cards. As usual, I also bought a bunch of cards from Junior. I am looking forward to the next Schaumburg show on December 6. I am going to have to change up some things for that show to spur some sales. My binders did not do well at the November show. I will probably go back to the display cases which worked out well in October. If you plan on attending the December Schaumburg show, please let me know what you would like me to bring out. A few guys asked for 1957 Topps baseball, which I did not bring out to the November show figuring wrong that I would do better with my football binders. I will have that '57 binder at the December show.

If you collect anything hockey, be sure to come to the December Schaumburg show and see Lou!! Also don't miss Lou's tablemate Don, who has some one-of-a-kind items as well. Good people make good times... which is probably why I am addicted to card shows. John Leary aside, I have met so many amazing people at the card shows. Makes me feel like George Bailey from "It's A Wonderful Life" some times. Zuzu petals!