Thanks for all the kind words about my blog. I know many folks miss it and I apologize for the hiatus. Unfortunately, I will not be able to blog consistently for the foreseeable future. My day job has turned into a day and night and weekend job and my free time is at a premium right now. So I will blog when I can.
I have been setting up at shows most weekends but have not been able to blog about them. Ebay has also gone by the wayside. I just don't have the time right now to post cards on eBay. Though, I recommend you continue to check my eBay store because I am sure I will post cards sporadically, just not daily has I have done in the past.
So, I owe you blogs on shows going back to September. I will try to write about all that I can remember. Luckily, I wrote a blog about my two-year anniversary show at the Clarion in Milwaukee shortly after the event. Here is the blog about the anniversary show....
My, how time flies. I can't believe I've put on 24 card shows at the Clarion Hotel in Milwaukee. Saturday, September 3, 2016, marked my two-year anniversary at the Clarion. I had tremendous support with a full house of dealers and a nice crowd of customers. I purchased some very expensive doughnuts, coffee and pizza from the hotel which went over extremely well. Next year, I need to get more pizzas because they went so fast that I didn't get a piece. I also gave out packs of 2016 Topps Baseball Cards.
There was a festive mood in the air and everyone seemed pleased. I think the food and the giveways brought out a larger than normal crowd. I was amazed when a cameraman from CBS 58 Milwaukee walked in mid-morning. He took footage of the show and interviewed me on camera. I don't know if the interview aired because I live outside the range of CBS 58 Milwaukee. I have been checking online but have not found anything. Did anybody see the footage on the news?
With a good crowd came some good sales. I sold my 1962 Topps Bart Starr and Jim Taylor cards. This show saw the return of a couple of superstar customers in Mark S. and Jeff W., who both pulled large piles of cards from my binders. Jim K. was there. I'm pretty sure Jim has attended most, if not all, of my Clarion shows. Jack purchased a bunch of football cards. Jerome is always the first customer in the room and always purchases cards from me. Barry has been steadily purchasing 1964 Topps Coins. Quite a few guys dinked through my binders and pulled cards. Thanks guys!!
I had a very nice day on the buying front. I did not get any walk ins but I found lots of cards at the dealer tables. I purchased a large pile of 1970 Topps football from Larry. I also found some 1970 Topps football for the set I am building on Gary's table and new dealer Rick M.'s table. This was Rick's first show with me as a dealer. He had some really great stuff. I purchased a binder of 1950 Cleveland Indians Team Issue photos along with a smattering of cards. I ended up with a nice haul for the day.
So my first card show as a promoter was in September 2014. I now have new respect for just about all show promoters. It is a ton of work putting on a card show. First off, you gotta get people in the door. Most of my shows have been well attended but, admittedly, there have been some duds. I have been hustling my tail off to get the word out from flyers, internet posts to paid advertising in print and online. I try to do something each and every day to promote the show.
I have been pretty lucky in that I have been able to fill the room with dealers each and every month. Some guys have been really steady like Gary G., Jerry K., Larry, PJ, Bill N., and Mike J. Overall, quite a few guys have set up these past two years with dealers coming from Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Overall, the inventory in the room, especially vintage cards, has been tremendous. I can't thank all the dealers enough for their support. A big shout out to Mark Smith who helped me get the show off the ground.
While just about all of the dealers have been great, I have had some minor issues with a few guys that I did not anticipate like no shows, complaints about this or that, to a few potential fights. I have learned that as a show promoter sometimes you have to act like a parent and a referee.
I have been lucky in that I have not really had any issues with customers. No thefts have been reported. No customers have gotten out of line with the dealers. In all, the customers have been great. They have been spending money with me and the rest of the dealers and have brought in some great stuff to sell to us. This has become one of my best shows for both buying and selling cards.
The folks at the Clarion Hotel, like Jeff and Betsy, have been awesome. They are so easy to work with. I hear horror stories from other promoters about poor treatment from their venues --- not the Clarion, they could not have been more gracious and helpful.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported my show these past two years. I hope for your continued support!
Next show is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, December 3, at the Clarion Hotel, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
More blogs coming soon!!!
I have been setting up at shows most weekends but have not been able to blog about them. Ebay has also gone by the wayside. I just don't have the time right now to post cards on eBay. Though, I recommend you continue to check my eBay store because I am sure I will post cards sporadically, just not daily has I have done in the past.
So, I owe you blogs on shows going back to September. I will try to write about all that I can remember. Luckily, I wrote a blog about my two-year anniversary show at the Clarion in Milwaukee shortly after the event. Here is the blog about the anniversary show....
My, how time flies. I can't believe I've put on 24 card shows at the Clarion Hotel in Milwaukee. Saturday, September 3, 2016, marked my two-year anniversary at the Clarion. I had tremendous support with a full house of dealers and a nice crowd of customers. I purchased some very expensive doughnuts, coffee and pizza from the hotel which went over extremely well. Next year, I need to get more pizzas because they went so fast that I didn't get a piece. I also gave out packs of 2016 Topps Baseball Cards.
There was a festive mood in the air and everyone seemed pleased. I think the food and the giveways brought out a larger than normal crowd. I was amazed when a cameraman from CBS 58 Milwaukee walked in mid-morning. He took footage of the show and interviewed me on camera. I don't know if the interview aired because I live outside the range of CBS 58 Milwaukee. I have been checking online but have not found anything. Did anybody see the footage on the news?
With a good crowd came some good sales. I sold my 1962 Topps Bart Starr and Jim Taylor cards. This show saw the return of a couple of superstar customers in Mark S. and Jeff W., who both pulled large piles of cards from my binders. Jim K. was there. I'm pretty sure Jim has attended most, if not all, of my Clarion shows. Jack purchased a bunch of football cards. Jerome is always the first customer in the room and always purchases cards from me. Barry has been steadily purchasing 1964 Topps Coins. Quite a few guys dinked through my binders and pulled cards. Thanks guys!!
I had a very nice day on the buying front. I did not get any walk ins but I found lots of cards at the dealer tables. I purchased a large pile of 1970 Topps football from Larry. I also found some 1970 Topps football for the set I am building on Gary's table and new dealer Rick M.'s table. This was Rick's first show with me as a dealer. He had some really great stuff. I purchased a binder of 1950 Cleveland Indians Team Issue photos along with a smattering of cards. I ended up with a nice haul for the day.
So my first card show as a promoter was in September 2014. I now have new respect for just about all show promoters. It is a ton of work putting on a card show. First off, you gotta get people in the door. Most of my shows have been well attended but, admittedly, there have been some duds. I have been hustling my tail off to get the word out from flyers, internet posts to paid advertising in print and online. I try to do something each and every day to promote the show.
I have been pretty lucky in that I have been able to fill the room with dealers each and every month. Some guys have been really steady like Gary G., Jerry K., Larry, PJ, Bill N., and Mike J. Overall, quite a few guys have set up these past two years with dealers coming from Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Overall, the inventory in the room, especially vintage cards, has been tremendous. I can't thank all the dealers enough for their support. A big shout out to Mark Smith who helped me get the show off the ground.
While just about all of the dealers have been great, I have had some minor issues with a few guys that I did not anticipate like no shows, complaints about this or that, to a few potential fights. I have learned that as a show promoter sometimes you have to act like a parent and a referee.
I have been lucky in that I have not really had any issues with customers. No thefts have been reported. No customers have gotten out of line with the dealers. In all, the customers have been great. They have been spending money with me and the rest of the dealers and have brought in some great stuff to sell to us. This has become one of my best shows for both buying and selling cards.
The folks at the Clarion Hotel, like Jeff and Betsy, have been awesome. They are so easy to work with. I hear horror stories from other promoters about poor treatment from their venues --- not the Clarion, they could not have been more gracious and helpful.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported my show these past two years. I hope for your continued support!
Next show is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, December 3, at the Clarion Hotel, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
More blogs coming soon!!!
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