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Ice Storm, Shmice Storm 

1/29/2013

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Sunday, January 27, 2013, Orland Park Civic Center, Orland Park, IL -- What a wild and crazy winter we are having! Winter here along the shores of Lake Michigan used to be something a person could hang their hat on. You knew that it was going to be cold, you knew there was going to be snow, you knew there was going to be ice, you knew some days you just couldn't get anywhere.  Well that's all up in the air now. As I write this blog on January 29, it was nearly 70 degrees out today!! Yes, nearly 70 degrees in Downtown Chicago in January!!

Also, what is with these ice storms? When I was growing up, we never had ice storms. Hell, I didn't even know what one was until I saw the movie "Ice Storm." We have had two ice storms this winter. On the morning of the first one, my car was caked in ice and I couldn't get the door open. The wife had to drive me to the train in her car so I could get to work. Saturday night as I was reloading my 1975 Topps binder, the wife, who I love very much but can be overdramatic all too often, started to flip out after hearing a weather report of an ice storm set to come through at 6 a.m. Sunday morning, the morning of the Orland show.  The wife said I shouldn't go to the show. Well, if there is one thing I know about weather, these so-called meteorologists can't predict the weather any better than I can -- at least I freely admit that I can't predict the weather. What's their excuse?

I gauge the severity of the weather on how slippery the roads are. If I can drive without feeling I'm going slide off the road and slam into a tree, the weather is not severe. I never plan my day on what the numbnut so-called weather forecasters predict. When I heard the weather report, my first thought was that it would keep some customers away from the show and I was kind of pissed off. The weathermen and women should not go scaring people.

I woke up Sunday morning at 6 a.m. and, lo and behold, no ice storm. It was a little warmer out and loading up the car wasn't so bad. My drive down to Orland was uneventful. The sky was cloudy but it did not look like a nasty storm was imminent. As I was loading in, my pal Jim hit me up and I bought some cards. It seemed to take me a long time to set up today.  I also bought some cards from Chuck while I was setting up. I think the weather report scared away a few dealers because there were more empty tables in the room than usual.

It did not seem like customers were worried about this so-called ice storm. We had a nice crowd today. Joey got things going today by purchasing some 1974 Topps baseball checklists. The '74 checklists don't book higher than $3 but those suckers are tough to come by, especially in nice shape and clean. A regular customer pulled some 1971 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased a 1972 Topps Dave Kingman and some 1974 Topps baseball.

Then I got real busy. My tables were crowded and I was helping customers one after another. Unfortunately, it seemed like everybody was paying at once so I didn't get to write down each sale. So I'll list the few items I was able to write down.  A regular customer purchased some 1970's basketball and some 1976 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased a 1975 Topps minis Jim Rice rookie.

Gil picked up some 1974 Topps baseball. Dave purchased some cards from the 1960s and 1970s. Larry and I did a cash and trade deal where he picked up a 1952 Bowman Ralph Kiner, a 1961 Topps Ernie Banks and a 1940 Play Ball Bing Miller, while I got some cash and a 1970 Topps Roberto Clemente. I'm slowly building a complete set of 1970 Topps and needed the Clemente for the set.

A new customer purchased some 1975 Topps baseball. Another new customer also went through my 1975 binder and pulled some cards.  The dealer across the way purchased some 1972 Topps baseball. Rick made my day by purchasing my 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle. Thanks Rick! I also learned something today, Rick returned a 1953 Topps Gus Bell. Apparently, someone had colored in the black box on the bottom of the card where Bell's name is listed.  If you look at the card from the side, you can see residue from the marker.  I checked the other '53s in my case and none were colored. I'm going to check all my '53s from now on. I don't even remember where I purchased the Gus Bell. I am disappointed that someone colored it, to say the least.

On the bright side, I had a lot of new customers today. A new customer purchased some 1971 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased some 1959 Topps White Sox.  Chris picked up a nice pile of 1963 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased some 1959 Topps. Another new customer purchased some 1969 Topps baseball. I bought an autographed Duke Snider card early in the show and sold it at the end to one of my autograph hounds.  Dennis purchased some 1960s and 1970s Packers.  Will rounded out my day with some 1957s.  Like I said, there were a lot more sales but I just couldn't write them down today.

This is the third in a string of nice Orland shows. I hope this string continues! On the buying front, I picked up a large pile of 1957, 58 and '59 Topps baseball. I got some 1970s hockey. Some 1960's Post. I picked up a 1934-36 Diamond Star Earle Averill. I also picked up some 1970s high numbers.  Some 1960 Topps and some 1963 Topps. Quite a few guys brought stuff to my table either to sell or to get an appraisal. One guy had a beautiful 1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle. He also had a 1954 Bowman Mantle. He was trying to get some ideas on the value. He said he met a woman at a Kokomo, Indiana, card show who he was helping out with the cards.

One of my regulars brought in a couple of shoe boxes of really clean and nice baseball cards from 1968 through 1972. I didn't have any more money at this point. His asking price was also a tad bit too high for me. Good stuff and a good guy who I've dealt with in the past. A modern card dealer was kind enough to bring a guy over who was looking to get an appraisal on some 1950s and 1960s baseball cards. He had nice players like Mantle, Mays and Aaron but they were beat. He had a 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle that had a tear on the top edge going down about a quarter of an inch along with some battered corners. I couldn't offer more than $50 for that beater.  I don't think the guy liked my prices but as I've said many times before, I can't purchase cards for more than I can sell them for.  When cards are battered, beaten creased and torn, their value is just a speck of the high book price. People generally don't want those cards and if they do, they are not willing to pay much money for them. So, I just can't spend a whole lot for them.

I kept looking out the windows all day long to see if this ice storm was coming. Around 11 a.m. or so there was chatter that this so-called ice storm was coming at noon.  Well, noon hit and no ice storm.

On to a completely different topic -- I know I recently talked in another blog on how I can't seem to remember peoples names.  I don't think I called anybody by their wrong name today.  I also realized at this show that I can't seem to remember customer requests. A slew of customers asked all day long if I remembered to bring them this or that. Well, I didn't remember to bring any of this stuff! I don't even recall anyone asking for these cards. So I made sure to write these requests down in my little notebook. I'm also going to list them here in the hopes I remember to bring the cards to the February 9 Orland show.  Here it is: I need to bring a 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax for Larry, Hall of Fame postcards for Steve, fill Dennis's want lists of Braves, and fill Chuck's list of 1973s.  Sorry for the memory lapse guys, I'm really going to try and get this stuff together!!

I was out the door around 2 p.m.  There was a little drizzle but no ice storm. Chuck and I went to the sub sandwich shop on LaGrange Road. I've been meaning to go to this place forever. I'm glad we went because they make a good hot dog. Their chili was okay. Chuck had a beef that looked pretty good. I'm thinking, I may have to make this a regular stop on the way home.

Speaking of the way home, the ice storm finally hit. It wasn't too bad. I saw only one accident and my car didn't really slide much.  My problem came when I got home and had trouble getting the car up this hill I have for a driveway.  My driveway was also a sheet of ice. Unloading the car was really difficult. I needed skates.

Well, who knows what the weather will be like tomorrow or next Sunday when I'm heading to the Best Western Plus show in Schaumburg. I started reloading my 1975-76 Topps basketball binder. I'm hoping to start my 1975 Topps Minis binder but I don't think I'll get that one done by Sunday. We had a really nice crowd today in Orland and I'd like to see the same for Schaumburg. So come on out on Sunday and check out all the new cards I'll have on display.  Pictured above and below are my pick ups from today's Orland show.
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The Crowds Return to the Gonzaga Baseball Card Show

1/26/2013

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Sunday, January 20, 2013, Gonzaga Hall, Milwaukee, WI -- The temperature around here was in the 40s on the day before the show. A balmy temperature for these parts in January. That night I finished reloading my 1970 Topps football binder and sat down at my computer when the wind outside began to howl.  Apparently, a cold front had come down from Canada and brought  frightful winds. My dog approached, obviously wanting to go outside. I listened to the wind, looked at him and said, "Buddy, we ain't going nowhere." I decided to move away from the windows. Trees have fallen on our house before. I fear the wind.

The wind howled all night. Tree branches pummeled the house but luckily no trees came down. I have a massive oak tree just outside my back door that is dying and I need to take it down. Only problem is that for the cost of taking the tree down, I could buy sets of 1960 and 1961 Topps baseball cards. I want to make it another year with that dying tree before I buck up and spend the money to bring in a crew to chop it down.  They will need a crane for that puppy.

So I woke up extra early Sunday morning to load the car. The wind had scared me off from loading the night before. There wasn't as much carnage outside as I thought there would be. Just one large branch by the front door. However, it was freakin' cold outside!! It's hard to deal with one day at 44 degrees and the next at just 12 degrees. Loading the car was a shiver fest.

There was more traffic than usual on the highway this morning. I'm not quite sure why anyone other than myself would be on the road at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning in January where the temperature is at 12 degrees and getting colder as I drive north to Milwaukee.  The drive and load in at the hall was uneventful. I saw Mark Smith in the parking lot and snuck up behind him and said, "right, right, right." Mark had set up at a show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the day before.

Attendance at the last Gonzaga show was disappointing. Today, a nice line had formed in the hallway prior to the opening bell. Then waves of customers walked in the show all day long. An absolutely terrific crowd.  I also observed that there were more vintage dealers than usual. Then there were a few dealer no shows. I won't mention any names, Brian.

A new customer got things going today, pulling 1970 Seattle Pilots cards.  Jim picked up some 1954 Topps baseball and also bought me a much needed cup of coffee. Thanks Jim! A made a cash and trade deal with a regular customer for some 1950s Topps football. A new customer purchased some 1970 Topps baseball.  A regular customer, who enjoyed looking at my T206 Ty Cobb, purchased a 1956 New York Yankees team card. I had fun showing off the Cobb today.

It was a pleasure to see Tim from Madison today. Madison is located about an hour or so northwest of Milwaukee. Tim said there wasn't much traffic for his drive.  He pulled a large pile of 1950s and 1960s baseball cards. We made a cash and trade deal where I picked up a nice pile of cards that included a T206 Miller Huggins and a 1934 Goudey Chuck Klein. Thanks Tim! Also in the pile were some 1970-71 and 1976-77 Topps basketball tall boys. In considering cards from all four major sports from the decade of the 1970s, I like the basketball cards the best. I just think those tall boys are cool and the images really define the era.

Also, as a Chicago sports fan, the best team in town during the 1970s was the Bulls.  The other teams were in decline. The Bears won a big three games in Walter Payton's rookie year of 1975. Bobby Hull had fled to the WHA. Ernie Banks retired and the Cubs shipped out Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Glen Beckert. The White Sox generally weren't very good but they were interesting. In the early part of the decade, I enjoyed watching Bill Melton, then Dick Allen.  The 1977 Sox season is still one of my favorites of all time, ah la Richie Zisk and Oscar Gamble. The Bulls, on the other hand, were the only team in Chicago that was consistently good. They were fun to watch too, even though they never got very far in the playoffs. Butterbean, Van Lier, Sloan, Chet Walker in the early part of the decade then big Artis Gilmore at the end. I also enjoyed watching some of the other great players in the NBA like Dr. J and Pistol Pete.

I'm digressing here down memory lane. Back to the year 2013 (is it really 2013?), where a regular customer purchased some 1967 Topps baseball. Jeff grabbed his usual large pile, today made up of 1955 and 1957 Topps baseball.  A new customer purchased some 1957 Topps football.  A regular purchased some 1970, 1971 Topps baseball and some 1969 Topps football.  Another regular purchased some 1968, 1969 and 1970 Topps football.

Now for some additional observations about today's show. I've been a regular now at the Gonzaga show now for the past five or six years. I've noticed that most everyone who attends is attired in some sort of Wisconson sports related gear.  Either Braves, Brewers, Bucks, Packers, Admirals, Warriors or Badgers shirts, jerseys, coats, and hats. Today, however, folks were representing teams well outside the norm. I saw one guy wearing a 49ers jacket, another had a Dolphins. One guy was wearing an Arizona Cardinals jacket.  Another guy had on a Ray Lewis jersey. There was a guy sporting a Red Sox t-shirt.  Another wore an Orioles t-shirt. One guy had on an Earl Campell jersey. What's going on?

Anyway, back to the customer role call. A regular customer purchased some 1961 Topps baseball. Another regular picked up some 1973 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased a 1974 Topps Gorman Thomas.  A regular customer pulled a nice pile of 1971 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased some 1958 Topps baseball. Another new customer purchased some 1979 Topps baseball. A regular customer picked up some 1950 Bowman baseball. Barty got some 1970s basketball and Barty's dad, Jason, rounded out my day with a large pile of 1963 and 1967 Topps baseball. Thanks Jason!

Whew! I was busy all day. The live auction was also busy today. I am not a big fan of the auction but I understand that it is the main fundraiser for the Wisconsin Sports Collectors Association, a terrific group that runs the Gonzaga show. So I tolerate the auction.  Though, when it is really busy, like today, auction customers stand in front of my tables, blocking my display cases and binders from paying customers. If that is not bad enough, some of these numbskulls will place bags on top of my display cases while they watch the auction, covering my cards from view. I wonder why these guys would think my display case is their coffee table?

I really want to shout at these idiots to get their shit off my display cases but I bite my tongue. Instead, I just look at them with the "what the hell are you doing?" look. Sometimes they get the picture. Today, there were quite a few clueless numbnuts blocking up portions of my table. I wish the WSCA would conduct that auction in a back room.

Today in a back room, former Bucks Sam Williams and Dick Garrett were signing autographs for free! It was cool seeing those old-time basketball players. I wanted to get their autographs but I was too busy to get away from my tables.

On the buying front, my only pickups were the aforementioned cash and trade deals. One guy brought over a couple of 1956 Topps baseball cards in screwdown holders. I learned long ago to NEVER buy a card in a screwdown because those cases hide all the creases. I've been burned before. I told the guy to remove the cards from the screwdowns and I might be interested. He walked away and never came back.  Another guy brought over a small box of absolutely battered cards from the 1960s and 1970s. He wanted $25. I offered $10, which now that I think about it, was much too high. I should have offered $5. Luckily, he was firm on his $25 and I didn't waste the 10 bucks.

All in all, a great show today. A big thank you to everyone who bought cards today! You guys are the best!! As I write this blog it is already Saturday, January 26. I was planning on sleeping in this morning but the dog started whining at 6 a.m. to go out. He bugged me enough that I got up at 6:40 and took him out. I knew it would be futile to get back into bed so I sat down at the computer to knock out this blog. As I'm finishing it up, the wife just woke and I'm hopeful she'll make some coffee (because I'm a moron and I don't know how to work the coffee maker).

Tomorrow is Orland Park. I missed the first Orland show earlier in the month because of my daughter's birthday. I'm looking forward to the show. I was hopeful, I'd have my 1975 binder reloaded but I didn't get anything done last night. The son wanted to play Wii and afterwards the daughter wanted to watch a movie with me. As much as I enjoy cranking some tunes and reloading my binders, I can't pass up a chance to hang with the kids. I need to get some coffee in me and maybe I can get it done today. As I mentioned in my last blog, my Orland regulars have yet to see my reloaded 1974 Topps baseball binder, 1970 Topps football and 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game. So I will have lots of new stuff for you guys. See you bright and early!

PIctured below are my Gonzaga pickups.


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Please Enjoy This Rambling Serb Hall Blog

1/21/2013

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Sunday, January 13, 2013, Serb Hall, Milwaukee, WI -- We had an ice storm the night before the show in Northern Illinois. My car was caked with ice. I had to scrape the windows in the morning. Though, the streets were not too bad. That changed once I got onto the highway heading north and closer to Milwaukee as the roadway became more slippery.  The worst was when I exited the highway at 60th Street in Milwaukee and my car slid past the stop light at the top of the off-ramp. Luckily, I was the only car around.  The roadways in Milwaukee were a mess. Heavy slush on 60th Street with quite a few pot holes. It was an ugly ride to Serb Hall. Once at the hall, the sidewalk in front of the building was poorly shoveled and salted. It was treacherous loading in and out. Luckily, I didn't slip.

Once inside, it felt more like a morgue than a card show. I'm generally in a great mood when I enter a card show because I thoroughly enjoy them.  However, the Packers lost to the 49ers in the NFL playoffs the night before the show and everyone was in mourning -- everyone except for me, of course, because I'm a Bears fan.  I did not see much of the game because I was feverishly pricing cards and reloading my 1974 Topps baseball binder. I caught SportsCenter afterwards and was surprised to learn how handily the 49ers beat the Packers and of the amazing game by Colin Kaepernick. I have to admit that I didn't understand why Jim Harbaugh didn't send Kaepernick back to the bench once Alex Smith became healthy but I'm a believer now, this kid is awesome.

What an awesome season for the NFL with Kaepernick and rookie QBs Andrew Luck, RG III, and Russell Wilson. Even though the Bears were disappointing, I'm excited about the NFL. I don't believe that the NFL has ever had so many great quarterbacks playing together at one time. Thankfully, I'm more than just a Bears fan. I love football and can watch most any game featuring any teams.  So this season and beyond, I'm almost assured I'll get to see a great quarterback in any game I watch.

As a result, I bought quite a few packs of 2012 football cards. I didn't buy ANY last year. Generally, I don't have much of an interest in modern cards but with all these great quarterbacks, especially the 2012 rookies, I'm buying some packs. I also want to hunt down some 2011 packs to try and get some Kaepernick rookies. I actually bought a Kaepernick rookie over the summer. It came in a group of vintage that I purchased at a show. I put the Kaepernick rookie up for auction on eBay last week for just 99 cents. I admit, the card looks a little strange amongst my listings of vintage cards but it is currently up to $13.26, ending tomorrow (January 22. I'm writing this overdue blog on Jan. 21).

Back at the Serb Hall show, we had a light turnout that I attribute to the Packers game the night before and the lousy weather. I think quite a few folks were hungover or too depressed to come out. There were also some dealer no shows -- which I think is really lame. In all the years I've been doing shows, I've only been a "no-show" twice. Once when I was T-boned by a woman who blew through a red light as I was driving to the show, totaling my car and injuring my back.  The second time was when my daughter was born unexpectedly. We had thought we had at least two weeks before the birth.  The day before the show, I brought my wife in for her regular check up and doctors found her blood pressure was sky high. Apparently, she had something called preeclampsia and the baby had to come out. So, instead of attending the card show, I spent the day with my beautiful new baby girl -- about the most amazing experience I've ever had.

Anyway, I think once a dealer commits to setting up at a show, that dealer has an obligation to show up unless there is a reasonable excuse. I know at least one dealer at the Serb Hall show did not have a reasonable excuse. He claimed to have car touble but when promoter PJ offered to come pick him up and bring him to the show, he still balked and stayed home. Lame!

So with the entire state of Wisconsin in mourning, lousy weather, treacherous roadways, low customer turnout, no-show dealers, I somehow had a decent show.  Out of the blue, a new customer purchased a large group of 1975 Topps baseball, including commons and stars Nolan Ryan and Mike Schmidt. He also purchased my 1976 Topps Pete Rose.  After this sale, I knew I was going to be okay. My buddy Mark picked up a pile of stuff, including some 1969 Citgo coins, 1967 Philadelphia football, assorted 1960's baseball, some 1955 Bowman baseball and some 1956 Topps football. Thanks Mark!!

Then Jeff took his usual large pile of stuff. Today he purchased 1954 Topps, 1973 Topps and 1974 Topps, all baseball. Thanks Jeff!! A new customer purchased a 1960 Topps Eddie Mathews. A regular customer purchased some 1974s. A new customer purchased a 1972 Topps Sonny Jurgenson. Mike, who I first met at the October Serb Hall show, was back today and purchased a large pile of 1970 and 1975 Topps baseball. Mike filled me in on what happened to the Mexican restaurant across the street. Upon arrival to the show, I noticed that the restaurant was gone and was disappointed because they have really good burritos. I was actually planning on eating there today. Mike said a pair of teenagers set the building on fire. They were seen on security cameras but have not been caught. Mike said it was big news in Milwaukee. Hopefully, the Mexican restaurant rebuilds and comes back.

On the buying front, I was extremely pleased with my purchase of a T206 Mordecai Brown. Several years ago, I came across a poem written in 1908 by New York writer William Lampton, a die-hard fan of the old New York Giants baseball team. Every time I see a Mordecai Brown card, I think of Lampton's poem:

Gloom gathers above us,
There's murk in the air,
There's no one to shove us
Along to get where
The crown of the victor
Will rest on this town,
For the Giants see nothing
But Mordecai Brown,
Mordecai, Moedecai
Three-fingered Brown.

Fans wail on the bleechers,

Fans weep in the stands,
Fans cry with the screechers,
For any way, every way,
Far up and down.
There's nothing that greets them
But Mordecai, Mordecai
Three-fingered Brown

Baseball is no longer

The game of a club
Which had it been stronger,
Might wallop the dub
That hails from the windy
And comes to this town
To razzle the Giants
With Mordecai Brown.
Mordecai, Mordecai,
Threee-Fingered Brown.

The murky clouds thicken,

The end cometh on
When nothing can quicken
The hope that is gone;
Manhatten is busted,
The pennant is down,
And the Giants are walloped
By Mordecai Brown.
Mordecai, Mordecai,
Three-fingered Brown.

Brown was the greatest Cubs' pitcher of all time and one of the greatest pitchers ever in the history of major league baseball. I would put only his contemporaries Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson ahead of him on the list of best pitchers of all time.  About five years ago, I was researching the history of the Cubs original ball park, West Side Park, and came across all sorts of interesting stuff about Mordecai Brown. Most interesting is the website his descendant Scott Brown created -- www.mordecaibrown.com. Here Scott Brown created a virtual museum to his famous cousin. Brown also erected a statue in Mordecai's honor in his Indiana hometown. One of these days, I'm going to drive out there and check it out.

Well, I've kind of rambled today. I had a really nice show at Serb Hall and am looking forward to the February 10 Serb Hall show. I'm behind one blog. I owe you a Gonzaga blog. Next week is Orland Park (January 27). My Orland Park regulars have yet to see my reloaded '74 Topps baseball, 1970 Topps football and 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game. I started reloading my 1975 baseball today and got a good start already. Hopefully, I'll have it ready to go by Sunday. A big thank you to everybody at Serb Hall today. Pictured below are my pick-ups from today, including the T206 Brown. Have a great week everybody!

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Hey Mike... What? Your name is Bob? I Just Can't Remember Anyone's Name :(

1/19/2013

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Sunday, January 6, 2013, Best Western Plus, Schaumburg, IL -- First show of the year! Hello 2013!!

We were in the big room today. Nice dealer and customer turn out. Unfortunately, the church was back.  Though at times the music sounded okay.

A regular customer got things going for me today with some 1964 Topps baseball.  Another regular picked up some 1970 Topps baseball.  A new customer purchased a 1964 Topps Jim Wynn.  Larry and I made our usual cash and trade deal. Larry got my 1953 Topps Satchel Paige, an absolute beauty of a card. In return, I got some cash, a 1962 Topps Willie Mays, 1964 and 1967 Philadelphia Johnny Unitas, some 1952 Bowmans, 1957-58 Topps basketball and a bunch more cards.

A regular purchased a 1967 Topps Milt Pappas and some 1963s. Mort picked up some 1955 Bowman football and showed me a 1952 Bowman Large George Halas he recently picked up at a card shop.  A regular purchased some 1974-75 Topps basketball. Then I called Ron, "Larry." I have a terrible problem with names. I always have. I am very sorry Ron. I have probably done the same thing to others. I remember one particular summer when I was younger and I introduced myself to the same girl over and over at parties all summer long. She finally got pissed off at me. I wasn't trying to hit on her or be an ass, I just didn't remember her. It's an affliction.

So I can meet someone over and over and not remember their name. However, I can go somewhere, anywhere in the world, once and remember my way around for eternity. On my honeymoon in Italy, I spent the morning looking at a map of Florence and then lead my wife across the city. A few hours into our self-guided tour, another couple stopped us an asked for directions. I was easily able to direct them without looking at the map. This happened all over Italy. I'd look at a map, start walking around, somebody would ask me for directions and I'd send them to their destination. This skill comes in real handy when parking my car in a large lot or parking garage. I always remember where I park... just don't ask me anybody's name!

Anyway, Ron picked up some 1981 Topps football today. A new customer purchased some 1973 Topps baseball and some cards out of my dime box.  A regular also picked up some cards out of my dime box.  Corky and I did a little trade where I received a couple of common 1960 Topps football cards in exchange for a 1973 Topps Ron Santo and Dick Allen.  A new customer purchased some 1970 and 1971 Topps baseball.

On the buying front, I purchased a 1934-36 Diamond Star and some 1964 Topps Giants.  Pictured above is my man Mike Stark and some customers enjoying he show.  Pictured below are my pick-ups from today.

Well, I've fallen behind again on my blog. It's been busy at the Fat Daddy household lately with the daughter's birthday and the in-laws in from Los Angeles. Free time has been at a premium. So I'm still due for a blog about the most recent Serb Hall show.  Tomorrow is Gonzaga. Former Bucks Sam Williams and Dick Garrett will be signing for FREE! With the Packers out of the playoffs, hopefully we'll get a nice big turnout!! See you tomorrow in Milwaukee. Thanks to everyone who purchased cards at Schaumburg!!
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Enjoyed Fan's Memories of Nellie Fox at the Orland Show Today

1/5/2013

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Sunday, December 30, 2012, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL --  The first person to visit my table of old cardboard on this cold December morning was a customer looking for Nellie Fox cards. This particular customer was not interested in buying any cards, he just wanted to look at them and share a few memories.  Like I said in a previous blog, as a baseball card dealer, I am much like a bartender and my table of cards is akin to a bar where customers can pull up a chair and engage in friendly conversation. Instead of serving up cold drafts of beer like the local corner bar, I serve up carefully preserved images of yesterday's sports heroes, each offering a unique memory.

I thoroughly enjoy hearing these individual recollections. They offer a glimpse into another time. I get perspective, entertainment, and an education by listening to tales spun by older collectors and fans.

This particular customer today shared his personal memories of the Chicago White Sox from the 1950s, the decade prior to my birth.  The man told me that as a boy he regularly sat next to Nellie Fox in the Sox's dugout during the 1950s thanks to friendships his father forged with players while he was owner of the Go Go White Sox Club, a tavern located just outside the ballpark from approximately 1956 through 1960. While visitors to Sox Park today find a stadium surrounded by parking lots, there was a time when Comiskey Park sat in the middle of a neighborhood, just like Wrigley Field on the North Side today.  My grandfather, who grew up northwest of Comiskey Park and an avid Sox fan, shared with me when I was a boy that the air outside the park was electric on game day with throngs of fans and players, including Babe Ruth, coming in and out of the taverns that once the lined 35th Street. Sadly, the last of the famous 35th Street taverns was torn down to make way for U.S. Cellular Field in 1990.

I tried to research the Go Go White Sox Club on Google but could not find any information. However, I did find this interesting article on an old defunct tavern once located near Comiskey Park: http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20121206/bridgeport/gazareks-tavern-bridgeport-bar-bygone. Be sure to click on the "More Photos" tab where some unique Sox memorabilia is featured.

Back at the Orland card show, we had a nice crowd, though I had periods where there were no customers at my table while the rest of the room was filled. Sales came in waves today. A regular customer got things going by purchasing some 1968 Topps baseball. Another regular sent me on a good day buy purchasing an entire hockey binder of cards and all of my individual hockey star cards.  Another regular purchased some 1980 Topps baseball.

Dave picked up a 1956 Topps Elston Howard along with some 1959s. I haven't seen Dave for a little while and he told me he recently had a series of surgeries. He didn't look bad for a guy recently under the knife. Here's to a happy and healthy new year for you Dave! Speaking of memories, as a former minor league ball player, Dave shares some of the best!  Next up was Chris, who is currently honeymooning in California. At the show today, he picked up some 1953, 1960 and 1962 Topps baseball cards.

A regular customer then purchased some 1972s.  An autograph hound pulled some 1967s.  Another autograph hound purchased a 1972 Sam McDowell to get signed. Tom purchased some 1966 Topps commons.  A regular found some 1972 Topps Cubs.  Paul picked up some '73s.  A regular purchased a 1976 Topps Oscar Gamble traded card.  Another regular purchased all my 1961 Fleer Greats of the Game cards.  Will picked up some 1954s and 1957s.  Steve purchased my 1952 Bowman Small Frank Gifford rookie and a 1975 Topps Lynn Swann rookie.  I have had the Gifford rookie in my case since the summer. I am surprised it lasted this long -- it is a very cool card.

A new customer purchased some 1963s and 1965s. He told me that he built a 1959 set back in 1959. I asked him how he did it in the days before card shows, card shops and the internet. He told me he relied on trading for the cards he needed with friends.  Once he completed the set, his mom put the cards in a shoe box and taped it shut. He didn't see the cards again until his mom presented him with the shoe box, still taped shut, after he was married.  What a great mom! Most tossed theirs sons' cards in the garbage. Thanks to this mom, all those 1959s are in Excellent or Mint condition.

Then came noon when I expected the room to clear out so people could watch the Bears-Lions game. For the first time all football season, the room did not clear out at noon. I'm guessing people are as frustrated with the Bears as I am and weren't interested in watching the game. Unlike the last few months, I had some post-noon sales.  Joel purchased some 1973 Topps White Sox. My Mets guy found some '72s. A father and son team picked up some 1959s along with various cards from throughout the 1960s. Dennis purchased some 1972 and 1973 Braves. Derek rounded out my day by purchasing a nice pile of football cards from various years in the 1970s.

On the buying front, a guy came around with a box of vintage hockey stars, most were graded. He had the cards priced ABOVE book value. I thanked him for letting me view the cards. I watched him show the cards to dealers around the room, I don't think he had any takers. I don't know if he learned anything, but the lessons here are to NOT price your cards above book and to NOT offer your cards to dealers for more than they can sell them for. I did buy a few cards today from other reasonably priced sellers, including some 1953 Bowman Colors, 1957 Topps baseball, 1959 Fleer Ted Williams cards, and a group of 1973 high numbers.

Upon reflection on the day, sales didn't equal my last Orland show, but they were still pretty good. Jim was set up in the side hallway today, which was a little odd to see. Mark Smith was set up today along with many other vintage dealers. The guy in Jim's usual spot had one of those grab bag games. I haven't seen anyone pull that stuff in years. I actually watched quite a few people drop a few bucks on his grab bags. I think all the dealers benefited from the large lingering crowd today.

It is January 5, 2013, as I write this blog entry. I'm actually caught up.  Tomorrow, I'm setting up at the Best Western Plus, 1725 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg. I'm still working on those '74s. I'm not sure if I'll have them done by tomorrow. Though, I will have thousands of other cards available -- so come on out to Schaumburg!!


4 Comments

Slow Bloomingdale Show Gives Me Time To Reflect On 2012

1/2/2013

2 Comments

 
Sunday, December 23, 2012, Indian Lakes Resort, Bloomingdale, IL -- Not much doing today. I'm guessing people were out Christmas shopping. Though, I did buy and sell a few cards.

Larry and I did our usual trade and cash deal. Larry took some 1953 Topps including a Phil Rizzuto. In return, I received some 1953 Bowman football, some 1957-58 Topps basketball, a 1971 Topps Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, and some cash.  A regular purchased 1970, 1971, and 1972 Topps baseball. Uncle Morty made the long trek to Bloomingdale and purchased a 1964 Philadelphia Merlin Olsen rookie. Mort also left his eye glass case at my table which I will be bringing to the January 6 Best Western show.  A regular customer purchased a mixture of baseball from the 1970s.  A father and son team purchased some 1976 and 1979 Topps baseball. Willie rounded out my day by purchasing some 1969-70 and 1970-71 Topps hockey.

On the buying front, I picked up a pile of 1962 Topps baseball (Thanks Bill!).

Up next is the first show of 2013 -- Sunday, January 6, at the Best Western Plus, 1725 Algonquin Road in Bloomingdale.  I'm working on reloading my 1974 Topps baseball binder. Hopefully, I'll have it ready to go by Sunday. I'm looking forward to a nice big crowd Sunday!!

Now that 2012 is in the record books, upon reflection, I had an excellent year at the card shows. I started 2012 off with a double bill weekend with Orland on New Year's Eve and Fred's show in Schaumburg on New Year's Day. The hotel in Schaumburg was called the Park Inn last year. Now it is Best Western Plus. The year started off strong that weekend and continued on later in the month and again in February 2012 when Gizmo bought most of my star cards and I then went on a buying spree. That was fun.

March 2012 was absolutely crazy. My dog died. I was diagnosed with diabetes, lost about 40 pounds from December 2011 through March 2012, and had to give up doughnuts, muffins, cereal, potato chips, french fries, and cookies. That was rough! It still is rough!! Also in March, I brought both kids out with me to a show for the first time at the Schaumburg show. The kids came with me several times in 2012. I enjoyed having them with me but they complained they were bored. I gotta figure something out to entice them to come out to the shows.  At the end of March, I trucked out to Dayton and Canton, Ohio. The Dayton show was slow but the Canton show was lights out.

In April, the family trucked down to Florida. I didn't take in any card shows but I caught a Mets-Cardinals spring training game and enjoyed it thoroughly. Upon returning home, we bought a puppy -- Coconut. He's a Golden Retriever and is an absolutely awesome dog. While we miss our old dog Rodney, Coconut has fit right in like he has been with us always. At the April Serb Hall show, I picked up a nice grouping of 1964 Topps Stand-ups -- one of my best purchases of the year! I have since sold them all except for the Clemente.

In May, at the Orland show I picked up complete 1973 and 1974 Topps set. I recently loaded the '73s into my show binder and am in the process of loading in the '74s. On Mother's Day, I made the absolutely stupid move of setting up at Wolf's Flea Market. I was hassled by the Wolf employees and hardly made any sales. The Wolf's Flea Market was my lowpoint of 2012. I won't be making that same mistake in 2013.  I had a really great Bloomingdale show in May 2012 where I had some nice sales and spent a bunch of dough on some autographs from Willie. I got great stuff from Willie that day and continued to buy autographs, largely from Willie, all year long for my personal collection.

On the first weekend of June 2012, I trucked down to St. Louis for the Two Hearts show. I had a terrific show. St. Louis rocks! The following weekend, I drove to Vermont with my elderly parents for my cousin's wedding. My dad, who drives like Mr. Magoo, did most of the driving. He wouldn't let me drive. We got lost and ran out of gas at one point. On the way back, my dad drove off the road. He still wouldn't let me drive. Somehow, I'm still alive.

I went back to St. Louis on the first weekend of July 2012. The whole family came and we made a little vacation of it, visiting some of the sights. I also had my best show of the year. It was an amazing day at the Two Hearts. Unfortunately, I never made it back to St. Louis the rest of the year and the Two Hearts is now shuttered. However, promoter Dave Jackson just started booking shows at a new venue. I'm debating on heading down there soon.  I also trucked back to Canton, Ohio, in July 2012, and had a lousy show after a stellar one there in March. I'm not sure if I'm going to go to Canton or Dayton again.

In August 2012, the family road-tripped to the wife's homestate of Massachusetts. We camped just north of the little burg where she grew up. A bear scared us silly and put an end to this family ever camping anywhere again. Closer to home, I bought a nice grouping of pre-War at the Gonzaga show.

In September 2012, crowds were noticeably down at the shows due to football. It happens every year. Sports card collectors are football fanatics and football season is always slow at the card shows.  October 2012 and November 2012 were slow. However, things picked up in Schaumburg and I had a nice show in Milwaukee while skipping the Sun Times show.  The year ended on a high note, I had excellent shows in December at Orland and Gonzaga, where I picked up a T206 Ty Cobb.

I am definitely looking forward to 2013. Shows are usually strong early in the year. I'm healthy. I have my diabetes under control. Much like last year, I plan on buying and selling bushels of cards this year. Who knows what cards will walk in the card shows in 2013? I hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. See you January 6 at the Best Western Plus in Schaumburg!
2 Comments

    Tony Gordon

    Vintage Sports Cards Addict

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