by Chris Thill
Guest Blogger

I have been to thousands of baseball card shows over the past quarter century and I have been collecting cards twice as long. When going to a show, here are some things I look for as a buyer. These may not apply to all buyers but I am sure most would agree.
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1- Most important….cards need to be marked with a price. There is absolutely nothing worse than digging through a box of cards, finding a stack I need, only to ask the price and it’s not close to what I had in mind. A waste of my time, and blocks a spot at the sellers table that could be occupied by another buyer. If I ask the seller the price of cards in a box and he said it varies by card, I usually walk away. Even worse if I pick a stack and stand at the table for 20 minutes waiting for the seller to look up each card on Ebay for comps. Pass.

2- An organized seller is a bonus. Ideally, as a set builder, cards sorted by year, AND card number is heaven. I understand the time to do this sorting is endless, but I am willing to pay a bit more for cards I need without hunching over a box destroying my back.

3- I really enjoy finding a card I need for a cheap price. The chase IS the fun. I enjoy standing at a bargain box (dime or quarter box). It does help if the boxes or rows of the box are sorted by sport. I do not collect basketball, so flipping through a box with a ton of basketball cause me to lose interest pretty quick.

4- A pet peeve is picking a stack of cards from a seller and they are not at their table. I get it, the biggest downside of selling at a show is the lack of time to enjoy being a buyer. But it is not good business sense to leave your table unattended with customers. Especially with the uptick in shoplifting at shows the past few years.

5- Too much stuff on a table could be a bad thing, I did not come to the show to play a role on American Pickers. Like I mentioned, digging through a bargain box is fun… to an extent.

6- Nobody wants the millions and millions of junk era commons. I understand book value says they are worth 10 cents each, I do not want them and neither do the hundreds of other buyers attending the show.

7- Common courtesy, I understand dealers are making deals all day, but do not become so involved in a deal, that you are ignoring me trying to give you money, no matter the size. I may make a small purchase early in the show and circle back to your table for a bigger purchase later. If the small purchase is a sour experience, I won’t be back to make a bigger purchase.

8- Just because I am carrying a box of cards does not mean I am looking to sell. If I am selling cards, I will approach the seller and ask if they are interested. On that note, if I am offering to sell cards, I try to have a price in mind I want for them and will state up front. I totally understand the sellers are buying to flip them and make a profit. I will never be insulted if the seller rejects my offer, but no need to lecture me on why my price is out of line. A simple, “I cannot use these at that price, but thank you for showing them to me.” Will go a long way. Or a “ the best I can do is $.....”

9- One time I bought a 3200 box from a seller, I asked if he could hold onto the box until I was about to leave (Didn’t want to carry it around the show). When I came back to pick up the box, he had another buyer picking cards out of it. Very shady, he did give me a partial refund but really man. Haven’t bought from him since.

10- The last two are about fellow buyers. Have courtesy when looking through a box of cards. Do not grab cards from the same row somebody else is looking through. I always ask which row/box are you looking through. Also, please take a shower before attending the show, you need to realize you will be in close proximity of one another.

Surprisingly not on the list… the seller listing a card at a high price. It is their card, and they can ask what they want, the value of a card is what somebody is willing to pay. If it is more than I am willing to pay, I say thank you for letting me see it and move on my merry way.
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As a general rule, personally, I will not buy new unopened retail product unless it is close to what I can buy it at the store. I am totally against the flippers buying up every pack/box at Wal Mart hoping to double their money.

Sunday, February 20, 2022, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

I was on a high after Saturday's Woodstock show. It amazes me how I can go from my worst to best show so quickly.

My last show in Orland was an absolute monster. I had brought out display cases and sold a TON of cards. Probably one of my top five shows ever at Orland. I brought out binders this time around. I also brought the sets and lots again. I like to supplement the binder set up with something interesting.

I made it to Orland around 8 a.m. and the parking lot was already full. Weird. The lot is never full at 8 a.m. When I started to bring my stuff in the building, I did not see that big of a crowd. I am not sure why there were so many cars.

One theory on the mass cars was they all belonged to the folks set up at the first table. For years that first table was the home of Big Brad who I have not seen in the longest time. Word is that he had COVID pretty bad and doesn't want to come out anymore. So there has been a different person or group at those first tables every show. This was the first time I had seen this current group.

It looked like they cleaned out their basement and brought all of their sports related junk to the show. Seemed like there were six or seven of them, maybe more. I think they had Steve Zinn's tables as well. Steve normally has the tables next to Brad around the corner.

When Brad is at the show, he normally sets up really early then sits at the table across and goes through boxes buying cards. The aisle space there is really thin, and I normally have a problem getting my cart full of bins past Brad. While Brad has been gone, others have blocked the space. Seems the aisle is blocked during load in at every show.

At the past show, this large group that I think took up all the parking, took up the aisle as I tried to load in. I could not get past them. They were all standing in front of their tables admiring their junk.

I said "excuse me" a few times while I sat at the door with my cart unable to get into the room and past this new group. The dealer set up across from them tried to get their attention as well. Nothing. They did not notice either of us and continued to admire their junk and block the aisle.

When I was a teenager, I worked at a restaurant and was trained to shout at coworkers if I was ever behind them carrying food from the kitchen and needed to get by. Well, I didn't have any food but I had a lot of sports cards. So in a much louder voice than my earlier "excuse me," I stated in my restaurant voice: "coming behind you." Still no movement. Still admiring their junk. Then I flat out shouted "COMING THROUGH!" They finally moved out of the way.

Which brings me to an ongoing problem concerning the table layout of this show. The tables are laid out in two rectangles. One against the walls, the second is an inner rectangle. The problem is with the inner rectangle being too large and killing the aisle space. There is plenty of space to shrink that inner rectangle and increase aisle space.

The lack of aisle space was a huge problem at this past show. Not just with the junk dealers plucking the space in front of their tables but attendance was massive. One of the largest crowds ever. Folks just could not walk the room because the aisles were jammed up with people. Shrinking that inner rectangle would go a long way to improve traffic flow.

Though, it is hard to find fault with anything about this show. The promoter Rich Troy is a prince among men. He is awesome. After suffering under the reign of the original promoter John Leary for years, Rich is a breath of fresh air.

I had some fun with him at this past show. The speaker system is being rewired and he needed to plug in a microphone into a speaker outlet behind my tables and conduct his hourly giveaways from behind my tables. It was a lot of fun having him there and calling out numbers and watching the winners come over to get their prizes.

Will and I wanted to use the microphone for karaoke. We both thought that we should sing "My Way." I started to sing at one point and received a lot of ugly glares from the crowd then stopped. My voice isn't that bad! Come on now!

Once I completed set up and had all the binders out, loaded the sets into a display case, the customers arrived early and often. The sets and lots were a big hit. Andy purchased my 1970-71 Topps basketball lot and my 1972 baseball lot. Thanks Andy! Rick purchased my 1974-75 Topps basketball complete set along with a pile of 1959 Topps baseball from my newly reloaded binder. Then a new customer purchased my lots of 1970 and 1971 Topps baseball. I was good to go from the sets and lots alone.

Then quite a few guys hit my binders. I was so busy that I had guys going through binders on both sides of the tables! Michael purchased a pile of 1976 Topps football along with a bunch of other stuff. Thanks Michael. Gil found some 1962 Topps baseball. A new customer purchased a pile of 1955 Topps baseball.

Like in Woodstock, the dime box got quite a work out. Again, guys flocked to it early on and I was surprised they didn't bop each other on the head. I'm pretty sure one guy stole some cards. He purchased about 40 cards and I gave him a bag to hold the cards. I then watched him pull a stack of cards out of his coat pocket and place them in the bag. Those cards from his coat looked awfully similar to the cards in my dime box. I am also pretty sure I was the only dealer at the show with a vintage dime box. I can't see where else those cards came from. So I only lost $4 or $5 but still, really?

Jim, another dealer, told me before the show that he has been having a big problem with theft at the show. So at this past show, he placed a camera on his table. He told me that several regular customers avoided his table. Was it the camera that kept them away? Interesting.

Theft is an ongoing problem at shows. Thankfully, there are many more good guys around than shady guys. One great guy is Will, who bought a ton of stuff from me at the show including a 1957 Topps Roberto Clemente. Thanks Will!

Now I want to talk about my strategy for purchasing cards at shows. Yesterday, blog reader Rich Saylor asked that I talk more about my negotiations when purchasing cards. I have a very simple philosophy when it comes to buying cards. I just need buy the cards at a price where I can make a few bucks reselling the cards. I don't have to get rich from the resale, I just have to sell the cards for more than I paid.

I always like to start my negotiations with the seller giving me a price. Most of the time, the seller tells me he doesn't have a price and wants me to make an offer. This scenario is always a problem. For one, I have learned long ago that all sellers have a price, they just want me to make the first move. I hate making the first move because I am always going to offer a lot less than the seller wants as I am buying them for resale and I need to profit from the purchase.

So I had a guy approach me at this past Orland show and ask if I buy cards. I am up front with everyone. I told him that I do, indeed, buy cards but I don't pay a whole lot for them because I buy them for resale. He nods then goes off and comes back an hour later with a handful of cards. He had about 10 cards. Three 1962 Topps low number commons then eight or so 1958 Topps, mostly commons and in horrible shape. Creased, cut up, writing. The biggest name was Robin Roberts and his name was colored in with pen. 

I asked the seller what he wanted for the cards. He said he did not know and asked me to make an offer. Well, I really didn't want the cards because I don't need any more creased, cut up, and cards covered in writing. To be nice, I offered five bucks. He grabbed the cards from my hand and walked away -- this is usually the scenario when I make an offer. I never receive a counteroffer. The seller just walks away in a huff.

Now I wasn't trying to rip this guy off. His cards were shite and not worth much money. I probably would have placed the 1958's in my quarter box, they were that bad. I wonder what he thought those shite cards were worth?

I bought a couple of graded cards from another customer at the show including a 1974 Topps Mike Schmidt BVG 7 and a 1953 Topps Dixie Walker SGC 2.5. I asked the seller what he needed for the cards. He said 40 bucks. I whipped out two twenty-dollar bills and purchased the cards. I figured I could sell the Schmidt for $40 and get my money back. In checking recent eBay sales, there are a few PSA 7's that went for $80. There is no data on a Dixie Walker 2.5 but I figure I can get $10 to $20 for it. I spent $40 and should profit $40 or $60. I was happy with that buy.

Most of my purchases do not involve much negotiation. If the seller's price is close, then I'll counter with a slightly lower price so I can make my profit down the road. Most cards I purchase come from guys I know really well, and they know me really well. They know what I want and what I will pay. I usually just pay their price with no negotiation because the price usually leaves me room to profit.

I don't always win out with my purchases and regularly make mistakes. I made a mistake at this past Orland show. I bought a 1959 Topps Frank Robinson for $20, figuring I could sell it for $40. When I got home and really looked at the card, I observed a latent crease and realized I lost money on that one. I'll be lucky if I can sell it for $10.

One of the problems I have when buying cards at a show as busy as Orland, is that I am probably helping two or three customers while trying to negotiate a deal with a seller. If I have been having a good day and my pockets are filled with cash, I am much more inclined to offer more money than I should. That '59 Robinson came around when I was very busy and had a ton of dough in my pockets. I just glanced at the card and threw out the twenty the seller has asked for. I had a ton of cash at that point and the card looked good. In the future, I really need to slow down and take the card out of the top loader to check for creases and trimming.

A few more cards came around during the show, but I turned them down because they were priced way too high. Again, if I don't think I can profit from the purchase, I won't buy the card.

Then there is the issue of fakes. There are a ton of counterfeit vintage cards out there. Anyone buying vintage cards has to make a determination whether the cards are real or fake. Keven Farrell sent a couple of guys my way to help them determine if their cards were legit. They had a 1968 Mantle, a 1965 Mantle, and a 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth. The young guy told me he picked them up in a collection he purchased and wanted to know if they were real. The Mantles were flawless, so that raised a flag before I even pulled them out of the top loaders. I pulled out the '68 Mantle and it felt much thicker than a normal '68 and also had a deep smooth finish, when it should not be slippery but a much more of a rough feel. I pulled out a '68 common and just by holding both cards together, I could determine the Mantle was fake. I gave the Mantle and the common to the young guy and told him to feel both cards and he could learn for himself why the Mantle was fake. 

Now the Leaf I figured was fake because it was perfectly centered. There was no quality control at Leaf in 1948 and few cards are perfectly centered. I also observed that the back of the card was bright white while all of the real '48 Leafs I have ever handled have a gray, not white, back color. So I was pretty sure the Ruth was fake as well.

Buying vintage cards these days is much more complicated than ever before because of the rising number of fakes out there. Also, you are not safe from fake or doctored cards by purchasing them slabbed (graded). It has been well documented that the grading companies regularly make mistakes and slab fake or doctored cards. You really need to look the card over yourself and not trust the grading companies. They certainly don't have your best interest at hand.

It was a joy teaching these young guys about fake vintage cards. It was a joy being at the Orland show! It was great to see old buddy Tony Schaefer, who just has a tremendous selection of vintage cards for sale. It is always fun to look through his cards. I'm hoping Tony comes up to Orland regularly. He makes it a better show with his stuff alone!

Next Orland show is March 13. I'm not sure what I am going to bring out to that one. I've got two big three-day shows at the end of March, so I am restocking my display case stuff for those shows and probably won't bring out display cases to the one-day shows until April. I am feverishly trying to reload the binders. I am working on reloading my 1974 Topps baseball binder and hope to have it done by the Madison show on Saturday, February 26.

It will probably be binders again for my Oak Creek show on March 5 and the Schaumburg show on March 6. I gotta get those things reloaded! Busy, busy, busy. Love these boom times!!

​Below are some photos from this past Orland show.

My neighbor at the February Orland show was modern card dealer Nick, who I have known for a long, long time. He is a nice guy and every so often I am lucky enough to be placed next to him.

Pictured here is Orland show promoter Rich Troy singing karaoke at my tables. Next to Rich is Michael, who is working on a bunch of vintage sets with his son.

Here you can see I was so busy that I had customers going through cards on both sides of the tables. The guy on the right is a younger vintage dealer/collector who I met several months ago in Rockford. I forget his name, but he is a super nice guy and I enjoy having him around. 

​What a fun day in Orland! What a fun weekend! Let's do it again this Saturday in Madison!!

Man, what a fun weekend! I was set up in Woodstock on Saturday then Orland on Sunday. Good times!

Quite a few people over the weekend had comments for me about this blog. I really appreciate everyone following along. Many of you commented on the amount of shows I have been setting up at lately. You all seemed startled, perplexed, so I feel like I need to explain. Reason number 1 for my increased number of shows: I LOVE setting up at shows. Always have. It is a blast! This past weekend was a blast!

Moreover, seems like we are still in the midst of a hobby boom. I had my best Woodstock show to date on Saturday and the Orland show on Sunday was so crowded it was difficult to walk the aisles. Which brings me to reason number 2 as to why I set up at so many shows: we are in boom times and I want to take advantage.

The last time I witnessed this kind of buzz at card shows was in the late 1970's when there were very few shows. When the shows did occur, it was a race to hit all the tables, find the best deals and spend every penny in your pocket. I did not set up at shows in the 1970's, I was just a customer. I did set up at the Twin Drive-In Flea Market in Wheeling, Illinois, most summer weekends in the late 1970's. I was only 12 years old in 1978 and my dad would load up the station wagon, set me up, leave me at the flea market all day. 
When he would come pick me up, I would brag about all the baseball cards I sold. Those days were crazy fun.

I remember that 1981 was a big transition year for the hobby because Fleer and Donruss started making cards along with Topps. There also were more card shows and card shops -- then there was a baseball strike which slowed things down. I remember being soooo disappointed during the baseball strike of 1981. I had spent my entire life up to that point either watching games on TV, going to games, or listening to them on the radio all summer long. I really didn't know what to do with myself without baseball. Man, that sucked! Now I have lost count on the number of baseball strikes and lock outs that have occurred since that one in 1981. I have nothing but four-letter expletives for the current baseball players and owners. They all suck!

Anyway, back to 1981 when Fleer, Donruss and Topps all manufactured baseball cards. I started collecting cards in 1975 and from '75 to 1980, I put together the Topps sets by purchasing packs, trading, buying some singles at card shows and card shops. With the addition of Fleer and Donruss, I decided to just purchase all three complete baseball sets from one of the advertisers in Sports Collectors Digest. I still have those sets! I purchased all three sets the same way in 1982 then lost interest in obtaining the sets in 1983. I just didn't see the point in buying all three sets every year. It was much more fun putting together the one Topps set each year. Instead of sets, I changed my focus to collecting hall-of-famers.

That 1981 baseball strike did not seem to have a big effect on the hobby, however, as I watched the hobby take off in 1980's. Card shops popped up everywhere. I got my driver's license in 1982 and was able to drive to dozens of shops in and around Chicago. Though, the more shops I went to the more disillusioned I became with them because shop prices were double or triple of the flea market or card shows. From the mid-1980's to the present time, I really only visit shops to purchase supplies.

As the hobby exploded, along with the number of card shops in the 1980's, I watched the number of card shows grow like crazy as well. In 1978, there was just three card shows in the Chicago area for the entire year. By 1988, there were six or seven different shows every Saturday and Sunday along with a smattering of weekday shows. I remember in the winter of 1988 being at one of the big shows in Chicago, either the National or Sun-Times, and it was jammed packed and a buying frenzy.

When I started to set up at shows in the 1980's, I would look at the Beckett calendar and pick the shows closest to home. There were several shows every month in my hometown of Northbrook, Illinois, usually at the VFW or the Sheraton Hotel. I also started to set up at shows in Skokie and Evanston. It was great fun. Crowds were usually excellent as well. 

Seemed like everybody and their mother collected cards in the late 1980's. The card companies took advantage and printed cards in the billions. "Investors" came in and bought up wax and stored it away thinking they would get rich from it down the road. As we all know, the baseball cards from that era turned out to be worthless because of over-production. The smart buyers bought 1986 Fleer basketball, one of the few valuable sets from the 1980's. I wasn't very smart in 1986 and bought a ton of Topps baseball wax. 

I always bought all four sports but would focus on the sport that had good teams from Chicago. While my beloved Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan in 1986, the team stunk, so I focused on baseball where the Cubs and White Sox were pretty good. I started buying basketball cards in the late 1980's when the Bulls became a perennial playoff team. By then, overproduction had killed the value of those late 1980's basketball cards. 

I graduated college in 1990 and started setting up at shows just about every weekend as I was unemployed. We were in a recession in 1990 and I could not find a journalism job to go along with my newly minted journalism degree. I stopped setting up in 1994 when I started my own publishing company and had to work crazy hours. I was pretty much out of the hobby from 1994 through 2000 because I had to work every weekend and could not go to shows.

When my wife became pregnant with our first child, I shut down my publishing company and decided to go to law school in an effort to be a better provider for my family. I found myself with a lot of free time for the first time in eight years. Naturally, I started setting up at shows again. 

The hobby was really different in 2000 than I had remembered it. There weren't nearly as many card shops and shows as before. I discovered that Beckett had an online market place and I started buying and selling cards via Beckett.com which I really enjoyed. I soon discovered eBay and have been buying and selling there for the past 22 years.

For card shows, I started setting up at all the shows put on by Chicago hobby legend Fred Copp. Fred had four different shows each week. I started setting up at three of them. Fred was just awesome and treated me really well. I got a job with a company that made educational videos for high school students, but I did not get paid very well and was struggling financially. Fred regularly gave me breaks on table fee and sold me cards dirt cheap. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Fred Copp.

It was the first time I had to use my card sales to supplement my living expenses. Then I started law school and brought my law books to the weekend shows and studied while things were slow. The shows were not very busy in 2001, 2002. It was kind of a dead time for the hobby. Those of us setting up and attending shows back then were die hards.

I started to use my law school student loans to buy cards. I bought a TON of cards. That was fun. The shows still were not very good until I discovered the Orland Park show which was sort of like old times with lots of dealers and lots of customers. I brought my law books to the Orland show as well when I first started setting up there but soon I was too busy there to study.

Those were great days. I did really well at the Orland show. Then I discovered the Gonzaga show in Milwaukee which was even more crowded than Orland. It took a few years to get a regular table at Gonzaga but once I did, Gonzaga soon became my best show.

Between Orland and Gonzaga, I took in a nice haul of cash and cards every month. I would still round out my weekends with some of Fred's shows. In the 2000's, I became strictly a vintage dealer. I really lost interest in modern cards. I find the vintage cards so much more interesting and satisfying.

So the 2000's were pretty consistent. There were almost always good crowds in Orland and Gonzaga. Not so much at Fred's shows but I was always in good company. 

I started my own show in 2014 because I needed a decent Saturday show to set up at as a dealer. The days where there were a dozen or so shows to choose from every weekend were long gone.

Then this pandemic hit in March of 2020 and everything changed. Ebay picked up like never before. The shows were shut down so I was forced to set up in my law office and sold cards there at a maddening pace. Then the shows came back in 2021 and have largely been mobbed. Now we are in 2022 and the mobs are still here. This is really the best time to be in this hobby since I started out back in 1975. Shows have not been this crowded in 40 years! I gotta set up wherever I can!! I don't want to go back to 2002 where most shows were dead. I gotta set up now! I need more shows!

Now, I am finding a problem with all these dingleberry new show promoters who keep scheduling their shows on the same day as each other. Hey, the Beckett show calendar is now online, has been for decades. These new show promoters need to check the calendar for dates and find some where no other shows are scheduled. There are dealers like me, now in large numbers, looking to set up. It sucks when you see eight different nearby shows on a Saturday and NONE on a Sunday.

Another dealer at Orland on Sunday, who is a regular reader of this blog, totally disagrees with me. He thinks an increased number of shows will hurt the existing shows. I don't think so. If these new promoters would schedule them on different days, everything will be fine.

The other dealer still disagrees and thinks the market will be saturated. Again, I disagree. We are in boom times! Now is the time to saturate the market and take advantage of the popularity. If this thing dies down then many shows will fall but for now, things are the best I have ever seen them. I just want to ride this wave while I can -- more shows please!

Saturday, February 19, 2022, St. John's Church, Woodstock, IL

So 2021 was my best year ever selling cards. I just had the Midas touch. Everything I placed out on my show tables sold! I took all that money and bought a TON more stuff. My inventory is crazy right now. I don't think I ever need to buy a card again!

With the mass crowds at shows, with crazy sales at shows and online, I really never thought I would have a bad show ever again. However, I had a bad show last time out in Woodstock, I think it was the November show. I did not sell one card! That has only happened once before and it occurred years ago at Fred's old Friday night show in Elk Grove Village at the Holiday Inn.

I was really confused after that November show in Woodstock. I had no intention of giving up on the show. There are too many things to like about the Woodstock show. I love the church. Curtis the promoter is second to none. The other regular dealers are great. I just needed to lure in more vintage collectors.

This past Saturday was a success! Quite a few guys saw my post on the Fat Daddy's Facebook page and came out to support me. Thank you!!!! I had a monster show!!! Prior to the show, I decided to bring out a bunch of sets and starter sets. New customer Colin purchased my 1973 Topps baseball complete set. Colin made my day!!

A bunch of other regulars purchased cards like Larry, Ron, Jim, Angel and Kevin. Thanks guys!! It helped that I had regular dealer Gene's space in the back of the room where I had two eight-footers and space to throw down two card tables. I brought out all of my binders along with my dime box which got a great work out. It is crazy that every time I bring out a cheapy box that guys clamor to get into it. I always get worried that punches are going to be thrown. There is always quite a battle to access those boxes.

So the show had the best crowd I had seen so far. Really nice attendance from 9 a.m. to about 11:15 a.m. then it sort of died. Where did everyone go? That was kind of weird but I was good after selling that '73 set. I ended up with my best sales at Woodstock so far.

Jeff also brought me a pile of cards that I purchased. Thanks Jeff!

I don't think I am going to worry about the Woodstock show. I think that November show was an aberration. So after having such a good show, I am bummed that I have to miss the March Woodstock show because it is scheduled for the same weekend as the Sun-Times show where I'll be set up with my buddy Dave McDonald. I also have to miss the Madison show that weekend. Very disappointing.

Again, I do not have regular tables at the Woodstock show. I am on the waiting list. I'm hopeful that Curtis will get me a table or two for the April show. I'll let you know if I'm setting up in Woodstock in April.

I'm now working on my Orland show report. Should have it soon.

In the meantime, I'm setting up in Madison at the Sheraton Hotel on this Saturday, February 26, 2022. Then I have a double bill weekend with my Oak Creek show on March 5 and Schaumburg on March 6. There are no local shows on Sunday, February 27. Wish I could find one!! I also have a bunch of open weekends in April. Hoping to fill those slots and keep on rolling!

Pictured above, about the middle, is my pal Kevin going through my 1975 Topps Minis binder. I met Kevin about 20 years ago at the Gonzaga show. He is a great guy with a tremendous collection and the only Kansas City Royals fan I know.

Saturday, February 12, 2022, Rock Church, Rockford, IL

The show was jam-packed! Wow! Like the Madison show, I've watched the Rockford show blow up. Kudos to promoter John Craig! With Gonzaga no longer active, it is really nice to have some excellent new shows. 

Speaking of new shows, there are a ton of them, many of which I have not attended. I would like to attend some of these new shows but they all seem to conflict with my group of regular shows. My regular shows are just too good to pass up like Rockford, Madison and Orland. I think there were at least two other Wisconsin shows last Saturday along with Rockford but not a single show on Sunday. I was disappointed no one scheduled a show on Super Bowl Sunday.

Same issue in two weeks where there are three different Wisconsin shows scheduled on February 26 and none on February 27. I'm setting up in Madison on February 26 which is a phenomenal show. I am bummed I have to miss Root River which is on the same day. Then there is a show in New Franken, WI, which I think is up by Green Bay.  I sure wish somebody would have scheduled a show on February 27. I also have a bunch of open dates in April.

Anyway, let's talk about the Rockford show which is now a must-attend event. John opened up another room this month, so I believe this was his largest show to date. Like my Oak Creek show, John has a large waiting list of dealers.

A couple of dealers complained to me about the second room. They think the additional dealers will take away some sales. I've talked about this many times. As a dealer, you need to take care of yourself. It is a complete waste of energy to worry about any other dealers in the building. If you have quality items at reasonable prices, you will sell some cards -- period. It really does not matter how many dealers are in the building. My best show every year is the National which is the largest show in the country. If I subscribed to the philosophy that more dealers equals less sales then the National should be my worst show, not my best. However, every year, the National is my best show. I think these guys were getting upset over nothing.

I brought out binders to this show after bringing display cases last month. Sales were down but I think it was due to the fact that I had pricier cards last month and one guy alone purchased three Mantles. I did not have any Mantles this past Saturday but I was pleased that I was busy all day with set builders, especially in the morning. I love to see the guys show up at my tables with their lists. I struggle at some shows when the set builders do not show up. The Rockford show has a nice number of set builders and I am getting to know them which I really enjoy.

John placed me up against the eastern wall along with vintage dealers Gary George, Tim Fritz and Tom Mularz. Reed Pentek, who also has some vintage was set up across from Tim. The young guy with the T cards was set up next to Tom. I saw Mark from Iowa in the room as well, he always has a nice selection of vintage. I think having all of these vintage dealers benefits me because I learned long ago that customers want to see multiple vintage dealers, not just one. I think our group all had nice sales. This is such a great group of guys that we work together and if one guy doesn't have an item we send the buyer to the next guy. We're much better as a team than as individuals. Together we have one heck of a vintage inventory!

I don't want to diss the guys that were complaining. I really like them and look forward to seeing them at this show. They are very good dealers with excellent cards on their tables. There were plenty of customers at this show for all of us. They probably need to change up their inventory for the next one. 

As a vintage dealer, I really know nothing about modern cards. It is really two distinct cultures. I'm trying to figure out this modern stuff. I have observed that most modern collectors are younger than me. Actually, I don't think anyone collects modern cards. They all seem to be investors and wheelers and dealers. They also walk around shows with cards sealed in heavy-duty briefcases. They don't seem to ever buy a card without looking up recent sales on eBay or "comps," if you will. They also do much more trading than vintage guys.

Other than a few observations, I am really in the dark about this stuff. I do not know how modern dealers obtain inventory, price their inventory, and make so many trades. Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable than I am can chime in and offer some advice to dealers setting up at shows with modern cards.

Like most shows, the bulk of the dealers at Rock Church sell modern cards. They all seemed to be doing a brisk business. There was a really great crowd on Saturday -- I believe the largest one so far. It was great to see Scotty P. come down from Oak Creek and set up. He looked like he was having a good time. This is fun. Nobody should get stressed out at a card show!

I sort of chuckled at one of the new modern dealers who was decked out like McCloud. You have to be of a certain age to know what I am talking about. McCloud was a really popular TV show when I was a kid in the 1970's. I watched it every week. You don't see too many 10-gallon hats in these parts.

Then there was the lady who was walking laps around the gym at the end of the day. She must have passed my table 20 or 30 times. I'm guessing she took her kids to the show and was bored as hell and tried to get some exercise in. I could see my wife doing the same thing. Though, I have to say that I see more and more women attending shows and they are very much sports fans and collectors of cards.

I saw this one mother and son team that I met a while back in Schaumburg. They are from my hometown of Northbrook, Illinois, and the mom is truly into it. Her son, I think about 11 years old, is a wheeler and dealer! He offered me a 1984 Star Michael Jordan. I did not have the funds on me to purchase it. Cool card!

It was nice to get offered all sorts of stuff. I ended up purchasing a binder of White Sox cards that included three pages of autographs. I love autographs but am not an expert and I hope the graphs are legit. There are no big names in there. I can't see why anyone would forge a Ron Karkovice auto, so I think they are real. The autographs will look nice in my collection.

Then I purchased about 80 Baseball Digests from the 1970's. Shortly thereafter, I plucked one out with Dave Kingman on the cover and started to read it. I never knew that Kingman was already living in the Chicago area when the Cubs signed him in 1978 and had gone to Harper College near my office in Palatine. Also, his mother was living in Mt. Prospect. I loved Dave Kingman. The Cubs kind of stunk those years in the late 1970's but Kingman was fun to watch.

Next Rockford show is March 12, 2022. I can't say enough great things about this show. If you like cards, you won't want to miss the March 12th show at the Rock Church in Rockford.

In the meantime, I have double bill weekend coming up with Woodstock on Saturday, February 19 and Orland on Sunday, February 20. I have been trying lure the area set builders to Woodstock and am not having much luck. Woodstock is a small show in an old church gym with some really great dealers. Curtis, who runs the show, is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. 

Nothing would make me happier than to see my tables crowded in Woodstock like they were in Rockford. Woodstock isn't all that far from Rockford. Come on out! I'm bringing binders along with my newly reloaded dime box. I also might bring out some complete sets from the 1970's. 

Then on Sunday is Orland which is almost always a packed house these days. I had an absolutely awesome show my last time out in Orland when I had a display case set up. Like Woodstock, I'm bringing binders along with either my dime box or quarter box and the sets from the 1970's.

Hope to see you next weekend! My next Oak Creek show is March 5th. It should be my largest one to date! Have a great week everybody! Reminder, the only show where I am the operator is Oak Creek. If you have questions about another show, contact the promoter of that show, not me. I received some emails asking questions about the New Berlin, WI, show last weekend. I know absolutely nothing about that show. I haven't been there and if the promoter keeps scheduling them up against other shows like Rockford, I probably will never go there.

​Pictured below are some random photos I took from my perch at the Rockford show on Saturday.

Sunday, February 6, 2022, Hyatt Woodfield, Schaumburg, IL

After the Oak Creek show on Saturday, I came home, ate some food then fell asleep until midnight. I was unable to fall back asleep and was dragging something fierce at the Schaumburg show.

We were back down in the lower-lobby for this show, after being on the main floor in January. I was back at the table in the front hallway. My old buddies Lou and Don were set up on the opposite end and Eric was set up across from me. There were two other dealers in the hallway as well.

For some reason, I thought the tables at this show were eight-footers and was bummed out to see two six footers. I was able to get out all of my baseball binders but only half of my football binders.

After set up, I went upstairs to purchase some coffee at the faux Starbucks. The lady at the Starbucks made me put on a mask. I thought a downstate judge threw out the governor's mask mandate. Then I realized that the county mask mandate was still in effect and donned a mask that the Starbucks lady gave me. 

Now I am not one of those militant anti-maskers. I just find them terribly uncomfortable and will wear one when asked.

Being soooo tired, I had planned on multiple trips to the faux Starbucks but was too busy the rest of the day to get my second cup. 

There were quite a few set builders at my table which was a first for this show. Last time I brought binders to this show, I had a lot less action. It was nice to see all the customers! At one point, seemed like I had a pop-up shop reunion at my tables as three or four customers had remarked how they had attended. Thanks guys for attending the pop-up shop and purchasing cards in Schaumburg!

Rich was the big winner today as he purchased the most cards. Thanks Rich! It is always great to see my old buddy T.J., who came up to Oak Creek yesterday then brought his son out to Schaumburg. T.J. found a few cards. Thanks T.J.! It is always great to see Ed, who works at the post office near my office in Palatine. Ed must have a massive collection as I have known him for years and have only seen him buy cards, never sell.

​I had one really talkative customer who came by several times to buy cards to send out for autographs. I find it amazing how quickly people get comfortable with me and start telling me their life story. This guy was married twice. His second wife died several years ago and he is having trouble meeting women. Being an experience card show bartender, I normally have some prudent advice, but in this case, I had nothing since I have been happily married for the past 25 years. I doubt he is going to meet any women at the card show and can only recommend that he branch out.

Talkative guy brought his buddy over. I remember the buddy from the December show when he bought a pile of 1973 Topps baseball from me. Again, he went through the 1973 book. I also remember that he has political potty of the mouth. I hate political discussions at card shows. Folks are far more passionate about politics than I am. I would prefer that we have no political discussions at my tables. This guy went off on this and that while I sort of dozed off.

I forgot to mention that my tables were set up in front of a really comfy couch. I enjoyed sitting on that couch all day. It was so hard not to spread out and snooze. I definitely snoozed during the political rant.

So I sold piles of cards and appreciate all of the purchases. Thank you! I also bought quite a few cards. Junior seemed to have better cards for sale in Schaumburg than he had recently in Orland. Though, I bought a 1965 Koufax with tape marks that I previously rejected in Orland. My Koufax inventory is getting low so I had to buy the card. As I type this up, Junior just left my office after selling me more cards! Thanks Junior!!

Randy and I had talked about his doubles at the January show and he brought them in on Sunday and we were able to make a deal. Thanks Randy! A new seller, who was very aggressive, stopped by my table several times with different cards each time. I ended up buying a 1960 Topps Duke Snider BVG 2.5 from him. Turned into a really nice haul.

Pictured below are some of my purchases from the Schaumburg show.

I got my first break around 1 p.m., too late for more coffee, I thought. I then took some time for a quick walk around the main room. There was still quite a few customers in there while no one was out in the hallway. Lou and Don had already packed up and left.

I knew a lot of the dealers in the main room like Karl, Skip, Tom, John, Carlos and Cano. Just about all of the dealers in the main room were carrying modern cards. Everybody seemed to be having good days selling. Promoter Joe is a super nice guy. He told me he went out to dinner the previous night with our mutual buddy Andy, who was attending the Bulls game and could not make the show.

When I returned to my tables, the hallway continued to play dead. Eric and the wax dealer were packing up. I decided to pack up as well because I was sooo tired. I was on the road home by 2 p.m. which is crazy early for me. I did not get out of Oak Creek until 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The ride home from Schaumburg is usually only a half hour but I had a few stops to make. My gas tank was about empty and I had a tough time finding a gas station nearby. I found a BP that was selling gas for $3.70 a gallon. I should have filled up in Oak Creek on Saturday where gas was much cheaper!

Then I had to stop somewhere to bring home some food for my kids. I ended up hitting Superdawg in Wheeling. Normally, I love Superdawg but not this day. First, service was crazy slow. Then I ordered tomatoes on my dogs but did not receive any tomatoes. Doesn't Superdawg put tomatoes on their hot dogs? Superdawg also gives you your hot dog in a box with fries and pickles. Seemed like the boxes got much smaller and there was not a whole lot of fries in there. It may be a while before I return to Superdawg.

Anyway, I digress. Schaumburg sales were much smaller than Oak Creek but my buys were much better. Overall, a really great weekend of card shows.

I only have one card show this upcoming weekend and that is the Rock Church show in Rockford on Saturday, February 12. I could not find a show for Sunday, so I plan on sleeping in then catching up on eBay. I still need a show for Sunday, February 27th. Looks like that will be an eBay day as well.

There were some young guys at the Schaumburg show promoting a new show in Addison, Illinois. I did not get a chance to talk with them and have no further info. Tom said the Addison show is February 26 when I'll be set up at the Madison show. Again, another new show promoter with a Saturday show. Hey, someone needs to run a show on a Sunday!!!

We're back in Oak Creek on March 5th. I wish there was a better way to get the word out that dealer tables are sold out. I am still getting an overwhelming amount of requests for dealer tables. I just don't have any available. Sorry!

I am looking forward to the Rockford show on Saturday. I plan on bringing binders. Hope to see you in Rockford!

Saturday, February 5, 2022, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

I was up at 4 a.m., on the road to the show by 5 a.m., and arrived at 5:45 a.m. Unfortunately, as the promoter, I have to be at the sh0w crazy early to rearrange the tables and to place name plates on 106 spaces. It takes a while to complete these tasks. I ask all the dealers to arrive at 8 a.m., to give me some time to get everything done. I heard dealers tugging at the door at 6:45 a.m. WTF?

I finished everything up around 7:30 a.m. and opened the doors to dealers. I loaded my cards into the show as well. On this day, I gave myself the space in Fellowship Hall that I had in December because we had some extra tables and I did not want to haul my card tables into the building. I ended up lending the card tables to a dealer who forgot to bring tables.

The venue now has 77 tables but I need 106, so I require the newest dealers to bring in their own tables. I still have a crazy long waiting list and receive a steady stream of table requests. I was able to get a bunch of new guys into the show this month. Also, it looks like I can fit in an additional four to six more tables so I plan on having 110 or 112 tables for the March 5 show.

The morning was smooth sailing. Several dealers were late arrivals but everyone showed up -- I think this is the first time in eight years where everyone showed up! I was so pleased. Thank you guys! I can't tell you what a headache it is when dealers don't show up because then all 50 guys on the waiting list come up to me and complain that I did not give them a table. They don't seem to understand that some dealers don't bother to show up so I usually have some empty tables.

It was a cold day! The thermometer in my car read 7 degrees as I drove in the dark to Oak Creek. Upon arrival in Oak Creek, the temp dropped to 5 degrees. You could feel the cold while the doors were open during load in. After the show, the temperature warmed up but the wind picked up so it felt colder than the morning. Brrr!

My main man Mark, who is in charge of the event for the Sal, tries his best to maintain a comfortable temperature in the building. It really does not help matters when many people complain to him about the temperature. If you are cold, bundle up. If you are warm, take off some layers! Give Mark a break!

We had a really nice turn out. I'm guessing between 750 and 1,000 people. It is tough to gauge attendance when dealers are spread out throughout this large building. I think we had good control over the flow of people at this one, with the main entry at the front, folks walked through the dealers in the front hallway, who seemed busy all day, then into the Game Room and Fellowship Hall, and lastly into the gym.

While the gym did not seem as crowded as last month, it seemed like more customers were milling in the other parts of the show than previous months. Most dealers reported excellent sales. Seemed everybody was happy which is what I like to see!

I brought out my binders and business was brisk at my tables. A lot of set builders. A huge thank you to everyone who bought cards from me. Also, thank you to Rachel, who watched my tables, as usual, while I hit up the other 104 tables for rental fee.

A big thank you to Doreen for getting me my breakfast Sloppy Joe. I was disappointed to see that the concession stand ran out of Sloppy Joe near the end of the day. Mark said they pretty much ran out of everything including brats and hot dogs. All the funds from the concession stand benefit the Salvation Army so I really appreciate everyone who visits our concession stand.

Along those lines, next month we will be charging a $1 donation to the Salvation Army to enter the show. These kind folks run so many wonderful charity programs and are in desperate need of funding. The $1 donation from everybody will really help them out. A Salvation Army volunteer will be at the front door next month collecting the donations. Please enter from the front door and not the gym.

It was nice to see a lot of different folks at the show. I saw Troy Kinunan, who owns Milwaukee's own Mears Auctions. Troy had some really kind words for me about the show which I really appreciated. Likewise, I have nothing but great things to say about Mears which always has an excellent monthly auction. There is a lot of great stuff happening in Milwaukee!

​Then I saw Rick "Gizmo" Giddings spreading love throughout the building. Rick told me he dropped $25K at the show. Thanks Rick!!

I was exhausted by the end of the day but happy. Seemed everything went well. So many people came up to me during the show and thanked me for putting it on. I appreciate all the kind words and really appreciate everyone for attending. We've really created something special here in Oak Creek together. Thank you guys!

After the show, I learned about a few hiccups. Seems one dealer had some blaster boxes stolen. I am going to start looking for a security guard again. If anyone is interested, let me know.

Another dealer reported that someone passed him a fake $100 dollar bill -- that was a new one. Now we have to be concerned about fake bills.

Also, a customer after the show sent me an email and complained that a 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson and a 1987 Fleer Billy Ripken he purchased were trimmed. He is coming back to the March 5 show to return the cards. I doubt the dealer intentionally sold trimmed cards. Sometimes these things happen. Dealers, I would ask that if you know a card is trimmed, label it as such. Thank you!

Despite these hiccups, we are just rolling along in Oak Creek. This show has morphed into a tremendous event each and every month. There is such a great variety of dealers. As a vintage collector, I love that we have more vintage dealers than any other show around. I am also impressed with the popularity and number of Pokemon dealers in the building. Of course, modern is amazingly popular. There is such a great buzz in the building. It is so cool! 

On the buying front, I picked up a few things. I bought a 1971 Topps Hank Aaron from Kevin Farrell. I think I just need a Mays to complete the set. Then I purchased a T205 John McGraw from Tim. Lastly, I purchased a 1971 Topps O.J. Simpson from Jim. Not a big haul at this show but I was happy with my purchases. Next Oak Creek show is March 5. As usual, dealer tables are sold out. I will pluck a handful of guys off the waiting list for the March 5th show.

Well, this was the first show of a double bill weekend for me. I was set up in Schaumburg on Sunday, Schaumburg report coming soon.

In the meantime, I'm setting up at the Rock Church show in Rockford on February 12. I'm bringing out binders again. Let me know if you want me to bring anything special. See you in Rockford!

Below is a photo essay from the February 5th show.

There was a lot of wax for sale at the show on Saturday.
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We had some museum-quality displays at the show on Saturday. This case was on dealer Kevin Farrell's table.
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Pictured here is Kevin's Ty Cobb display. Oh my!
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Another one of Kevin's display cases. Absolutely amazing stuff!
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Of course I love the vintage but I have to give props to the modern stuff in the building as well. I believe this was Tom and Anita Daniel's table.
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The scene in the gym on Saturday.
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They were doing brisk business in the Game Room on Saturday.
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More from the gym.
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The monthly photo of Jeremy Hasselbring, dealer extraordinaire.
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Pictured here is dealer Mark Arentsen who sells vintage cards and memorabilia. Mark only sets up from December through February then we lose him to the links as he is a golf pro at an Illinois country club. I can't wait for his return in December. He is such a friendly guy, loves the hobby and is a real asset to the show.

Thanks again for coming out. Hope to see you at the March 5th show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, Oak Creek, WI.

Sunday, January 30, 2022, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

I was a little apprehensive before the show because my sales were not very good at the last one. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about because I had a monster show! Woot!

I arrived far earlier than normal at 7 a.m. because I had 12 display cases to fill up and it took me quite a while at the Madison show the day before to load up 10 cases. There were only a handful of dealers there when I arrived. Slowly the room started to fill up with dealers.

I may have to get there even earlier next time I plan on bringing out display cases because dealers wanted to see my stuff which slowed down set up. I was thinking maybe I should place a tarp over the cases until I finish setting up.

Much better crowd than last show and several of my regulars, who were absent at the last show, made it out to this show.

Terry got my day going by purchasing my 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle All Star and he came back a few more time to purchase cards. Thanks Terry! It was great to see my long time friend Gil who pulled a stack of 1962 Topps baseball for his set. Thanks Gil! Rick also purchased a stack of cards including some old hockey. Thanks Rick!

Then the guy who purchased three Mantles from me a few weeks ago in Rockford, showed up and purchased my 1956 Topps Mantle along with some 1952 Topps high numbers. Well, I was ready to go home at this point as I obliterated my sales totals from the last show.

This turned out to be one of those silly days selling cards where I seemed to have the Midas touch. One guy pulled out a 1961 Aaron, a 1964 Mays and a 1967 Aaron. We negotiated a price but he did not have the funds at that moment. He came back three more times and finally paid me for the cards.

Elmwood Park Andy purchased some cards and threatened to come see me at the Schaumburg show. A newer customer who purchased a bunch of cards from me when I last brought out display cases in December, came by a few times to buy some cards. My guy working on '72 Topps with his son found a few for their set. I think they are down to just five or six cards to complete the set.

My pal Will purchased a pile of 1956 Topps and 1971 Topps along with a 1957 Topps Willie Mays. Long-time customer Arlington Heights Andy, who I met years ago at one of Fred Copp's shows, purchased my 1951 Bowman Duke Snider. Andy is pictured above going through my neighbor Kevin Farrell's cards.

One of the guys who bought cards out of my dollar boxes last month was disappointed I did not bring them out to this show. I really need to reload those boxes before I bring them out again.

A lot of guys bought cards and I just don't remember everything I sold but am so appreciative. Thank you!!! This ended up being one of my best Orland shows ever!!

On the buying front, I was able to pay off a debt to another dealer for cards I purchased weeks ago. Then I bought stacks of stuff from Jim and Terry. Chris brought me a unique item in 1979 Topps baseball panels of two that I purchased. Thanks guys!

Will brought me some Mickey D's and coffee for breakfast. Will is the best! I also enjoyed being next to dealer Kevin Farrell who has some cool pre-War stuff. Kevin will be set up at my Oak Creek show on February 5. Come check out his Ty Cobb cards and memorabilia!!

I forgot to pull out some stuff to get signed by Carlos May who was at the show. Will and Joe got some cool 8x10 photos signed by him.

Will, Joe and I capped off the day with lunch at our usual spot Submarine City. We have been going to this place regularly after the Orland show for the past 20 years. On Sunday, I was sorry to learn that owner Ted Gatses had recently passed away. Ted opened Submarine City in 1978. It is a great sandwich shop, reasonably priced with friendly staff. This is also the only place I know that serves Diet Rite Cola. I appreciate Ted Gatses and send my condolences to his family and friends. RIP Ted.

Another double bill weekend coming up. My Oak Creek show is this Saturday, February 5. Once again there is a full house of dealers, 65 total with more than 100 tables. I am proud to state that the Oak Creek show is the largest monthly show in Wisconsin. I've got a bunch of new dealers lined up for Saturday along with all the great regulars. Hope you can make it out to the show!!

Then on Sunday, I am setting up at the Schaumburg show at the Woodfield Hyatt. I'm bringing binders to both shows. Schaumburg is one of my slower shows, I'd love to see more vintage collectors attend this Sunday!!

A big thank you to everyone who bought and sold me cards at the Orland show. Wow! What a great show!! Woot!!

Pictured below is my buddy Joe with Carlos May. Photo by Will Schwenn.