Sunday, February 26, 2023, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

I had a rough week prior to the show. My son brought home some sort of sickness from school, which I, of course, acquired. I missed a few days of work. I had to hustle on Saturday to finish loading up my '52 Topps and '61 Post. Got it done and wanted to load up my car but there have been so many car break ins in my neighborhood that I am afraid now to load the car on the night before the show.

I was ready to pass out after I loaded the car up in the morning. I somehow showered, made it out of the house and arrived in Orland around 8 a.m. There was a large number of cars already in the parking lot.

Load in and set up were pretty easy. I brought out all of my binders and three display cases. I overestimated my space and did not have enough room to place out any of the basketball binders.

After set up, I slumped into a chair and waited for my pals Will and Joe to arrive with Mickey D's. Oh, I needed sustenance and felt so much better after that fine meal and caffeination.

Nice crowd once again. This is one of the best-run shows around. These folks do such an excellent job promoting the show. They also treat me like family and I appreciate them so much!

Another reason I absolutely love this show is that there are always a large number of vintage dealers, which in turn, brings out a large number of vintage collectors. Superstar vintage dealers "The Other Tony" and Kevin F. were set up, and it is always great to see those guys. Kevin is setting up in Oak Creek. I'd love to get Tony up there some day. I saw vintage dealer Tom Mularz, also a superstar. It is always great to talk with Tom, who like Kevin, is setting up in Oak Creek next week.

Another superstar vintage dealer Jim C. had the '71 Brock I needed for my set. I thought I had the set completed with my recent acquisition of a Clemente but went through it once again and saw that I was missing the Brock. Jim C. will be in Oak Creek, like the others.

My neighbor Terry purchased some cards then sent a guy selling slabbed '58 Mantle and Aaron All Stars my way. We made a deal and I appreciate the assist from Terry.

Terry had a lot of tax questions for me. Tax law is not my forte. I hire an accountant like everyone else to deal with my taxes. Now, if you need a divorce, need to reduce your child support payments, get a traffic ticket, DUI, or have a traffic accident, then I'm your guy! I also do landlord/tenant law, contract disputes and a host of other areas but I stay away from taxes. 

After talking to Terry about taxes, the flood gates opened, and I was busy all day long. My first customer of the day was Pat Quinn. I love Mr. Quinn and his old partner Roger, who I also saw walking the show. They don't remember me but I met them when I was 12 years old and went to their card shop on the Southwest Side of Chicago. That was 44 years ago!

There are a few of us at the Orland show, now in our mid-fifties, who went to the old Sports Collectors shop as kids. My pal Paul P. and I always reminisce about those days. Speaking of Paul, haven't seen him in a while. Mr. Paul, hope you can make one of the March Orland shows!

Mr. Quinn purchased a 1968 Globetrotters program. He seems to be into publications these days. Back when I first started setting up in Orland, about 22 years ago now, he used to bring me the greatest vintage oddball cards like 1960 Topps Tattoos and sell them to me for a song. I miss those days!

Next up was my pal Mike, a regular reader of this blog. Thanks Mike! In most of my Orland blogs I note that the vintage crowd generally stops at Record Store Steve's table first, then Jim, the Terry, then me. Mike told me he is doing it in reverse and started with me first! Awesome! Mike purchased some 1952 Topps among others which was much appreciated.

So I was able to jot down Pat and Mike's purchases and mistakenly thought I could take notes all day long but I quickly became overwhelmed with customers and abandoned my notes. Let's see what I can remember....

I sold quite a few publications. My old pal Chris T. purchased some 1961 Post, among others. Chris is one of the most knowledgeable card guys I know. I've learned a lot from him over the years. Lately, we have been talking about the Fleer football cards from the 1970's. Chris distinctly remembers purchasing packs back then. He even remembers the texture of the gum! I, on the other hand, have no recollection of these cards. As you know, I was at the corner pharmacy buying cards all the time in those days. I remember buying the oversized Fleer all-time greats baseball and football cards but do not remember these particular football cards.

The Fleer football consists of random action shots. As Chris pointed out, Fleer used the same photo on multiple years. I have purchased quite a few of them from Chris over the years. I always appreciate talking to Chris and learning something new. 

My pal Eddie came by and purchased a pile of graded cards, including my 1956 Topps Ted Williams. Eddie was today's big winner. Thanks buddy! Then there was the father and son team who purchased a pile of stuff. The son was wearing a cool old Bill Buckner Cubs jersey. Dad was wearing what I think was a Bill Terry New York Giants jersey. Another customer I really like is Mike D., who purchased a bunch of cards. Thanks Mike! Mike is also an accountant. I had Mike's business card and passed it along to Terry.

So, like I said, it was a mob scene at my tables most of the day. I had guys sitting in front and back of the tables! I sold a ton of cards! I ended up having an excellent day, as usual. The Orland show rocks!

My pal Willie S. made an appearance. Back in the day, I used to see Willie every week but these days I only see him a couple of times a year. It was great to catch up. He also purchased a bunch of cards. Thanks Willie!

On the buying front, it was one of my best buying shows in Orland in a long while. I picked up my usual group from Junior, including a 1968 Topps Stand-Up Joe Namath. I picked up that slabbed Aaron and Mantle, mentioned earlier. Then I purchased a nice pile of early 1970's basketball with commons and stars. The seller said he will have more for me soon! Awesome!

Will, Joe and I capped off the day at the sub shop. I had an Italian beef sandwich. It was a little dry and not enough peppers for my liking. I was surprised, I thought they made a better beef at the sub shop. For those followers that live outside of Chicago, an Italian beef sandwich is a Chicago staple and consists of seasoned roast beef on a fresh Italian roll. You can ask for the sandwich to be topped off with giardiniera, which is pickled, spiced peppers and veggies in olive oil.  You can also ask for sweet peppers (roasted peppers) or both. I went with the sweet peppers because, even though I love it, giardiniera sometimes upsets my stomach. You can also ask for the sandwich to be wet/dipped in au jus or dry. I went with dry because it is easier to eat but I like that meat to have some au jus. 

As a side note, the best beef place in the Chicago area is Johnnie's in Elmwood Park, which is just a few miles east Rosemont. So if you are coming into town for the National this summer, I recommend a beef sandwich at Johnnies -- you won't be disappointed!

After lunch, I had to head back home to pick up my daughter who had completed her first day of work at a shop at the local mall. I am so proud of my baby girl getting a job. Though, she was exhausted when I picked her up. Welcome to adulthood honey! Now if we could just get your brother working...

Anyway, another terrific day in Orland. A big thank you to Rich and the nice ladies that run the show. Also, thanks to everyone who stopped to chat, bought and sold me cards. There was a lot of discussion about my recent blogs. I love that so many people follow this blog! By the end of the day, I had forgotten that I had been sick all week. 

Next up is the Oak Creek show on Saturday, March 4, 2023. I recently expanded the show to 180 tables and I still have a dealer waiting list! The calls for dealer space are never ending! I feel terrible that I do not have the space for everyone who wants to set up. Sorry guys! Hopefully, I can get you in soon!

See you guys in Oak Creek!

Sunday, February 19, 2023, WSCA Show, Roma Lodge, Racine, WI

I had issues with the cart loading in after I arrived at Roma around 8 a.m. I thought I could place two bins on the cart then place some display cases on top of the bins. Well, two bins did not fit on the cart! I had to take the top off one bin so I could squeeze it in then place display cases on top. It was a rickety set up and the display cases started to fall off the cart when I entered the door to Roma Lodge. 

I was stuck in the doorway trying to take the cases off the cart and holding everything in place with my body when some guy appeared out of nowhere trying to get into the door I was blocking. He was clearly annoyed with me but there was nothing I could do because I did not want my cases to crash to the ground. I tried my best to ignore him while I pulled the cases off the cart. I figured out later that he was loading in stuff for the auction.

I rectified the situation on my next load by placing two of my small wood cases on the cart then placing the larger cases on top. This alignment seemed to work much better. 

I was in my usual spot and was able to fit all 13 display cases on three eight-foot tables. Next job was to fill all those cases before folks wanted my attention. I think I finished loading the cases with cards around 10 a.m. The show started an hour earlier at 9 a.m.

Only issue was that my guy who sold me T206's at the December show, showed up early.  I meant to email him and request that he arrive late but I did not get it done. I really needed some time to sell some cards before paying T206 seller. I had a few hundred bucks on me, paid the man and asked that he walk the show and return later for more cash.

I started to sell cards with just a few cases filled. T206 seller came back, I gave him more money and requested he walk the show and return again. I could tell he was not happy with me. I continued to load up my cases and continued to sell cards.

When I finally had all 13 cases loaded up, T206 seller was back but I was too busy helping five customers at once. My pal Donny jumped in and helped. It was a mob scene at my tables. I was selling cards, giving the cash to T206 seller and trying to get him to wait around until I sold enough cards to pay him the full amount. 

Then he told me he had to go to work and I was just $200 short. The way things were going, I knew I would have the money soon but T206 seller had to go. I went over to the Scotty P. Savings and Loan and borrowed $200 to pay T206 seller.

Hopefully, T206 seller is not overly annoyed with me because I would like to purchase more cards from him down the road.

I was really happy at this point, making sales and peaking at my purchases whenever I got a few moments. I love T206s and I got some good ones today!

I remained busy, selling cards left and right. It was fast and furious. I have no idea what I sold and to whom I sold cards. I ran over to the Scotty P. Savings and Loan to pay off my debt.

When things slowed down, I went over to chat with Keith, one of my favorites and I always enjoy catching up. So, I was with Keith in the other room when Scotty P. knocked on the window and motioned me in. Scotty said he sent a guy selling T206s to my table. Scotty rules!

I raced over to my table and met a guy who had a briefcase full of T206 cards! Wow! What a great day! I had enough funds to purchase several more T206 cards. This turned out to be one of my best buying shows ever!

A huge thank you to Scotty P. who had an assist on both of my T206 purchases. Scotty is just the best! If you don't know Scotty, he is just a super nice guy with a heart of gold. He sells modern cards and is one of the best dealers around. His tables are always packed with customers. He is always wheeling and dealing and really knows his stuff. I am so thankful to know him and consider him a friend. Thanks Scotty!

I was giddy with joy this day over my mound of T206 cards. I felt like Bob Downing at the National with all these T206 cards. 

Somehow, during the madness, I was able to wolf down a meatball bomber. Man, I was smelling those things all morning and was too busy to get one until 11 a.m. or so. Great batch today!

Also great was the attendance. Keith said it was the largest attendance at Roma Lodge to date. Man, it sure seemed like there was a lot of people.

Back to my purchases... I also purchased a few cards from my pal Jim. Another good friend Scotty Z., not to be confused with Scotty P., sold me some hockey cards from the 1970's. Then the purchase of the day was an old tin garbage can with an image of an old Blackhawks player on there. I saw the can while loading in and had to have it. I purchased it from Keith's brother, who always has all sorts of unique stuff on his tables.

Don thought the can was from the early 1960's. My friend from my hometown of Northbrook, Illinois, thought the can was from the late 1950's. It cost only a buck because it is rusted up. I'd like to figure out how to restore it. I've got a nice spot for it in the card bunker, it is a keeper and won't be for sale.

I wish I could remember what I sold. I know my friend George purchased my 1955 Bowman Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. Bob purchased some 1971-72 Topps basketball. He had requested the binder prior to the show and pulled some cards out of there. A new customer cleaned me out of Paul Richards cards. My old friend Bill from Antioch purchased some cards. Thanks Bill!

Many, many more folks purchased cards. All I remember is receiving cash then handing it over to the first guy selling me T206s. What a fun day!

So the Roma Lodge show is scheduled every other month. I have some conflicts the next two shows when the April and June shows are slated for the same day as Orland. I'm thinking I'll set up in Orland in April, then do Roma in June. I hate to miss any of the Orland or Roma shows but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Speaking of Orland, I am setting up there on Sunday, February 26. 2023, and will be back to binders. I hope to have the 1952 Topps baseball binder reloaded by Sunday.

Next Oak Creek show is coming up on March 4, 2023. Once again, I will have 180 tables and 120 dealers in Oak Creek. Tables are sold out! You can send me an email to be added to my waiting list to [email protected].

A huge thank you to Keith for running an awesome show as usual. A huge thank you to Scotty P! Another thank you to Don for helping me during the frenzy period. Thank you to everybody who bought cards and thank you to the two guys who sold me all those T206 cards!

Rock on! Rock over London! (Random Wesley Willis reference).

Below are some of my T206 purchases from Sunday at the Roma Lodge. I will eventually get these priced and out at a show. 

Saturday, February 18, 2023, Woodstock North High School, Woodstock, IL

One issue that needs to be addressed is early arrivals.  I see it at every show and am just amazed at how many customers arrive at the same time as the dealers. It takes me a good hour to load in and set up. Why attend an hour before I even set up? It also slows my set up when guys are in my face while I am attempting to put out all of my cards. I know I speak for most dealers by requesting that all attendees arrive when the show officially opens. Two or three customers walked in with me as I was loading into the Woodstock show Saturday. That stuff has gotta stop.

One exception to the early arrival rule is my pal Don, who popped out of nowhere while I was unloading my car and helped me load in. Thanks Don!

Similar table layout as last month in Woodstock except that my row was a lot tighter. I still had room to place out the card table I brought along. I lucked out that Jose Roman was to my right, and he offered to move his table down, if needed.

I enjoyed chatting with Jose and the other dealer on my left. Both guys sell modern cards and had excellent days. Not a good day for the vintage stars in the display cases. I did not sell much. All the guys who came out for me last month were nowhere to be found this month. Where were you guys? I had some really good stuff out!

In total, I filled up 11 display cases. It took me quite a while to get those cases filled up. I had a lot of guys show up at my table while I was setting up to sell me stuff. Which is great and all, but I just wish they came when the show officially opened at 9:30 a.m., not 8:30 a.m. when I’m loading in and struggling to set up.

I am not an early riser and always have difficulty getting out of bed. I try to arrive an hour before the show opens and I really need all that time to load in and set up. It is starting to get really annoying.

While setting up, I took several boxes from several guys, who had them for sale and allowed me to hold onto them until I finished setting up and had the time to look at them. I turned away a bunch more guys because they had 1990 Donruss baseball, 1990 Hoops basketball, 1988 Topps baseball… you get the picture. One guy had some 1986 Fleer basketball which is one of the few issues that sells great from the 1980’s but he would not give me a price. He shopped them around the whole show then went home with them.

I was amazed at how many guys stopped at my table to sell me cards well before I finished setting up. The guys walking the room selling continued for the next several hours. I don’t think this has ever happened at any show ever! Where did all these guys come from? There were so many guys walking the show and selling cards!

The only one of these guys that I knew was my friend from Rockford, who arrived early in Rockford last week, he also arrived early in Rockford the previous month and was angry that I was on the phone. When I had just two of the 11 display cases filled in Woodstock, he gave me a 3200-count box largely filled with 1965 through 1967 Topps baseball. He seemed to understand that I needed some time to set up and then look at the cards before we could work out a deal. Though, he came back every 10 minutes to see if I was done setting up. Ugh!

When I was finally able to complete set up, I looked through his box before the others because he is impatient. Then we got to talking and I started to feel really bad. He told me he has cancer and he wants to sell all of his baseball cards because his son has no interest in them. He said he is going to switch from collecting baseball to collecting Chicago Bears football cards because his son has an interest in those. Sad, sad, sad, situation. My guy is undergoing chemo and I truly wish him the best and hope he gets through it okay.

Anyway, I went through his box of cards. About half of it was 1966 Topps with a nice number of stars and a handful of high numbers. There were some cards with writing and some that had been chewed up by a mouse. With those crummy cards in mind, I made a conservative offer. The seller wanted a little more but I would not budge with a box containing some cards munched by mice.

Next boxes came from a guy who I have never met before. He saw that I was busy setting up and said I could keep the boxes and go through them at my leisure then call him to work out a deal. He left me his business card. Good thing I am honest. There are quite a few guys who would have just walked away with the cards without ever paying for them.

I eventually looked through the boxes which were obviously his childhood collection of baseball and football cards from the early 1970’s. The cards were well loved. He admitted that he played with them a lot. I texted him an offer and he accepted. Now I just need to figure out a way to get him the money. He wanted to use Venmo but I don’t have it and tried to register this weekend but had nothing but trouble with it. I gotta get my kids to help me. They will know how to do it. The seller does not have PayPal which would have been easiest for me. I also offered to send out a check.

So I probably went home with a good four to five thousand cards! Sales may have been slow but these boxes of cards will yield a nice profit down the road.

On the food front, no concession stand today. Good thing I brought some drinks.

Here is an observation about this show... One of the things that makes the Woodstock show unique is that there are always a group of dealers set up that only set up at this show, and no others. One of these dealers looks to be 90 years old. He is a kind, sweet man.

I observed last month and this month that, out of the kindness of his heart, he made balloon animals for all the kids that stopped at his table. He was just two tables down from me, so there was a parade of kids walking by all day long with balloons. Problem I saw was that the balloons do not look like animals, rather, they look like penises.  Yes, you read that right, penises. There were dozens of kids walking around with balloon penises. I do not know what animal he was shooting for, but the end result was a penis. I am certain he is not intentionally making penises, maybe tadpoles? Snakes? I should have taken a photo. I’ll try to next time.

Naughty balloons aside, the day flew by and I had a really nice time. I was happy with my purchases and did not expect to spend all that money. The purchases were kind of a bummer in a way because I was hoping to raise funds at this show for a T206 deal I am working on, not lose funds. Oh, well. When the deal is there, you gotta take it!

No Woodstock show in March. Next one is April 15 when I will be out in Strongsville, Ohio, for the yearly all-vintage show. Next time I am setting up in Woodstock is May 20th. Though, I really like the Woodstock show and love the promoter. I recommend that everyone attend the April 15th show in Woodstock!

Not sure what I’ll bring out to the May 20th show. Woodstock is a tough place for vintage. I will try and do something a little different for that one.

This was a double bill weekend with the Racine show on Sunday. Racine blog coming soon.

Reminder, next Oak Creek show is March 4, 2023. Dealer tables are sold out! Attention dealers, no fighting, please!

Next show for me is Orland Park on Sunday, February 26, 2023. I’m bringing binders out to that one. I hope to have 1952 Topps baseball ready to go by Sunday.
​
A huge thank you to everyone who bought and sold me cards in Woodstock! See you guys in Orland!

Below are some of my purchases from Saturday's show in Woodstock. I've already begun to post some of them on eBay. Find my eBay store here: Fat Daddy's Sports | eBay Stores

Saturday, February 11, 2023, IBEW Local 364, Rockford, IL

What a difference two weeks makes! Last month, we had a nasty snowstorm during the show. This month we had temps in the upper 40's, lots of sun. The drive to and from the show was easy, unlike last month where the drive home was a near-death experience.

My tables were located in-between dealers Gary George and Jeff Talamantez. Behind me was Dave Kania, who I have known forever, and Matt Skaggs, who just happened to no-show me the week before in Oak Creek. Matt will not be setting up in Oak Creek anymore.

Steady crowd all day long, though it seemed like more people attended the last show during a snowstorm -- go figure. Also, at last show, I brought out all display cases. I went with the binders this time around and sold more stuff with the binders than the display cases! Lot's of set builders. I was definitely busier with the binders than the display cases. Seemed like most of my sales were to guys who did not attend the last show. I tried to keep track of the cards I sold but got too busy to jot everything down.

Let's see what I can remember... I had a few guys at my table well before I finished setting up which is always a bummer. Show starts at 9 a.m. and I really don't like guys at my table prior. I need all the time I can get to set up.

The one guy who got angry at me at the last show because I was on the phone, was the first customer, way too early, at this show. I think I only had about half the binders layed out when he started going through them. He was in a much better mood, though, and found a few cards for his 1980 Topps set.

My next customer was one of two Terry's who visited my tables on this day. Oddly enough, both Terrys, live in Janesville. The first Terry trucked out to my show the previous week in Oak Creek, which was much appreciated. First Terry purchased some 1963 Topps football in Rockford. Terry said he was just starting the set.

Later in the show, first Terry had a hypoglycemic episode which I can relate. As I told him, I deal with hypoglycemia at least once a month, usually more. We're both diabetics and sometimes the intake of insulin leads to hypoglycemia which can be deadly. Thankfully, Gary had a granola bar which saved Terry. Hypoglycemia absolutely sucks and I hate when it hits me. I normally keep some candy or glucose tabs with me just in case but did not have any at the time. I hope Terry is feeling better. 

Second Terry arrived near the end of the show, as usual, and he had some returns for me, which I absolutely hate. Second Terry is one of the few customers that returns cards. I feel like all sales are final at a card show. You have plenty of time to sit at my table and analyze the cards before purchase. I noticed that the three 1958 Topps baseball cards that Terry returned to me were all way off center. My guess is Terry upgraded the cards and no longer wanted the off-center ones and returned them to me. The right thing to do in this situation is go sell the cards you no longer want, don't return them to the vendor!

Second Terry always has some cards to sell to me. He could have thrown those '58s into the group he was selling and I would have been none the wiser. Regardless, I did purchase a nice group of cards from Second Terry that included some really nice 1963 Topps baseball high numbers. 

Any number of the other customers today could have been named Terry as well but I just cannot seem to remember most names. One customer, who I have seen before, purchased a huge pile of 1975 Topps baseball cards, some '74 Topps baseball and some '78 Topps baseball. He said he works most Saturdays and has a tough time attending Saturday shows. He was wearing a cap that stated "Desert Storm Veteran." I appreciate his service and his purchases!

Big Mike purchased a nice pile of stuff. His buddy Kevin also purchased some cards. Prior to the show, I thought Kevin would be interested in my newly reloaded 1950 Bowman baseball but he told me he already completed the set. I was impressed. What a cool set! Thanks for your purchases guys!

A new customer purchased all sorts of stuff, including football, hockey and baseball cards. My one buddy from Berwyn purchased some 1950 Bowman baseball. Sean, who I last saw at the November Sports Spectacular, purchased some cards. Jeremy, a new customer, also purchased a nice pile of cards. Funny, some guys I'll remember their names but won't remember their purchases. Other guys, I'll remember their purchases but not their names. What's that about?

The big winner today was the customer I originally met at the Madison show last year who just about cleaned out my 1975 Topps baseball binder and a large chunk of my 1962 Topps baseball binder.

Like I said, it was a real nice day selling cards. I know I sold more cards but I just can't remember what or to whom. My total sales surpassed last month, which was real nice.  I really appreciate all the purchases!

I enjoyed chatting with Dave K., who told me he grew up on a farm in Franklin, WI. I only know Franklin from the Root River card show and I can't see where there are any farms in that town. Franklin seems like a fully developed suburb of Milwaukee. I gotta ask Dave exactly where that farm was located because it is probably a housing development or strip mall today. 

On the buying front, I purchased those cards from Second Terry along with another group from a long-time customer that included a 1960 Topps Al Kaline All Star. I went home with a nice pile of stuff. Thanks guys!

Overall, an excellent day! I love the Rockford show! The promoters John and Mike are awesome. I like the new venue, though I got a little lost on the way there. The hall is on Mill Road which is not a major thoroughfare so if you blink, you miss the street sign. 

The next Rockford show is March 11. I cannot attend that one because I previously committed to Bridgeview. Though, I encourage all who live in the area to attend the Rockford show because it is an excellent show and far enough away from Bridgeview where neither compete with each other. Though, I have to say, I did see one customer in Rockford, who I originally met at the Bridgeview show. He told me that he lives by Midway Airport. Man, he had a nice drive to Rockford!

Please note that I will be at the April 8 Rockford show. I might bring binders again in April because they did so well at the February show.

In the meantime, next Oak Creek show is March 4. Once again, I am sold out of dealer space. You can send me an email at [email protected] to be added to the wait list.

Next up is a double bill weekend with Woodstock on Saturday, February 18, then I will be set up at the Roma Lodge in Racine on Sunday, February 19. I am reverting back to display cases for those shows because my binders got cleaned out in Rockford. I desperately need to reload. I'll probably bring out binders to the February 26 Oland show. I should have 1978 and 1952 Topps baseball reloaded for the Orland show.

​Hope to see you this weekend! A big thank you to everyone in Rockford, that was a lot of fun!!

​The photo up top I swiped off the Premier Card Shows Facebook page. The bottom photo is one I took.

Saturday, February 4, 2023, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

What a day! Record attendance! Dealers throwing punches! Kitchen staffer burned! Cards and more cards! Oh my!!

Doors opened to the general public at 9 a.m. By 10 a.m. we had 300 people through the door. Final tally was 906, a new record! Now we need to hit 1,000 for the March 4th show!! The best part of all these people coming into the show is that it is a fundraiser for the great folks at the Salvation Army who do so much good for the community with these funds!! I am so happy that so many people attended the show and I am so happy that we can all do our part in supporting the Salvation Army.

​Now for some silliness....

During load in, we had two dealers throwing punches at each other. I received several accounts on what happened. The basic gist is that one dealer blocked the entrance with his truck while loading his cards into the show. Another dealer took offense and both guys started throwing punches. 

Now these guys are past their prime and should know better. Dealers! If you have an issue with someone blocking the way while loading in, don't settle it with your fists. Come and get me or Mark and we will ask the guy blocking the way to move his vehicle. Both guys had some scrapes and bruises. This was our first fight in eight years of operating the show. I hope it is our last fight. Let's all get along! We are really just a bunch of geeks who collect sports cards. The last thing we should be doing is throwing punches! It is a card show! Let's have some fun. No need to fight!!

Next up was an injury in the kitchen. Ken, who cooks our delicious Sloppy Joe was recycling some hot oil during the show when some spilled onto the floor and he slipped in it and suffered burns to his back, arms and ankle. He went to the burn unit at the hospital for treatment. Mark said he is in good spirits. Hope he heels up in time to cook us Sloppy Joe for the March show! Ken, if you read this, we love you brother and hope you heal up and feel better soon!

I gotta say that back in 2014, when I started this show, I never imagined that I would be dealing with record attendance, dealers fighting and kitchen staff injuries. Man, oh man! This thing has grown into such a beast! I am now putting in anywhere from two to eight hours a day on this thing!!

My phone continues to ring off the hook along with receiving a large number of emails and Facebook messages. It is still really just me, even though my lovely wife Lisa provides amazing assistance during the show. But prior, it is just me dealing with everything. Folks don't need to call me five times in five minutes. I will respond to you! Please remember that I also have a very busy day job and cannot answer the phone at all times. It also may take a while for me to get to all the emails and Facebook messages. Please be patient. I will respond! I promise!

Now with a report on some of the busy work I participated in prior to the show: One of my main goals prior to each show is to eradicate the dealer no shows. Every single show, I have dealers who reserve space prior to the show but don't bother to show up on the actual day of the show. The most frustrating part is that even though I now have 180 tables, I still have a waiting list!! So there are folks who would like to set up but are blocked by these irresponsible a-holes who don't have the decency to call, text or message me if they can't make the show.

As a result, prior to the February 4 show, I put in a ton of time contacting dealers to confirm attendance. I was amazed at how many told me they were not attending. I had to hustle to replace them. Several dealers cancelled a day or two prior to the show which makes replacing them very difficult. Then there are the guys who cancel the morning of. I just have four-letter words for those guys. So it is an ongoing process of banning the irresponsible ones and adding new dealers and hoping they actually show up.

Along those lines, I believe the dealers that cancel or do not show up should pay me for their spot. I could have filled the space with someone else. Thus, in an effort to reduce cancellations and no-shows I am requiring all dealers to pre-pay for their space. The payment is non-refundable. Dealers, if you commit, you gotta show up! 

I am not making the dealers do anything I don't do myself. As you know, I set up at tons of shows as a dealer. I always pay or at least offer to pay for my tables whether I show up or not. It is the right thing to do and I do not mind paying for the tables. I know all too well that the promoters still have to pay for the space whether dealers show up or not. Space is not cheap! Nobody is making big profits off these shows, especially me when considering the time I have to put in to manage this thing now. It is really not worth it but I am a glutton for punishment. 

Of course, any dealer that gives me at least a week notice, is no longer responsible for the spot. It is those dealers that don't give me much or any time to replace them that must pay.

I gotta deal with all kinds. I have one guy, who has no-showed me three times now. He's done. This past show, he called me five times on the Friday before the show. I could not answer my phone because I was at work. When I finally answered, he asked for space. I just had a dealer cancel so I gave knucklehead the space. Later that night, I went to the Salvation Army to set up. I spent six hours setting up the 180 spaces. Knucklehead calls and cancels. Ugh! Why did you call me all day long seeking space only to cancel later that night?

Lisa said that she sees how I stress out in the week leading up to the show but when the show gets going, she watches it all melt away. Admittedly, I have a lot of fun at the show. With Lisa's help and with dealers pre-paying, I can spend more time at my tables which is why I created this show in the first place -- to set up and buy and sell some cards!

I really did have a great time at this past show. I did a display case set up. My first in Oak Creek in quite a while. Both Lisa and I were amazed at the interest in our higher end cards. Our sales were excellent! Thank you everybody who purchased cards from us!! I have to admit that my favorite customer of the day was 12-year-old CJ, who knew something about every old-time player in my display cases. I was so impressed and had so much fun chatting with CJ and his dad, who purchased a 1966 Topps Hank Aaron. Thanks guys!!

Also, impressive were some of the new dealers. One who had a $27K box of Pokémon cards on their tables. In total, they had more than $100K in product on their tables.

As a vintage dealer and collector, I pride myself in having more vintage dealers than just about any other show around. I really appreciate the compliments from vintage collectors. One collector drove on down from Green Bay and was so incredibly happy with the number of vintage dealers and huge amount of vintage cards available at the show. I love the joy and smiles.

Thankfully, no thefts to report this month. Though, one dealer from last month, realized he had some cards stolen at the January show. Please be on the lookout for the stolen cards pictured below.

On the buying front, I was a little gitty with my purchases of a T205 Chief Bender and a 1933 Goudey Lefty Grove. These cards just walked up. Initially the sellers wanted to trade, but as you know, I don't like to trade and was able to work out cash deals for the cards. Also, dealer JR Sports had my 1971 Topps Roberto Clemente I needed to complete my '71 set. Thanks JR! JR also sent over a guy selling his childhood collection of 1971 Topps Coins which I purchased. Thanks again JR! I also picked up a bag of 1964 Topps Coins. I am a big fan of the '64 and '71 coins but not the '89 Coins, please keep those away!

We had a lot of first-time customers and first-time dealers who just raved about this show. Hearing all the compliments helps ease my frustrations with operating the event. I really appreciate all the kind words.

I went from frustrated to happy by the end of the day. I was soooo tired on the way home. Lisa, my daughter Tabby, and I went out for Chinese food, once home. Afterwards, I passed out. I am still recovering. I am not as young as I used to be and the show takes a lot out of me.

No rest for the weary. I need to respond to all the messages and figure out my dealer roster for the March 4 show.

Again, thank you everybody. As I stated earlier, I set up at a ton of shows and the Oak Creek show is easily the most successful of them all which I attribute to you! Thanks for your support. Let's have some more fun at the March 4th show... just no fighting and no injuries, please!

Next up for me as a dealer is the Rockford show on February 11. I still get contacted by folks looking to rent tables at the Rockford show and others. I can only provide dealer space at the Oak Creek show which is the only show I manage. You need to contact the promoters at these other shows for space, not me!

Anyway, I plan on bringing out binders to Rockford. If you saw some star cards in my display cases in Oak Creek and you want me to bring them to Rockford, please let me know.

​Happy collecting everybody!

Pictured below are the cards stolen from dealer Noah Vernau at the January show. Please, keep a look out!

Now for some photos from the February 4th show:

Thanks again everybody! See you soon!