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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wayne can be reached at the following emails: 
[email protected] or [email protected].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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