Thursday, November 16, 2023, Set-Up Day for the Sports Spectacular, Stephens Center, Rosemont, IL

For most dealers, myself included, the show starts Thursday afternoon with load in and set up. This show has always been the worst show for load in and load out, this time was especially bad as the Sports Spectacular blocked off the majority of the load in area. Where you could once fit 50 or so cars for load in was reduced to 20. They also placed booths in the way, so pushing your cart filled with display cases through a maze of cars, booths and people was a harrowing experience. 

I really like the folks that operate this show and I hate to diss them but this load in and load out situation is sheer stupidity. There has to be a clear path for dealers to load in and load out. At least at the beginning of the show load in is staggered but at the end you have 330 vendors trying to load out of a tiny space all at once where you can only fit 20 vendor vehicles at a time. Not only was this a cluster$#&@, but a dangerous situation. Someone is going to get hurt. 

Now for the actual set up… Unlike the smaller one-day shows, these mega-multi-day shows provide each dealer with a booth, as opposed to a table. The booth offers quite a bit of space. The lovely Miss Shannon, who is in charge of the dealers, placed me in a booth across from the concession stand—which is full circle for me. The first time I set up at this show in the late 1990’s, I was placed at this exact same location by original promoter George Johnson, who still sets up at the show. Since then, I’ve been placed all over the room. I think I like this spot best and hope to keep it for future shows.

So dealers have the option to set up Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. I learned over the years that I must set up Thursday afternoon because neighboring dealers will pinch your space if you don’t get there and mark out your territory.

PJ had the booth next to me and arrived before I did. He pushed all the booths down so he could have extra space. We usually can go 10 to 15 feet deep into the booth before conflicting with the dealers set up behind us. We had a good 10 feet. Then we had a ton of space in front so we had another 8 feet or so in front. Tons ‘O space, it was awesome. I brought six of my own tables and was able to get them all out. On top of the tables, I placed 15 display cases, up from the 11 I had back in March. So I was able to put out a ton of stuff!

I had been prepping for the show over the past several months, so I had piles off new stuff in my display cases. Back in the day, Thursday was great for dealer to dealer sales. Not so much these days, though, the guys next to me from a card shop in Schaumburg seemed to be doing brisk business on Thursday. When I scanned the room, I did observe pockets of activity but not so much. None of the vintage dealers had much going on at their tables. I don’t even put my cards out anymore on Thursdays. I just set up the tables and display cases. 

I arrived for set up Thursday around 3 p.m. and finished around 5:30 p.m., after scrubbing down the glass on all the display cases. Near the end of set up, my stomach started to growl. I have been craving Russell’s Barbecue located in nearby Elmwood Park and decided to pick up some BBQ beef sandwiches and bring them home.

I started driving to Russell’s around 5:45 p.m. Traffic was jammed up. I used to live nearby just over the Chicago border and forgot about the local traffic. It took me seemingly forever to get to my old neighborhood. I hadn’t been there in a while. I was flooded with memories and got a little teary-eyed when I remembered bringing my newborns home from the hospital for the first time. 

There is so much stupid propaganda about Chicago in the media. The truth is that it is an amazing city with some problems — more amazing than problematic. My neighbors in Chicago were much friendlier than my current neighbors in the suburbs. When my kids were born it seemed like the whole block brought over gifts, whether I knew them or not. People were so kind to us. Some of the older folks in the neighborhood brought gifts for the kids every Christmas. 

It was so hard to move. One neighbor cried when we informed them of our impending move to the suburbs. We thought we were doing better for our kids by moving to the suburbs to a bigger house with a huge yard and fancy public schools. However, in hindsight, we should have stayed in the city where property taxes were low, city services were so much better than the suburbs, and the people were so much kinder.

While lost in thought, I eventually arrived at Russell’s. I was amazed to see that they added a drive-thru. There was no way I was doing drive-thru. My family has been coming to Russell’s since it opened in the 1920’s. Tradition calls for waiting in line inside to place your order then wait with the hoards to receive your food. 

No line to order any more. I walked right up to the pretty young lady working the cash register and gave my usual order of a beef sandwich meal with a side of corn on the cob, the same thing I have been ordering here since I was a toddler in the 1960’s.

There is also no more hoards of people waiting for their meals by the front counter. Russell’s now has staff delivering meals to the tables of those dining in. I was the only one in there with a to-go order. 

On the way home, I drove through the town of River Grove and noticed that the old florist shop, where I regularly bought flowers for my lovely bride, had been demolished. In its place are five or six, seven-story condo buildings. They looked so wrong. Also, located nearby when I lived around here was Nitti Travel, a small travel agency operated by the descendants of gangster Al Capone’s right-hand man Frank Nitti. Like the florist shop, Nitti Travel is no more and one of the condo buildings sits on its former location.

Nitti took over for Capone once the feds imprisoned big Al in Alcatraz. There is a weird story about Nitti’s death. I don’t know how much truth there is to it but as the story goes Nitti eventually ran afoul of the Chicago mob and a hit was issued. Instead of allowing mob gunmen to shoot him down, Nitti jumped in front of a fast moving train and took his own life. 

There is a lot of mob-related stuff in this part of town. The first Italians to emigrate to Chicago in the 1800’s, settled just west of Downtown, then eventually moved out this way. Back then, this suburban area where I roamed after setting up for the show, was all farmland, except for a few towns like Oak Park and Forest Park. 

Many of the farms were turned into cemeteries where city dwellers were buried. Many mobsters are buried in the cemeteries in these parts. Jack Ruby, who shot Lee Harvey Oswald, after JFK’s assassination, is buried in a cemetery just down the road from my old house. 

Folks from the old West-Side Italian neighborhoods started to move this way in the early 1900’s. My old neighborhood was a horse farm prior to World War II, and housing for returning vets was constructed there after the war. The area was still heavily Italian when Lisa and I moved there in 1999. We bought our house from a man who had emigrated from Italy and had a heavy Italian accent. Once moved in, we met a wonderful old couple across the street that emigrated from Italy.

Oh the food they cooked up for neighborhood block parties was amazing. They also recreated a little piece of Italy in their tiny back yard. They placed rows of string from their house to the garage located in the alley. Then draped over the rows of string were beautiful grape vines. They also placed white Christmas lights along the string. I felt like I was in Tuscany sitting back there summer nights drinking Italian wine with Pavarotti on the stereo and the scent of homemade lasagna wafting through, all the while our hosts speaking in both English and Italian.

It was a wonderful place to live and I sure miss it! As they say, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Anyway, I think I got lost in my memories and rambled on a bit. More about the Sports Spectacular, coming soon!

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

Rough week health-wise prior to the show. My health issues just keep mounting. I am seeing a lot of doctors and taking a lot of meds -- the end result is I feel like crap. I was not sure I was going to make it to the show because I had a really rough day on Friday. I am so glad I was able to peel myself out of bed and make it out to Rockford because I had a really nice day. There is nothing like a card show to cure what ails ya!

My bladder got me up at 5 a.m. I tried to fall back asleep on the couch but just could not do it. I finally got myself up around 6 a.m. After grumping, showering then loading the car, I was on the road to Rockford around 7:10 a.m. About 10 blocks from home, I luckily realized I forgot to grab the keys to my display cases, so I had to turn around and head back home. I was on the road again around 7:20 a.m.  

Relatively easy drive. I arrived at the Union Hall around 8:20 a.m. I thought I was late but most dealers were just loading in. Easy load in. Superstar promoters John and Mike placed me in-between Dennis and Tom. Next to Dennis was Gary. Behind me was Nelson and his wife Pam, who I was happy to meet for the first time.

Prior to the show, I had hoped to reload my 1955 Topps baseball binder but I just felt lousy all week and did not get it done. So I decided to forgo the binders and bring out eight display cases. I have been slowly working on pricing cards for the display cases and had a nice new pile of stuff for the Rockford show.

I was slow setting up and did not finish until 9:30 a.m. The slow set up did not matter because I don't think I had my first sale until 10:30 a.m., even though the show was well attended. One of the two Terrys that attends this show was my first and best customer today. He completed his 1962 Post set, thanks to me. Thanks for the purchases Terry!

One of my Rockford regulars purchased my 1957 Topps Bill Mazeroski rookie. It is always great to see Jim, who purchased some cards. A new customer purchased quite a few cards including my 1968 Topps Ernie Banks that is in beautiful shape. I had quite a few new customers today which is always great. Second Terry and I did a cash trade deal. Thanks Second Terry!

Not much in the way of buying today which was fine because I needed cash on hand for a collection I was planning on purchasing in Wisconsin the next day.

I had a real nice day in Rockford chatting with everyone who came to my tables and chatting with all of the other dealers set up around me. It was nice to get out of the house and forget about my ailments for a day.

I decided to take the scenic route home and forego the highway. It is a really unpleasant drive on the highway heading east from Rockford into the Chicago area. The scenic way is great, except for a few numbnuts that had to tailgate me in the middle of nowhere.

I did not have any shows scheduled for the next day, Sunday, which brings up a topic of discussion at the Rockford show. We all noticed that there are quite a few new shows in Wisconsin and Illinois. The problem, we all agree upon, is that these new show promoters do not take into consideration that there are other nearby shows already scheduled while other dates remain open. As a dealer, I am always looking for shows to set up at. It is so frustrating when I see multiple shows on the same day while other days have none.

While I did not have any shows scheduled for Sunday, I did make plans to meet up and purchase a collection at a show in Appleton, Wisconsin, at the Fox Cities Stadium, home of the Timber Rattlers minor league baseball team. I saw this show advertised on the Wisconsin Sports Collectors Association's Facebook page. I considered calling for tables but I like to see a little more advertising for a show than just a post of the WSCA's page before I commit to setting up. Also, the post did not give an address. I am amazed at how many posts I see for shows that do not bother to list an address.

I had hoped to get to the show in the morning to check it out before making my purchase but I just could not get out of bed. I also thought Appleton was much closer to home than it actually is. It took me three hours to the get there! Part of the problem is that my ailments and meds cause me to have to pee often, so I had to stop several times on the way.

I arrived at the show around 2 p.m. when it was wrapping up. I recognized quite a few of the dealers and I thought the space was awesome. The show is held in a large barroom with huge windows overlooking the baseball field. Cool place! I definitely want to set up here in the future but I can't find any info on the show. Anyone know when the next show is at this Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton?

Anyway, it was worth the drive because I picked up 1974, 1975 and 1976 Topps baseball sets. I now have three '75 sets. I almost picked up a fourth in Oak Creek but the price was just too high for the condition. I've got one of the '75 sets currently up on eBay. I may bring one out to the Sports Spectacular this weekend.

Speaking of the Sports Spectacular this weekend, I will be setting up in Booth 338 near the concession stand. PJ will be set up next to me. Nelson is also in our row. I am bringing out display cases and have been pricing cards like mad. I should have some good stuff!

The next Rockford show is January 13, 2024. The final Oak Creek show of 2023 is coming up on December 2. I am sold out of dealer tables and it should be another great show. I've booked the Salvation Army for the first Saturday of every month in 2024. I am taking dealer names for my wait list. 

A big thank you to John and Mike for putting on another great show in Rockford. Also, a big thank you to everyone who purchased cards from me in Rockford and to those that stopped by to chat. It was a really nice day. I can't wait for the next one!

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

Can we talk? Ya know, this show promoting business is really hard to do and tires me out! The time spent confirming space with dealers alone is a herculean task. There was a ton of interest in the November show and I accidentally overbooked it at 190 tables. I have done as many as 184 tables but it is difficult to squeeze so many tables into the building, especially when most dealers are required to bring their own tables because the venue only has 80 of the 180 I need.

I know from experience that some dealers will drop out and others just won't show up, so I generally like to overbook the show. However, I was a little concerned when two weeks before the show I still had 190 tables. I had to start a wait list, which I hate doing. I would prefer having space for everybody who wants to set up. Slowly, some dealers started to drop out, thankfully.

I also spend a ton of time all month long getting the word out about the show. The more I plug the show the more questions I get. So I spend a ton of time responding to questions.

The week before the show is always crazy and this month was no exception. I was in contact with a ton of dealers every day. Some of the new dealers have soooo many questions. I don't understand why because it is such a simple process -- just price your cards and put them out and have fun at the show. Many guys are concerned where their tables are located. They always want to be next to this guy or that guy. With 180-plus tables, I cannot accommodate everybody but I try the best I can. I really wish guys would just take the spot I give them and stop trying to negotiate their placement in the building.

One of the comments I regularly receive is that dealers want to be in the same spot every month so their customers know where to find them -- which is fine if the dealers show up every month, but they don't. So I have to plug someone new in that spot. The new guy always wants to remain in that spot but the old guy comes back the following month and wants his spot back. It is crazy. Some guys even throw a fit if I have to move them one month to the next. It is like dealing with spoiled children sometimes. Man, oh man.

Because I have to deal with these headaches every month, I try to be the most accommodating dealer when I set up at other shows. I could really care less where the promoter places me in the building. My customers come find me wherever I am at. In addition, I much prefer being a dealer than a promoter -- it is stress free and fun to be a dealer while it is constant headaches being a promoter.

It took me all day on Wednesday to create maps of every room that show where each dealer is located. I had to tweak them Thursday and Friday as dealers came in and out. It is soooo frustrating when dealers cancel a day or two before the show. I waste so much time contacting dealers from the wait list and reconfiguring the maps!!

I had four dealers cancel on the Friday before the show. I was able to get three new dealers to replace these guys from the wait list. I decided to move my spot into the fourth dealer's space, who I could not replace. If they had given me more time, I could have replaced them all because I did nothing but turn potential dealers away these past two weeks. Ugh! The guys that regularly cancel before the show are no longer welcome back. I'll try my luck with some new dealers.

Like I said, I am a dealer as well. Something major has to be going on for me to cancel my spot after I have reserved it. I feel it is my responsibility to set up after I reserved the spot and I take that responsibility seriously. I always pay or offer to pay on the rare occasion that I have to cancel. Seems like a lot of my Oak Creek dealers don't want to pay after causing me these problems -- which is why I try to replace those dealers with new ones.

Worse than these guys are the numbnuts who reserve space and don't bother to show up on the day of the show - no contact with me, nothing, they just don't show up. Yet, they always expect me to provide them space at the next show. I have a couple of four-letter words for these guys! Seems like I had five or six guys who just did not show up for the November 4th show -- these guys are no longer welcome at the show. I'll add some new ones from the waiting list.

Friday night was really stressful. Lisa, George, Kristy and I were trying to set up the building but had to keep pausing and refiguring things as dealers dropped out and new ones dropped in. To make matters worse, the dance troupe that rents the second floor on Friday nights, took down the whole set up in the Game Room because they thought they had reserved it.

Turns out they requested to reserve it, but my guys at the Sal told them "no," yet the person responsible for the troupe never told the members of the troupe that they could not use the Game Room. I walked into the Game Room around 6 p.m. and saw that all my chairs and tables had been removed and the troupe started to take down Fellowship Hall. I pleaded with them to stop! I explained why they could not move all the tables and chairs. They were very nice about it and stopped taking down my set up and moved up stairs but the damage was done and extra work was required to redo the Game Room and part of Fellowship Hall. Ugh!

I have to give props to my set up crew! These guys are the best! I'd still be at the Salvation Army today setting up the show if I did not have such great help on Friday. They finished everything in record time, even redoing the damage from the dance troupe! So awesome!

As usual, we went over to the Water Street Brewery after set up and had dinner and a few beers. The stress melted away once I sat down at the table. I ordered fish fry but was disappointed for the first time at Water Street. The fish fry is not good. Very dry. No malt vinegar and very little tartar sauce. Everyone else had burgers and enjoyed them. I had the Weis bier which was awesome!

Lisa and I stayed at the Super 8 again. It was noisy up until midnight then nice and quiet the rest of the night. Our room was nice as well. We fell right to sleep. However, I woke up after several hours and took some of my blood pressure meds and could not fall back asleep. Ugh! I had one of those nights where I laid in bed wishing I could fall asleep. 

Surprisingly, I was not in too bad of shape in the morning. I let Lisa sleep while I went into the lobby for coffee. Man, I am spoiled because Lisa is a Starbucks barista and she brews me a pot of Starbucks coffee at home every morning. Her coffee is soooo good. The Super 8 coffee was soooo bad. Lisa explained to me that there are two different types of coffee beans. One is more expensive and has a wonderful flavor which is the one Starbucks uses. Lisa thinks the Super 8 uses the cheaper bean that has a foul flavor. Oh, that coffee was so bad but I desperately needed the caffein, so I drank it while making my sour face.

We were a little late arriving to the Sal. Lisa refused to drink that garbage Super 8 coffee and went and got us some from Panera which has excellent coffee. With the help of caffein, I was able to make it through the day with only several hours of sleep to go on.

Problems right away. One dealer cancelled. Then I received a text from a new dealer and told him to come on down. He arrived an hour later. Woot! Another dealer texted that he was having car issues and did not arrive until 11 a.m. or so. He did pay me for the tables. Props to him! Then a dealer showed up who I thought was not setting up. Luckily, I had a spot for him.

So I was set up in the gym. I was able to put out all of my baseball binders, one football binders and two basketball binders. As usual, attendance was light in the gym in the morning. Eventually folks started to trickle in and I was busy the rest of the morning. Lisa went around to collect table fee while I manned the binders.

Those binders are in a sorry state. Seems like I constantly reload them but they all appear empty!! New for this show was 1953 Bowman Color baseball. 

A lot of my regulars attended the show like Robert who was the first to pull some of the '53 Bowman. My main man Jeff also pulled some and was today's big winner, finding cards in many of the binders. Thanks Jeff! Dean was there and found some cards.

Jack found some 1970 Topps that he is going to send out for signatures. Jim pulled a few cards. Big Mike and Kevin purchased some cards. Thanks guys! George is working on the 1960 Topps set and found some cards. Thanks George! Joe purchased a bunch of cards from the 1970's. Many, many guys went through the binders and purchased cards. Thank you everybody!

I am always worried before the show that no one is going to show up. We had a nice crowd as usual and by 10 a.m., every room in the building was filled with customers. 

I complain a lot but once the show gets going, I always have a good time. So many people show up at my tables that started out as customers years ago but later become my good friends. It was so nice to see Tim Fritz, Eric, Ken, Barry, Craig, Doreen, Andy, Jim, Johnny Adams, Larry from McHenry, Larry from Chicago and the rock band The Who's number one fan Bob Smith. I also saw some folks I know from the Woodstock show. Thanks for coming to the show guys! I also love seeing all the folks who work and volunteer at the Salvation Army -- such nice people! I got to meet Mark's sister who is super into collecting sports cards. I had no idea! She even has a briefcase of slabbed cards. She told me she owns two of those cases!!

I forgot their names but they are a grandfather and grandson that attend every show. They generally purchase vintage stars. Their favorite dealer is Dave McDonald who has not set up since the summer. They gave me an earful about Dave not being there. So Dave, if you are reading this, please come back and set up! Your fans are waiting!!

Folks always comment that I am not ever in the same spot from month to month. Yes, that is by design because I know I am going to have a dealer either cancel late or just not show up. So in an effort to avoid having an empty table, I plug myself into a recently vacated spot. So this month I was in the gym, behind the Cardboard Brothers, Andrew and Jesse. I love these guys. They sell Pokémon and have been setting up with me for quite a while. I also see them at shows from Wisconsin to Michigan. Last time I was set up by them was at the June 2022 Sports Spectacular in Rosemont, Illinois.

I really enjoyed chatting with them during the show here in Oak Creek. They were busy and observed that I was busy as well. They had some questions about my set up. I was surprised when I saw them purchase some vintage basketball cards. I thought they only dealt in Pokémon. They showed me a Pokémon purchase and said it was the most that they have ever spent on a card. They told me the card is worth about $4,500.00.

I really don't understand Pokémon. All I know is that a lot of people buy them and a lot of people sell them. Unlike Pokémon, I do know a thing or two about food. I think I had my breakfast Sloppy Joe around 10 a.m. I was so busy that it took me a while to finish it off. Lisa was excited that the concession stand added giant pretzels to its menu today and later dined on one. Later in the show, I stopped by the concession stand for my umpteenth diet Coke and was told they just about sold out of everything. Awesome!

I also like hearing that many customers donate to the Salvation Army more than the required $1 admission fee. The Salvation Army is such a selfless organization, and the world is a much better place because of them. We are so lucky that they provide the space for the show and are so accommodating and wonderful. A huge thank you to everyone at the Salvation Army!

Back to the business at hand -- buying and selling cards! Lot's of stuff was offered for sale. An older man stopped me and offered to sell me some slabbed post-war stars like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. Unfortunately, his price was too high. Another older gentleman offered me some 1933 Goudey commons. He would not give me a price and I was really too busy to analyze the cards and think about an offer for him, so I declined. Did anyone purchase those Goudeys?

My good buddy Eddie dropped off some sets early on and I tried to go through them when I could. There was a 1975 Topps baseball set where the commons looked nice but the stars were rough. Same with a 1974 Topps baseball set. He also had a 1976 Topps set that was just phugly. He gave me a price, I countered, he dropped down a little bit but was just too high based on the condition of the cards. I hate to turn him away because I really like Eddie and he buys a ton of stuff from me but I did not see any profitability in the cards at his price. Hopefully, we can work something out down the road.

One of my T206 guys was there and I purchased a couple of cards. I also purchased some cards from the 1960's from Jim. Then someone gave me a bunch of 1965 Topps baseball. I can't remember who because things were happening so fast. I was selling cards, trying to look at Eddie's stash, trying to negotiate, talking to people, eating, drinking and having a good time!

Then the dealer I met last weekend in Madison came down with his family and brought me a bunch of sets. He had two '75 sets, one '74 baseball set and one '74 football set. We worked out a price for everything. I paid him half and we made plans to meet next weekend where I'll drop the other half. Thanks for trucking to the show and selling me those cards!!

Later in the show, Kevin came by and gave me a real nice price on some 1952 Bowman baseball. Thanks Kevin!

Lisa made faces at me while I purchased all this stuff. I was in heaven... Lisa not so much.  

Seemed like most dealers I talked to did pretty well which is always great to hear. I want every dealer at the show to sell a ton cards, buy a ton of cards and have a really good time. 

I do have one theft to report. Dealer Nick Parsons had a slabbed autograph of Bart Starr stolen. The autograph was on a notecard that had the words "Pro Football Hall of Fame" on top. If you have any information, please contact me or Nick. Many of you know Nick, a super nice guy who promotes the monthly show in Bridgeview, Illinois. I hate thieves! Let's find this guy!

A huge thank you to all the dealers and all the customers who came out on Saturday. I appreciate you! I hope everyone has a tremendous Thanksgiving and comes back for the December 2nd show!!

In the meantime, I am setting up at the Union Hall, 6820 Mill Road, in Rockford, Illinois, on Saturday, November 11, 2023. I am not sure what I am going to bring out. I might give the binders a rest and work on reloads. There hasn't been a Rockford show since the spring. I always do well in Rockford and am looking forward to Saturday. Let me know if you want to see any binders!!

Thanks everybody!!

Below are some photos from the November 4, 2023, Oak Creek show...

Pictured above is the Cardboard Bros. big purchase at the show. Charizard is the one character I know from Pokémon. He is the Babe Ruth of Pokémon cards.

So every show I purchase a box of wax from one of the dealers at the show and give away all of the packs to customers at the show. A gentleman who received a free pack last month, brought me the above Chris Sale autograph card and said he pulled it out of the pack I gave him. Awesome!

Pictured above is the amazing Jesse Bee of the Cardboard Bros.

Pictured above is Jason Swanson who is just a phenomenal modern card dealer who is always busy at the show.