Sunday, December 22, 2019, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

Great, great day in Orland Park. One of my best of the year! 

My alarm went off at 6 a.m. I had a lot of trouble waking up. Once up, I could not find my box of Exhibits. Someone had requested the Exhibits last month. I was running late and did not have time to dig around the house. So I loaded the car with three display cases and most of my bins of binders. I left the basketball at home.

It was a pretty easy drive from the north suburbs to the south suburbs. I was on the road by 7:30 a.m. I normally like to leave by 7 a.m. I was a little worried about arriving late. Sometimes the room is crowded early on making load in a bit tricky. I arrived at the Civic Center around 8:15 a.m. 

Thankfully, load in was easy. Shortly after I set everything up, customers began to leaf through my binders. My 1967 Topps baseball binder received quite a work out. I am not sure when I will load that one up again. Will purchased a big stack and brought me some coffee. Thanks Will! 

Of course, the guy looking for Exhibits showed up. I'll try and get my act together for the January show and bring out Exhibits. Rick purchased a bunch of star cards and talked about some ailments. Since I talk about my health issues in this blog, a lot of guys discuss their ailments with me. Everybody needs to get their stuff checked out by a medical professional! I would not be here today if I did not see a doctor when I first started feeling ill from diabetes. Go see a doctor!

Back to happy stuff at the show. Rich, who promotes the show, hired an actor to play Santa Claus which I thought was pretty cool. Rich is a great guy and a tremendous promoter. We had a great crowd. I was concerned initially because I thought folks would be out Christmas shopping and skip the show. Apparently, everyone had finished their gift shopping because the show was packed!

I know I say this often but I am so thankful that Rich has a food vendor at the show. I never have time to eat before the show and I start to feel funky when I go without food. Man, that chilidog for breakfast was oh, so good!

Setting up next to me at this show was Andrew Weaver, who I mentioned in my last Salvation Army show blog. I enjoyed chatting with Andrew during the show. I hope everyone got to see his Ruth and Cobb autos.

A lot of guys noticed I was not at the December 8th Orland show. I just can't do two shows in a weekend any more. I do not have the stamina and try to do just one show in a weekend so I can rest one day before the workweek begins. The days where I do three shows each week are long gone!

I may skip some Orland and Gonzaga shows in 2020 on occasion to give my self a break. I need some days where I can watch closely what I eat, make sure I take my meds and keep track of my blood glucose levels. I noticed that Rich has two shows in March. I'll will skip the first one and set up at the second one.

I forgot to bring some paper so I could keep track of my sales. I had some really tremendous sales at this show. Chuck bought my Pete Maravich rookie. Thanks Chuck! I am so bad at remembering names, I had many guys purchase stacks of stuff out of the binders. Surprisingly, I did not sell any cards out of the hockey binders. I might leave those at home next month.

​I cannot remember the last time I was so busy that I could not leave my tables. As much as I enjoyed the sales, I really wanted to walk around the room and see what was out there but never got the opportunity. I was very busy from start to finish. I was really happy with my sales.

On the buying front, a few guys brought some cards to my table for purchase. I picked up a nice stack of cards including a 1958 Topps Willie Mays, a 1963 Topps Hank Aaron, a 1970 Topps Willie Mays and a 1962 Topps Bart Starr.

Then there was the guy walking around with a suitcase and asked me for a price on my 1962 Topps baseball binder and my oldest hockey binder. I started to add up then 1962 binder then quit, thinking there was no way this guy was going to shell out the money for the whole binder. I threw out some numbers at him and he just smiled and walked on. Most guys who ask for a price on the whole binder don't pull  the trigger. It is a real waste of my time to add up all the cards.

Lately, I have been thinking that I should not sell complete binders because of the work entailed in creating a new binder. It is always nice to get a chunk of change when a legitimate customer purchases a whole binder but it may not be worth it in the end when I factor in the work that goes into creating and updating the binders.

I am not a bulk dealer. Some guys are set up that way, not me. My bread and butter customers are the guys building vintage sets. My fantasy show is one where the only guys who show up at my tables are set builders. The guys (and gals) who buy my stuff for resale are a drag. I could do without the resellers. 

After the show, Will, Joe, Paul and I went over to the sub shop to cap a great day. Paul and Will are pictured above and below. One of the main reasons I set up at the Orland show is to hang out with Paul and Will. You would be hard pressed to find two better guys!

So that was my last show of the year and certainly one of my best Orland shows of 2019. When I look back on 2019, I had a pretty great year buying and selling cards. My show at the Salvation Army has exploded. The Orland shows were fairly consistent. Gonzaga was up and down sales-wise but I really enjoy myself at that show. The National was awesome. I enjoyed the Strongsville, Ohio, show, even though my sales are slow there. I am a glutton for punishment and have signed up for the Strongsville show in April of 2020. It was fun to be back in Cincinnati this past Thanksgiving. I had been considering the March Sun-Times show but observed that it is the same weekend as Gonzaga. I would rather set up at Gonzaga than the Sun-Times. I may consider the November Sun-Times show.

My inventory grew immensely in 2019. I need to reel my addiction because I am running out of room to store all these cards!! I hope to hit a flea market this summer with my 1980's and 1990's stuff. I really need to get rid of it and free up some space! I started to put a box of junk together, as Larry Larsen suggested, but ended up filling a 5,000-count box and slapping a $30 price tag on there. Larry's method of putting out a box and letting customers fill up a lunch bag for $10 is an intriguing idea but in the end I would rather just move boxes of this stuff. 

I am looking forward to another great year in 2020. I hope to add one more out of town date, maybe Pittsburgh. My first show of 2020 will be Gonzaga Hall on January 12. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, whichever holiday you celebrate, and I hope everyone has a happy new year! Thank you so much for regularly reading this blog and hanging out with me at the card shows. See you soon!

Sunday, December 15, 2019, Gonzaga Hall, West Allis, WI

That'll teach me to act like a know-it-all. With the Packers-Bears scheduled for noon on Sunday, December 15, I thought nobody would show up to the Gonzaga show. Instead, the place was jam packed. I was helping three-four customers at a time in the early morning. 

I didn't bring any display cases because I had thought the room would be empty and the display cases take a long time to fill and unfill. I wanted to get out of the show early and watch the game. I also decided to leave the display cases at home because I brought them all out last month. Of course, customer after customer asked if I had this star card or that star card. I told everybody I'll have them next month.

My pal Jerry Kvasnica told me last week at my show and again at Gonzaga that he is planning to retire from being a sports card dealer. Retire? This is retirement! It is too much fun to be a real job. There has to be pain and suffering for a job to be real, said someone very famous, I think. Every time Jerry tells me he is going to retire, I tell him he can't do it.

As much fun as this hobby can be, I find it depressing when a dealer or customer leaves the hobby. You develop relationships with folks and you expect and look forward to seeing them at the show on Sunday. I have known Jerry for 20-plus years having first met him at Fred Copp's old Oakbrook Terrace show in Illinois. Over the years we have made many trades and I have purchased many cards from Jerry, including this past Gonzaga show when he sold me a 1950 Bowman Tony Canadeo football card. Jerry is a great guy and an excellent vintage sports card dealer. He always comes up with amazing stuff. I can't imagine the Gonzaga show without Jerry manning his corner. He has been a huge supporter of my show and will leave a major hole in the dealer line up when he retires. Some people you just can't replace.

He has mentioned that he has some physical issues and setting up at shows has become increasingly difficult. I say, endure the pain and keep on setting up! What else are you going to do? I am kind of in the same boat. This stupid diabetes has given me a beat down. I had a really tough time of it Sunday morning but I made it through and ended up having a really enjoyable day. I can only hope Jerry reconsiders because I, for one, enjoy seeing him regularly and think he is a great addition to any show where he sets up.

It is mind boggling when I think about the Gonzaga show and the many dealers and customers who are gone from when I first began setting up around 20 years ago. I think it is a testament to the health of the hobby that Gonzaga continues to have a waiting list for dealers and continues to draw a large crowd, even when the Packers are playing the Bears at noon!! It is also a testament to Milwaukee which packed my show last week then Gonzaga this week. The hobby is alive and well in Milwaukee. Now, is not the time to retire!!!

Getting back to when I first started setting up at Gonzaga around the year 2000. I had great difficulty getting just one table back then. Once I was in, I had greater difficulty making sales, which is hard to believe if you saw the crowd at my tables this past Sunday. But in the beginning, customers avoided me like the plague. A handful of guys took the time to go through my stuff and buy a few things. I saw one of those guys this past Sunday. Unfortunately, I don't know his name. He does not show up regularly any more. He is an older guy with a hint of a German accent. He was building a 1954 Bowman baseball set when I met him 20 years ago. He was still working on that Bowman set when I saw him this past Sunday. He has purchased many '54 Bowmans from me over the years. I think it was Jerry who finally got him his Ted Williams. I have never had that Ted Williams card. One of these days, I am going to own that card!

Anyway, this old customer brought out his son this past Gonzaga show and they were doing some final upgrades before he sells his set next month. He told me he has a deal lined up but the buyer wants some upgrades. I told him how sorry I was to hear that he was going to sell his set, knowing the time and effort he put into building that set as well as my own contributions to the set. He told me he has some heart trouble and is going in for surgery soon and is worried that he won't make it out alive and figures it will be easier for his family to have the cash rather than the set. My thoughts and prayers are with this old friend. Hopefully, I see him next month building another set!

Speaking of set builders, they were out en masse on Sunday. I sold a ton of cards. My newly reloaded 1967 Topps baseball book got a work out. I probably don't have any high numbers left in there. I noticed that I am not selling as many basketball cards as I normally do. I have a really nice inventory of 1969 through 1971-72 Topps right now. I am wondering if I should keep those at home and bring out something else next time.

Another issue, an on going issue for just about most every dealer, is what to do with Junk Era cards. Over the past few years, my inventory has grown as I purchased some nice vintage collections but the sellers made me take their junk as well. I have been pricing whole binders of say 1990 Topps for just five bucks but can't get any takers.

Dealer Larry Larsen had a good suggestion when he advised I unload the binders and place all the cards in the box and allow customers to fill an entire lunch bag for ten bucks. I think I am going to give Larry's suggestion a try. I'll report back on how the box 'o junk works out.

Getting back to this past Sunday's Gonzaga show, I caught the results of the live auction for a box of 1980 Topps Supers. I remember buying these cards back in 1980. They are great glossy 5 x 7 photos of the players of the era. Unfortunately, they have no value... or so I thought. The box of supers went for 90 bucks in the live auction! I saw a complete set on eBay for $40. I would think you could find an unopened box somewhere for a lot less than $90. Maybe I'm wrong and the price has gone up on those. I was just shocked when I heard the final price of $90. I haven't tried to sell any 1980 Topps Supers in years but when I did bring them out I could not give them away. I might have to dig them out.

Well, at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, the show died. Man, if there wasn't that football game I may have had a monster day. I can't complain, though. I had a much better day than expected and I am still in awe at the size of that morning crowd. 

I purchased some cards as well Sunday but may have overpaid because I had money burning a hole in my pocket and I was eager to make some purchases. I picked up a box of early 1970's basketball and another box of 1950's baseball and 1960's football.

I was on the road home by 1:30 p.m. and pulled up to my house around 2:30 p.m. The football game was just entering the Fourth Quarter. I couldn't watch because the Bears were getting stomped. I think I was one of three Bears fans at the Gonzaga show. I ate some food and took a nap. Another Gonzaga show in the books.

Next up is the Orland show. I skipped the December 8 show, choosing to sleep in the day after my Oak Creek show. I just can't set up at two shows in a weekend any more then go to work on Monday. I need at least one day each weekend to chill out.

As always, I am stuck in a rut trying to figure out what to bring to Orland. Last month, I brought out five or six display cases and my baseball, football and basketball binders. I filled the display cases up with all my baseball star cards and football stars from the 1950s. So I am thinking of brining four display cases and put out my 1960's and 1970's football stars along with basketball and hockey. I may bring out some Exhibits because someone asked me for them last month. I think I'll leave the basketball binders at home. I hope we have some decent weather on Sunday. See you guys in Orland this Sunday, December 22, 2019 -- my last show of the year!!! 

Saturday, December 7, 2019, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

Wow, just wow! What a crowd!! Big turn out for the Dave Robinson signing at my monthly card show in Oak Creek. A huge thank you to Dave Robinson for coming to the show and to Nicholas Parsons and Midwest Sports Buffet for bringing Dave in. Dave signed my 1972 Topps football card that I picked up last weekend in Cincinnati. It is a great addition to my autograph collection!

I was crazy busy the week leading up to the show trying to deal with my real job and the loads of phone calls, texts and emails for the Sal show. I had to turn away 10 or so dealers because the Salvation Army does not have additional tables to accommodate them. As I stated in the past, I am slowly donating tables to the Sal and I will probably be able to add more dealers soon. I had 33 dealers and 64 tables for the December 7th show.

A few dealers have stated that they don't want to see additional dealers in the room. What do you guys think? I, myself, am split. On the one hand, I am just one person and trying to handle 33 dealers and hundreds of customers and watch my tables is very difficult. Plus, if I add more tables, we will lose some space in the room. Right now I think everything is comfortably spaced out. Though, I think I could add a couple of tables in front of the stage without tightening things too much.

On the other hand, I hate to turn dealers away. I appreciate that so many guys want to set up at my show. I also think from a customer's point of view, the more dealers and variety the better.

For now, I think I will add two or three more tables in front of the stage, if necessary. There was a buzz and electricity in the room Saturday with so many dealers and with Dave Robinson. As busy as I was trying to manage everything, I had a lot of fun and the day flew by. A huge thank you to my brother Jon for helping me out. Jon is a high school track and cross country coach and I won't be able to get his help again until the track season ends in June. I could really use some help. I may give my tables away and just give out free packs of cards because it is really difficult to man my tables during the show.

Though, I had an excellent day selling cards. I sold a ton of stuff! Thank you to everyone who bought cards from me on Saturday! Sorry, I could not spend more time with you and I appreciate everyone being so nice to Jon.

Surprisingly, as I walked around the room, many dealers reported slow sales. With such a big crowd, I did not think any dealer would have had a bad day. Over the years, I have tried to give out a few pointers to increase dealer sales based on my own success. My job as the promoter is to get people into the room and I have been extremely successful in filling the place up. Now, it is up to the dealers to take advantage of the crowd and make some sales. So, I regularly try to give a few pointers to help folks increase their sales.

I recently talked about price. One of the easiest ways to increase sales is to lower your prices. Another way to increase sales is to communicate with the customers. Say hello to everyone who walks by. Ask them if they need assistance. Ask if there are certain cards they are looking for. Make business cards with your telephone number and email and create a dialogue post- and pre- show. Before the show Saturday, dozens of guys emailed and texted me asking for certain binders and certain cards. I had several good sales lined up before the show even started. Also, talk to other dealers and learn what works for them. In talking with the dealers who were most successful Saturday, to a man, they had lined up sales before the show. One dealer had some customers come to his house on Friday to pick up cards and they came to the show Saturday to pay him for those cards.

Another tip is to promote yourself! Hey, write a blog!!! Sports card collectors know me in every freakin' corner of the country because of this blog. Create a Facebook page. Send out email blasts. Create a flyer. Get the word out as to who you are and what you sell and where you sell.

I market myself like crazy. Not just for sports cards but for my real job as an attorney. As a sports card dealer, I need customers, so I try to get the word out as to where I am setting up. As an attorney, I need clients, so I try to get the word out as to what services I provide. You have to market yourself! For example, I had the Sal show on Saturday, then on Sunday I had my suit on and appeared before a crowd at a church in Bartlett, Illinois, to discuss personal injury law. Afterwards, I signed up a bunch of new clients. You must market yourself!

I suppose I could do a little more to help market the dealers that set up at my show. I was thinking today that I need to put my skills as a former newspaper reporter to good use and create a bio section on this website for each dealer that sets up at my show. Along those lines, any dealers reading this, please type up some info about yourself and send it to me and I'll create a dealer bio page. Email me at abrandongordon@hotmail.com. This should be fun!

There are so many great dealers that set up at my show. I was incredibly impressed with the selection of cards in the room on Saturday. Here are my observations of Saturday's dealers:

Jerry had a display case filled with 1952 Bowman football cards. Next to the National Chicles, I think the '52 Bowmans are the toughest football cards to obtain. Roger had all sorts of new wax on his tables. I purchased another box of 2019 Heritage for my pack giveaway. Set up next to Roger was Craig, who had sold out half of his table. I was impressed to say the least.

November 29-December 1, 2019, Moeller High School Show, Cincinnati, Ohio

I first attended this show in 2015 and had no intention of waiting four years before returning but somehow did not make it back until now. I tried to get a table in 2016 but was told the show was sold out when I called the promoter, who was actually kind of rude about it which really turned me off, so I did not put much effort into reserving a table.

My pal Dave McDonald, pictured above left, has been talking about the Moeller show for a while now and I told him that I would accompany him if he reserved some tables. Dave and I partner up regularly for the bigger shows. He had some customers from Cincinnati at the National and Strongsville shows who recommended Moeller. As fate would have it, Dave's Cincinnati customers did not show up at this year's Moeller Thanksgiving show. He was disappointed.

I should have read my 2015 Moeller blog before attending the show. I brought out five display cases and three binders this time around. I wanted to bring out all of my binders but most of them are in desperate need of a reload. I just read my 2015 Moeller blog where I mentioned that this is a dime-box sort of show. Man, I wish I would have brought out my dime and quarter boxes because it is still a dime and quarter box show! 

Anyway, I rented a car the day before Thanksgiving. I drove my own car in 2015 but I am now trying to save on wear and tear and have been renting cars the last few years.

I made it to Dave's house around 11 a.m. I felt terribly guilty ditching my family for Thanksgiving. I received quite a bit of grief from the wife as well. About noon, Dave and I made it to Crown Point, Indiana, on I65 and stopped off at a Bob Evans for some grub. I am usually a big fan of Bob Evans but was disappointed this time around. I guess they stopped giving free banana bread. They also had an abbreviated menu for Thanksgiving. Dave and I both wanted breakfast but there were very few breakfast options on the abbreviated menu. Dave was especially disappointed that they would not serve him pancakes. I was especially disappointed when I received sausage patties when I specifically ordered sausage links. I hate sausage patties but love the links. I thought I would give the patties a try instead of returning them. Big mistake! They were gross. Overcooked, dry, with a hint of cardboard. All in all, it was a lousy meal and our prospects for a better meal were bleak.

We made it to Moeller around 8 p.m., Ohio time. A handful of dealers were in the room setting up. Our tables were located in the middle of the room. I was greeted by Brandon, who was wearing a Pittsburg Penguins jersey. He was set up with a bunch of guys at the end of the aisle. I recognized his tablemates from Strongsville.

I spotted trouble right away on the table next to mine. Dealer Curt, who is originally from Minnesota and now lives in North Carolina, had a big ole bin of dollar cards, pictured below. The bin flared out and invaded the air space above my table. I knew I would have trouble opening my display case during the show, which I did. Curt was nice enough to move the bin initially but it seemed to have legs and kept creeping back over my display case.

I also knew that Curt's customers would place their cards, bags, and lists on top of my display case, which they did all three days. To his credit, Curt was vigilant about informing his customers to keep their stuff off my display case. Even though his dollar bin caused me grief all weekend, I really enjoyed being next to Curt, who turned out to be a very nice guy and an incredibly knowledgeable dealer. He bought a card from me and I bought a pile of cards from his pesky dollar box. A 1956 Topps Minnie Minoso first caught my eye in Curt's dollar box. When I finally fished it out, I observed that some trouble-making child had drawn glasses, a moustache and beard onto poor Minnie's face.