It sure has been a strange couple of years thanks to this never-ending pandemic. I was on a nice roll in early 2020 before COVID hit. My Oak Creek show was gaining momentum. My sales were very strong. My buying was strong.

Everything came to a screeching halt in March of 2020. I am pretty sure I had COVID in March of 2020 but was unable to get a COVID test. While I was recovering, everything shut down. I felt like I did nothing but sleep for the next several months because I couldn't go to work and I couldn't go to a card show.

I kept checking in with Mark at the Salvation Army to see if we could run the show which was shut down after the March show. The other shows I set up at as a dealer were shut down as well. In September of 2020, I was finally able set up at a show after a five-month COVID hiatus, as the Schaumburg show was back up and running. I was about to give up on the Salvation Army when Mark called and said I could have the show but with a lot of restrictions. I was willing to jump through a wall of fire if that is what it took to get the show back. It was tough getting ahold of dealers and getting them to commit to that first Oak Creek show scheduled for October of 2020.

That show went on with many difficulties. The Salvation Army wanted six feet of space between each table, well, try and tell a sports card dealer to leave some empty space between tables. I might as well have been speaking French because up went the card tables in the space that was earmarked for social distancing. I had to tell many folks to put those tables away.

Getting everyone to wear a mask was another headache. I really hated having to tell guy after guy to put on a mask but I was worried the Salvation Army was going to shut down the show if we didn't mask up. I hate masks too, but I hated going five months without a card show much more than I hate wearing a mask. What a headache that was.

My other regular shows were shut down as well like Gonzaga and Orland so I decided to turn my law office into a card shop. Well, that worked out tremendously and I kicked off the new year 2021 with several pop-up shops in my office. The last one was scheduled for April 2021 but I cancelled when the Orland show came back.

Before I talk about Orland, I want to talk a little more about Oak Creek -- the show simply exploded in 2021. There must have been several thousand in attendance at the early shows in 2021. My waiting list grew from 15 to 75 people. In March of 2021, Mark showed me the Game Room at the Salvation Army and we figured we could fit 20 or 25 more tables in there. The only problem was that the venue was out of tables and all the Game Room vendors would have to bring their own tables -- I was concerned.

In April, 2021, we opened the Game Room, expanding the show from 75 tables to 100 and upping the number of vendors from 45-50 to 65. As I expected, the Game Room has been a headache because the vendors have to bring in their own tables. Guys complain and complain. I pay the venue a lot of extra money for that room and sometimes I wonder if it is really worth it. So many guys have asked for discounts on the table fee since they have to bring in their own table. My response is always the truth -- I do not get the room at a discount and pay full price, so you have to pay full price for your table! Oh my god, I'm charging a big 25 bucks for space at the busiest show in the Midwest! 

I've had flat-out full-scale shouting matches with idiots over this issue. Sometimes, I wonder if running the Oak Creek show is worth all the trouble.

Regardless, my waiting list dropped to 15 to 20 shortly thereafter but is now back up to 50 or more. There is one more room to expand into, but I do not want to do it without tables. I really need to have tables and set them up before the vendors arrive to have everything spaced out properly.

The Oak Creek show has grown into a monster. I have hired three great folks in Rachel and Jason and occasionally Andy to help me operate my tables while I collect table fee from the vendors.

The constant calls, texts and messages regarding the Oak Creek show has been overwhelming. I'm still just one guy operating the show and the degree of difficulty has increased exponentially.

With increased vendors and customers, came increased theft in 2021. I can't tell you how depressing I find the thefts. I just want to have a good time and I want everyone to have a good time. Nobody has a good time when their valuable cards are stolen. We caught one kid and I hope to catch more. I hate these thieves so much and curse them all.

Another ongoing problem has been dealers who reserve space then don't show up on the day of the show. I have started to ban some dealers. I have an ever-growing wait list of dealers so I don't have to rely on the unreliable to show up, like I did when I first started the show in 2014. Dealers have a cow when I ban them. Hey, it is your fault, not mine. You need to show up when you reserve space!

I have no idea what 2022 is going to bring to my Oak Creek show. I hope to have a group of good and responsible dealers and I hope we continue to bring in these tremendous crowds. The Oak Creek show is a huge task every month but when I see the number of dealers and the number of attendees at each show, I feel tremendous pride and continue on.

Pictured above is a photo from my April, 2021, show at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, Oak Creek, WI. Attendance in 2021 was amazing!

​​Onto my other regular shows. Now I am just a dealer at the other shows, not the promoter. Somehow people think I am the promoter of every local show and ask me for tables. I am only the promoter of Oak Creek and can't get you tables at any other show.

Back to Orland -- WOW! I have been setting up at the Orland show for more than 20 years and 2021 was by far, my best at Orland, even though the show only ran from April through December. That first show in April was my best show ever! The first show in December was one of my best shows ever. The second show in December was excellent. Just about all of the 2021 Orland shows have been excellent.

I think the success of my show and the Orland show can be partially attributed to the rebirth of the hobby during the pandemic. But I also gotta give myself some props because I work my tail off to promote my show and it seems my efforts have been fruitful. Also, Rich, the promoter at Orland does a tremendous job promoting his show. I am so thankful that Rich took over the show from John Leary, who was one of the worst promoters around.

As a vendor, I have a big drop off in sales at the other shows I attend, except for the National. I was so disappointed to learn that the Gonzaga Hall building was sold, and the Wisconsin Sports Collectors Association had to move the show to the Buenavista Restaurant. While the space at Buenavista was tight and I heard all the complaints from other dealers and customers alike, my sales there were excellent. I can put up with a lot when my pockets are filled with cash. I don't know for sure, but it looks like Buenavista may be done. I, for one, hope not and will continue to set up there if any new shows are booked. My pocketbook is taking a big hit with the lack of Gonzaga/Buenavista shows. 

While I like a lot of the new shows, my sales just don't touch my Oak Creek show, Orland or Gonzaga/Buenavista.

In 2021, I added a bunch of new shows to my regular schedule including the St. John's Church show in Woodstock, the Rock Church show in Rockford, the Sheraton show in Madison, Root River in Franklin, WI, and the VFW in Lake Station, IN, and have gotten back into the Schaumburg show after dropping out.

The Rock Church and the Sheraton in Madison seem to be the best of this bunch. I am going to give these others a go for a while but if sales don't improve, I can't justify the time spent setting up at these shows. There seems to be lots of new ones popping up as well and I may give some other shows a try.

A guy trying to organize a new show in Kenosha just contacted me for advice. I don't have a whole lot of advice for new show promoters. I'm still trying to figure it out in Oak Creek after seven years. My best advice is come to my show in Oak Creek and/or the Orland show and observe and talk to people there.

Like every card dealer, every promoter is different. I never wanted to be a show promoter and created my show just so I would have a Saturday show in Milwaukee to set up at as a dealer, as there were none in 2014. I was having tremendous success as a dealer at Gonzaga Hall and wanted another place for my Gonzaga customers to visit me, a place where I could control the environment and do away with some things that I do not like at some other shows like live auctions and the venue tearing down the room long before the show ended.

In addition, I had been attending shows since the late 1970's, so I knew a thing or two about card shows and I had a laundry list of things I liked and did not like and attempted to incorporate the things I liked about card shows into my own show. 

I think a lot of luck plays into having a successful card show as well. I really don't know why so many dealers and customers attend my Oak Creek show. It did not happen overnight, and I really think I have just been lucky. Again, come on out and talk to everyone at the Oak Creek show and ask the dealers why they come back month after month and ask the customers why they regularly attend the show -- they'll give you a better response than I can.

Back to my observations on the state of card shows. So, after a tough time in 2020, I have seen that card shows are back in a big way. I still think the Chicago area could use a few more shows and I have been toying with the idea of starting a show in Palatine, where my pop-up shops were excellent. I just need to figure out a day that won't interfere with all of these other shows.

I don't know how many times over the past several decades that I have heard people declare that card shows are dead. Well, card shows never died and are as healthy now as they have ever been.

Don't agree? Well, let's talk about the National -- that was quite a spectacle. The National was back in Rosemont in 2021 and I was set up in my usual corner with my usual mates. According to the folks that operate the National, the 2021 show was the second most attended. The show was jammed. I had my best sales ever! I was so jazzed during the show that I signed up for Atlantic City in 2022.

Also, online sports card sales reached record levels in 2021. There were record setting sale prices of the T206 Wagner, 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Rookie, along with modern Tom Brady and Lebron James. Big money has come into the hobby in a big way. The following is a listing of recent big card sales. All of the cards were slabbed. 

According to Wikipedia, the new card boom started in February of 2020 when a 2003-04 Upper Deck Lebron James/Michael Jordan card, numbered 1/1, sold for $900,000 in Goldin Auctions. Then in May of 2020, a 2009 Bowman Red Refractor Mike Trout Autograph sold for $922,500 in a Goldin Auction.

Then things just went crazy in August of 2020 when Goldin sold a 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor Autograph Mike Trout for $3.9 million. That card is currently the fifth most expensive card in the hobby. In September of 2020, a 2013-14 Panini National Treasures Logoman Patch Autograph Giannis Antetokounmpo sold for $1.8 million. That card is currently the seventh most expensive card in the hobby.

December of 2020 saw a flurry of high dollar auction sales starting with the sale of a 2013-14 Panini Prizm Black Mozaic Giannis 1/1 for $1.1 million in Goldin Auctions on December 12, 2020. Two big sales occurred on December 13, 2020, with a 1979 OPC Wayne Gretzky selling for nearly $1.3 million in a Heritage Auction. Heritage also sold a 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Green Numbered 9/100 Michael Jordan for $950,000.

The year 2021 saw much, much more of the same high-dollar auctions starting with PWCC's sale of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle for $5.2 million. I had a sports card dealer living in my neighborhood growing up. I remember him complaining back in 1980 that he spent $2,000 on a '52 Mantle. The PWCC Mantle is now the second most valuable card in the hobby.

Goldin had a monster auction on January 30, 2021, with several high-dollar sales including a 2012-2013 Panini National Treasures Logoman Patch Autograph Anthony Davis numbered 1/1 sell for just over a million dollars. In that same auction, a 2009-10 Panini National Treasures "Century Platinum" Rookie Patch Autograph Steph Curry numbered 3/5 sold for $960,000. Also, a 2017 Panini National Treasures Black #161 Rookie Patch Autographs Patrick Mahomes numbered 1/5 sold for $840,000. Lastly, a 2018 Panini Prizm Gold Prizm #280 Rookie Card Luka Doncic numbered 3/10 sold for $780,000.

In a February 4, 2021, Heritage Auction, a 1997 UD Game Jerseys Autographs Michael Jordan sold for $1.4 million. On February 28, 2021, in a private sale, a 2018 Panini National Treasures 1 of 1 Logoman Autograph Luka Doncic sold for $4.6 million, now the fourth most valuable card in the hobby. Also on February 28, 2021, Heritage sold a 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson Rookie, from the Dimitri Young Collection, PSA 10, for a little over a million dollars.

Goldin had a monster auction on March 6, 2021, with six cards selling in the six and seven figure range, including a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Card Parallel #94 Patch Autographs 23/35 Kevin Durant for $799,500; a 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson PSA 9 for $984,000; a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente Rookie PSA 9 for $1.1 million; a 2004-05 Upper Deck Ultimate Signatures Logos #USL-LJ Signed Logoman Card Lebron James 1/1 for nearly $1.3 million; a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autographs #78 numbered 32/99 Lebron James for $1.5 million (now the ninth most valuable card in the hobby); and a 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractors #138 Rookie Card Kobe Bryant, Beckett 10, for nearly $1.8 million, now the eighth most valuable card in the hobby.

On April 3, 2021, Leland's sold a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket Autograph #144 Tom Brady, numbered 99/100 for $2.2 million, now the sixth most valuable card in the hobby. On April 26, 2021, PWCC sold a 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autographs #78 Lebron James, numbered 7/23, for $5.2 million, now the third most expensive card in the hobby.

On July 29, 2021, in a private sale, a 2011 Topps Update Platinum #US175 Mike Trout, numbered 1/1, sold for just over one million dollars. The card was displayed in the Topps booth at the National. Then came the big bopper on August 16, 2021, when REA sold a T206 Honus Wagner, SGC 3, for $6.6 million, now the most expensive card in the hobby.

Pictured above is a photo I took at the 2021 National of the T206 Wagner, displayed at the REA booth, that later sold for $6.6 million.

​While the sports card hobby's demise has been declared many, many times over the years, a revival can certainly be declared for 2021 -- the numbers don't lie! The hobby is as healthy as it has ever been with record sales, strong card shows, and new participants from all walks of life. 

The hobby was not without its controversies in 2021. Amateur sleuths on the Blowout Cards Forums uncovered wide-spread fraud. In the past, these folks showed how fake autographs can get by the authenticators at all the grading companies. In 2021, they showed how doctored cards can get past the graders as well. They discovered slabbed cards that were purchased on eBay, doctored, resubmitted to PSA, then receiving much high grades, then sold by PWCC on eBay.

Let's start with PSA and then get to PWCC.

The response from PSA has not been comforting. PSA response was simply, "We're not perfect, we make mistakes." Well, it is your job to be perfect! What is the point of having PSA authenticate an autograph when they do not have the ability to authenticate an autograph? Also, what is the point of having PSA grade a card when the card doctors and trimmers are able to get their fraudulent cards past the so-called experts at PSA. Lesson -- you can't rely on PSA or any of the grading companies. Yet, the hobby continues to rely on these grading companies which are so deeply flawed. I think at some point, everyone is going to wake up and realize that their authenticated autographs are NOT authentic, and their PSA 10s are trimmed and worthless -- it will be an ugly day.

How many PSA 10s have been doctored? How many fake Babe Ruth autographs have been slabbed as authentic? I don't trust PSA. You should not trust PSA. The very first card they slabbed back in the day, the Mastro/Gretzky T206 Wagner, was doctored! They have a history of turning a blind eye to doctored cards. There is no evidence out there but you have to wonder if they are complicit in wide-spread fraud.

Not only am I concerned the grading companies show a complete inability to authenticate an autograph or properly grade a card, but the ownership structure is also incredibly concerning. I don't know this guy Nat Turner from Adam but apparently, he is a young wealthy tech mogul and he recently purchased PSA. He also purchased a large auction house, Goldin Auctions. My concern is that this guy can now personally grade his own cards under the PSA label and sell them at his own auction house and pull a "Mastro" and inflate the prices.

Now, I spent eight years working in government here in the State of Illinois, and one thing that was consistently drilled into my head was that I never wanted to do anything that gave an air of impropriety. For example, at one time I drew up the lease documents for the DMV facilities across the state. Years ago, another attorney, that drew up those lease documents, cut deals with his buddies and received kickbacks for contracting with his friends. That attorney is now in jail. 

While I was drafting the lease docs, I vetted out all the building owners to make sure they did not have a criminal history and to make sure they had no "special" relationship with anyone in state government. A state inspector general vetted me out to make sure I had no relationship with any of the building owners. 

Who is vetting out Nat Turner? Who is making sure he is not over-grading his own cards or authenticating fake autographs? Who is making sure PSA is not giving high grades to doctored cards? Who is making sure that the cards graded by Nat Turner or doctored cards are not going to his own auction house and selling at artificially inflated prices? There is an air of impropriety permeating our great hobby and I am very, very concerned.

Along these same lines, someone forgot to send the memo to PWCC. With regard to the reslabbed and doctored cards that PWCC sold, they simply responded that they were not aware that these cards were doctored and reslabbed. I believe this whole situation is being investigated by the FBI.

I've got a problem with PWCC because almost the minute they came on the scene, the accusations of shill bidding followed. Now there has been no evidence that PWCC was engaged in shill bidding, but the accusations are there, and PWCC has done nothing to quiet the murmurs. 

First off, I always wondered why cards sold under their name on eBay consistently garnered higher dollars than cards sold by any other eBay seller sans Probstein who has the same accusations of shill bidding.  I have always stayed away from PWCC and Probstein because I believe that where there is smoke there is fire. I just don't trust them.

I think PWCC just might be following the Mastro playbook. Not familiar with Mastro? Well NBC produced an excellent documentary on Mastro in NBC's American Greed series. I recommend watching it. After I watched it, I was hesitant to bid on cards from any auction house. The documentary shows how easy it is to cheat and there is no one monitoring the auction houses.

Mastro went to jail for fraud. He's out now. He was at the National. I wonder when he is going to start ripping people off again.

Now with PWCC, eBay kicked them off their site and explicitly stated they observed irregularities with the bidding on PWCC items. So PWCC now has its own site where no one can monitor them. I won't ever go on PWCC's site but apparently many folks do. Suckers, I think.

There is a lot of fraud in our hobby. There is no governing body, there is no inspector general to root out impropriety. We really need some government regulation; we really need the FBI to be far more engaged. There is too much money changing hands.

Much of this money is invested in modern cards. Now, I don't deal with modern cards, but I must admit that the hobby's current explosion is largely due to modern cards. I am amazed that cards depicting Tom Brady and Lebron James can sell for six or seven figures. Unfortunately, I see a huge crash in the future for this modern stuff. One, there is no way these cards can maintain their value. With one cheating or drug scandal, your six-figure Lebron cards will be worthless.

Additionally, the Fanatics company came in like a stealth bomber and essentially stole the sports card contracts from Topps and Panini. What I am reading about Fanatics is really disturbing. The guy that runs this company is out to conquer the world, starting with sports cards. Fanatics has proposed to eliminate the current distribution structure for modern sports cards. So out goes the distributor and out goes the card shops and the wax dealers at card shows. There will no longer be access to wholesale modern cards to anyone (well, maybe Nat Turner can get some wholesale, slab 'em and have his auction house sell 'em).

It looks to me that Fanatics wants to replace all the auction houses as well and wants to be the main depository for the secondary market. I don't see how they will achieve this, but they clearly announced their intentions. I have to wonder if Fanatics will insert 1/1's into packs. I really think they will print all sorts of 1/1's and just list them for multi-millions of dollars on their own website.

I think these dopes at Fanatics are going to kill the modern sports card. I strongly believe in the old adage, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Topps and Panini have been doing a bang-up job. The modern card market is healthy, the way new cards are made and distributed ain't broke. But greed from the players' associations gave Fanatics the green light to destroy the modern card market. We know how flawed professional athletes are because they consistently screw up their own lives (see Antonio Brown), now they're going to screw up the sports card hobby.

When Fanatics takes over the production of cards, will they create desirable cards? Will anyone buy these cards from Fanatics? Will anyone buy cards Fanatics gets slabbed... from Fanatics? Will anyone buy the 1/1's Fanatics makes available ONLY on their own website. This is trouble in the making.

I've also said this before... I am worried that Fanatics will attempt to overtake the vintage card market as well and put guys like me out of business. What is to stop them? They have billions of dollars at their disposal. I think if I see Fanatics start buying up vintage cards, I am going to immediately stop selling my cards and horde them until the end of time. I'm not letting this evil empire get my cards!

Yes evil empire! I see lots of villains in our hobby -- Mastro, Nat Turner, PSA, Goldin Auctions, Fanatics, and PWCC.

I've been part of this hobby since 1975 and I've witnessed all sorts of madness but nothing like I have seen in 2021. Yet, the stars are aligned for 2022 to be even more maddening!

I didn't even touch on all these new companies that have entered the hobby to take your money in non-traditional ways. Like you really need to pay a company to invest your money into sports cards. Really?

Back when I went to my first card show in 1978, vintage was king. Every single dealer at the old Hillside Holiday Inn sold vintage cards. This past weekend at the Schaumburg show, I was just one of two dealers who sold vintage cards. It has become a modern card world and guys like me are relics of the past.

Sales were not very good at the Schaumburg show for my vintage cards. Throw in very high table fees, and relics like me won't be at that show much longer. Overall, I think vintage dealers are disappearing from most shows.

While Honus Wagner and Mickey Mantle are still the kings of the hobby, the bread and butter of card show used to be guys building vintage sets. Like me, these guys are relics and disappearing fast.

While I do not see card shows ever disappearing, the make up has changed and down the road most shows will just be young guys selling high end modern cards. Us older guys are being put out to pasture. It is sad. To me, there is nothing better than building a set of vintage cards. It is great fun going through old cards at a card show, looking for the cards you need to complete a set. Sure, you can do it on eBay but it is much more expensive and much more difficult facing rival bidders in your efforts to complete your set. There is nothing like sitting down at a table with piles of old cards at a card show, list out, and finding cards for your set. I think this part of the hobby is fading away.

There are no young vintage dealers out there. All the vintage dealers, like me, are old. So it really is a new day in the hobby. The hobby I knew is long gone. I'll stick around for as long as I can, but I can't keep coming out to some of these shows where there is just no interest in vintage cards. I may start to spend more time online selling cards than filling all of my weekends with shows. Another option is to do more pop-up shops at my office and create a space for vintage collectors to regularly congregate. 

I have many questions for the year 2022. Will card shows continue to grow in 2022? Will prices for modern and vintage sports cards continue to climb? Will all these new companies, out to swipe your cash, continue to jump into the hobby? Are you willing to pay a company to invest your money into sports cards? Will the feds come in and jail all these scumbags sucking the life out of our hobby? What are the villains planning for 2022? Will this stupid pandemic ever end? 

I've just rambled on and on here.... what are your thoughts about 2021 and the state of hobby?

Sunday, December 26, 2021, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

Man, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed Sunday morning. I was kind of annoyed the whole day. I had hoped to wake up at 5 a.m. but could not get up until 5:35 a.m. after a tough night not really sleeping, so, I woke up annoyed.

I was able to get on the road by 6:15 a.m. when I wanted to get out by 6, not bad. I had loaded the car the night before so that helped greatly. Traffic was okay except for a few tailgaters. I hate when I am tailgated in the slow lane, there is no place to go. Why tailgate me in the slow lane, go around me, a-hole!

I made it to Orland Park around 7:20. I wanted to get there early because my display case set up takes extra time. I was able to snag the green cart for load in, which has been very difficult to do this past year. The green cart, provided by the venue, is large and I can fit all of my stuff on it for just one trip in the building. 

I brought 10 display cases, laid them out and was annoyed when I saw space for at least two more cases. I really didn't have anything to place out in the extra space. I laid out some $10 cards and the '71 baseball binder I brought for Will along with flyers for my Oak Creek show. I really wish I brought extra cases because I could have easily filled up two more cases. Well, now I know for next time that I can fit 12 cases in my Orland space.

Then I was kind of annoyed with all the disruptions while I was trying to hustle to fill the 10 display cases. I mean, I like to chat with everyone, but I really need to set up my tables before socializing. I'm also not all that interested in purchasing cards when I first arrive at a show and need to set up before the room fills up with customers. I am much more interested in buying cards when my pockets start to fill up with cash later in the show. Also, I really don't need to buy any more cards because I have so much right now. I'll never sell all the stuff I already have let alone anything new.

Another annoying thing that happens often when I do the display-case set up is that guys try to purchase the empty display cases before I get a chance to fill them up with cards. When a dealer walks by my table at 8 a.m., an hour before the show opens, and sees empty display cases, wouldn't he think I am going to fill the cases with cards? Seems obvious to me but I always have to tell some guys that the cases are not for sale! They are to display my cards!! 

Then the most annoying pre-show event that regularly occurs involves the guys that hover over me while I am trying to set up. Ugh! The show is not open yet! Give me some space and allow me to set up! I had one guy at my tables at 8:30 a.m. when the show does not open until 9 a.m. I still had four cases to fill and was trying to get it done while he kept interrupting asking to see cards in the other cases. I should have told him to come back later because I was unable to complete my set up until 9:30 when I could have had it done by 9! I think this guy was set up somewhere, but I did not get an opportunity to walk around so I am not sure if he had a table.  He came back at the end of the show while I was trying to pack up. Go home!

Then once I was set up, I was annoyed that all my early customers were lowballers. I hate the lowballers -- they are sooooo annoying. I am not going to sell you my cards at half my sticker price! I won't be in business very long if I sell my cards for less than I paid for them. There was one particular guy that really annoyed me. I had a 1975-76 Topps Bobby Orr in decent but not perfect condition. I mark all my cards down when there are defects. This is a $20 card all day but I marked it down to $10. The guy offered $5. It took everything I had not to tell him to F off. Guys that offer half of my sticker price are as worthless as they come.

The guy gave me this look like I was crazy not to take his five bucks. Like I really need your five bucks? Any dealer that has to give their shit away to take home five bucks needs to reassess their existence.

The last thing that annoyed me the morning of the Orland show was when some guy going through cards on my neighbor's table placed a large McDonald's cup filled with soda on my table. I just hate when people looking at cards at one of my neighbors' tables place any of their crap on my table. I have also had idiots spill soda on my cards in the past, so I was not happy, and worried this guy was going to spill his soda on my cards or swipe some stuff off my table.

I watched the guy like a hawk because I had a bunch of $10 cards laid out on the end of the table where he placed his cup of soda. I did not want him to walk away with any of my cards. I then observed him place stacks of cards he pulled out of a box on my neighbor's table onto MY table. My blood started to boil. Then he started to rearrange MY stuff on MY table to make more room to place more stacks of cards that he pulled from the neighbor -- that's when I lost it. I wanted kick his ass. Don't move my freakin' stuff!! That is MY table that I pay for the right to display my wares.

I told him to get all of his stuff off my table, he gave me some lip. I was ready to deck him because I was in a shitty mood to begin with. He said something like, "Oh, I can't leave my stuff there because I'm not buying from you yet?"

Well, I saw that he was buying modern cards which there are none of on my tables, so I said, "You're not going to buy anything from me and I pay for that space, not you, so keep your stuff off of it."

He responded, "What's the big deal, there is plenty of room there?"

I said, "No, there is only room there because you moved my stuff around, you moved my stuff on my table that I pay for, so you can place your stuff there. NO, stay away from my table!" 

Anymore and I was throwing down. Though, I have to admit that I was looking around for big Joe to back me up. The guy paid my neighbor and moved along. I went to move my items back to where they were before he messed up my table. My neighbor apologized though I think he should have told the guy to stop putting stuff on my table and told him not to rearrange my table. WTF?

One of the things I miss about my old tables at Orland, back in the day when I was up against the back wall, was I did not have to deal with this sort of thing because I had the whole back space and no neighbors. 

Man, I was just annoyed the whole day and tried to make the best of it. Luckily, Will, Paul and Rick were at my tables most of the day and these guys are so funny that it was tough to maintain my annoyed demeanor.

Plus, I could not really be all that annoyed when sales were excellent. Rick spent a ton of dough. Thanks Rick! I can't even remember what Rick purchased but it was a nice stack of stuff. Gil spent a ton of dough on '52 Topps. Thanks Gil! Will spent a ton of dough on '58 Ted Williams and Willie Mays. Thanks Will! Chris purchased my 1962 Topps Roger Maris. Thanks Chris! Then I had many more good sales and went home with a pocket full of cash.

Quite a few guys tried to sell me cards during the show but I felt I either had the cards already or the prices were way too high. I'm a reseller, I can't pay retail.

I felt much better after I had a hot dog and downed three or four diet Cokes. Though, I did get annoyed again when I was trying to pack up and that same guy from the morning, who interrupted my attempts to set up, came back to look at more cards as I was obviously packing up.

Definitely NOT annoying was the tremendous attendance. The show was jam packed with people all day long. There were so many people in the aisles that it was tough to walk through. I started to get worried about COVID and threw on a mask. Most people were wearing masks but the way this Omicron variant is spreading, I bet some folks woke up the next morning feeling sick.

I had my booster on Friday and my arm was still sore. I am going to keep getting those boosters. A lot of people commented on my mask and said I don't need one if I have been vaccinated. Well, I know plenty of people who caught COVID after being vaccinated. More importantly, I'm diabetic, as a result, my immune system is compromised and COVID kills people like me, so think what you want but I am going to wear a mask and continue to get boosters, thank you.

I was so tired after the show, I skipped the sub shop, went home and slept for three hours. The next Orland show is only two weeks away on January 9. I'm going back to the binders for that one. The binders are less annoying because they are easier to set up and take down and they are self-serve so a lot less busy work for me helping customers during the show. I just finished filling up my 1977 Topps football binder and am starting on 1959 Baseball, I hope to have it done by January 9.

In the meantime, I am planning to drop a blog shortly that will recap 2021 and include my thoughts on the state of card shows and the hobby in general. I am also setting up on January 2 at the Hyatt Woodfield in Schaumburg, IL. I have to figure out what to bring to that show. I brought out binders to the December show and sales were not very good, so I think I am going to bring some sort of display case set up but not sure exactly. I don't want to have the same set up I had in Orland because I will see many of the same people at the Schaumburg show. I have to figure this one out.

I am sorry that I was a little ornery at the Orland show. I think I may have grunted at a few people who said hello to me. I normally have a cheery demeanor but can get crooked sometimes. Will loves to remind me about the time I went after the big bald guy that used to work at Orland. I don't think I'll ever learn!

Reminder, my Oak Creek show is scheduled for January 15th, NOT January 1st. The Salvation Army will be closed on January 1st. See you in Schaumburg. I promise to be in a better mood!

I should have taken a photo of the douchebag who placed piles of cards from this box, pictured above, onto my table and also placed a large cup of soda on my table. I think that guy pictured all the way to the right is the one who lowballed me on my Bobby Orr. Look at that crowd! The place was jammed!

See the guy in the background to the right wearing the Justin Fields jersey? He fell of his chair earlier in the show, making me wonder if he was weak from COVID. Anyone get sick after the show?

Gotta end the blog on a happy note. Later in the week, my kids and I found this place called Tita Mia's Filipino Restaurant & Cafe in Niles, Illinois, which was awesome! I had Filipino food once before when I was a teenager as some of my close friends were Filipino and I was pretty much at their house every day when I was 14 years old. Their father was some sort of diplomat and was never home and almost always in the Philippines. I don't recall their mother being home much as well. But their grandmother, on the other hand, was always in the kitchen hovering over a huge pot of stew which I regularly partook and remember it being quite tasty.

Well, we tried a few dishes at Tita Mia's and really enjoyed a grilled pork dish. We also ordered a stewed chicken dish that I did not like. The highlight was this ice cream desert. My, oh, my!  

Sunday, December 19, 2021, Root River Center, Franklin, WI

This show has been running for a while but this was my first opportunity to set up. I'm always hesitant to set up more than twice a month in the same town. For years, I've been setting up at my Oak Creek show and the Gonzaga show in the Milwaukee area. I just felt a third Milwaukee show would kill my sales.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Gonzaga/Buenavista show might be done -- I hope not, but that was the word on Sunday morning at Root River. I just might start setting up at Root River regularly.

Root River is pretty easy to get to, just exit the highway at Rawson and the venue is a few miles west. I thought the room that housed the show was really nice. It has a bar, dance floor, disco lights and stage.

Maybe 30 tables in there. All eight-footers which is nice. I reserved two but PJ tossed me an extra table, which was much appreciated. I was able to place out all of my binders with some space left over to throw down some flyers for my Oak Creek show.

While this was my first Root River show, I have been setting up in the Milwaukee area for the past 20 years so I knew most of the dealers and customers. I felt right at home at Root River.

Eric, pictured above, told me I had my buddy Larry Larsen's tables. I texted Larry while at the show to let him know I stole his spot. I'll gladly relinquish it to Larry when he is back doing shows! Get well soon buddy!

There were a couple of no-show dealers which is the bane of my existence. I told PJ I could relate. I'll say it again as I've said it before, guys who reserve a table and don't show up just suck! 

Folks trickled into the show all day long at a steady clip. I had a lot of little sales that did not add up to much at the end of the day but I do appreciate everyone who purchased cards from me. Thanks guys! 

Jerome was the big winner with the largest purchase. He picked up a bunch of 1954 Topps. Then my other buddy Larry purchased some 1960 Topps. A few other regular customers bought some cards.

On the buying front, I ended up buying a box of modern football from Randy. I have wanted to purchase some 2021 football all season long but the prices for boxes have been too high. Randy, set up across from me next to Eric, had some reasonably priced stuff. When he informed me at the end of the day that he had not made one sale, I immediately purchased a box. I was hoping for a Justin Fields rookie but no such luck.

Now Randy's set up appears tough to me. He roams the Walmarts, Targets and Meyers to purchase blaster boxes and hanger boxes and resells them. Randy's approach to selling cards is not new but has been taken to new levels during the Pandemic as those Walmart boxes were selling for double on eBay and at shows early on.

Looks like the prices have leveled off and guys like Randy are going to have a tough time making sales down the road. Randy said he thinks if he saves some of this stuff it will increase in value over time. I am a little skeptical but impressed at how well Randy knows his stuff. I am a vintage dealer and have very little knowledge about modern cards. I like to buy some boxes here and there and rip a little but I do it for fun, not in the hopes of getting that big hit and making some money at it.

Randy, on the other hand, has detailed knowledge on each modern product and seems to have a sixth sense when determining which product will sell. I really think he is going to have to start ripping some of this stuff and sell some singles to increase sales at future shows. That is just my opinion and, like I said, I do not really have a whole lot of knowledge when it comes to modern cards, but when you set up all day and do not make a sale, that is a for sure sign that you need to make some adjustments.

I think Randy's selling model may become more popular when Fanatics takes over the modern card market and does away with wholesaling, but for now, I think this method of selling cards is on the downside, albeit temporarily. 

The highlight of my day came when my main man Stan, pictured below, brought me a cake! It was my birthday on Dec. 18th and I requested cake in last week's blogs. Stan happily obliged. Thanks Stan! The cake was awesome! A bunch of guys wished me happy birthday. Thank you!

I find it so awesome that so many people read my blog. Robin, who purchased some hockey cards, thought my idea of a 1972 Topps booth was a good one. I am getting good feedback on that idea.

Although sales were low at my first Root River show, I am confident that they will pick up the more I attend the show. My sales are often low at my first time setting up at a show. I need to get the word out that I will be set up at this show. I'll be at the next one on January 23. I'm planning to bring showcases for that one. Come see me at Root River on January 23!!!

In the meantime, my last show of 2021 is coming up this Sunday, December 26, at the Orland Park Civic Center in Orland Park, IL. I'm bringing showcases to Orland and am expecting another monster show.

Reminder, my Oak Creek show is scheduled for January 15, NOT January 1. Dealer tables are sold out, as usual, and that should be a monster show as well. Hope to see everyone in Orland on Sunday. Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 18, 2021, Lake Station VFW, Lake Station, IN

No Mike Slinkman Road Report for this one because the drive was essentially the same as my drive to Orland last week. Mike, pictured above, was set up next to me at the Lake Station show. We like to joke but Mike's cards are no joke. He has some amazing cards. I love his 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth.

Back to the road report, only wrinkle on this morning was that I thought I could make the drive without the aid of a GPS but got nervous once I entered Indiana and did not see an exit for Central Avenue. As soon as I plugged in the GPS, the Central Avenue exit popped up. So now I'm confident that I can make the drive in January without the aid of the trusty GPS.

Lake Station, Indiana, seems like a weird place to me, one that is stuck in time. Nothing looks new in Lake Station. Everything seems old and a bit crusty, which makes me feel right at home.

I love the bar in the VFW. There were a bunch of middle-aged ladies chain smoking in there, reminded me of Marge Simpson's sisters. They were serving up hot dogs today, thankfully. I ate two of 'em. Only cash in the bar. No credit cards but they do have an ATM which I had to hit to get some funds for a purchase.

It was my birthday. I can't think of a better place to spend my birthday than at a card show... and spend I did as I bought myself a 1969 Topps Mickey Mantle White Name Variation -- tough card. First time I have ever owned one and the perfect birthday gift for me!

Mike and Derek greeted me with happy birthdays. Thanks guys! I love that so many people read this blog and many knew it was my birthday from last week's blog. Derek liked my idea of a 1972 Topps booth. I am going to start working on it soon. It will take a while to get it together.

The Lake Station VFW is a great place for a card show. The hall is absolutely huge. I bet you could fit a 100 or so tables in there. Unfortunately, seemed like less dealers than my last adventure to Lake Station. I'd love to see this show grow because it fits perfectly into my monthly schedule and is such a great venue. We definitely need to get more dealers and more customers out for this show.

As I learned in operating my Oak Creek show, the most difficult task is getting the word out and getting folks to attend the show. Bob, the promoter, regularly takes out a Facebook ad which is very helpful. I just googled Lake Station, Indiana, newspaper and came up with the Northwest Indiana Times and posted the January 22nd show in their events calendar. Woot! Doing my part! I firmly believe that dealers must assist in promoting the show.

Needless to say, sales weren't so great at my birthday show. So, what does any self-respecting veteran sports card dealer do when sales are low? Answer: buy your way out of the show.... and buy I did with that '69 Mantle along with a box of low-grade vintage. Nice haul when I was not expecting to purchase anything at this show.

I did have a few guys buy some cards. One guy was working on some upgrades for his 1959 set that he started as a kid back in 1959. He had a great story about how he completed his set back then. He told me that by the fall of 1959, he was down to just one card -- Jerry Lumpe and just could not obtain the card. He enlisted his folks for help. His dad told everyone at the local tavern that he would supply the drinks to anyone who could find his son a Jerry Lumpe.

Well, our hero said that the summer of 1960 arrived and still no Jerry Lumpe so he started to work on the 1960 Topps baseball set. At some point over the summer of 1960, his dad received a call from a bartender at the tavern alerting him that there was a cust0mer at the bar who had the Lumpe and was waiting for his drinks. Our guy's dad went down to the tavern, bought the guy some beers, drank a few himself, and returned home, a little sloppy, but with the Lumpe and, thus, the '59 set was complete.

Our guy told me that his mother promptly took the set of cards put them in a shoe box, taped it shut, and hid it away, telling her son that these cards will be worth some money some day. How did she know? I mean nobody in 1959 had any idea that baseball cards would have any value in the future. I think a pack only cost a nickel in 1959. What foresight! How about that! A mother who preserved her kid's cards instead of tossing them in the garbage. Wow!

I love hearing old stories. I reconnected with another customer I met at the November show, who was working on upgrades for his childhood sets from the late 1960's. He said he rediscovered his cards during the COVID lockdown last year and has been having a ball working on them again.  That's why I love vintage cards, there are so many memories attached to these wonderful pieces of cardboard.

Not much else to report. My brother Jon came out to visit me for my birthday. I was kind of hoping he'd show up, which made my day.

I was supposed to meet my folks after the show for dinner but was too tired when I got home and promptly fell asleep. Now my crazy 84-year-old parents are driving down to Florida. I'm not sure when I'll see them next but will get dinner with them down the road. Warning: anyone on the road from Chicago to Miami this week, beware! My dad is the world's worst driver!! He will speed by you and cut you off. He is NOT your typical old man driver. My wife and kids won't get into a car with him.

He plays this game every time he drives down to Florida. It is a simple game; he must make it to Miami in less time than the last time he drove there. He is a madman and will stop at nothing to beat his time.

He has been playing this game my whole life. It was torture for my siblings and I as children as dad refused to ever stop for a bathroom break during those childhood trips to Florida. We all learned the hard way not to drink a thing during the drive. Speaking of 1959, that was the year my folks got married. They're still together and still driving to Florida, wreaking havoc on the roadways!

But I digress. Anyway, this was another double bill weekend with the Root River show on Sunday. Root River blog coming soon! 

Pictured here is my view from behind my tables at the December Lake Station show. A guy I have dubbed Low Ball Lester stopped by my table several times but did not make a low-ball offer on any cards like last month. I am not a big fan of the guys who offer you less than half of your sticker price. That's Low Ball Lester pictured above looking at one of my fliers. Maybe he'll drive up to Oak Creek next month and spread his low ball joy there.

As you can see, not many people attended the show. I'm setting up at the next one on January 22... COME ON OUT!!!

Also, please note that my Oak Creek show will NOT be on January 1st. I've scheduled the show for January 15th. I'll be back on the first Saturday of the month for the rest of the 2022 shows.

My last show of 2021 is Orland on December 26th. See you then!

Sunday, December 12, 2021, Civic Center, Orland Park, IL

Another tough night of sleep but I was able to make it out of the house by 7 a.m. It sure was nice not having to load up the car. I did not unpack after Rockford so I would be ready to go to Orland.

Here is a detailed account of my drive to Orland for my friend Mike Slinkman... It was an easy drive to O'Hare but weird to see empty space where the O'Hare Road Oasis once stood. Just past the former spot of the Oasis, road construction kicked in and lasted all the way to I57. I arrived at the Civic Center around 8 a.m. and happily observed all the Christmas decor. They do a great job decorating both the outside and inside of the Civic Center for Christmas.

Load in went smoothly. I'm usually blocked getting into the room by big Brad who was noticeably absent. Someone said he was recovering from COVID. Get well Brad! Blocking the aisle instead of Brad, was Terry, who quickly moved out of the way.

On my second trip in, the dealer at the front tables to the left stopped me to let me know we had a mutual friend in Bill from Antioch. Any friend of Bill's is as friend of mine! If Bill is reading this blog, you now have two reasons to come on down to Orland!

So those first tables to the left have been occupied by many different dealers over the years. This was the first show where Bill's buddy had the tables. Those tables are usually occupied by a modern card dealer I refer to as the "Tall Guy" because he is literally like seven feet tall. When I first started setting up at the Orland show some twenty years ago, those tables belonged to vintage dealer John Melcher. John was a big guy as well and unfortunately passed away many years ago. 

After John, Gary occupied those tables for years. I think Gary moved to Florida some time ago. I can't remember the last time I saw Gary, a real good guy who sold modern cards.

I am going to assume the Tall Guy will be back for the December 26 show. I observed that many regular dealers were absent at this show like Steve Zinn and Jimmy C. Someone said Jim has COVID. If so, I hope Jim recovers quickly and is back at the next show. I just saw Steve last week at my Oak Creek show and was surprised he was not set up.

Another surprise was seeing Dave Frazier at the Orland show. I saw Dave at the Lake Station show in October after an absence of several years. It is nice to get Dave back into the fold!

The modern card dealer from Downstate who I met at the October show was next to me again on my right. He said he had my tables at the November show while I was in sunny California. He told me he grew up in California and that is where he learned how to cook. He currently works as a cook at some ma-and-pa type place located in a tiny town outside Champaign, Illinois. I'd like to try his cooking some time. I'll have to write down the name of the restaurant next time I see him. Nice guy.

Another group of nice guys, younger, were set up on the other side of my tables. One of the guys was bummed I did not bring out my cheapy boxes like I did in October. I thought about it but did not have the time to reload them prior to the show. I like to have the cheapy boxes reloaded before I bring them out.

It was a late-arriving crowd on this crisp December morning which seems to be the norm at Orland this past year. Not much doing at my tables during the first hour of the show. Around 10 a.m., Eddie spotted my display case filled with graded cards. I don't think I brought out any graded cards to Orland this year. My main man Eddie went to town and purchased eight or nine graded cards including all of my T206's, a 1934 Goudey Kiki Cuyler, a 1958 Mickey Mantle All Star, a 1968 Mantle and my Walter Payton rookie. 

After pulling all the cards, Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out a large stack of hundreds and started peeling them off. Woot! What a great way to start the show! I was ready to go home afterwards but it was only 10:15 a.m. I figured anything else I sold the rest of the day would be gravy.

My pals Will and Joe arrived shortly thereafter bringing me a much needed and a much-appreciated cup of coffee. Will also purchased quite a few 1956, 1958 and 1971 Topps baseball cards. Thanks Will! He was just starting on his '56 set. As we discussed, the '56 set is not a bad set to attack because there are no big rookies. Unfortunately, the Mantle and the Jackie Robinson have shot up in value this past year. The second-year Clemente and Koufax have always been expensive cards, at least in recent years. When I first started to attend card shows back in 1978, you could buy either of those cards for a mere twenty bucks. Currently, 1956 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 5s are consistently selling on eBay for $800. It has been crazy to watch the price of cards grow from 1978 to today. If I only had more money back in 1978, I'd be filthy rich today! I might have mentioned this before, but in 1979 I got my very first job with the sole purpose of earning money to buy cards!! I was a janitor at a day camp. I think I was paid $1.25 an hour. Not much money but just enough to buy some cards which were crazy cheap in 1979 when compared to 2021 (gawd, I'm old!!).

Sales were consistent the rest of the day. No more monster sales but quite a few that added up. I was able to pay off a large debt I owed another dealer for some cards I purchased recently on credit. 

On the buying front, Mike offered me some low grade stars that I had to take a pass on. As I told Mike, I can sell low grade cards but only at a low price. He offered me the cards at a price about what I would sell them for. I do appreciate the offer.

I picked up a 1963 Topps "Bombers Best" card featuring Mickey Mantle, Mike Tresh and Bobby Richardson. I probably have several of these already but when a Mantle comes to my table with a reasonable price, I snatch it every time. Not much else doing on the buying front.

Chicago Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull was signing autographs all day in the front hallway. I forgot to bring something to get signed. Then I thought about getting a photo with him but I had spilled coffee on my white shirt and did not want a picture with my all-time favorite hockey player while I was wearing a large coffee stain. Will got a Hawks St. Patrick's Day jersey signed by Bobby Hull, pictured below. Photo by Joe Schwenn.

I was crazy hungry by the end of the show and all set to hit the sub shop with Will and Joe but my son texted and wanted me to bring some food home. I gave my wife some money the night before so she could get the kids some lunch before she went to work. Unfortunately, she failed to do so and the kids were hungry and wanted Browns Chicken. So I bid Will and Joe farewell and drove to Browns Chicken and brought home a pile of food for the kiddos.

This was my second best show at Orland, thanks to Eddie, who was a major player in my best show at Orland back in April. Thanks again Eddie!

It was a pretty fun day. Real nice crowd that seemed to thin out around noon. During football season, most card shows clear out around noon as everybody wants to watch football and see how their fantasy teams are performing.

So Rich is running two shows this month in Orland. The next one is December 26th and I plan on bringing out showcases to that one. I don't know if I have ever done just a showcase set up in Orland so this should be interesting. I have a good number of regulars in Orland that like the binders, I hope they can find some cards in my showcases. I'll be set up with 10 showcases with vintage baseball. I don't think I'll have enough space for football, basketball and hockey. If the showcase set up goes well, I'll do it again in January and then bring out the football, basketball and hockey. If I don't sell much out of the showcases, I'll go back to the binder set up. So no binders on the 26th, if anybody wants to see one, let me know and I'll bring it out for you. I've been working on reloading 1977 Topps football and hope to have it done shortly.

That was quite a weekend with Rockford on Saturday and Orland on Sunday. I'm revving it up again next weekend with the Lake Station VFW on Saturday and Root River on Sunday. Hope to see everyone next weekend. Make sure you bring me some cake on Saturday as it is my birthday... turning 55.

I've kind of been feeling bad about getting older when a new client walked into my office on Monday and asked me in a snotty tone, "How old are you? 40?"

"Turning 55 on Saturday," I replied.

"Really, I thought you were between 35 and 40," she said.

"Awesome," I thought.

In my mind, I'm still the long-haired 11-year-old little leaguer playing shortstop for the Glenbrook Insurance team. That's me, pictured below, top row right, next to Mr. Minus. The photographer made Mr. Minus sit in and look like a coach as our coach did not bother to show up along with most of the team. Good thing we did not have to play a game that day!

Pictured along with me, back row left, is Armen Klujian whose family operates Klujian Rugs in Chicago. Armen did not go into the family business and currently lives in LA with his wife and kids. Next to Armen is John Rice, who currently lives out in Las Vegas. Next is Adam Kosh, who lived behind me growing up, just up the street from John. There were epic Whiffle Ball games at John's house and epic basketball games at Adam's house. Adam lives near me now and operates Antioch Wine and Liquors. Front row is Corey Fertel, just how I remember him, a little scrawny kid. Today he is 6'4" or 6'5" and operates United Process Servers in Chicago, a company I regularly hire for service of process at my law firm. Lastly is Paul Fleschler (I think that is his last name, memory is fading). I don't know what happened to Paul, lost touch. He was a great athlete as a kid.

So that was our 1977 little league team. We all collected 1977 Topps baseball cards. Somone always brought a stack of cards to the games. There was lots of card trading amongst teammates.

Man, 1977 seemed like yesterday. It is just crazy that we are heading into 2022! Come see me this weekend! Let's talk little league!!

Saturday, December 11, 2021, Rock Church, Rockford, IL

The winds were howling when I woke up this morning. I basically live in a forest where a few trees have fallen on the house over the years. So I am always wary when the winds roar.

It was scary loading my car under the trees with that wind making itself known. I knew I was going to have a tough drive out to Rockford. I was actually having a tough morning because I had a tough night falling asleep. I wanted to get on the road by 7 a.m. but didn't get going until 7:45 a.m.

I recently wrote a blog complaining about late arriving dealers at my show. Now I was going to be a late arriving dealer at another show. I hate to be a headache for the promoter when I am well aware of all the headaches involved in operating a card show.

Anyway, those winds pushed my car around during the whole ride out to Rockford. It would not have been so bad if there weren't so many trucks on the road. It sucks pulling alongside a truck that can't stay in its lane. I was worried the wind was going to slam my car up against a truck or cause a truck to crush me.

There was sleet the whole way as well making for a slippery and windy ride. I sure was happy when I pulled into the Rock Church parking lot in one piece!

There were a few other late arriving dealers. One was a real numbnut who decided to park in front of the front door sideways, taking up three parking spots and leaving me little room to open my side doors to pull out my bins of cards. There is always that one inconsiderate dealer who parks like an a-hole at every show I do.

Once inside, I saw Skip who motioned me to the tables to his right where promoter John had placed a sheet of paper with my name on it. There were a few empty tables by us due to late cancellations. 

I went with a binder set up for this show which is a really quick set up and perfect for when I am running late. I was set up and ready for business in no time. After setting up, I observed that the sleet turned into full-on snow which probably kept customers away until late morning.

I made only one dollar during the first hour of the show. At least I wasn't shut out. Thankfully, more folks arrived and there were people in the room well into the afternoon. My sales weren't quite as good as last month but I can't complain. 

I had two guys that purchased nice stacks of cards. One drove in from Freeport and went through ALL of my baseball binders and pulled ALL of my Cubs. The other guy was working on quite a few sets and found a great many baseball and football cards. Kevin found a bunch of 1952 Topps. Thanks Kevin! I had a few hours where there was some heavy action at my tables. I sold all sorts of stuff. I think if that morning weather would have been better I would have matched last month's sales or beaten 'em. I did pretty well for the circumstances.

​On the buying front, I picked up a stack of vintage cards from Skip. Thanks Skip! Not much else which was fine because I blew a ton of cash last week at my Oak Creek show and at the Schaumburg show. I need to recover and refill the coffers.

I enjoyed being set up next to Skip and behind Nelson Rodriguez and Gary George. Tim Fritz and Tom Mularz were set up at the opposite end of the row. It is always great to hang out with these guys. I watched Gary purchase a slabbed Ernie Banks rookie, a real beauty. I also liked looking at the signed Dr. J rookie in Gary's case.

This is an excellent show with a large number of dealers and a wide variety of cards and memorabilia. I highly recommend visiting this show. Next one is January 8. John said he will have even more dealers at that one. I think I am going to go back to the display case set up for the Jan. 8 show after two months of binders. I'll have two six-foot tables at the Jan. 8 show and can fit six display cases on them. I'm going to fill them up with high end baseball cards. If anybody wants me to bring out some binders, let me know beforehand.

This was a double bill weekend with Orland on Sunday. I'll have that blog out shortly. I have another double bill weekend coming up with the Lake Station VFW on my birthday on Saturday, December 18, and Root River in Milwaukee on Sunday, December 19. I am going to do the binder thing next weekend as well. Come on out and wish me happy birthday! A cake would be nice as well.

Someone commented at the Schaumburg show that I was running myself ragged with all these shows. Au contrere mon frere! I love doing card shows. It is my thing! I have been doing it a long, long time and have no plans to slow down anytime soon. When I am not running the show, there are very few headaches and all sorts of fun. I had nothing but fun this weekend.

Also, this past year has been a banner year for buying and selling cards at card shows. I have both bought and sold more cards than ever before. My inventory of vintage cards right now is just plain silly. 

As I was sitting at the Rockford show watching guys dig through my binders, I thought wouldn't it be funny if I just set up with 1972 Topps baseball and nothing else? I could probably fill eight or nine binders, several display cases with just 1972 Topps baseball along with some complete sets, random lots, maybe some quarter boxes with nothin' but '72 Topps. I think it would be kind of funny to have a whole table with nothing but '72 Topps. Anyone interested in a stack of 100 or so 1972 Topps Elliot Maddox cards?  How about 200 Ron Fairly's? Maybe 75 Chris Speiers? I just need the time to organize it which is the hard part as I just don't have the time to put that together.... but it sure would be fun to spring it on you guys one day.

I really, really need to stop buying cards... or at least stop buying '72 Topps!

Below was the scene at my tables at the December 11th Rockford show most of the day. A big thank you to everyone who visited me in Rockford! 

Sunday, December 5, 2021, Hyatt Hotel, Schaumburg, IL

Sure was nice to get a couple of extra hours of sleep after a long day at the Oak Creek show. I made it to the Schaumburg show in 20 minutes. Kind of cold and windy this morning. I loaded in as quickly as I could to get out of the cold.

Joe gave up my tables to my pal Lou which I did not mind. I had a nice spot right next to Joe. Last month at Schaumburg I brought out display cases and had a pretty good show. This month, I brought out binders as several folks requested them. Unfortunately, my sales were not nearly as good. I'm going back to display cases next month.

Randy was one of the guys asking for binders and he found some tough 1957 Topps baseball semi-high numbers in my binder. Thanks Randy! Ed found some cards in the binders. A new customers purchased some 1949 Bowman baseball. Then a guy went on a loud political rant then purchased some 1973 Topps baseball. I appreciated the purchase but wish he would have shared his rant elsewhere. 

I met a really nice mother and son team from my hometown of Northbrook, Illinois. The son, about 11 years old, was wearing a Maple Junior High T-shirt. Maple is located next to my old high school. This kid was a real superstar, negotiating deals left and right out of his briefcase. They purchased a 1971 Topps Thurman Munson and Reggie Jackson from me.

A lady set up across the room purchased a 1940's Cubs Newsletter. My publications binder is getting thin. I think I'm going to pull it from my regular show inventory before this weekend and start reloading. I have a large inventory of publications. Bill from Antioch made it out and purchased some cards. Thanks Bill!

I had a nice number of sales but they just did not add up like last month. Anybody who wants to see the binders at the Jan. 2 Schaumburg show should let me know ahead of time because I will have baseball star cards out for that one.

On the buying front, I picked up a few things including a 1970 Topps Thurman Munson rookie and a large JFK election button. The button was cool and I bought it for my dad who collects them. I was able to give it to him on Monday and he really liked it.

I also purchased some 1960 Leaf and some of those Kellogg's 3D cards from the 1970's. I ended my purchases with a nice group of 1968 and 1969 Topps baseball stars. A guy showed up at my table with some really nice vintage cards but did not have any pricing. I was about tapped out of cash and did not make an offer. I hope to see him again when I have more funds!

Seems like the fancy hotels that host card shows have faux Starbucks in them. It sure was nice getting some Starbucks coffee and a bite to eat during the show. 

There was a nice crowd early on that seemed to clear out once the Bears-Cardinals game started. Glad I missed that game! Was anybody surprised that Andy Dalton threw four interceptions? The guy has a history of throwing to the other team. Bears GM Ryan Pace is genius for getting Dalton! A dead crab would be a better GM than this Bozo!

Then there was the dealer on the other side of the room who screeched every time he pulled a decent card from a pack. He was entertaining. After the first screech, folks seemed concerned. Sounded like he injured himself. After the second screech everyone just started to laugh. Oh, fun at the old card show!

There is not a whole lot of vintage at this show. The only other vintage dealer was my friend Tom Mularz. A couple of other guys had a smattering of vintage on their tables. It would be nice to lure out some more vintage dealers and vintage customers to this show. I know it has a rep for modern cards but this is the only show in the northern suburbs these days and I know there are a lot of vintage collectors living in these parts. If you are reading this blog, please come out to the January 2 Schaumburg show and visit me and Tom. We both carry a large number of vintage cards at reasonable prices. We'd love to see you at the show!

Next up for me is the Rock Church show Saturday, December 11, 2021, in Rockford, and the Orland Park show on Sunday, December 12, 2021. I'm bringing out binders for both of those shows. Bobby Hull will be at the Orland show. I'm hoping to get a photo with him, if I can get away from my tables. I was lucky enough to watch Bobby Hull play when I was a kid and he has always been my all-time favorite hockey player. Man, was he exciting to watch! See you this weekend!!!

Saturday, December 4, 2021, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

The morning was a little rough (more on that later) but the day was largely smooth sailing. I had a packed house of dealers and once again had nice attendance, though it may have been down from November.

In addition to being the promoter of this show, I have a table to sell cards. Sales started out fast and furious. I brought out the binders this month after just doing showcases last month. It was great to see my regular customer Scott, who has been MIA for several months. Scott found some 1972 high numbers. Robert purchased his usual pile of cards. I've got a regular customer who likes the old football cards and I brought out my 1950's and 1960's football binders with him in mind. He along with a buddy purchased a bunch of cards.

Joe made the trek from the Chicago area and pulled a nice pile of 1978 Topps baseball. A few other guys hit that '78 book as well. I had a nice crowd at my table from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. when my superstar helpers Rachel and Jason arrived to allow me to leave and make my rounds.

It probably would be smart to have all of the dealers pre-pay but I do enjoy walking the rooms and talking to each dealer. One dealer, maybe it was Eric, told me that I scheduled my January 15th show on the same day as the Oconomowoc show. I had no idea and would not have done so intentionally. Scheduling the show on the same date as another nearby show does not help my show in any way.

Normally, I schedule the show on the first Saturday of the month. However, the first Saturday in January 2022 is New Year's Day and the venue is closed, plus I don't want to do a show on New Year's Day. I asked for January 8 but the venue had already booked another event. The next available date was January 15 which not only is the date of the Oconomowoc show, but the Woodstock show as well. Sorry Lorena and Curtis, I really don't want to run my show the same day as your shows but I don't have much of a choice in January. I'll be back on the first Saturday starting in February and through December.

I haven't been to the Oconomowoc show but folks rave about it. I also like to set up at the Woodstock show and am sorry to miss it. I encourage all to visit all three shows on January 15. The Oconomowoc show runs later than my show so there should be plenty of time to hit multiple shows.

Anyway, back to my December show. I had a bunch of new dealers which is always great. I know customers always like to see new blood at the show and we had some great new guys.

The concession stand opened at 10 a.m. and my friend Doreen grabbed me a Sloppy Joe hot off the griddle. Thanks Doreen! Oh, that Sloppy was good! I was too busy the rest of the day to get another one. They ran out of Sloppy Joe around 1 p.m. I was starving by the end of the show.

On the buying front, a phenomenal day. I picked up a near set of 1971 Topps baseball, missing six or seven cards. I need Banks, Mays, Aaron, Yaz and Dusty Baker, among others, if anybody has them. I also picked up partials of 1970 and 1972 Topps baseball. I just may be cornering the market on 1970 through 1972 because I have tens of thousands of these cards at the moment.

I also picked up complete sets of 1973 and 1974 Topps baseball. I need to upgrade some of the 1973s and I'm going to eventually sell that one complete. The 1974 set is phugly except for a handful. I think I'm just going to throw that one up on ebay and list it as phugly. Also, included in the deal was a shoe box of vintage hockey. I love the vintage hockey.

In another deal, I bought a box containing commons of 1955 Topps baseball that are kind of rough but then there are some minty 1960 and 1964 Topps along with some 1960 Leaf and a few Parkhurst hockey from the early 1950's. 

Another great haul!

Now for my regular issues with my show and my complaints about operating the show....

You may want to skip this part if you are tired of reading about the trial and tribulations of operating my sports card show. Many folks say they find this part of the blog interesting. So here ya go:

The hardest part of running my card show is dealing with the mountain of calls, texts, and Facebook messages. The number of people trying to get a hold of me during the week before the show is mind numbing.

As you know, I was vacationing with my family in California during Thanksgiving week. The calls about the show started when I was at Disneyland. Sorry folks, I just can't respond to your calls while I'm trekking through the Haunted Mansion.

Then once I was home, I had to play catch up at work and was slammed in the weeds. Again, I could not respond to everybody. As a result, I have a million or so folks that I owe a return call, text or message. Now that the show is over, I'll have some time to respond. As I have stated in the past, I just cannot respond to everybody. I try my best.

The best time to talk to me is when I am set up at any other show but my Oak Creek show. I'm running around at the Oak Creek show like a chicken with its head cut off. I don't mean to brush anyone one off but I've got work to do at the show and little time to  chat. Sorry!

The show has just grown by leaps and bounds and has become a difficult one-man operation. Sometimes I long for the days back in 2014 when there was just 12 dealers and 20 tables. I never expected to grow to 65 dealers and 100 tables. I could probably add another 60 or 70 tables and fill 'em with dealers but I would have to give up setting up at the show myself which would defeat my original purpose of creating this show which was to just to provide another quality show in Milwaukee where I could set up and one that is scheduled on a Saturday. Back in 2014, there were no Saturday shows in Milwaukee. Now there are several and new ones popping up regularly. I'm a trendsetter.

If the venue ever obtains more tables, I will expand the show into the Chapel. I currently have dealers in the Game Room who bring their own tables and it has caused many problems. I just can't do another room where dealers bring their own tables. 

Anyway, Bob Long canceled on the Monday before the show. He was concerned about the Omicron variant and I can't blame him. I had one dealer miss the November show with COVID and two dealers miss this past show with COVID. Hopefully, we can get Bob Long to sign at the show if this COVID thing ever dies down. 

I had to really hustle during the week before the show. It takes a lot of time to figure out and confirm with dealers and to contact dealers off the waiting list. Then the day of the show there is always that wrinkle with last-minute cancellations and the dealers that don't bother to show up, don't bother to let me know and don't bother to pay me for the tables. My banned list of dealers is growing. 

I had the two dealers with COVID cancel at the last minute. I can't fault them, but it places me in a bind with open tables on the day of the show. Seeing a pattern, I have started to overbook the dealers which enabled me to fill the COVID guys' tables at this past show.

Here is my morning routine on the day of the show: I wake up at 4 a.m. and give myself an hour to get ready and out the door by 5 a.m. so I can be at the Salvation Army by 6 a.m. I arrived at 6:15 a.m. on this fine day. My good man Mark, who is in charge of events at the Sal, admonished me for being late. I feel so bad that Mark has to get there at 6 a.m. to let me in. He is such a good guy and does not complain. Thanks Mark!

First things first, I run around like a madman placing name tags on all the tables. This process takes a good hour and a half because I have to rearrange the tables a bit to conform with my list of dealers along with the number of tables each one has reserved plus all the special requests for table placement. One thing I won't do is switch out the 6-foot tables for 8-foot tables. The kind volunteers at the Salvation Army place out the tables and mix up the sizes randomly the night before the show. I don't think it is fair for me to intentionally give one dealer an 8-footer and another a 6-footer. The fairest method is to just let the chips fall as they may. Yet, dealers ask for the 8-footers at every show. Please stop!

Another regular issue is dealer placement in the building. I seem to talk about this issue in every blog about my Oak Creek show. Most of the dealers prefer being located in the gym which is the largest of the four rooms at the show. I can fit about 50 tables in the gym... which leaves 50 more tables split between Fellowship Hall and the Game Room. 

Every show I have dealers angry with me because at one show I may have them in the gym and at the next show I have them in Fellowship Hall. Of course, they want to be in the gym. I find that the fairest way to place the dealers is through seniority. The dealers that have been with me the longest get the gym.

Many dealers do not realize that I have been running this show for more than seven years and I've got guys that have been with me since the start. These guys are champs and have stuck with me through thick and thin and I've got to give them props. They are in my Hall of Fame and include Roger Baehr, Dennis Barrett, Mike Johnson, Nelson Rodrigues, Scotty P., Scott and Danielle Ziegert, Gary George. Bill Nest, Davie Kania and Alex Rauter. There have been many others who first started out with me at the old location but these guys I just named have been there since the very first days and I am forever indebted. 

As much as I used to think so, customers don't want to just see me. They want a variety of dealers and I had a great start with these guys and have done nothing but build momentum ever since. Love my Hall of Famers but also appreciate each and every regular dealer -- you guys and gals rule!

Since there would be no Oak Creek show without these folks showing up month after month and being excellent sports card dealers, I give the folks who have been with me the longest, first shot in the gym.

The problem arises when the regular gym dealers skip a show. Some shows I may have three or four regular gym dealers out so then I put the Fellowship Hall dealers in those vacated gym spots. Well, when the regular gym dealers come back, I have to move the Fellowship Hall guys back to Fellowship Hall.

Guys get hot when they find themselves in Fellowship Hall a month after being in the gym. There is just nothing I can do about it. Again, I find this process fair. Slowly, some regular gym dealers drop out for good and I am able to move up the Fellowship Hall dealers to a regular spot in the gym. But until that occurs there will be a lot of back and forth and I would ask that dealers be a little patient. They will eventually get a permanent spot in the gym.

Did I mention that I don't even place myself in the gym and it is my own show? I could put myself anywhere, but I choose to place myself in the spot furthest from the front door just to prove a point -- it does not $%#&#@+ matter where you are placed in the building. What matters, Mr. Dealer, is the inventory on your table, your prices and your personality. If your table is covered in 1988 Topps baseball, you are going to be lucky to sell a single card at the show. In addition, if your table is covered with Mickey Mantles or the latest short printed modern autograph card but you are priced crazy high, again, you will be lucky to sell a single card at the show. Lastly, if you are a dick and have a lousy attitude, nobody is going to want to buy any cards from you. In general, setting up at a card show is fun. Have some freakin' fun!

It just does not matter where you are placed in the building. Did you see that nice crowd at my tables in Fellowship Hall? Hell, I could set up in the parking lot and still have a crowd at my tables because I maintain an excellent inventory, I price my cards reasonably, and people can tell that I really enjoy setting up at the show and that I am having fun.

One of my dealers that has been with me since I had the show at the Four Points Sheridan, keeps complaining that the show has gotten too large, there is too much competition and that customers regularly tell him they ran out of money and can't buy anything from him.

I've also said this before, when a customer tells you they are out of money, it is code that you are priced too high. They will magically come up with money when you lower your prices. As far as competition goes, there really is no such thing! Dealers worried about "competition" just don't get it. Again, it is all about your inventory, pricing and personality. Case in point, this past summer I was set up at the National in Rosemont with just a measly seven display cases in an almost hidden corner of the show. There is something like 700 tables at the National. I guess I should have been worried about the "competition," yet, I had one of my best shows ever! Hmmm, somehow people found my little corner and many came to me day after day and repeatedly purchased cards.

Again, there is no such thing as competition. This type of worry is a mental block and a deterrent to success. I recommend that dealers stop worrying about the other guy. Control your own set up by having stellar inventory, competitive pricing, provide a little friendly customer service and try to have some freakin' fun!

Getting back to the gym, I probably could have squeezed in two or three more tables into the gym this show but it would have taken some time to move all 50 tables around then grab the tables from one of the other rooms and bring them into the gym. I just don't have the time in the morning to perform a major overhaul... especially when dealers start arriving early. I had one dealer show up at 6:45 a.m. when the show is scheduled to be open to dealers at 8 a.m. I had to ask that one early arrival to leave and come back because I did not have the tables and name plates organized yet. Work with me people!

I've got a lot of work to do in the morning before all these dealers arrive and need them to honor my 8 a.m. set up time. Also, early arriving customer just get in the way. I need customers to honor my show opening time of 9 a.m.

As I just stated, early arriving dealers are a problem, but so are late arriving dealers. I had three dealers show up after 9 a.m. which created all sorts of craziness. I want to be behind my tables at 9 a.m. selling cards but because of these late arrivals, I had to run around and fill those tables. 

One of the late arrivals was supposed to set up in the Game Room but I observed that the other dealers in his row did not leave the late arrival much space to set up his tables. Dealers in the Game Room bring their own tables which is kind of a cluster$%#& because I have difficulty controlling where they place those tables. The venue does not have enough tables to cover the Game Room. Along those lines, I always get a new Game Room dealer that asks for a table discount because he has to bring his own. The problem is that I still have to pay full price to rent the room and I have a huge waiting list of guys that are willing pay double for the space and not ask for a discount. Honestly, I hate the guys who ask for a discount. I challenge them to find another show that charges a measly 25 bucks for dealer space, like I do, and gets the same size crowd. If you can't pay $25 for dealer space at a large card show with excellent attendance then it is time for you to take up a new hobby, like knitting, for example, and set up at the PTA craft show at the Oglesby Junior High. When I get these requests for discounted tables, I want to do a Freddy Krueger and sock them through the phone.

But I digress. So, I couldn't be behind my tables selling cards in the morning because I had all sorts of dealer issues to figure out due to the late arrivals. I realized that I could not put the late-arriving Game Room guys in their planned spot. I figured since we were not using the Hallway during this show, I could close the doors leading to the Hallway and place the late guys there.

That plan soon failed when I observed that another dealer had not arrived yet in Fellowship Hall around 9:15 a.m. I gave the open Fellowship Hall tables to the late arriving Game Room guys. Shortly thereafter, wouldn't you know it, the guy showed up for his Fellowship Hall tables. At that point, I had gone back to my tables as a crowd had formed there.

From my tables I observed Game Room guys bringing in their stuff to the Fellowship Hall tables. I literally ran over there and told Game Room guys to move to the far side of Fellowship Hall where the last late arriving dealer had not showed.

In between this mayhem, other dealers were eyeing these empty tables and I had to hold them back from converting the empty tables to their own use. Then, the last late arriving dealer showed up. Luckily, I had one of my COVID guy's table still open in the gym. I was able to place the last late arriving dealer in the gym but lost a ton of time at my own tables, and lost sales dealing with these late arrivals.

Regardless, I was thankful that all the tables were covered with cards and had dealers behind them by 10 a.m. Then some random guy showed up and asked for a table. At first I was kind of pissed off and wondered why he did not try to reserve a table prior to the show and get on the waiting list. Maybe he did try and I just did not call him back.

But the more I thought about it I was glad to have someone ask for a table that morning because normally I have open tables thanks to no shows and late cancelations. For once, I had all the tables covered and developed quite a sweat running around. I recommend potential dealers to just show up around 9:30 a.m. to see if I have any no shows. The guys that constantly call in the days leading up to the show to see if there are any cancelations are just wasting time because when there is a cancelation, I pluck someone off the waiting list, if I can.

I also don't appreciate when dealers on the waiting list complain to me during the show that there are empty tables. I can guarantee that each and every table was reserved prior to the show. If there is an empty table, it is because someone canceled last minute or did not bother to show up. If you would have brought your stuff with you, I'd let you set up on the empty table! I am not conspiring against you! I'm just trying to operate a card show which should be very easy but is, oh, so, complicated.

Thanks for drudging through my rant. It is nice to vent. Overall, once the whole table thing was resolved around 10 a.m., the rest of the show went smoothly. No reports of theft. No one accusing me of this or that. It was nice. I was sorry to see it end but was real hungry and needed food. 

I went home and took the wife and kids out for Chinese food. Once back home for good, I snoozed.

My Oak Creek show was the first of a double bill weekend. I was also a dealer at the Schaumburg show on Sunday, December 5, 2021. My Schaumburg show report is coming soon.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to the Oak Creek show this past Saturday and thank you to the majority of the dealers who are professional and a great asset to the show. Mark your calendars for January 15, I have a feeling that one is going to be a monster show! What obstacles will that one bring?

Below are some photos from the December 4th Oak Creek show.

Pictured above is dealer Jeremy Hasslebring who looks like he did not want me to take this photo! Jeremy is one of my favorite dealers, who despite this photo, is a really friendly guy with an excellent inventory of modern cards. Make sure you check out his table at the January 15th show!
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Pictured above is the Game Room.

Pictured above is dealer Mike Davis in Fellowship Hall. I was set up next to Mike and observed he was busy all day long.

So pictured above are the three main rooms at the show. Our fourth room which is technically a hallway was closed off because there was another event in the Chapel. We should have the hallway open for the January 15th show,