FAT DADDY'S SPORTS
  • HOME
    • BIO
    • Reach Me
  • CARD SHOWS
    • Gonzaga >
      • Photos
    • MY SHOW! >
      • Smith & Gordon Show Photos 2014
      • 2015 Photos
      • 2016 Photos
  • STORE
    • eBay
  • PHOTOS
    • Card Show Photos >
      • 2012 Card Show Photos
      • 2013 Card Show Photos
    • Recent Pick-Ups >
      • Page 2
  • BLOG
  • LINKS
    • YouTube
  • STUFF
    • ARTICLES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
  • FAQ
  • BUYING

Beware of Lowball Lonnie!!!

4/12/2022

2 Comments

 
Picture
Sunday, April 12, 2022, Lake Station VFW, Lake Station, IN

As I previously stated, this is a weird show because two guys, Bob and Darren, run two different shows at the same venue. Now I have done Bob's shows but this was my first Darren show. While the room was filled with dealers, I found it interesting that there was only one other dealer that I recognized from Bob's show. As far as the crowd, seemed pretty much the same as Bob's show.

Like Bob's show, I was plagued by Lowball Lonnie most of the day. This guy is such a drag. As usual, he pulled out a bunch of cards from my binders and asked for them at less than half of my sticker price. Um, no thank you. I would rather keep them. Then he placed some back and still fought me on the price.

He was much more talkative on Sunday than at past shows. While he was trying to get a huge discount, he told me he lost his job but then his story changed three or four times. I doubt he lost his job. He was playing the sympathy card in an effort to get me to give my cards away. He told me he has no one. He lives alone. He doesn't have a wife or kids. Sad, sad, sad. Well, this guy is just a sad hustler. I need customers like Lowball Lonnie like I need a hole in my head. I wish he would just go away.

I had a total of four sales and made just a hundred bucks on Sunday. I was the one having a sad day, not Lowball Lonnie! One of the other sales was from another regular I have dubbed Mopey Mitchell. The other two sales were from good customers. One of the other guys is working on vintage football sets and I know him from the Orland show. He also came out to my pop-up shops in Palatine last year.

The last customer was a younger guy who drove up from Indianapolis and purchased a nice stack of 1968 Topps baseball. One of the reasons I like setting up in Lake Station, Indiana, is that I usually get some customers who drive up from southern Indiana or from Michigan. I don't get these customers at any other show. So I am probably not done with Lake Station and will set up again at either Bob or Darren's shows when one fits my schedule. Both Bob and Darren are really great guys. I also like meeting these people from Indy and from Michigan. If I could just get more of them to attend the show!

Not just the southern Indiana and Michigan collectors, I really need to figure out a way to get any vintage collectors to attend the Lake Station shows. There were at least four vintage dealers at the show on Sunday. We had an excellent selection of vintage cards! Jim and Terry were set up across the way from me. There was also one other vintage dealer, who I have never seen before but he had a really nice inventory. Jim has become the Mantle Man with a number of beautiful Mantles in his display case. Terry had deals galore on his tables. Such a waste that there was such a great selection of vintage in the room but few customers for our wares.

Actually, when I saw Jim and Terry when I arrived in the morning, I thought that maybe Darren's show drew more vintage customers than Bob's show -- Not! I did purchase a pile of cards from Jim and Terry, making the trip worthwhile. Thanks for working with me guys!

I am not sure when I'll next be in Lake Station. I have conflicts for both May shows and the guys have not listed any shows for June yet. I only have one open date in June which is on the 5th. If either Lake Station promoter schedules a show on June 5th, I'll probably be there. I just need to figure out how to lure in more vintage buyers!

Food report: I enjoyed a $3 hot dog with chips from the bar. The bartender called me "honey." I love that!

Not much else to report. Card shows are very Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Some shows are filled with vintage buyers while others hardly have any. There is a new show in Wisconsin, around Milwaukee, that fits some dates in my schedule but I am worried that there won't be any vintage buyers at the show. I have to think about that one.

Next up for me is the Woodstock show on Saturday, April 16th at the St. John's Church, 401 St. John's Road. The Woodstock show is the smallest one I do but I have had some really nice shows and some not, so very nice Mr. Hyde shows. My last one there was excellent. Quite a few of my blog readers and Facebook followers came out for me. I really appreciated the support and hope to see you guys again on Saturday!

What do you want me to bring out to Woodstock? Right now I am planning to bring out all of my baseball binders. I also have several autograph binders that I pulled out of circulation a few years ago because sales were very slow. I am thinking about reintroducing one of my autograph binders. The auto binders are freakin' cool. I've got some really neat stuff in there, including dozens of signed old Sport Magazine pages.

On the other hand, I might pull an audible and bring out the cheapy boxes, instead of the binders. I'm not exactly sure yet. The Woodstock show gets a lot of the same customers I saw last week in Rockford, who just went through all of my binders. I might want to change it up for Woodstock.

There are a lot of things I like about the Woodstock show. Curtis, the promoter, is awesome. Such a nice guy. He usually provides doughnuts or muffins for the dealers. The other dealers that regularly set up at this show have real nice inventories, mostly modern cards. Nice folks, all of them. There is just a pleasant vibe in the room.

​Speaking of vibes, more along the frenetic variety, don't forget that my next Oak Creek show is coming up on May 7 and will feature autograph guests Dorsey Levens, Craig Newsome and Shannon Clevelle. This will also be my largest show to date with 77 dealers and 122 tables! It is going to be a mad house! I invite everyone to attend except Lowball Lonnie! Does Lake Station have a Lonely Hearts Club where we can send Lonnie?

Anyway, see you Saturday in Woodstock!
2 Comments
JEFF L PETERSON
4/12/2022 10:32:37 pm

You have as a right as a seller to refuse service to anyone based on your own choice, right? When you see this guy or gal come up - just forcefully let them know up front that you will not be doing any business and for him to do so elsewhere with one of the many other dealers. If he/she raise a stink, let them know that you would be more than happy to involve the promoter to ask them to move on or in a worst case scenario ask them to leave the facility. Sounds rough but some need that level of attention. Most get the hint, many will call you an asshole and you will have a story to post in the future.

Reply
Tony
4/13/2022 07:56:09 am

Good advice Jeff. I will tell Lowball Lonnie to move on next time.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Tony Gordon

    Vintage Sports Cards Addict

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.