Sunday, April 14, 2024, Timber Rattlers Stadium, Appleton, WI
This was my second time setting up at this show. The first time was during Super Bowl Sunday when I brought out display cases and had an excellent show. Today, I brought out binders because I am saving my display case stuff for Strongsville. I also brought along some discount boxes, some publications and two display cases of overflow cards.
I really need set builders to carry me through the show when I bring out the binders. I was not sure there would be any set builders today. Thankfully, there were quite a few! Woot!
Rant alert! I have been trying to bring out discount boxes to most every show and I have observed some bad behavior between the guys that go through the boxes and have dubbed them "box bandits." Often the box bandits are quite rude to one another which I don't understand. Honestly, the stuff in those discount boxes is junk. The better stuff is in my binders and display cases. I don't understand the hurry to get into the boxes and the need to climb over one another to take a look at some junk. Also, I always place the boxes on one end of my tables and have observed the box bandits blocking my neighbors' tables as they tumble over one another to get into the boxes.
When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at the public pool in town. The thing I remember most about the pool is the huge sign that listed all sorts of rules that greeted you as soon as you exited the locker room and entered the pool area. Remember those? No running. No splashing. No jumping into the pool. Blah, blah, blah. I think it may be time for me to install a rule board over by the discount boxes in an effort to limit bad behavior. How about... (1) Wait your turn. If there is someone in the box, wait for him to finish before digging your hands into the box. (2) Do not block my neighbor's table. Please stand in front of my table when viewing cards in the discount box. (3) Be courteous! I think that should do it.
One more rant! Over the past 10 years or so, I have noticed a card show cultural phenomena sprout up and overtake the shows -- brief cases. Everyone and their mother now carries a brief case filled with cards. In the old days, everyone carried a shoe box or a cigar box. Now it is those fancy hard plastic cases manufactured especially for the mobile storage of cards. I have observed that few vintage collectors carry the cases. It seems to be mostly collectors of modern cards that tote the cases. Seems like every kid has one. I have dubbed these guys "Brief Case Billy."
As a general rule, Brief Case Billy attends the shows to wheel and deal. He does not seem to be working on building any sort of collection. He wants to sell cards out of his brief case -- which is fine. I have no problem with this. My problem flairs up when Brief Case Billy places his brief case on one of my display cases, draws a crowd and starts dealing cards at my table! WTF? Excuse me. That is my display case, on my table, that I purchased and only I have the right to sell cards at my table. You want to sell cards, get your own table!
Brief Case Billy was real bad today. I had to chase him away all day long.
Despite the box bandits and Brief Case Billy, it was an excellent show. I stopped in Milwaukee on my way to Appleton to pick up my buddy George. We had a great time! Nice crowd. Large number of set builders. Woot!
I knew it was going to be a good day when the very first customer plopped himself down in front of my 1970 Topps binders and began to empty them. He spent a good hour at those binders and wiped them out... which is good and bad. It was a real nice sale but I recently reloaded those binders and now they are kilt. I am not sure when I will reload them again. Ugh!
It was nice to see quite a few father and sons teaming up together and purchasing cards at my tables. I had quite a few father and son teams today. I even had a mother and son team stop by. They were after Appleton native and current resident Tony Kubek. They were tickled when I found a 1965 Kubek for them.
Later, another guy was looking for Kubek. I just happened to have a second '65 Kubek. He was tickled and told me he sat next to Kubek at church this very morning. How cool is that!
I gotta remember to load up on Kubek when I set up in Appleton. They love Kubek in Appleton and are always asking for his cards. Of course there were the requisite requests for Bob Uecker. Seems that folks want Uecker no matter where I set up at in Wisconsin. I gotta look for Uecker cards in Strongsville and bring them back to Wisco.
I was surprised that I sold quite a few publications today. Rarely do I sell more than one or two when I bring them out. I think I sold at least a dozen today. Woot!
While sales were good today, buys were bad. Seemed like every Brief Case Billy stopped by my tables to offer me modern cards that I would not want in a million years. I tried to explain to them that I only purchase vintage cards. Then they pull out cards from 2010. "Not old enough," I say.
I tried to explain to them that I only purchase very, very old cards. It did not seem to register so after I while I just simply said no as each Brief Case Bily stopped by with a stack of shiny stuff.
I was disappointed with the lack of buys because I made some really nice purchases at the Super Bowl Sunday show. George found some cards for his 1960 Topps baseball set on some of the other tables, so he was happy.
We also dined on burgers from the bar. I don't remember the burgers being so bad but they serve a really bad burger at the Timber Rattlers Stadium. The meat is a little funky. It did not fully taste like beef and was super bland. I gotta remember to avoid the burgers next time.
Overall, a really enjoyable day. I really like this show. It was really nice having George help me out today and he is great company. Next show at the Timber Rattlers Stadium in Appleton is slated for June 23 and conflicts with Orland. I'll be in Orland that day. Scooter G, who runs the Appleton show, said he is planning on having a show in August but has not yet secured a date. I hope to be back at the Appleton show in August!
This is really a great show, a diamond in the rough.
Next up for me is Strongsville from Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21. My pal Tony Schaefer and I will be set up in booth numbers 82 and 83.
Next Oak Creek show is May 4. As usual, I am really behind responding to texts, Facebook messages, voice mails and emails. I plan on responding this week. Sorry for the delay but I am always dead tired after the Oak Creek show and like to take a week off after every show to recoup.
Have a great week everybody and hope to see you soon!
This was my second time setting up at this show. The first time was during Super Bowl Sunday when I brought out display cases and had an excellent show. Today, I brought out binders because I am saving my display case stuff for Strongsville. I also brought along some discount boxes, some publications and two display cases of overflow cards.
I really need set builders to carry me through the show when I bring out the binders. I was not sure there would be any set builders today. Thankfully, there were quite a few! Woot!
Rant alert! I have been trying to bring out discount boxes to most every show and I have observed some bad behavior between the guys that go through the boxes and have dubbed them "box bandits." Often the box bandits are quite rude to one another which I don't understand. Honestly, the stuff in those discount boxes is junk. The better stuff is in my binders and display cases. I don't understand the hurry to get into the boxes and the need to climb over one another to take a look at some junk. Also, I always place the boxes on one end of my tables and have observed the box bandits blocking my neighbors' tables as they tumble over one another to get into the boxes.
When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at the public pool in town. The thing I remember most about the pool is the huge sign that listed all sorts of rules that greeted you as soon as you exited the locker room and entered the pool area. Remember those? No running. No splashing. No jumping into the pool. Blah, blah, blah. I think it may be time for me to install a rule board over by the discount boxes in an effort to limit bad behavior. How about... (1) Wait your turn. If there is someone in the box, wait for him to finish before digging your hands into the box. (2) Do not block my neighbor's table. Please stand in front of my table when viewing cards in the discount box. (3) Be courteous! I think that should do it.
One more rant! Over the past 10 years or so, I have noticed a card show cultural phenomena sprout up and overtake the shows -- brief cases. Everyone and their mother now carries a brief case filled with cards. In the old days, everyone carried a shoe box or a cigar box. Now it is those fancy hard plastic cases manufactured especially for the mobile storage of cards. I have observed that few vintage collectors carry the cases. It seems to be mostly collectors of modern cards that tote the cases. Seems like every kid has one. I have dubbed these guys "Brief Case Billy."
As a general rule, Brief Case Billy attends the shows to wheel and deal. He does not seem to be working on building any sort of collection. He wants to sell cards out of his brief case -- which is fine. I have no problem with this. My problem flairs up when Brief Case Billy places his brief case on one of my display cases, draws a crowd and starts dealing cards at my table! WTF? Excuse me. That is my display case, on my table, that I purchased and only I have the right to sell cards at my table. You want to sell cards, get your own table!
Brief Case Billy was real bad today. I had to chase him away all day long.
Despite the box bandits and Brief Case Billy, it was an excellent show. I stopped in Milwaukee on my way to Appleton to pick up my buddy George. We had a great time! Nice crowd. Large number of set builders. Woot!
I knew it was going to be a good day when the very first customer plopped himself down in front of my 1970 Topps binders and began to empty them. He spent a good hour at those binders and wiped them out... which is good and bad. It was a real nice sale but I recently reloaded those binders and now they are kilt. I am not sure when I will reload them again. Ugh!
It was nice to see quite a few father and sons teaming up together and purchasing cards at my tables. I had quite a few father and son teams today. I even had a mother and son team stop by. They were after Appleton native and current resident Tony Kubek. They were tickled when I found a 1965 Kubek for them.
Later, another guy was looking for Kubek. I just happened to have a second '65 Kubek. He was tickled and told me he sat next to Kubek at church this very morning. How cool is that!
I gotta remember to load up on Kubek when I set up in Appleton. They love Kubek in Appleton and are always asking for his cards. Of course there were the requisite requests for Bob Uecker. Seems that folks want Uecker no matter where I set up at in Wisconsin. I gotta look for Uecker cards in Strongsville and bring them back to Wisco.
I was surprised that I sold quite a few publications today. Rarely do I sell more than one or two when I bring them out. I think I sold at least a dozen today. Woot!
While sales were good today, buys were bad. Seemed like every Brief Case Billy stopped by my tables to offer me modern cards that I would not want in a million years. I tried to explain to them that I only purchase vintage cards. Then they pull out cards from 2010. "Not old enough," I say.
I tried to explain to them that I only purchase very, very old cards. It did not seem to register so after I while I just simply said no as each Brief Case Bily stopped by with a stack of shiny stuff.
I was disappointed with the lack of buys because I made some really nice purchases at the Super Bowl Sunday show. George found some cards for his 1960 Topps baseball set on some of the other tables, so he was happy.
We also dined on burgers from the bar. I don't remember the burgers being so bad but they serve a really bad burger at the Timber Rattlers Stadium. The meat is a little funky. It did not fully taste like beef and was super bland. I gotta remember to avoid the burgers next time.
Overall, a really enjoyable day. I really like this show. It was really nice having George help me out today and he is great company. Next show at the Timber Rattlers Stadium in Appleton is slated for June 23 and conflicts with Orland. I'll be in Orland that day. Scooter G, who runs the Appleton show, said he is planning on having a show in August but has not yet secured a date. I hope to be back at the Appleton show in August!
This is really a great show, a diamond in the rough.
Next up for me is Strongsville from Friday, April 19, through Sunday, April 21. My pal Tony Schaefer and I will be set up in booth numbers 82 and 83.
Next Oak Creek show is May 4. As usual, I am really behind responding to texts, Facebook messages, voice mails and emails. I plan on responding this week. Sorry for the delay but I am always dead tired after the Oak Creek show and like to take a week off after every show to recoup.
Have a great week everybody and hope to see you soon!
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