Orland Park, Illinois, July 22, 2018
I am really thankful Rich brought me back to the Orland show. I have had a spectacular year in Orland thus far. While it has been three or four years since I was at a July show in Orland, this year's July show was like old times. I spent about 500 bucks before the show even opened! I picked up three shoe boxes of hockey along with piles and piles of non-sports cards.
In addition to some terrific buys, one of the best aspects of this show is that two guys that I consider to be the godfathers of sports card collecting in the Chicago area, Roger Marth and Pat Quinn, are always at the show. As I've mentioned before, about 40 years ago, when I was a young whippersnapper, I used to beg my dad to take me to their card shop, The Sports Collectors Store, which was the first card shop in the Chicago area, I believe. I have fond memories of that store on South Archer Avenue in Chicago. In 1979, when the first Beckett Annual came out, I had the whole book highlighted and marked up with cards I wanted to purchase at the Sports Collectors Store. Mr. Marth regularly buys cards from me these days for his Cubs collection. On this warm July morning, Mr. Marth purchased my 1959 Topps Cubs Clubbers. I suspect there probably is not a better Cub collection out there than the one in Mr. Marth's mancave (I'm assuming he has his stuff displayed in a mancave).
Funny, I have a son of my own who collects these things called Funkopops and he begs me to take him to Gamestop to get some just like I used to do to my old man with baseball cards. Now I know how the old man felt buying me cards. Just like my dad, I hate to spend money on Funkopops which are bobblehead characters from video games and movies. My dad thought cards were worthless and he wasn't willing to part with much cash for them. I feel the same way about Funkopops. The difference is I can't say "no" to my son. It was pretty easy for my dad to say no to me. Different times, I guess.
Back at the show, sales were brisk and often. A new customer purchased my 1961 Topps Roger Maris. Larry, pictured with me above, purchased a stack of 1974 Topps baseball. Rick picked up my 1953 Topps Billy Martin, a pile of 1953 commons, and a 1970 Topps Super Boog Powell. A regular customer purchased some 1954 and 1955 Topps baseball commons.
A new customer, who drove down from Wisconsin, purchased my 1956 Topps Willie Mays. Then I ran into an old customer, whose name I can't remember. I used to see this guy regularly at Orland then randomly at shows all over the country. He used to drive a truck and always hit a card show when he was on the road. He doesn't drive a truck any more but he did drive out to the Orland show from Michigan. He ended up purchasing a bunch of 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game.
I had my quarter box out at this show and it saw some action. A regular customer purchased some 1977-78 Topps hockey. Another regular purchased my 1964 Topps Sandy Koufax.
Then I think I pissed off Larry from Plainfield when I turned down his trade offer. Larry has been bringing me cards to trade at the Sun-Times and Orland shows forever. I'm more inclined to trade at the Sun-Times show where there is a lot of down time. At Orland, I'm slammed in the weeds, I really don't have the time to trade. So unless the offer is for something exceptional, I probably won't do it. Larry had some 1970 Topps stars which are a dime a dozen. He wanted my 1949 Bowman Phil Rizzuto. I flat out told him I'd rather have the '49 Rizzuto than a bunch of 1970 Topps. Sorry Larry!
A regular customer purchased my 1964 Topps Pitching Leaders and a 1962 Topps Don Drysdale. Man, from 9 a.m. to about 11 a.m. it was an absolute frenzy at my tables. I couldn't take a breadth!! I tried to write down my sales but there were just too many to keep track of.
Joel found some 1950 Bowman White Sox for his Sox team set. He also purchased some Bears from the 1970s. Some new customers, a husband and wife team, purchased some 1970 Topps baseball cards. A new customer, wearing a Yankees T-shirt, purchased some 1949 Bowman baseball. Andy from Orlando was still around and we made a nice cash and trade deal. Andy always has a box of cool stuff for trade, usually much more interesting than 1970 Topps. Sorry again Larry!
My man Paul purchased some 1979-80 Topps hockey. Also, Paul kept everyone honest with his biting wit. Speaking of wit, Will purchased all of my 1971 Topps football and a nice stack of 1963 Topps baseball. Thanks Will! Man, what a day! I capped it off with lunch with Will, Joe and Paul at the sub shop.
I know I am way behind on the blog. I just have been crazy busy with work and family. I have been using whatever free time I have to update my binders. I'm almost done with all of my 1950's baseball binders. I'll try and get another blog done soon. In the meantime, come out to my show October 6, 2018, at the Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee. Dealer tables are sold out and it should be a great show!
I am really thankful Rich brought me back to the Orland show. I have had a spectacular year in Orland thus far. While it has been three or four years since I was at a July show in Orland, this year's July show was like old times. I spent about 500 bucks before the show even opened! I picked up three shoe boxes of hockey along with piles and piles of non-sports cards.
In addition to some terrific buys, one of the best aspects of this show is that two guys that I consider to be the godfathers of sports card collecting in the Chicago area, Roger Marth and Pat Quinn, are always at the show. As I've mentioned before, about 40 years ago, when I was a young whippersnapper, I used to beg my dad to take me to their card shop, The Sports Collectors Store, which was the first card shop in the Chicago area, I believe. I have fond memories of that store on South Archer Avenue in Chicago. In 1979, when the first Beckett Annual came out, I had the whole book highlighted and marked up with cards I wanted to purchase at the Sports Collectors Store. Mr. Marth regularly buys cards from me these days for his Cubs collection. On this warm July morning, Mr. Marth purchased my 1959 Topps Cubs Clubbers. I suspect there probably is not a better Cub collection out there than the one in Mr. Marth's mancave (I'm assuming he has his stuff displayed in a mancave).
Funny, I have a son of my own who collects these things called Funkopops and he begs me to take him to Gamestop to get some just like I used to do to my old man with baseball cards. Now I know how the old man felt buying me cards. Just like my dad, I hate to spend money on Funkopops which are bobblehead characters from video games and movies. My dad thought cards were worthless and he wasn't willing to part with much cash for them. I feel the same way about Funkopops. The difference is I can't say "no" to my son. It was pretty easy for my dad to say no to me. Different times, I guess.
Back at the show, sales were brisk and often. A new customer purchased my 1961 Topps Roger Maris. Larry, pictured with me above, purchased a stack of 1974 Topps baseball. Rick picked up my 1953 Topps Billy Martin, a pile of 1953 commons, and a 1970 Topps Super Boog Powell. A regular customer purchased some 1954 and 1955 Topps baseball commons.
A new customer, who drove down from Wisconsin, purchased my 1956 Topps Willie Mays. Then I ran into an old customer, whose name I can't remember. I used to see this guy regularly at Orland then randomly at shows all over the country. He used to drive a truck and always hit a card show when he was on the road. He doesn't drive a truck any more but he did drive out to the Orland show from Michigan. He ended up purchasing a bunch of 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game.
I had my quarter box out at this show and it saw some action. A regular customer purchased some 1977-78 Topps hockey. Another regular purchased my 1964 Topps Sandy Koufax.
Then I think I pissed off Larry from Plainfield when I turned down his trade offer. Larry has been bringing me cards to trade at the Sun-Times and Orland shows forever. I'm more inclined to trade at the Sun-Times show where there is a lot of down time. At Orland, I'm slammed in the weeds, I really don't have the time to trade. So unless the offer is for something exceptional, I probably won't do it. Larry had some 1970 Topps stars which are a dime a dozen. He wanted my 1949 Bowman Phil Rizzuto. I flat out told him I'd rather have the '49 Rizzuto than a bunch of 1970 Topps. Sorry Larry!
A regular customer purchased my 1964 Topps Pitching Leaders and a 1962 Topps Don Drysdale. Man, from 9 a.m. to about 11 a.m. it was an absolute frenzy at my tables. I couldn't take a breadth!! I tried to write down my sales but there were just too many to keep track of.
Joel found some 1950 Bowman White Sox for his Sox team set. He also purchased some Bears from the 1970s. Some new customers, a husband and wife team, purchased some 1970 Topps baseball cards. A new customer, wearing a Yankees T-shirt, purchased some 1949 Bowman baseball. Andy from Orlando was still around and we made a nice cash and trade deal. Andy always has a box of cool stuff for trade, usually much more interesting than 1970 Topps. Sorry again Larry!
My man Paul purchased some 1979-80 Topps hockey. Also, Paul kept everyone honest with his biting wit. Speaking of wit, Will purchased all of my 1971 Topps football and a nice stack of 1963 Topps baseball. Thanks Will! Man, what a day! I capped it off with lunch with Will, Joe and Paul at the sub shop.
I know I am way behind on the blog. I just have been crazy busy with work and family. I have been using whatever free time I have to update my binders. I'm almost done with all of my 1950's baseball binders. I'll try and get another blog done soon. In the meantime, come out to my show October 6, 2018, at the Four Points Sheraton, 5311 S. Howell, in Milwaukee. Dealer tables are sold out and it should be a great show!
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