Saturday, July 26, 2025, TOCA Soccer Center, Naperville, IL
Well, I sorta screwed up. I did not realize Madison was scheduled for this day, so I booked the Naperville show. I probably would have had better sales in Madison but I did enjoy the 45-minute drive to Naperville as opposed to the two-hour drive to Madison.
This was my first time at the Naperville show. Apparently, this was just the second show at the TOCA Soccer Center. Excellent venue. This place is huge. I enjoyed the pee-wee league soccer game adjacent to the card show. There were also young folks working on their soccer skills across the building.
Ridge Cards is the promoter of the Naperville show. Ridge Cards also promotes the Willowbrook show and the Peru Mall show.
I brought out three display cases and most of my baseball binders but sales were slow. Not sure what I could have done to improve sales. Did not seem like there were a whole lot of vintage collectors in the room.
I did see some other vintage dealers including Dave Ramsey and Brian Wasielewski. A few other guys had a smattering of vintage on their tables. The dealer across from me had vintage publications, a cool Mickey Mantle game, and some vintage oddball items. He seemed to have more sales than I did.
I was able to buy a few cards. I young couple had a stack of vintage, most of it was phugly with tape marks. I did not feel like buying the taped-up cards today. I did purchase a 1956 Topps Phil Rizzuto and a 1958 Topps Frank Robinson All-Star. The couple had a few other cards like a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 2. They wanted $1400 for the Mantle. I would have been a buyer at $1,000.00.
Mini Rant
So this total dooshbag was hovering around while I was doing the deal with the young couple. He was salivating over that Mantle. He was almost on top of us. I should have told him to move along. He made me really uncomfortable.
As soon as I completed the deal, he literally grabbed the young couple and started to look through their cards at the empty table next to me. Not cool, dude. First off, there was some serious violations of card show etiquette here. Rule Number (1) Back off when the dealer and a customer are involved in a deal. Rule Number (2) You want to partake in walk-ups, get your own table, don't grab people off of my table.
I was kind of pissed off at this guy. If he ever does that again to me, I'm buying every card the seller presents, whether or not I find the price reasonable, just to spite the guy. He totally overpaid for that Mantle. Doosh!!
Anyway, there was a large number of dealers at this show. Unfortunately, attendance was light. I really thought a show in Naperville would bring out a lot more people. Naperville is a really nice far western suburb of Chicago. There has to be a lot more card collectors in Naperville than was at this show.
I thought Dave of Ridge Cards did a nice job getting the word out. We just did not get the attendance I thought should have been at this event. I'm not sure why?
There was a nice little concession stand at the TOCA Center where I was able to purchase a steady stream of diet Cokes and some chips. Andy bought me a hot dog. Thanks Andy!
I had some trouble with traffic driving home. The ramp from I88 to the 294 was a parking lot. I was able to get out of the line and take I88 to Manheim Road and drive north for a while until I was able to get on the 294.
This was another double-bill weekend. I owe you a blog from Countryside.
I am writing this blog on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in the evening. I spent all day today at the Stephen Center in Rosemont setting up my booth for the National. I am tired but looking forward to the start of the show tomorrow!
Come see me in Booths 3717 and 3816. I have a ton of stuff!!
I was worried that I would not have enough cards, so I have been pricing cards like mad these past several months. Turns out I have too many cards. I won't be able to get everything out that I wanted to get out. Oh well.
See you at the show!
Reminder: Next Oak Creek show is August 9. The first meeting of the Oak Creek Vintage Sports Collectors is slated for August 23. Then we have the 450-table Wisconsin MegaShow on September 20.
Well, I sorta screwed up. I did not realize Madison was scheduled for this day, so I booked the Naperville show. I probably would have had better sales in Madison but I did enjoy the 45-minute drive to Naperville as opposed to the two-hour drive to Madison.
This was my first time at the Naperville show. Apparently, this was just the second show at the TOCA Soccer Center. Excellent venue. This place is huge. I enjoyed the pee-wee league soccer game adjacent to the card show. There were also young folks working on their soccer skills across the building.
Ridge Cards is the promoter of the Naperville show. Ridge Cards also promotes the Willowbrook show and the Peru Mall show.
I brought out three display cases and most of my baseball binders but sales were slow. Not sure what I could have done to improve sales. Did not seem like there were a whole lot of vintage collectors in the room.
I did see some other vintage dealers including Dave Ramsey and Brian Wasielewski. A few other guys had a smattering of vintage on their tables. The dealer across from me had vintage publications, a cool Mickey Mantle game, and some vintage oddball items. He seemed to have more sales than I did.
I was able to buy a few cards. I young couple had a stack of vintage, most of it was phugly with tape marks. I did not feel like buying the taped-up cards today. I did purchase a 1956 Topps Phil Rizzuto and a 1958 Topps Frank Robinson All-Star. The couple had a few other cards like a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 2. They wanted $1400 for the Mantle. I would have been a buyer at $1,000.00.
Mini Rant
So this total dooshbag was hovering around while I was doing the deal with the young couple. He was salivating over that Mantle. He was almost on top of us. I should have told him to move along. He made me really uncomfortable.
As soon as I completed the deal, he literally grabbed the young couple and started to look through their cards at the empty table next to me. Not cool, dude. First off, there was some serious violations of card show etiquette here. Rule Number (1) Back off when the dealer and a customer are involved in a deal. Rule Number (2) You want to partake in walk-ups, get your own table, don't grab people off of my table.
I was kind of pissed off at this guy. If he ever does that again to me, I'm buying every card the seller presents, whether or not I find the price reasonable, just to spite the guy. He totally overpaid for that Mantle. Doosh!!
Anyway, there was a large number of dealers at this show. Unfortunately, attendance was light. I really thought a show in Naperville would bring out a lot more people. Naperville is a really nice far western suburb of Chicago. There has to be a lot more card collectors in Naperville than was at this show.
I thought Dave of Ridge Cards did a nice job getting the word out. We just did not get the attendance I thought should have been at this event. I'm not sure why?
There was a nice little concession stand at the TOCA Center where I was able to purchase a steady stream of diet Cokes and some chips. Andy bought me a hot dog. Thanks Andy!
I had some trouble with traffic driving home. The ramp from I88 to the 294 was a parking lot. I was able to get out of the line and take I88 to Manheim Road and drive north for a while until I was able to get on the 294.
This was another double-bill weekend. I owe you a blog from Countryside.
I am writing this blog on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, in the evening. I spent all day today at the Stephen Center in Rosemont setting up my booth for the National. I am tired but looking forward to the start of the show tomorrow!
Come see me in Booths 3717 and 3816. I have a ton of stuff!!
I was worried that I would not have enough cards, so I have been pricing cards like mad these past several months. Turns out I have too many cards. I won't be able to get everything out that I wanted to get out. Oh well.
See you at the show!
Reminder: Next Oak Creek show is August 9. The first meeting of the Oak Creek Vintage Sports Collectors is slated for August 23. Then we have the 450-table Wisconsin MegaShow on September 20.
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