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!
​

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,

Just spent a week in Southern California and I have a rant to share....

My in laws live in LA and have a second home in San Miguel. They do not have any issues with driving -- I mean spending hours and hours in a car. I, on the other hand, hate driving and hate being in a car. 

I was concerned when they booked us a hotel room in Pasadena, about an hour away from our first destination -- Disneyland. I wanted to stay near Disneyland so I wouldn't have to sit in LA traffic. I did not complain about the booking because my in laws are wonderful people, very generous and very kind but it really was unpleasant being so far away from Disneyland and then Hollywood, where my son wanted to go on our second day.

Then on the third day, we drove three hours north to San Miguel. Ugh! Then my in laws drove us around seemingly for hours and hours every day but Thanksgiving. I really feel like I spent the whole trip in a car. Did I say that I hate being in a car? Ugh!

I really love these people and enjoy spending time with them, I just have to figure out a nice way tell them that I do not want to spend hours of each day in a car. 

Has anybody ever driven around southern California? What is the deal with drivers out there? I don't know how many times we were nearly driven off the road. Is it a crime to drive the speed limit in the slow lane on the highways in California? Then there were the motorcycles that flew in between cars while everyone was driving 70 to 80 MPH. WTF? Then when we entered into the mountains north of LA, we were stuck behind trucks barely moving up the steep inclines. Ugh!

So not only do I hate being in a car, I now especially hate being in a car in southern California. Ugh!

The time we spent out of the car was really nice, though. First stop, straight from the airport, was In-N-Out Burger, the first item on my son's bucket list. Speaking of cars, I have never seen a drive-thru line so long! Why would anyone wait in such a huge line for a fast-food burger? We parked, went inside where there was NOBODY! We ordered right away and had our food in minutes. Pretty good burger for fast food. See below.

​​I last went to Disneyland in 1971. I still have my Mickey Mouse watch from that trip. I wore it to school every day until the strap broke.

Wow, Disneyland sure has changed since 1971. There wasn't anything I could hang my hat on, everything seemed different. We hit some classic rides like the haunted house, the pirate ride and Peter Pan ride. The lines were long and the rides had changed since I was last there. We hit some newer Star Wars rides that were virtual and much more fun than the older rides. I could do without the lines. The food was much better than I remember. I think we spent seven or eight hours at Disneyland and I was beat afterwards. Whatever happened to the trams from the parking lot? The walks from the parking to the park and back were killer. Still, it was a fun day and I highly recommend Disneyland. I was glad my kids finally got to go, they have been asking to go for years.

Pictured below is the wife and I waiting in line for the Peter Pan ride.

​The next day we hit Hollywood. I was last there in the 1990's. It seemed a lot grimier and seedier than I recall. We hit Grauman's Chinese Theater which is always cool to see. Then we went to the Hollywood Wax Museum and the Guinness Book of World Records Museum. There used to be a Guiness museum in Chicago when I was a kid. It had exhibits based on all the records. The Hollywood version was interactive and much more fun.

I just may have had some fun at the Hollywood Wax Museum.....

Then there was the Guinness Museum which was awesome! See goofy photos below.

​​As much as I complained about being so far away from Disneyland and Hollywood, I really enjoyed Pasadena. What a neat town. Lots of cool old buildings, nice and expensive shops and many excellent restaurants. We ate very well.

I never actually saw the town of San Miguel, my in laws live nine miles away in a remote neighborhood stashed amongst dozens of vineyards. See photo below. We drank a lot of local wine. I liked the wine from a winery called Daou the best. I prefer wine that is sweet and not very acidic which Daou expertly provided. 

While I have attended wine tastings at taverns and restaurants, I have never attended one at a vineyard. We tasted seemingly endless wines at the Villa San Juliette Winery, located just down the road from my in laws' home. What a beautiful place! It was like an oasis with lush vegetation in an otherwise desert landscape.

I got snockered. Then we ate some amazing food. The wines were actually too acidic for my taste (but that did not stop me), but the food, oh the food! I would go there just to eat and ditch the wine. Only problem is the prices! My, oh, my!! You need to pawn off the family jewels to eat at this place but it is actually worth it.

We also went to an olive orchard and attended an olive oil tasting in the town of Paso Robles. Another new experience and a lot of fun. 

​The in laws took us to the Pacific Ocean, about an hour away and we saw some seals sleeping on the beach. See photo below. The whole time, I was just thinking about the old California Golden Seals NHL team.

Near the ocean, we saw the Hearst Castle on the other side of the highway, way up on a hill. My brother-in-law said the road to the mansion was washed out in a storm and you can't go there. I'd love to see that place sometime.

​So despite all the driving, we did have a pretty great trip but I am glad to be home. I saw on the Beckett Show Calendar that there was a show in some place called Fairfield while I was out in California but I was quickly shot down by my family. 

It is nice to be home where I can resume my addiction to vintage sports cards and not spend much time in a car.

Lots of people have been calling, texting and messaging while I was gone. Please be patient with me, I will try and get back to everyone as soon as I can.

Back to the car, I have a short drive this Saturday, December 4, 2021, to my show in Oak Creek, WI. Bob Long was supposed to sign autographs but canceled. There will be a full house of dealers as usual. I've got some new dealers as well.

The Salvation Army has another event in the chapel during our show so the front doors will be closed to card show traffic. Please enter and exit through the gym doors. I also won't have any dealers set up in the hallway. All dealers will be in the gym, Fellowship Hall and the Game Room. It will be packed a little tighter than usual. Once again, come find me in the Game Room for a free pack of cards. I hope to see everybody Saturday at the Salvation Army Community Center, 8853 S. Howell, Oak Creek, WI.

I have a crazy busy week of work and have to prep for the show Saturday, so if you could please wait to talk to me at the show on Saturday and not call, text, and message prior, I would appreciate it! Dealer tables are sold out! No need to call, I have no space available.

Sunday, November 16, 2021, Buenavista Banquets, Milwaukee, WI

There should be some sort of penalty or fine for weather outlets that issue forecasts that are so incredibly off base. I read weather reports the night before the show stating there would be up to two inches of snow. Yeah, right!

Except for college in Tucson and London, I've lived my whole life on the shores of Lake Michigan and had my doubts that there would be any snow at all because it was much too warm for snow. The weather reports were wrong, I was right. 

No snow on my drive to the show. I observed a rain and snow mix during the show but nothing stuck to the ground. The weather was clear for my drive home as well.

Unfortunately, I think these bogus weather reports kept some folks away from the show. Attendance was down from last month.

Thankfully, we were not locked out in the morning, like last month, but apparently the restaurant is having staffing issues so no food or drinks. I was so bummed. I was looking forward to those steak tacos.

Keith reported that he had a bunch of last-minute dealer cancellations. I've railed about this in the past. Dealers that cancel at the last minute without a legit excuse just suck. Don't reserve the space if you are not going to show up!

So this show starts at 9:30 a.m. I arrived at 8:30 a.m. and there were already customers in the room which makes it very difficult to load in and set up, especially at Buenavista where space is really tight. I, for one, would appreciate it if folks arrived at 9:30 a.m. like they are supposed to. Give the dealers a chance to load in and set up!

I'm pretty sure Larry and Carol broke into the joint and camped out the night before. Oh, Carol was in a mood this morning, giving old Larr some guff. I had an extra table because of a no-show and was really spread out. Larry set up Carol behind one of my tables. I was at the opposite end and I observed Carol chatting with everyone who stopped to look at the binders in front of her. I wish I could have heard what she said. She seemed to be enjoying herself and lightened up.

Tom was telling me that he saw them have blow-up fights at the old Gonzaga Show. I don't recall them ever fighting. I've known them for decades. They are usually in great spirits and very pleasant but characters, none the less, and I enjoy our card-show characters.

Larry started off my sales which were steady all day. Robert has about cleaned me out of 1954 Topps baseball. I have many, many more to load in there. Any one looking for '54s, be patient, I will eventually reload that binder. A new customer about cleared me out of 1975 minis. I also have a ton of back stock of the minis and added a near set to my supply last week with a nice purchase at my Oak Creek Show.

I seemed to have had a run on my 1964 Topps baseball at this show. I sold quite a few. I filled my three display cases with Exhibits and graded 1955 Bowman football. I sold just one Exhibit and none of the football. I might throw those football cards on eBay. I never know what to place in my display cases. After the show, I priced a bunch more display case stuff, so I'll have a bunch of new items out next time I bring out the cases.

Near the end of the show my pockets were weighing heavy with cash from excellent sales. Then Terry arrived and reminded me I owed him a pile of cash for the 53's and 54's I purchased from him last month. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

I did not buy anything which is unusual. There is this one guy who comes to the show very early every month and tries to sell me cards while I am setting up. I was just kind of annoyed with him this morning as I was hustling to set up and shooed him away. I probably would have bought some cards from him if he approached me after I completed my set up. Folks really need to arrive at the show at 9:30, not 8:30 while I am setting up.

I am set up regularly next to Tom Jahn at this show. I really enjoy chatting with Tom and look forward to hanging out with him at all of the Buenavista shows.

The next Buenavista show is December 12. I decided I am going to skip the December 12 show in favor of Orland which is also on December 12, largely because I have to miss the November Orland show and hate to miss two Orland shows in a row. I'll be back at the January Buenavista show. Keith has not released the 2022 dates yet. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

I know this is not quite Gonzaga Hall but my sales are consistently good. I like this show and hope to make them all next year. I'm thankful Keith brought the show back during this COVID mess. I really missed it and am looking forward to 2022 at Buenavista.

A lot of folks have been asking me if I am setting up at the Fanatics Show (old Sun-Times show) in Rosemont, IL, next weekend. Unfortunately, I can't make it. I'd like to set up at the March show, if it works for my schedule. I hope everyone has a good time at the show!

I am taking a few weeks off and will return to my weekend warrior ways on December 4 at my Oak Creek Show. We have former Packer Bob Long signing autos from 10 a.m. to noon. Hope to see everyone in Oak Creek. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 13, 2021, Rock Church, Rockford, IL

I had a long day of work on Friday, the day before the Rockford show, where I attended a real estate closing in Downtown Chicago. I have been attending court regularly in Downtown via Zoom. I don't think I have actually set foot in the Loop in two years. So I was not certain as to how long it would take to drive down there and whether my regular discounted parking garage is still discounted. Back in the day, I would simply take public transportation to get Downtown but with this Pandemic thing, I do not feel comfortable taking public transport.

I made it Downtown in just under an hour which is really good time. I arrived at the closing before my clients. Sometimes real estate closings can be complicated especially with certain lenders who just seem to want to make a simple process very difficult. This turned out to be one of my easiest closings in a long time.

Getting home, however, was very difficult. It took me an hour to drive from the parking garage to the highway, normally, a five-minute drive. I literally sat on the ramp to the Kennedy Expressway for an hour. Pictured below is my lovely view of the ramp. Luckily, my discounted parking garage was still discounted.

Then on Saturday morning, I​​ thought I hit my snooze at 6 a.m. but accidentally shut off the alarm. Thankfully, I woke up at 6:45 a.m. I had all these morning plans like stop at Mickey D's for food, stop at my office and print flyers for my show, but noooo, I had to hustle, shower, load the car and get on the road to Rockford, which is about an hour drive.

Kind of an ugly drive with scattered bursts of snow but I did not get lost like last month. I arrived at the Rock Church at approximately 8:45 a.m. It was nice to see other late arrivals.

John the promoter let me pick out my tables and I chose two 8-footers next to my pals Phil and Skip, which is the best part of this show setting up next to these guys and reminiscing about all the past shows we've done together and all the characters we've seen come and go.

The young dealer set up next to me, on the other side, had pinched some of my space, lame move. There was a little space between me and Skip so I moved my tables over so lame guy's stuff would hang off his table and not cover my table.

I observed that John rearranged the layout of the room in an effort to fit more tables. There was a packed house of dealers. I'm not sure how many but at least 30, if not 40. One thing I noticed about a large number of these dealers is that they leave themselves open to theft. The young couple set up across from me had a stack of cards near the end of their table priced at $60 each. I was amazed nobody walked off with them. Then I observed that the majority of dealers across the room left the lids of their display cases up, which makes it very easy for someone to reach in there and walk away with a card. I was surprised at how lax these guys were.  Unfortunately, I think a lot of them will learn the hard way.

Most of the dealers in the room were selling modern cards. I was the only dealer that was solely vintage. My pal Reed was set up with a display case or two of some vintage beauties but I did not see much else.

Last month I brought out display cases and filled them largely with vintage football. Sales were a little slow. This month I decided to bring out all of my binders. I was a little worried before the show because last month it did not seem there were many vintage buyers in the room.

Man, was a wrong! I was busy all day long with many vintage set builders. I think I discovered something for this show, I need to just bring out my binders and leave the display cases at home. I more than doubled my sales over last month.

There was as really nice crowd as well. Many more people than last month. Kudos to John for doing such an excellent job at promoting this show!

On the buying front, Phil and Skip had a bunch of stuff for me including some graded and raw Exhibit cards. Thanks guys!

I also met Phil and Skip's friend Gunther who is quite a character. He is building some early 1980's sets. I kind of regret telling him that I would help him fill his sets. I have the cards but they are buried in the card bunker. It will be a pain to find them and pull the cards. 

Overall, I was really pleased with my day and am looking forward to being a regular dealer at this show. The next one is December 11 and I am bringing out the binders again. I'm hoping to have 1977 football and 1959 baseball binders reloaded by then.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who purchased cards from me in Rockford! That sure was fun!

​Below are a couple more photos from the Rockford show.

Sunday, November 7, 2021, Hyatt Woodfield, Schaumburg, IL

My memory is failing but I think I was last set up at this show in October of 2020. I stopped doing it because it is always scheduled on the day after my Oak Creek show and I'm usually pooped out. However, I now need to justify all the money I have been spending buying cards so I have been setting up at as many shows as I can until I get a handle on my inventory. You would not believe how much stuff I have accumulated! It is getting ridiculous. 

At the Oak Creek show, the day before Schaumburg, I came home with far more cards than I arrived with. I need some serious help!

Back in the fall, I recall that the Hyatt Woodfield Hotel was quiet because of COVID. On this Sunday morning, the hotel was jam packed. I was disappointed at seeing the long line at the Starbucks inside the lobby.

Anyway, I was able to load in on one cart. I went with a display case set up. Nine cases and one bin of cards. The day before in Oak Creek, I went with a display case set up as well and put out baseball cards from 1909 through 1964. The next day in Schaumburg, I put out my baseball cards from 1965 to 1983 along with my football, basketball and hockey. That way, anyone who saw my display in Oak Creek the day before would see a completely different display in Schaumburg.

One of the benefits of a huge inventory is being able to switch it up from show to show. Next week I am setting up in Rockford and am leaning toward a binder set up as I did display cases there last month.

Funny, I saw the guys that accused me of being racist while I was setting up. The one guy was nice and shook my hand. I probably did the right thing by letting them back in the show.

It was so nice just being a dealer and not the promoter. I much prefer setting up as a dealer than promoting shows. A lot less stress and more opportunities to have fun. Joe is the Hyatt show promoter and he placed me out in the hall by the front door of the show along with Eric, Dell and Tom. We were all busy all day.

I had a surprisingly great day. Back in the fall, my sales were slow at this show. It just did not seem like there were many vintage collectors. On this day, however, there were a lot of vintage collectors and I sold a ton of cards, all sports. 

I saw a couple old friends in T.J. and Randy who purchased cards. Thanks guys! Great to see you! I think I recognized a bunch of the other guys who purchased cards but it was tough to tell since they were all wearing face masks.

I sold a bunch of Hank Aarons, Ernie Banks, Sid Luckmans and Kareem Abdul Jabbars It was a really nice day.

On the buying front, I picked up a tough 1956 Topps baseball checklist, the tough 1957 Topps baseball advertising card, along with a pile of other stuff, including a 1958 Harlem Globetrotters program.

I waited out the crowd at the Starbucks and got some coffee and snacks. Overall, it was a great day! So great that I will set up again on December 5.

Up next for me is the Rock Church on Saturday and Buenavista Banquets on Sunday. I am a little road weary, so these will be my last shows until my next Oak Creek show on December 4. Hope to see you this weekend!

Saturday, November 6, 2021, Salvation Army Community Center, Oak Creek, WI

RANT ALERT!

So, if you have never been to this show that I operate every month, here is the low down. I have four rooms of dealers, 100 tables total and 65 to 70 dealers. It is one of the larger shows around. Managing all these people along with hundreds of inquiries a month from interested new dealers and questions from customers, is incredibly time-consuming.

One of the problems is that I charge too little for tables and may bump it up next year. We also get a large crowd every month and folks want to talk to me about the show, about their collections, about the dealers, about the weather, about everything.

It is a little much. I am stressed out.

My biggest problem are the dealers that reserve a table and then do not show up -- the "no-shows." Thankfully, at the November show there was not a big run of dealer cancelations like last month. It is a show promoter's worst nightmare when dealers cancel right before the show. I had a handful of cancelations before this show. One dealer showed up, paid me for his table, then said he had to go to work. Fine, I guess I can't get pissed off at him. I had only one actual no-show at the November show which might be a record.

But I have a conundrum. I have this huge waiting list that I have been desperately trying to bring down over the past year. I opened up that fourth room at a great expense to me, really no benefit to me, I am losing money on the room. I just opened it to get more dealers into the show and try and reduce the amount of people bugging me for tables.

Along those lines, I am trying to weed out the guys who reserve tables then don't bother to show up -- which is causing a conflict. I am standing firm on this one, though. If a dealer reserves a spot and does not show up, I don't ever want that dealer to set up at my show ever again. It is not fair to me, it is not fair to the show and it is not fair to the 50-plus guys waiting to get space in the show.

Quite a few guys are pissed off at me because I won't let them back into the show after they no-showed me. Which is fine, comes with the territory. Then there are two guys who no-showed me over the summer. They texted me later that night, after the show, and said something came up. Well, I did not want to let them back into the show. They kept asking and I kept ghosting them. My mistake was I should have been up front and told them I did not want them back in because they no-showed me.

So they confronted me at the show on Saturday and accused me of being racist. Really?Now I am a racist because I won't let no-shows back in? Is that something in the Klan Instruction Manual? Because I am not a racist and in order to become one, I would need an instruction manual. I would think that banning guys who skip out on the show would not be considered racist... but what do I know, because, apparently, I am a racist.

To be fair, I should not have ghosted them but they reserved space at that previous show and did not show up. Why would I give them space again? I'm no damn racist, just trying to operate a show and deal with one knucklehead after another.

Besides, I do not even know their race. Apparently they are Latino because they complained there were no other Latino dealers at the show -- NOT TRUE. A lot of false allegations here, mainly, I want to get across that am NOT a racist. I could care less what anyone's race is -- it has never mattered to me and never will.

As far as the dealers go, I don't see a race but I do see two different types of dealers. The first are the good responsible dealers -- which is by far the vast majority of dealers that set up at my show. The second are the bad irresponsible dealers -- a minority at my show. To the bad irresponsible dealers, wake the hell up! If you don't show up when you reserve a table, I consider you a bad irresponsible dealer and I don't want you at the show. It has nothing to do with your freakin' race! Get over yourself!! Did you ever hear the story about the boy who cried wolf?

Did the two guys who accused me of being racist and who skipped out on that show over the summer ever pay me for their tables? No. Did they ever offer to pay for their tables? No.

What has this got to do with race?

One of the guys claimed they skipped the show because his son had COVID. Okay, legit excuse but why didn't the other guy set up? There are two of them. Why didn't they say initially that they could not make it because of COVID? I would not have been pissed off it they told me the truth... or if that is even the truth.

Anyway, I was soooo insulted. I wanted them to leave and never come back. They even threatened to call the Salvation Army and tell them I am a racist.

What have I learned from this little episode -- I am an idiot and too nice of a guy. I felt bad for ghosting them, so I decided to give them another chance and am going to let them set up again. If they skip out again, they can call me all the names they want but I won't be letting them back in the show.

I even noticed after the confrontation that I had previously placed them back on the waiting list, so I did not totally ghost them. What a horrible racist thing to do on my part. They would have gotten another spot eventually. Nobody has any patience. They are all me, me, me, now, now, now!

So any dealers reading this blog, here is the story. If you no-show me, you're out. Don't ever expect to be let back in the show. You can call me all the names you want, but I will not let you back into the show.

Next, when I kick someone out or a regular dealer cancels, that is when I pull someone off the waiting list. If you are on the waiting list, you will eventually get a call or text from me. Be patient!

New dealers have to start out in the Game Room and bring in their own tables. When space opens up in the Fellowship Hall, I transfer these guys to that room. When space opens up in the gym, I transfer guys from Fellowship Hall into the gym. I find this system fair.

Everybody wants the gym. I don't have enough space to place everybody in the gym. It is my freakin' show and I don't even put myself in the gym, so chill out!!!

It is enough to make me want to throw in the towel. I really felt like handing over the keys to the guys who accused me of being racist. They can run the show and deal with guys like themselves around the clock. Man, it sucks!

End of rant.

Next, there is the ongoing issue of theft. A dealer caught a teenager stealing. He dragged the kid over to me. The kid was shitting bricks. The dealer got his cards back. I felt bad for the kid, he was shaking, was all white. He promised not to do it again. I did not do anything else. I think some dealers might be pissed at me. I could not bring myself to give this kid a hard time, he was cowering. It would have been so much easier if he was a dick about it but he was just scared. If he does it again then I am going to track down his parents and let them deal with it.

I wish I could be allowed to have some fun at my own show. I operate the show for fun. I collect, buy and sell cards for fun. 

It really was a good show. We had one of our larger crowds. The good folks at the Salvation Army rearranged the back rooms, opened them up, combined them and it was a really cool space. 

We are going to lose some space in the Game Room next month as the Sal needs to store toys in there for their annual Christmas toy drive. I'll still have dealers in the Game Room but not as many. Hopefully, they can open it back up for the January show.

I'm trying not to be down. I received so many great compliments during and after the show. You guys don't know how much that means to me. I appreciate you. Please, just don't call me racist. I'm really, really bothered by that one.

Saturday, October 30, 2021, Lake Station VFW, Lake Station, IN

This was my second appearance at this show. I had forgotten how long it took to drive to Lake Station, Indiana. For some reason I thought it was only an hour then, as I was driving to the show, I remembered it took me an hour and a half to get there last month.

It is an ugly drive from Northeastern Illinois to Northwest Indiana. One big pile of road construction. Though, traffic seemed to move even though it was scary as the lanes thinned and trucks didn't leave much room to get by. 

About half of the dealers were already set up when I arrived at 9:15 a.m. This show starts at 10 a.m. which gives me a much appreciated extra hour of sleep. Set up took forever. For the life of me, I kept filling up my display cases with the wrong cards and had to start over a few times. I finally finished up around 10:48 a.m.

While I was setting up, my old buddy Dave Frazier stopped by. Actually, he came by a few times, waiting patiently for me to set up. I just could not get my act together this morning! 

It was great to see Dave, who I haven't seen since pre-COVID. He said he has been busy taking his kids to their various sporting events. His son had a football game the night of the show so he was taking advantage of a rare free day. 

Dave is working on a bunch of sets and found some 1957 Topps football cards for his '57 set. Thanks Dave! Again, I did a football heavy display along with basketball, hockey and baseball. I had some cool stuff out.

ALERT! ANNOYING GUYS BOMBARD MY TABLES!

A couple of early customers got under my skin. One guy, let's call him Purvis, spent a while checking out my hockey cards. I had a 1970-71 Topps hockey card priced at $10. I forgot which player but it high books at $40. I lowered the price according to condition. Purvis offered $5 and started showing me flaws in the card. I responded that I lowered the price for condition. Purvis kept harping on the corners. I explained that I lowered the price already because of the corners and priced it at $10 instead of $40. Purvis would not let it go. I said thanks for the offer but I am going to keep the card.

For hours, Purvis keeps coming back asking to have the card for $5. My answer every time was no. Finally, near the end of the show, Purvis offers $6. I countered with $8. I went home with the card. I'd rather keep my cards than give them away.

Then I had two guys that bugged me even more than Purvis. I brought out two 50-cent boxes to this show. It took me a while to put them out because Purvis was leaning over looking at the hockey display case and placed one hand on an empty spot on my table where I had planned to place the 50-cent boxes.

Anyway, this one guy, who I am going to call "Myron," comes over to my tables. I don't know his name but he seemed like a Myron to me. So Myron spent a lot of time going through the 50-cent boxes but did not pull any cards out. Then his buddy comes by, I am going to call the buddy "Todd." Again, I don't know his name but he seemed like a Todd.

I could hear Myron and Todd discussing the cards. Todd asks what I want for both boxes. I told Todd that I would need five minutes to count up the cards. Todd says no and wants a price now. I said sorry, I need to count up the cards. Todd then offers 15-cents a card. Now, I regularly have excellent sales out of those 50-cent boxes whenever I bring them out. I generally sell them at three for $1. They are already discounted and I do not need to discount them any further.

I told Todd that I cannot sell him the cards at 15-cents a piece. These are commons from the 1960's, all sports. I could probably sell them for $1 a piece. There is no reason for me to sell them to Todd for 15-cents a piece. I might as well just give them away if I am going to sell them that cheap. I won't be giving them to Myron and Todd any time soon.

Todd complained that I just denied his offer and did not make a counter-offer. I responded that I would do a quarter a piece if Myron and Todd took them all. Todd said no then started pulling tricks.

Todd said he does not want them all and asked how many he had to buy to get them at a quarter a piece. I really don't want to deal with Todd any longer but I say 100 cards. He agrees, walks away and Myron started pulling cards.

Here is where it gets weird. After Myron was done pulling cards, Todd came back and assumed control of the pile Myron pulled out of the boxes. He started counting them in a really weird way and ends up making six piles. Todd claimed one pile has 100 cards, four piles have 25 cards each, then the last pile has 48 cards. I probably should have counted up the cards myself but we're not talking a lot of money and I really wanted these guys to go away. I charged them 60 bucks but I just felt dirty afterwards. I'm pretty sure I got screwed.

Then I had another annoying guy. Let's call him Winston. So Winston watched Myron pull his large pile out of the 50-cent boxes, then came over and started going through the boxes. Winston complained that they have been picked through. Well what do you want me to do? Pull out additional cards from thin air? Don't look at the cards if you do not think it is worth your while!

What is the deal with these people? I told Winston, "The boxes were full when I arrived at the show and you just watched that other guy [Myron] pull out a large pile." Winston does not respond but continues to go through the box. He pulled out 12 cards. At least he did not try to get them at half price or less.

I felt like I was working really hard for very little money. Note to self -- don't ever bring any cheapy boxes to Lake Station, Indiana! I was planning to bring out my binders next time but now I'm not so sure, especially if this crowd is going to low-ball me on my commons. Really Todd? You can't pay 50 cents for a 1964 Philadelphia Football common? Ugh!

Thankfully the rest of the customers that day were not smarmy. I enjoyed talking to one guy wearing a San Francisco Giants hat about the first year he started collecting cards -- 1971. He still has the cards but said they are in awful condition because he was just 8 years-old in 1971 and played with the cards regularly.

He said that during the beginning of the pandemic when he was stuck at home, he pulled out the cards and decided to complete the set. I had brought my 1971 stars and high numbers but did not put them out. I dug them out and he found several that he needed.

Another collector was amazed at my 1961-62 Fleer basketball. He said he had never seen them before. He did not think the ones I had in my display case were real. I assured him that I don't buy and I don't sell reprints. Everything I have is the real thing. He ended up buying all of the Fleers.

I had more people buy cards this month than last month but I sold higher end cards last month. So sales were off.

On the buying front, I picked up a near set of 1971-72 Topps hockey. The set was 19 cards short of complete. I just started digging around at home and found six of the cards. I know I have a lot more of those somewhere and think I might be able to complete the set.

I was a little disappointed that they were not serving hot dogs in the bar like last month. They had pizza but I'm lactose intolerant and get sick as hell if I eat any cheese. I munched on some potato chips. 

I can't make the November show but booked the December 18th show -- my birthday. I will turn 55 at the December 18th Lake Station show. So come see me but be nice and don't offer me 15-cents a card!

Next up is a double-bill weekend with my Oak Creek show on November 6. Once again, I have a full house of dealers and a hefty waiting list. I actually over booked the show as there are cancellations every month. My good buddy Gary George just cancelled because he came down with COVID. Get well Gary!! Hope Gary is back on his feet soon!!

I have a bunch of new dealers for the November 6th show. The new dealers will be in the Game Room. I will be set up in there as well. I am going to purchases some wax to give away, so make sure you see me in the Game Room for a free pack of cards. I am going to bring out baseball binder's for Saturday's show. 

Then on Sunday, November 7, I'm setting at the Schaumburg Hyatt. I haven't done this show since December. Joe said the show is now located in a basement ballroom so once again, I will have to deal with elevators. I am going to make it easy on myself and bring out the baseball binders to Schaumburg.

​Hope to see you in Oak Creek and Schaumburg next weekend!

Sunday, October 24, 2021, Buenavista Banquets, Milwaukee, WI

I contemplated spending the night in Milwaukee on Saturday but decided against it as I wanted to switch out my inventory from Saturday to Sunday. I have such a huge inventory that I have the luxury of bringing out a completely different set up from one show to another.

On Saturday in Madison, I had a 10 display-case set up. On Sunday in Milwaukee, I wanted to bring out all of my binders along with four display cases. I normally get quite a few set builders in Milwaukee who want the binders. Though, one of these days, I think I will do an all display case set up in Milwaukee just to change things up.

Man, it was tough to wake up Sunday morning. The Madison show and the long drive really tired me out. Thankfully, I did not have to wake up nearly as early on Sunday as Milwaukee is much closer to home than Madison. Unfortunately, I was too tired Saturday after the show to unload my car and had to do it Sunday morning in the dark. 

So out went most of the display cases and in went the bins of binders. I had a tough time fitting everything in the car but I managed. I was on the road to Milwaukee around 7:30 a.m. which is just about right. There was a lot less traffic on the roads than on Saturday. I cruised to Milwaukee arriving at Buenavista around 8:30 a.m.

Upon arrival, I observed all of the dealers standing around outside and assumed something was up. Apparently, the guys from the hall did not show up to let us in. I was told they were on their way.

It was actually kind of fun hanging out with all of the dealers in the parking lot. Eric Unglaub told me about all of the places he has lived including Colorado where, in the early 1990's, he tried to help a friend sell a vintage collection she inherited. He recommended Mr. Mint to his friend. Apparently, Mr. Mint was Mr. Creepo and flew out to Colorado and was more interested in Eric's friend than the cards. She showed him the door and did not sell him the cards. I know it is wrong to speak ill of the dead but that Mr. Mint was a scumbag in my opinion. I have never met anybody with anything good to say about that guy.

I am thankful I do not have a bad reputation like Mr. Mint. While I was hanging out in the parking lot before the Buenavista show, I received a bunch of compliments for my Oak Creek show. I work really hard on that show and it is nice to know that these guys appreciate it. Next one is November 6. You know who also works hard? Keith, who is president of the Wisconsin Sports Collectors Association, the promoters of the Buenavista show.

It is nice to commiserate with Keith about all of the headaches involved in operating a card show. I really appreciate Keith and I love the Buenavista show. Yes it is tight and not as big as Gonzaga but it has its own character which includes some phenomenal Mexican food. I don't know how many of the Buenavista shows I've done now but I do know that my sales have been excellent at them all. I will certainly be there at the November show.

I was a little run down and tired at the October show. I sold a ton of stuff but can't remember exactly what I sold. My binders were busy all day long even when the Packer game came on at noon. I was the last dealer to leave as I had sales continue up until the last customer left the room around 1:30 p.m.

On the buying front, I picked up a handful of cards from a guy I met at the first Buenavista show and who has been bringing me cards every month since. I also purchased a pile of 1959 Topps commons from Tom. Thanks Tom! Then I purchased a box of 1954 Topps from Terry. Thanks Terry!

On a somber note, my thoughts and prayers are going out to my pal Larry Larsen, who is once again battling some health issues. Larry normally sets up next to me at Buenavista and I missed him at the October show. Larry lights up a room. You know when he is there and he will keep you in stitches the whole time. I hope Larry is back behind his tables soon!

There was a lot of talk about me and my show which I think is nice but I do not want any one to forget about the Buenavista show. I am more of a card dealer than a show promoter and while there are many shows, more and more popping up every week, the Buenavista show is great for a vintage dealer like me while these new shows have few vintage dealers and customers. As a vintage dealer, I need the Buenavista show and hope Keith continues to operate it for years to come. 

On that same note, at the end of the show, I observed one customer talking about me which was soooo weird. He was talking to another dealer about me like he knows me but did not acknowledge that I was standing just a few feet away. He obviously does not know me and I do not know him. He wasn't really knocking me but he was complaining that so many dealers at my show sell Pokemon cards. I do not have an issue with Pokemon cards. They are in demand right now so there are dealers with Pokemon at every show. Smart dealers bring out what sells and there are a lot of smart dealers. 

It was nice to see another dealer come to my defense and state that there is much more than just Pokemon at my show, which is the truth. There is a large variety of stuff at my show -- 100 tables worth of stuff.

I remember when I first started the show in 2014 and people were complaining that there was too much vintage and not enough modern cards at the show. I guess people are going to complain about everything and if nobody was talking about my Oak Creek show then I should probably be concerned.

So I set up at a ton of shows and if you want to talk to me about the show or anything card related, please do so. I am easily accessible and want to talk to you. Part of the fun of setting up at shows is getting to know so many people... just don't bring up politics or you will see my eyes glaze over. Admittedly, I am terrible at returning phone calls, so it is best to seek me out at a show.

Anyway, I had a great time at the Buenavista show. Sold a lot of cards, bought a lot of cards, ate some amazing tacos then had an easy ride home.

After doing two cards shows each of the past several weekends, I have just one this weekend on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at the Lake Station Indiana VFW. I would actually like to set up at a show on Sunday but there are not any nearby. I'm not ready to drive five or six hours. Plus I want to be home for the trick or treaters. I love Halloween and I love dishing out candy. I remember when I was a kid and being bummed out when I came upon a house where nobody was home and nobody was giving out candy. I won't be that house!

A big thank you to Keith for another excellent show at Buenavista Banquets and a big thank you to everyone who bought cards from me at the show. I appreciate you! 

I am going to do a display case set up on Saturday in Lake Station, Indiana. Let me know if you want me to bring any binders. See you Saturday in Indiana and Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 23, 2021, Sheraton Madison Hotel, Madison, WI

Well, it has been some time since I last set up in Madison. For a while there, a good five or six years ago, I was setting up regularly at Darren's shows in two different locations. Darren promoted shows in Madison for decades. He seems to have disappeared. His shows were always hit or miss for me but I was glad to have the option to set up. 

I met the newest Madison show promoter Beau a few weeks ago in Rockford. I observed quite a bit of promotion for his October show and decided to set up. After dinner on Friday, I loaded up my car, realizing I needed to get on the road early for the long drive to Madison. 

Oh, it was chilly around 6 a.m. on Saturday when I hit the road to Madison. Rockford did not seem so far as I passed that wonderful town on my way up to Wisconsin. Traffic was not too bad and I made it to the show in about an hour and 45 minutes. Normally, it is about two to two and a half hours to Madison from my house.

I have been driving to Madison from the Chicago area regularly since I was a teenager in the early 1980's. I love Madison, home of the University of Wisconsin. I have had many, many good times there, especially in my youth. 

So I felt right at home when I pulled up to the Sheraton. Darren's shows were held at one of the hotels across the street. That Sheraton is a really nice hotel. I was pumped when I saw a Starbucks in the lobby. Then bummed out when I saw that the show was on the second floor. I hate waiting for elevators!

Though, once I saw the room, I felt a lot better. A really nice room, carpeted, black tablecloths on all the tables. Looked fancy. Tables are only six-footers, for some reason I thought they were eight footers and brought out 13 display cases. I was able to fit 10 of them on the six footers.

I brought out my higher end raw cards and recently priced a huge pile to add into the mix. I did not realize I had so much baseball which took up nine of the display cases. I stuffed as much football as I could into that last display case. In the past, football has sold really well in Madison.

Load in and set up took nearly two hours. I finished loading up that last display case around 9:47 a.m. well after the opening of the show at 9. I sold a few cards while I was setting up, which is always nice.

I knew a few other dealers. I saw the Rock Church guys, who actually helped me get tables at the Madison show. Thanks guys! Set up behind me was Mark Amunrud, pictured above and who I met years ago at the Mason City, Iowa, show. Back then, Mark made an impression on me as he was the first person I ever saw use Facebook to sell cards. At that Mason City show, he bought a pile of cards, posted them on Facebook and had them all sold by the end of the show. I'm still impressed!

Mark, who lives in Dubuque, told me it is only an hour drive to Madison from Dubuque. I did not realize Madison is so close to Iowa which explained the large number of customers who told me they drove in from Iowa.

I also saw my good friend Josh Brothers, who was joined by his friendly wife and cute little boy. It is always great to see Josh, who has gone from an all-modern sports card set up to a all-Pokemon set up. Josh told me he used to do vintage as well.

I actually recognized quite a few folks in the crowd from when I used to set up regularly in Madison. It was great to see Tim Fritz who stopped by my table. Tim now sets up at my Oak Creek show with a great display of pre- and post-War vintage. I have known Tim forever, he remains one of my favorites.

After set up, I went down to the Starbucks, ordered some coffee and was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered a full breakfast. I loaded up on hard-boiled eggs and sausage.

Most everyone in the building was wearing a mask. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear one as well. I had some with me but was waiting for someone to say something before I put one on.

I am not anti-mask and will wear one when required. I would probably wear one all the time in public if they weren't so uncomfortable and that they keep me in a constant battle with foggy glasses.

It wasn't until after the show that I noticed a sign on the front door explaining, in great detail, why a mask is required inside the Sheraton. You know, if the sign simply stated in bold large lettering "Masks Required" it would have been far more effective and I probably would have noticed it upon entering and would have donned my mask. Anyway, no harm, no foul, right?

Sales were steady throughout the show. I can't really remember what I sold. I know I sold a bunch of Harmon Killebrew cards to a guy from Iowa. I know they follow the Twins in northern Iowa while there are many Cubs fans in southern Iowa. Beau, the show promoter, purchased my 1934 Batter Up Billy Herman. 

Now Beau is an interesting guy. He was set up against the back wall and I observed that he had a large handwritten sign on the wall with the number 713,483. Apparently, Beau has set out to obtain one million Chicago Cubs baseball cards and he currently is at 713,483 cards. Pretty cool. You can follow Beau's quest at http://onemillionscubs.com.

Beau is an excellent show promoter. The room was filled with dealers and we had a nice crowd all day long. I was happy with my sales. I was also happy with my one purchase -- a 1934-36 Diamond Stars Mel Ott. The guy I bought the card from said his name was Phil and that the card belonged to his uncle. Apparently, Phil inherited his uncle's sports collection and he showed me a 1948 World Series program, which his uncle obtained at the game and scored it. Phil also had his uncle's ticket stub from the game. I love old memorabilia and enjoyed looking at Phil's stuff.

Overall, a really pleasant day in Madison. The drive home, however, was totally unpleasant. It took me close to three hours to get home. Traffic was jammed the whole way. Once home, I ate some food and passed out, as usual.

I hope to set up at this show again. I can't make the November show and Beau did not schedule a December show. He also has not confirmed his 2022 dates yet with the hotel. Once he has them, I am hoping I can set up in January.

In the meantime, no rest for the weary! I'm setting up this coming Sunday, October 30, at the Lake Station VFW in Indiana. I think I will do a display case set up again. Last month I just brought out baseball for my display cases. This month I plan on putting out my football, basketball and hockey. If there is any room, I'll put out a little baseball as well. 

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased cards from me in Madison. I hope to see a lot of friendly faces again on Sunday in Lake Station, Indiana. I've got a blog coming soon on Buenavista show in Milwaukee. I received many compliments on the blog in Madison. Thanks for following my blog! 

Pictured below are folks going through cards at the dealer set up across from me at the Madison show. Look at that room! That is one great room for a card show!