Gonzaga Hall, Milwaukee, July 15, 2018
I had just returned from a really nice vacation, the subject of a previous blog, and was more than ready for the July Gonzaga show. I was greeted in the early morning with some extensive road construction along I94 in southeast Wisconsin. This road is under perpetual construction and it has gotten, oh, so old.
As I was setting up, I purchased some wrestling cards from Roger to give out at my Four Points Sheraton show. There was a nice crowd early on and I was busy with customers right away.
A husband and wife team flipped through my binders on the hunt for old Milwaukee Braves. They found a Felix Mantilla and were quite happy. Over the last several months, Paul has just about cleaned out my 1975 Topps baseball binder. He also purchased some 1974-75 Topps basketball. Thanks Paul!
A regular customer purchased some 1960 Topps baseball. Another regular purchased some 1948 Bowman basketball. Jason bought a bunch of stuff including some 1948 Bowman basketball, a 1959 Topps Ernie Banks All Star, a 1961 Post Mel Roach and a 1963 Post Frank Robinson.
A regular customer purchased some 1965 Topps baseball while another regular purchased some 1969-70 Topps basketball. A new customer purchased some 1973 Topps baseball. A regular customer purchased some 1968 Topps baseball including a Mickey Mantle.
I'd now like to interrupt this account of my sales to talk about dealer etiquette. I've probably mentioned this before but it bears discussion once again. There are some unwritten rules regarding dealer behavior. The one I'd like to discuss regards approaching a customer while he is at another dealer's table and convincing the customer to stop looking at that dealer's cards and to come over to your table -- major faux pas.
When customers are at my table, they are MY customers until they leave. Other dealers should not approach them, especially from behind my table, which is my space that I paid for, and lure them away. I never engage in such activity. I may approach a customer when he is at another table just to say hello but I don't discuss cards or try to lure that customer from the other dealer.
The customer will eventually visit my table and your table. No need to lure the customer away and deny me a sale -- which is so incredibly uncool. So other dealers, please stay in your space and don't use my table to conduct business. You have your own table. Enough said, now back to my sales, which were excellent on this day.
A regular customer with a handlbar moustache purchased some 1962 and 1963 Topps baseball. Bill from Illinois purchased oddball items from my recently reloaded oddball binders. A new customer purchased a Paul Westphal rookie. A regular customer purchased some 1970 Topps.
Terry purchased some 1957 Topps football cards. Andy was in from Orlando and purchased some 1970 and 1971 Kellogg's baseball cards. I got to talking to a new customer who told me how he purchased 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game when they came out in 1960. He had almost the complete set. He just needed the Ruth, Gehrig, Ted Williams and Marty Marion... which of course, I had. It was great to see him complete his set.
Chuck purchased a bunch of 1961 Topps baseball. A new customer, who drove up from Illinois, completed my day. He spent quite a while at my table and purchased some 1967 and 1968 Topps baseball along with a bunch of basketball cards. This ended up being one of my better Gonzaga shows of the year. A huge thank you to everyone who purchased cards. I tried to write all the sales down but was very busy and unable to do so. So, if I forgot to mention you, let me know and I'll get you in the next blog. I love it when people come up to me and talk about the blog! Quite a few guys mentioned the blog at this show.
On the buying front, I purchased a box of 1962 Topps baseball with some high numbers in there. I also bought a nice grouping of 1963 Fleer baseball.
I know I am a little behind on the blogs. It has been a very busy summer. In addition to my Michigan trip, I took the family up to Minneapolis in August and missed the Gonzaga show. We had a great time at the Mall of America. Work has also been very busy. So as I have been lagging on the blog, I have been working on reloading my binders. All of my Bowman baseball binders are reloaded. I finished 1952 and 1953 Topps baseball and am currently working on 1954 Topps baseball. I recently reloaded 1981-82 Topps hockey and 1975-76 Topps basketball. As always, I have priced a ton of new stuff for my display cases.
I hope to get some other blogs done soon! In the meantime, my Four-Year Anniversary Show at the Four Points Sheraton is coming up on Saturday, September 1, 2018. I have a full house of dealers and am trying to rent the small room next to the Rembrandt Room. The hotel is in disarray. The manager who gave me hell all year has quit. Yes! Unfortunately, they have not replaced her and I can't seem to get anywhere on renting the extra room. Also, since the nightmare manager is gone, I'm trying to renew with the hotel for next year. Hopefully, I'll have more information soon!
I had just returned from a really nice vacation, the subject of a previous blog, and was more than ready for the July Gonzaga show. I was greeted in the early morning with some extensive road construction along I94 in southeast Wisconsin. This road is under perpetual construction and it has gotten, oh, so old.
As I was setting up, I purchased some wrestling cards from Roger to give out at my Four Points Sheraton show. There was a nice crowd early on and I was busy with customers right away.
A husband and wife team flipped through my binders on the hunt for old Milwaukee Braves. They found a Felix Mantilla and were quite happy. Over the last several months, Paul has just about cleaned out my 1975 Topps baseball binder. He also purchased some 1974-75 Topps basketball. Thanks Paul!
A regular customer purchased some 1960 Topps baseball. Another regular purchased some 1948 Bowman basketball. Jason bought a bunch of stuff including some 1948 Bowman basketball, a 1959 Topps Ernie Banks All Star, a 1961 Post Mel Roach and a 1963 Post Frank Robinson.
A regular customer purchased some 1965 Topps baseball while another regular purchased some 1969-70 Topps basketball. A new customer purchased some 1973 Topps baseball. A regular customer purchased some 1968 Topps baseball including a Mickey Mantle.
I'd now like to interrupt this account of my sales to talk about dealer etiquette. I've probably mentioned this before but it bears discussion once again. There are some unwritten rules regarding dealer behavior. The one I'd like to discuss regards approaching a customer while he is at another dealer's table and convincing the customer to stop looking at that dealer's cards and to come over to your table -- major faux pas.
When customers are at my table, they are MY customers until they leave. Other dealers should not approach them, especially from behind my table, which is my space that I paid for, and lure them away. I never engage in such activity. I may approach a customer when he is at another table just to say hello but I don't discuss cards or try to lure that customer from the other dealer.
The customer will eventually visit my table and your table. No need to lure the customer away and deny me a sale -- which is so incredibly uncool. So other dealers, please stay in your space and don't use my table to conduct business. You have your own table. Enough said, now back to my sales, which were excellent on this day.
A regular customer with a handlbar moustache purchased some 1962 and 1963 Topps baseball. Bill from Illinois purchased oddball items from my recently reloaded oddball binders. A new customer purchased a Paul Westphal rookie. A regular customer purchased some 1970 Topps.
Terry purchased some 1957 Topps football cards. Andy was in from Orlando and purchased some 1970 and 1971 Kellogg's baseball cards. I got to talking to a new customer who told me how he purchased 1960 Fleer Greats of the Game when they came out in 1960. He had almost the complete set. He just needed the Ruth, Gehrig, Ted Williams and Marty Marion... which of course, I had. It was great to see him complete his set.
Chuck purchased a bunch of 1961 Topps baseball. A new customer, who drove up from Illinois, completed my day. He spent quite a while at my table and purchased some 1967 and 1968 Topps baseball along with a bunch of basketball cards. This ended up being one of my better Gonzaga shows of the year. A huge thank you to everyone who purchased cards. I tried to write all the sales down but was very busy and unable to do so. So, if I forgot to mention you, let me know and I'll get you in the next blog. I love it when people come up to me and talk about the blog! Quite a few guys mentioned the blog at this show.
On the buying front, I purchased a box of 1962 Topps baseball with some high numbers in there. I also bought a nice grouping of 1963 Fleer baseball.
I know I am a little behind on the blogs. It has been a very busy summer. In addition to my Michigan trip, I took the family up to Minneapolis in August and missed the Gonzaga show. We had a great time at the Mall of America. Work has also been very busy. So as I have been lagging on the blog, I have been working on reloading my binders. All of my Bowman baseball binders are reloaded. I finished 1952 and 1953 Topps baseball and am currently working on 1954 Topps baseball. I recently reloaded 1981-82 Topps hockey and 1975-76 Topps basketball. As always, I have priced a ton of new stuff for my display cases.
I hope to get some other blogs done soon! In the meantime, my Four-Year Anniversary Show at the Four Points Sheraton is coming up on Saturday, September 1, 2018. I have a full house of dealers and am trying to rent the small room next to the Rembrandt Room. The hotel is in disarray. The manager who gave me hell all year has quit. Yes! Unfortunately, they have not replaced her and I can't seem to get anywhere on renting the extra room. Also, since the nightmare manager is gone, I'm trying to renew with the hotel for next year. Hopefully, I'll have more information soon!
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