Are card shows a thing of the past?

[mm1sub]

Yesterday I drove over an hour (again) to a show listed in Beckett only to find out that it was cancelled (again). Are shows all over the country in this much trouble? There are no shows liste din beckett in the state of Rhode island. I know the internet and the economy are being blamed but come on. Why list shows only to cancel them?

Sorry for the long rant.

Bryon

 

[75zito]

I agree, doesnt seem to be as many shows as in the past... but I blame ebay and the internet, more than I blame the economy!!

 

[54killebrew74]

I can see the internet & ebay having alot to do with it. This last saturday I went to a show here in Tulsa "population of some 3/4 million people" just to find out there were 3 people there with cards and they were trading more then selling I think...lol....which is cool I guess but back in the 1990's when I use to do shows "sell/trade/buy" we would fill up a mall. I have seen shows down in Oklahoma City Posted but that is a 1 hour drive away and I would be frustrated to find the same thing there. There are no card shops here except for a guy who has a booth setup at the flea market which is open only on the weekends. So if it wasn't for the internet I would be a frustrated collector.

 

[Chavezforprez]

The best bet is to call the contact number with the listing. Beckett, I believe has a disclaimer about calling the contact numbers before traveling to the shows, due to cancelations. The show calenders are put together a few months in advance to the actual show date, so things can change.

I managed a shop in Portland, Oregon while I was in high school and college and we would do shows almost every weekend, sometimes 2 shows on the same weekend. Now, shows are harder and harder to find locally and most of us have to make a long drive to find them. I don't miss the over produced products of the late 80's, early 90's, but I do miss the shows of that era.

Billy


Edit: I even remember going to shows on Thursday nights.....

 

[robert326]

For fun, I flipped through a Beckett from 1995 to see the show listings...wow, certainly a big difference. But I believe the decline in card shows started long before the decline in the economy. Now, there are literally only a few card shows of any importance in the NYC area, and the big ones only take place a few times a year. There used to be one or two good shows to pick from any weekend, and closer to where I live than the shows generally taking place now.

 

[Fatboycards]

Its seem around here cards shows do pop up ,but the prices they ask for stuff is just crazy. I think at least around these parts they are pricing themselves out of busniess. My concern is seeing all the local hobby stores drying up . I ve seen 3 close in the last 2 years. I only have 1 around me now . And the retail junk from Target and WalMart.

 

[Chavezforprez]

Let's start our own annual "Bench Show"!!!! Each year, we'll pick a region and then we all travel to that show........Just kidding, we already do that here on the website

Billy

 

[mlbme22]

Yeah- I would look so forward to going to shows as a kid, I remember some sleepless nights wondering what "cool" cards I would see the next day! lol

 

[Mark Wing]

Why list shows only to cancel them?

Show organizers are competing for dealers. These early listing help dealers to plan where they want to be. It also lets other people in the same region know what your plans are so they can avoid running up against you on the same day. If things don't come together, then you cancel. Hopefully, you can get the word out...

Mark

 

[DaNotoriousNIC]

Where I'm at there is usually atleast 1 card show every month or so thats pretty decent sized. Problem is that its the same people over and over for the most with the same overpriced stuff. A few of them actually coming from out of state for the shows and they are basically the people that live off selling their stuff and expect to get rich doing this. Thats one thing about why card shows aren't what they use to be, to many people wanting top dollar for everything and overpricing items so that even when someone bargins with them they are still playing about high bv for some cheap gu card that even with shipping you could get on ebay for cheaper.

 

[pfosset]

im miss the old days, where i could go to at least 1 or 2 shows a month, liked seeing all those tables full of cards and going through them to find the cards i wanted---one of these days i would love to go to nationals

rob

 

[mindbinge]

ebay has killed card shows...sadly.

 

[Dark_Angel]

The card shows in my area are pretty much dead. It's the same dealers with the same stuff at any of the local mall shows. I do go to 2 monthly shows, both of them out of state (and in different states at that!). Unfortunately, they tend to put them both on the same weekend and it is usually too exhausting to do both in one weekend.

When I first started collecting regularly back in 1998 and 1999, the card shows were just about every weekend at a different mall. I used to go to one almost every weekend and the dealers always had new stuff to look through. I could spend hours at the local mall shows.

Now, I tend to avoid all of the mall shows in my area.

The one brief shimmer of hope is that we're getting the National next summer.

 

[David K.]

I hope not! However, the Tristar show on Labor day....was cancelled over year ago......Bay bridge was closed on Labor day...two years in a row.....The Bay Bridge being closed killed the show......Only show in San Francisco is the Cow Palace show in May. Best regards, David

 

[mrmopar]

Ask yourself this...

How much did you spend at those shows and shops that are or have closed. Did you play your part in keeping the doors open or keeping them profitable. One buyer alone can't carry something like that, but with ebay, the sellers are competing with 100s, maybe 1000s with the same cards, all wanting to sell them to help fund the next box/case purchase. Card show dealers and shops only had to compete with a few dozen other dealers, maybe, to get your money.

I for one don't necessary miss the local shops or shows, although I did enjoy browsing for bargains and special finds. Mostly though, it was a lot of asking and not receiving for me. The same sellers over and over, rarely getting anything new and rarely seeing new blood. I go to shops now and find it's almost always a complete waste of time. The display cases are fighting for room with pokemon and other nonsports/fantasy cards. The places are usually filled with too many kids (playing/trading those nonsports cards) or when something decent is in the case, they don't have prices or they are obnoxiously priced.

Other than a huge shipping bill, give me ebay any day! Where else can you buy certified autos of solid fan favorite players, stars and even HOFers occasionally for $1-5 consistently. The Darren Daulton I got today from ebay for $1 would be marked $10 is a shop display case!!! Oddball items I have never seen pop up with decent frequency. The last time a local shop had something Garvey I needed??? Never is what I am thinking!

 

[mrmopar]

There were some deals though, back in the day.


I go this for $2 at a local area shop, maybe 10 years ago!

 

[RHauch]

When EBay came around that was the start of the decline of the card shows. Other people have hit it, some dealers come back every month but have nothing new. How many times do you want to look at the same stuff you weren't interested in last month?

Ebay is like a GIANT card show. If you get outbid on an item, just seach again and you will probably find 5 more just like it.

The economy like it is now is another reason that shows/shops are going under. People are affraid to spend money on anything but stuff they need because your never sure if you will have a job next week. Thousands of people keep losing their jobs every week. Without a job you can't think of spending money on stuff like cards

Hopefully soon the economy will turn around and thing will improve for everyone.

Ron

 

[7guns]

I agree it is even a job were I am at to find Thick top loaders that is a sad day.

 

[greatdadx2]

Yesterday I drove over an hour (again) to a show listed in Beckett only to find out that it was cancelled (again). Are shows all over the country in this much trouble? There are no shows liste din beckett in the state of Rhode island. I know the internet and the economy are being blamed but come on. Why list shows only to cancel them?

Sorry for the long rant.

Bryon

Not again for ya.....what a pain....I have to agree with pretty much with everybody here, EBAY is the new card show...

Anyways, I am going to try to get to a card show this Saturday....What can you use or what are you looking for? Let me know via PM...Talk to ya later Bryon

Thanks for everything
Robert

 

[bzickefoose1]

I called the only one that was constant around here about a year ago to make sure they were still there, and the guy said he had better things to do on his weekends now. The end of an era....