Attended the now annual summer show at the Rosemont Convention Center, site of several national shows. Hope to hear from others who attended to see if my impressions were correct.
1. Crowd was really down, compared to the many major shows I've attended there in the past. No problems getting around. No crowded aisles. I was able to walk freely and made it around the tables several times during my 5+ hours there.
2. Fewer dealers than before. I talked to several who were surprised at the number of regulars who didn't attend. I can't remember not seeing Bill Henderson at a major Chicago show and he wasn't there. Hope all is well with the "King of Commons."
3. Dealers didn't seem to willing to deal, as several collectors I talked to found few discounts and even fewer buyers, even of quality material. One dealer who gave praise to the one big ticket item I hoped to move said he wasn't buying at all. This guy has most of the finest rare 60's insert and test issues I've ever seen, so if he's not buying some better quality stuff, I wonder who is.
4. I picked up some Cubs paper for my collection... Kessinger and Sutter Sporting News, a couple of Holtzman Baseball Digests and a few other odds and ends from one guy. I sold three extra copies of early 50's Chicago Cubs News, so I was able to pick up this stuff with no money out of pocket.
5. I had spotted a pair (!) of 1959 Home Run Derby Ernie Banks cards at one table. I tried throughout the day to sell my extra Ron Santo Pro's Pizza (for that card not to sell in Chicago should be some indication as to how little dealers were buying) to have the cash to get one of these Banks cards and a few other items I saw during the day. I ended up shelling out $110 for a card I would grade as VG, despite a crease. I just couldn't pass it up as it seems few of these make an appearance, even at Chicago shows.
6. As I was leaving, I took my son over to a table where a guy had a Cubs team set of 1970 superballs. I told my son I had hoped to buy that set if I could have sold the Santo. The dealer, who I hadn't talked to earlier, heard us talking and said he'd be willing to make a deal. I ended up with the superballs, and a nice chunk of green that more than covered my Banks purchase, $10 admission, gas, meals, etc. All of this dealing took place in my last 20 minutes at the show. The first 5 hours were mostly a waste. It's always nice to walk away from a show with stuff you want and more money going home than what you brought.
7. My son was able to land a Toews jersey with the Stanley Cup patch for $55 within a few minutes of walking in. When I went back an hour or so later to nab a Hull for myself, the dealer was packing up and several cops were standing by. I heard from another dealer that the jerseys were knock-offs, although I doubt most would be able to tell the difference (Reebok logos and tags). He's still happy with the jersey, which looks great. I would still like to have had the Hull throwback at $55. I should have bought it as soon as I arrived. Knockoff or not, it looked great.
8. I had no interest in any of the autograph guests, so I can't comment.
9. I haven't been to the last couple of spring and fall shows in Chicago due to scheduling conflicts with my job, so I'm curious if others have seen the same downturn. I do plan to attend the Sun Times show in November and am considering the October 3-day show in St. Louis (my first trip there since their last national) as my son will be attending college a little more than an hour away. Anyone have any past experiences with St. Louis shows?
10. Can't go to national, so I hope someone here can file reports.
1. Crowd was really down, compared to the many major shows I've attended there in the past. No problems getting around. No crowded aisles. I was able to walk freely and made it around the tables several times during my 5+ hours there.
2. Fewer dealers than before. I talked to several who were surprised at the number of regulars who didn't attend. I can't remember not seeing Bill Henderson at a major Chicago show and he wasn't there. Hope all is well with the "King of Commons."
3. Dealers didn't seem to willing to deal, as several collectors I talked to found few discounts and even fewer buyers, even of quality material. One dealer who gave praise to the one big ticket item I hoped to move said he wasn't buying at all. This guy has most of the finest rare 60's insert and test issues I've ever seen, so if he's not buying some better quality stuff, I wonder who is.
4. I picked up some Cubs paper for my collection... Kessinger and Sutter Sporting News, a couple of Holtzman Baseball Digests and a few other odds and ends from one guy. I sold three extra copies of early 50's Chicago Cubs News, so I was able to pick up this stuff with no money out of pocket.
5. I had spotted a pair (!) of 1959 Home Run Derby Ernie Banks cards at one table. I tried throughout the day to sell my extra Ron Santo Pro's Pizza (for that card not to sell in Chicago should be some indication as to how little dealers were buying) to have the cash to get one of these Banks cards and a few other items I saw during the day. I ended up shelling out $110 for a card I would grade as VG, despite a crease. I just couldn't pass it up as it seems few of these make an appearance, even at Chicago shows.
6. As I was leaving, I took my son over to a table where a guy had a Cubs team set of 1970 superballs. I told my son I had hoped to buy that set if I could have sold the Santo. The dealer, who I hadn't talked to earlier, heard us talking and said he'd be willing to make a deal. I ended up with the superballs, and a nice chunk of green that more than covered my Banks purchase, $10 admission, gas, meals, etc. All of this dealing took place in my last 20 minutes at the show. The first 5 hours were mostly a waste. It's always nice to walk away from a show with stuff you want and more money going home than what you brought.
7. My son was able to land a Toews jersey with the Stanley Cup patch for $55 within a few minutes of walking in. When I went back an hour or so later to nab a Hull for myself, the dealer was packing up and several cops were standing by. I heard from another dealer that the jerseys were knock-offs, although I doubt most would be able to tell the difference (Reebok logos and tags). He's still happy with the jersey, which looks great. I would still like to have had the Hull throwback at $55. I should have bought it as soon as I arrived. Knockoff or not, it looked great.
8. I had no interest in any of the autograph guests, so I can't comment.
9. I haven't been to the last couple of spring and fall shows in Chicago due to scheduling conflicts with my job, so I'm curious if others have seen the same downturn. I do plan to attend the Sun Times show in November and am considering the October 3-day show in St. Louis (my first trip there since their last national) as my son will be attending college a little more than an hour away. Anyone have any past experiences with St. Louis shows?
10. Can't go to national, so I hope someone here can file reports.
