What does it take for you to travel to a card show?
- Thread starter 5toosweet
- Start date
it involves sleeping pills, a hot tub, a hotel lounge, and a wheelchair (seriously)...
ive been to several nationals (multiple to both Chicago and Cleveland), then several majors in Chicago...usually its to meet up with folks, but I went to a national and several majors before I got into the online posting world and I would go there for box variety because the local shop was overpriced...also in search of specific hard to find cards, though the only one I recall actually finding, and at a fair price, was a 2002 Topps Chrome Gridiron Badge Marshall Faulk /50, found it in 05 I think, paid $20-$30 for it and sold it for $30-$40 within hours of getting back from the show...I was probably the 'go to' guy for 2002 Topps Chrome back in the day...
these days since no one in their right mind has Boller out on the table I spend hours searching the cheap RC/GU/AU boxes for Boller and things I know I can move for a profit with ease on ebay...but it takes quite a bit of the low end stuff to make it worth the trip...$20 to park, $20 in gas/tolls, $20 admission, so basically I walk in the door down $60...and its not like I have some high end stuff that is desirable to dealers to trade...
ive been to several nationals (multiple to both Chicago and Cleveland), then several majors in Chicago...usually its to meet up with folks, but I went to a national and several majors before I got into the online posting world and I would go there for box variety because the local shop was overpriced...also in search of specific hard to find cards, though the only one I recall actually finding, and at a fair price, was a 2002 Topps Chrome Gridiron Badge Marshall Faulk /50, found it in 05 I think, paid $20-$30 for it and sold it for $30-$40 within hours of getting back from the show...I was probably the 'go to' guy for 2002 Topps Chrome back in the day...
these days since no one in their right mind has Boller out on the table I spend hours searching the cheap RC/GU/AU boxes for Boller and things I know I can move for a profit with ease on ebay...but it takes quite a bit of the low end stuff to make it worth the trip...$20 to park, $20 in gas/tolls, $20 admission, so basically I walk in the door down $60...and its not like I have some high end stuff that is desirable to dealers to trade...
Mine depends on distance. I've never been to a National convention.
But the two I've been to local one held at the Woodland Mall decent selection of stuff, used that to shop for our First secret Santa event. The 2nd one I went to was the Jackson area and that wasn't too bad either. I found a lot there to peruse and look thru.
But the two I've been to local one held at the Woodland Mall decent selection of stuff, used that to shop for our First secret Santa event. The 2nd one I went to was the Jackson area and that wasn't too bad either. I found a lot there to peruse and look thru.
Well our next Jackson show is March 29 at the same location as the one in September. Hope to see you there again.
Transportation. And if I don't see what I want from FleaBay. I used to like the card shows a lot, but I think eBay has killed off the luster of such shows.
SportsCardRadio
Bench Warmer
I go to one in San Francisco every year and that's about 2 hours away with mild traffic. I have taken public transportation and driven all the way there. They do charge for parking, so it was actually cheaper to take mass transit.
One of the more interesting deals I've ever seen was 2 years ago. I was taking pictures of a Babe Ruth cut auto in a guys case to post on twitter. The dealer had lots of nice cards, about 3 of those laydown cabinets - Kobe auto's, Lebron's and rare baseball cut-auto stuff. A guy comes over with one of the largest stacks of money I've ever seen. He was a young guy - probably like 30. He starts counting 100 bills on the table. The dealer says "everything in my cabinets except the UDA Shoes? (which were Jordan, Durant and Kobe) Young guy says - yup! He gets to about $7,000 dollars and still has a larger wad still to go. I started walking away at that point because if I stare it might make a buyer nervous, but it was one of the largest in-person deals I've seen.
I've gotten some amazing deals usually. Last year COMC had a booth and a show special, so what I actually have the most fun doing is finding a bunch of cheaper cards and send them into COMC to re-sell. Sometimes east coast guys don't sell for as much - and I've gotten low serial numbered parallels for $0.25 each. The rest of the time I'm looking for odd-ball type stuff, like team patches or just memorabilia you don't see everywhere. If you like PSA/BGS graded stuff - every year someone has a box that says something like PSA 9 $2.00 ea & PSA 10 $5.00 ea. I also like shopping for Bengal cards because they sell a little cheaper on the west coast. Also, if a dealer has 2 or more I want, they'll bundle and you get a nice deal that way.
If you want the pick of the litter, it's best to arrive on the first day of the show. On the last day of the show, dealers might do a deal because he'd have to travel home with it, so it's a good time to scoop someone's entire booth or large boxes of base/inserts.
My brother attends the National every year and he basically does the same thing on a larger scale. He also likes to buy PSA/DNA slabbed autograph cards, index cards, ticket stubs ... ect since they tend to be a bit cheaper than a mainstream release.
I've also started getting into coins and have attended those as well. I find people are very helpful at coin shows - always answering my questions about things. Its cool. I recommend going to any card show you can make it to. I like to have an idea what I want to look for, but it's fun to just walk around.
Lastly, I've never gotten anything signed, but I sometimes just stand around the autograph pavilions and see the athletes sign and interact with fans. That's fun too.
One of the more interesting deals I've ever seen was 2 years ago. I was taking pictures of a Babe Ruth cut auto in a guys case to post on twitter. The dealer had lots of nice cards, about 3 of those laydown cabinets - Kobe auto's, Lebron's and rare baseball cut-auto stuff. A guy comes over with one of the largest stacks of money I've ever seen. He was a young guy - probably like 30. He starts counting 100 bills on the table. The dealer says "everything in my cabinets except the UDA Shoes? (which were Jordan, Durant and Kobe) Young guy says - yup! He gets to about $7,000 dollars and still has a larger wad still to go. I started walking away at that point because if I stare it might make a buyer nervous, but it was one of the largest in-person deals I've seen.
I've gotten some amazing deals usually. Last year COMC had a booth and a show special, so what I actually have the most fun doing is finding a bunch of cheaper cards and send them into COMC to re-sell. Sometimes east coast guys don't sell for as much - and I've gotten low serial numbered parallels for $0.25 each. The rest of the time I'm looking for odd-ball type stuff, like team patches or just memorabilia you don't see everywhere. If you like PSA/BGS graded stuff - every year someone has a box that says something like PSA 9 $2.00 ea & PSA 10 $5.00 ea. I also like shopping for Bengal cards because they sell a little cheaper on the west coast. Also, if a dealer has 2 or more I want, they'll bundle and you get a nice deal that way.
If you want the pick of the litter, it's best to arrive on the first day of the show. On the last day of the show, dealers might do a deal because he'd have to travel home with it, so it's a good time to scoop someone's entire booth or large boxes of base/inserts.
My brother attends the National every year and he basically does the same thing on a larger scale. He also likes to buy PSA/DNA slabbed autograph cards, index cards, ticket stubs ... ect since they tend to be a bit cheaper than a mainstream release.
I've also started getting into coins and have attended those as well. I find people are very helpful at coin shows - always answering my questions about things. Its cool. I recommend going to any card show you can make it to. I like to have an idea what I want to look for, but it's fun to just walk around.
Lastly, I've never gotten anything signed, but I sometimes just stand around the autograph pavilions and see the athletes sign and interact with fans. That's fun too.
Would've definitely been fun to watch that go down, although I doubt I would have walked away. I'm too nosey to not stick around and see what the final deal ended up being.
I've, honestly, never even been to a card show. I live in a small rural town which is a good 3 hour drive from the closest show I've ever even heard of. I'm sure they have them several times a year in the Dallas area but I never hear about them and not sure if I'd go to one, especially that far away, by myself anyways. Since I don't know a single other collector, personally, I usually just keep my collecting/trading/buying to online stuff like on eBay, COMC, forums, etc. That said, if there was one closer to where I lived I'd likely go check it out just so I could say I've been.
it would take me an airline ticket outta these hills...and if I had a plane ticket,I would go to the beach...any beach...preferrably a beach that happens to have a card show.
lisu
Bench Warmer
it doesn't take much for me to want to travel for a card show. I'd like to go to Houston for one of their Tristar shows, but I have been to the Chicago show, White plains show, and Toronto shows when they weren't the national.
Similar threads
