One other glorious day in lovely Madison, Wisconsin. I introduced out all of my baseball and soccer binders together with publications. I completed establishing proper across the opening bell at 9 a.m. I then snuck away for a fast lavatory break earlier than the gang got here in. Shortly after returning to my tables, I used to be mobbed! Completely sudden. People had been lining as much as purchase stuff. People had been lining as much as promote me stuff. It was a loopy and hectic begin to the present!
Beau launched me to Chris (thanks Beau!!) who was promoting his uncle’s classic sports activities card assortment. Chris first confirmed me a field of uncooked classic stars from the Fifties and Nineteen Sixties. Nice stuff in there however priced too excessive. I am going to take smaller margins when buying graded playing cards however not on uncooked playing cards as the value will not be as definitive on a uncooked card, so I would like a lot bigger margins earlier than I’ll make a purchase order.
Chris stated he priced the playing cards by a Ludex app. I’m acquainted with Ludex however am unfamiliar with their app. You do not actually ever hear Ludex and classic playing cards in the identical sentence so I used to be somewhat suspect of Chris’s pricing.
Chris stated he had commons as nicely and went to his automobile to retrieve them. Subsequent up, a youthful man had a field of playing cards with some stacks of classic. I had a troublesome time flipping by the field as I had to assist prospects buying playing cards. Then all kinds of individuals began to butt in on the deal. Not cool! When a deal goes down, people have to step away so I can negotiate with the vendor.
I pulled out one stack from the vendor’s field and began to flip by it when some random man asks if he can flip by the stack. I resp0nded with a agency “no!” and tried to elucidate that we had been engaged on a deal. Butt out buddy!
One other man requested if he may purchase a few of the playing cards after I buy them. No, once more. I’ve a course of for pricing playing cards and I do not do it on the present shortly after a purchase order. Truly, playing cards sit for some time in my card bunker earlier than I get to pricing them.
Anyway, I made a proposal on the playing cards however I feel the vendor thought he had gold and he declined my provide. I believed my provide was honest and that perhaps he would come again. I assume one other vendor made a greater provide as a result of he didn’t come again. The playing cards had been largely 1972 Topps baseball. I’ve a ton of them and simply am not going to make a excessive provide on these playing cards.
It was type of irritating making an attempt to take care of a number of sellers without delay with so many shoppers at my desk needing consideration as nicely. I in all probability misplaced some gross sales as a result of I used to be hyper targeted on the sellers.
Chris got here again with a duffel bag of playing cards together with two massive containers. Most likely round 3,000 baseball and soccer frequent playing cards from 1954 by 1970. I regarded by most of them to get an thought of situation. There was a variety of situation, as traditional when shopping for a set. The majority of the playing cards had been 1956 by 1960 baseball. There was some oddball stuff in there like Fleer baseball from 1959 by 1961 and a few 1960 Leaf baseball. I made a proposal and Chris and his uncle accepted. Woot!
I didn’t have a lot money with me. Fortunately, Chris accepted a PayPal cost. I talked briefly with Chris’s uncle who instructed me that this was his childhood assortment. He stated he obtained the majority of the playing cards as a child in 1958 whereas dwelling in Freeport, Illinois, when his neighbor threw out a field of playing cards. Chris’s uncle stated he retrieved the field from the neighbor’s rubbish can and stored all of them these years. Cool story!
So I used to be type of coping with Chris and the opposite man with the ’72s on the similar time and likewise coping with prospects at my desk. It was type of a cluster%$#@. As soon as achieved with Chris and the ’72 man, one other vendor, who I met at this present final 12 months and bought a bunch of 1970’s units, had a stack of graded classic stars. His pricing final 12 months was cheap. This time round he was manner too excessive. He additionally had a 1972 set that he wished to promote. Like I stated earlier than, I don’t want any 1972s and would solely have an interest in the event that they had been actually low-cost.
I did a fast eBay search and noticed the 2 most up-to-date gross sales of ’72 units had been round $5K and $2,500. Having handled this man earlier than, I knew his set was not minty and warranting a $5K price ticket. He was at $2,400. I used to be not assured I may promote the set at $2,400 and declined.
I then handled some prospects earlier than speaking to the subsequent vendor in line. The subsequent man up (they actually lined as much as promote me playing cards at 9 a.m.!) was somebody I bought some playing cards from just lately. Perhaps final month in Madison. Generally all these exhibits and all these individuals mix collectively and I’m simply misplaced in house and time. Anyway, he had a 1957 Topps Ernie Banks SGC 1.5 that I ended up buying. He additionally had a 1966 Topps Batman card in a PSA 6. I didn’t actually know what to supply. I stored asking him to present me a worth. He wished a proposal. I hate this little recreation. Everybody has a worth in thoughts. Simply inform me your worth! I supplied 15 bucks. I did not assume these playing cards offered for a lot. The vendor rejected my provide and walked away. Wanting up a random Batman PSA 6 now, one offered for round $60 just lately. I in all probability ought to have regarded it up on the present however there was a lot happening at my tables! I simply wished to be achieved with all these sellers and begin serving to my paying prospects after spending fairly a bit of cash with Chris.
What a loopy begin to the present! A number of extra guys got here by all through the day to promote me playing cards however all of them appeared to have 1980’s and 1990’s playing cards. No thanks!
Then my good friend Jim got here by and introduced me a much-needed Eating regimen Mountain Due. Thanks Jim!! This was in all probability the primary Sheraton present the place I used to be unable to go downstairs to the fake Starbucks and get a cup of espresso. I’m not a morning particular person and desperately want caffein within the a.m.
I stuffed the containers of playing cards I bought from Chris underneath my tables then sat down. I’m not certain what time this was however it was my first alternative to watch the room for the reason that present opened. Man alive! It was mobbed!!!! Enormous crowd!!! People may barely stroll by the aisles as a result of there have been so many our bodies.
I noticed that PSA was on the entrance of the room which defined why the Seacrest boys had been throughout from me when they’re usually on the entrance of the room. Love these guys! Man, they had been extremely busy the entire present whereas I had some down time after my preliminary rush.
Talking of PSA, so cool to see them arrange on the Madison present. I’ve been establishing at Wisconsin exhibits, all around the state, for the previous 25 years and may attest that PSA has by no means arrange in Wisconsin earlier than immediately. My view of the PSA sales space was largely blocked by the hoards of individuals attending the present however was instructed that there was an extended line of individuals submitting playing cards to PSA immediately. Woot!
Hopefully PSA realizes that Wisconsin is the very best place on the planet for sports activities playing cards and that they return to the present quickly!!!
Anyway, I offered all kinds of stuff immediately, together with some classic applications, Sport Journal, Sports activities Illustrated and a few classic baseball digests. I used to be shocked the publications did so nicely. I’m going to need to reload and convey them out once more quickly!
Nick from the Bridgeview present bought some autographs. Thanks Nick! Paul, one among my finest regulars at this present, discovered his traditional stack. My common guys constructing their 1956 Topps baseball units, pulled some playing cards as nicely. Although, one among my primary common guys was lacking immediately. Hope he’s okay! You see guys each month and on the uncommon event they do not present up, you begin to fear. We’re all household right here.
Total, gross sales had been down from final month however my purchases far made up for it. I noticed immediately that I take pleasure in buying playing cards far more than promoting playing cards. Promoting is only a means to an finish. I’m like a child in a sweet retailer once I buy a set. As issues slowed up at my tables, I loved going by all of the playing cards I bought from Chris. Enjoyable stuff!
This was a very enjoyable present. Nice vibe within the room. Although a number of guys complained that the venue is simply too small for the present. Clearly, these individuals have by no means tried to placed on a present.
I can inform you from 10 years of expertise that it isn’t straightforward to placed on a card present. The toughest half is discovering a venue that’s fairly priced and one the place administration doesn’t tackle an adversarial relationship.
I do not know if any bigger venues can be found in Madison… and if they’re, what’s the rental price? I do not assume sellers could be keen to pay far more than they’re presently paying to arrange on the Madison present. Then you need to wonder if prospects could be keen to go to a brand new venue that could be in one other a part of city.
I subscribe to the coverage: “If it ain’t damaged, do not repair it.” I’m advantageous with the best way issues are at this present. I prefer it and arrange each month. Crowds do not hassle me. I’ve at all times loved being in an enormous crowd. I just like the power. I like seeing so many individuals have an excellent time.
But, I hear the identical factor about Oak Creek. Many of us have expressed their opinion that I ought to transfer the present to a bigger venue. Properly, I’m doing one at a bigger venue and my prices are by the roof. The quantity of labor I’ve to do has doubled. I a lot favor the month-to-month present in Oak Creek to my MegaShow in Franklin — which is why I’m solely going to do a pair MegaShows a 12 months. Oak Creek is simply advantageous. It ain’t broke! Madison is simply advantageous. It ain’t broke!
I feel as an alternative of complaining, people ought to simply benefit from the present. The Madison present is a wonderful present. Anybody bear in mind what we had in Madison earlier than Beau got here round? Whereas Darren is an excellent nice man, his exhibits paled compared to Beau’s exhibits. Keep in mind that tiny little room the place sellers had been on prime of each other? I neglect the title of the resort however it was simply down the highway from the Sheraton. Horrible room for a present. It was extra like a closet.
Anyway, I’ve digressed. I had an important day in Madison. Subsequent Madison present is on April 26.
Up subsequent is Oak Creek on Saturday, April 5, 2025. I’m manner overbooked!! I had a bunch of standard sellers miss the March present so I added all kinds of recent guys from the wait checklist. Now I’ve all of the regulars coming again and all the brand new guys wish to arrange once more! Ugh! I’m in all probability going to have so as to add one other row of sellers within the Recreation Room like I did on the finish of final 12 months. We’ll see how this performs out! It’s a unusual scenario once I hope for sellers to cancel. Enjoyable, enjoyable, enjoyable!
Tables are nonetheless obtainable for the MegaShow in Franklin, WI, on April 19. Ship me an electronic mail at [email protected] in case you are thinking about a desk. This present must be a beast! We’ve an enormous house!! I’m going to make good and huge aisles together with giving the sellers and ton of house behind their tables. So whereas I’m anticipating an enormous crowd, it mustn’t really feel crowded.
An enormous thanks to Beau for one more nice present in Madison. Additionally an enormous thanks to everybody who purchased and offered me playing cards. What a day!!
Under are a couple of extra images from my perch on the Madison present, together with a photograph of a few of my purchases.
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