Dave and I’ve arrange collectively at so many exhibits that I thought of him my associate of types. For the previous 25 years, anytime I used to be arrange at a three-day present wherever within the nation, Dave was at my facet.
Years and years of enjoyable. Although, at occasions, admittedly, we actually acquired on one another’s nerves. One bone of competition was Dave’s refusal to hitch the fashionable world and procure a mobile phone — it drove me nuts! However actually, I used to be nuts about Dave, an incredible pal.
I owe all of it to Bob Downing, one of many funniest guys you’ll ever meet. If Bob wasn’t so rattling humorous, I might have by no means met Dave.
Here is the story:
Within the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, I used to arrange at George Johnson’s three-day Chicago Solar-Occasions exhibits in Rosemont, Illinois. I might reserve one house by which an 8-foot desk was offered. I might herald two card tables and place them behind the 8-footers and fill all of the house with binders.
Generally I might deliver out some show circumstances crammed classic sports activities star playing cards. In these days, I had one aluminum case and two butterfly show circumstances. Effectively, I used to be doing plenty of exhibits and my stock was rising by leaps and bounds. I wanted one other case.
In stepped my dad, a legendary picker, and he had bought a selfmade gun show case at a storage sale within the sticks in southwest Michigan. He gave me the case to make use of for the cardboard exhibits.
The backwoods gun man who constructed the case, made a wooden body, hammered it onto some particle board and lined it with wooden cabinets, then put in a window on high. The window slid out and in of the body.
I took out the cabinets and began to deliver the case to card exhibits and used it to show playing cards.
I introduced the gun case out to a Solar-Occasions present across the 12 months 2000 and simply by probability was arrange subsequent to Bob and Dave, who used to arrange in any respect the Solar-Occasions exhibits collectively. Again then, Bob and Dave labored collectively at an organization in Broadview, Illinois.
Being on my own and never getting a lot motion at my tables, I discovered myself watching Bob and Dave, who I didn’t know on the time. I believe that they had break up two areas. I noticed that there was this bizarre man standing in entrance of their tables, speaking to them, nearly all day. I keep in mind pondering, I might not be pleased if that man stood in entrance of my desk all day blocking my playing cards from buyer view.
I did have just a few clients. Some who wished to see the playing cards within the gun case. Anytime I needed to pull playing cards from the case, I needed to slide the highest window out, generally pulling it utterly out then struggling to get it again in. Evidently, it was not an excellent case and a ache within the ass to make use of. It will definitely disintegrated and I tossed it within the trash just a few months later. I then began buying aluminum circumstances from Levi on the Solar-Occasions exhibits.
Again at that first present the place I met Bob and Dave, Bob was intrigued with the gun case and began asking me about it. I defined how I obtained the case and the way it labored. Bob thought the case was one of many craziest issues he had ever seen at a card present.
My goofy show case was a dialog starter. I spent the remainder of that present chatting with Bob and Dave.
One of many first issues Bob mentioned to me was how he had this maniacal plan to nook the market on 1969 Topps Soccer Dick Shiner playing cards. Bob confirmed me a stack of them he had bought on the present. He mentioned he had 1000’s of them. He instructed me how, for laughs, he caught some inside a pal’s kitchen wall whereas they have been rehabbing the kitchen.
The extra Bob talked to me, the extra I simply began laughing. From that day on, Bob has stored me in stiches.
I keep in mind spending that entire present speaking with Bob and Dave and realizing that these guys have been superior. We three turned lifelong mates after that first Solar-Occasions present.
We arrange collectively in any respect the Solar-Occasions exhibits for the following 10 years or so and began establishing collectively on the Nationwide.
These exhibits with Bob and Dave have been pure pleasure. I had a lot enjoyable with these guys, regardless that my gross sales on the Solar-Occasions exhibits have been awful again then. I used to do significantly better on the small exhibits like Orland relatively than on the Solar-Occasions.
Dave was the alpha seller of the group. Bob and I spent plenty of time simply watching Dave promote playing cards. With nothing doing at my tables, I ended up serving to Dave together with his gross sales. Dave would hand me his calculator and stack of playing cards that somebody wished to buy, and I might add them up.
Dave was on one other stage as a sports activities card seller. He was essentially the most profitable seller that I knew. We principally offered the identical stuff however the distinction was that each one of his playing cards have been excessive grade whereas I didn’t care, nonetheless don’t care, about situation. My solely standards for playing cards is that they should be previous.
Dave had an incredible eye. He might spot flaws in playing cards that I by no means might see. He had some dependable sources the place he might buy bushels of high-grade classic playing cards. He at all times talked about his buddy Bob from Berwyn, to not be confused with our buddy Bob who had cornered the market on Dick Shiner. Bob from Berwyn appeared to produce Dave with limitless quantities of high-grade classic playing cards. I even acquired to fulfill the legendary Bob from Berwyn just a few occasions.
With the most effective choice of high-grade classic sports activities playing cards at any present, of us flocked to Dave every time we have been arrange collectively. It was exceptional to look at. I didn’t like lots of his clients as a result of they’d scoff at my decrease grade playing cards. Although, there have been some gems that shopped at Dave’s desk like Larry from Aurora, Chris from Cincinnati, and some others.
Ultimately, Dick Shiner Bob obtained a greater job at a serious firm in Skokie whereas Dave stayed behind on the firm in Broadview and ultimately retired. Bob was onto higher and larger issues. His new job took him everywhere in the world and he might not arrange with us. I believe it was round 2009 and it was simply Dave and I now on the Solar-Occasions present, then we took in extra guys to hitch us on the Nationwide.
Dave and I labored properly collectively on the massive exhibits. We’d ship clients to one another. We’d assist one another when one acquired busy and the opposite was gradual. We’d watch one another’s playing cards whereas certainly one of us went on a toilet or meals break.
At one level, we determined we should always do some exhibits outdoors of the Chicago space. I acquired on the waitlist for the Strongsville Ohio Classic present and ultimately obtained two tables. Dave and I began establishing in Strongsville yearly starting round 2010. We tried different massive exhibits collectively like Pittsburgh, the Moeller present in Cincinnati and traveled to locations like Atlantic Metropolis and Cleveland for the Nationwide. We additionally did many one-day exhibits collectively in Chicago and Wisconsin.
For the previous 25 years, I by no means went greater than a month or two with out establishing with Dave at a present.
We had a routine that if we have been doing a present out east, I might choose him up the day earlier than the present at his home. If we have been doing a present up north, Dave would choose me up at my home.
In the previous few years, we began taking some additional days throughout our journeys to the Nationwide or Strongsville, making mini-vacations out of it. It was enjoyable. We stopped off at museums and casinos on our method to numerous out-of-state card exhibits.
Dave cherished to drive… or perhaps he simply did not like my driving, as a result of he often drove whereas I loved being a passenger.
As soon as within the automotive, we chatted like previous mates who had not seen one another in years. We at all times talked about playing cards, the characters we met at card exhibits, meals, rock music, vintage cars, bikes, boxing, the Blackhawks and the Cubs. If the Blackhawks or the Cubs have been taking part in, we had them on the radio.
Man, we had so many good occasions. In Pittsburgh, Dave put me to work including up the worth of his playing cards whereas an enormous nationwide purchaser bought 1000’s of {dollars} of playing cards from him. Dave purchased dinner that night time.
In Strongsville, we cherished going to dinner with Mark Smith and Hockey Greg. One night time in Strongsville, Dave stunned us with a random story about Ed Bouchee, a journeyman ball participant from the 1950’s. Dave requested us if we knew why Bouchee had a baseball card in 1957 and 1959 however not in 1958. None of us knew. In keeping with Dave, Bouchee was arrested within the 1950’s for exposing himself to a number of younger ladies. Bouchee went to jail in 1958 and subsequently didn’t have a card that 12 months.
Lots of jokes about Bouchee adopted, then for the following a number of years on the Strongsville present, Mark and Greg would ship somebody to Dave’s desk who would ask him for Ed Bouchee playing cards. Each time it might occur, we’d look over throughout the room at Mark and Greg and see them cracking up.
Jokes apart, Dave had unimaginable information about 1950’s baseball and baseball playing cards, particularly the 1953 Topps set which was his specialty. You may identify a participant within the 1953 set and he might immediately let you know the cardboard quantity. He knew which playing cards have been tough to acquire. Which playing cards have been by no means centered. He was exceptional.
At every present, we’d focus on our purchases. I valued Dave’s opinion and recommendation and would typically run potential offers by him earlier than I made the acquisition.
I often didn’t supply a lot criticism to Dave. Nevertheless, there was one Strongsville present the place I assumed he was going to lose a number of thousand {dollars} and I attempted to cease him however to no avail.
A buyer had spent an hour or so at Dave’s desk pulling playing cards. He ended up pulling just a few giant stacks of playing cards. I believe I added them up and it got here out to round $3,000. The shopper then instructed Dave that he ran out of cash earlier on the present and requested if he might take the playing cards residence to Maryland and mail Dave a examine.
Neither Dave nor I had ever seen this man earlier than. He didn’t supply any references.
Dave mentioned positive, I do not know you from Adam however take $3,000 price of my playing cards and return to Maryland and mail me a examine to Chicago.
Okay, he did not actually say that however that’s what occurred.
I mentioned no manner! Dave, no!!
I instructed the man to pay Dave by way of PayPal. The man mentioned he didn’t have PayPal. This was on a Saturday and I figured native banks have been nonetheless open. I instructed the man to go to a financial institution and are available again with the money.
Dave waved me off. He gave the man his tackle and let him stroll away with $3K in playing cards. We argued about it for the remainder of the weekend.
Dave grew uninterested in my criticism. I used to be sure Dave had simply been ripped off. Dave supplied me a wager that if the man doesn’t ship a examine by the Nationwide, he would purchase me a steak dinner. If the man did ship a examine, I might purchase Dave a steak dinner.
To my shock, I ended up shopping for Dave a steak dinner. That freakin’ man despatched Dave a examine. The examine was good. We even noticed him once more on the subsequent Strongsville present.
Superb. Dave at all times amazed me. We at all times had good occasions.
I’ve acquired so many tales, I do not know the place to cease. Please bear with me.
Looks as if most of my tales are from Strongsville.
A number of years in the past, certainly one of my medical doctors positioned me on 4 or 5 new meds to fight my hypertension proper earlier than a Strongsville present.
I took the meds earlier than I arrived at Dave’s home. Then as soon as in Ohio, we stopped off at a Burger King for lunch. I took some insulin and ate my Whopper. I believe the Whopper was the very first thing I ate that day. Apparently, I didn’t want the insulin and as soon as again on the highway I went hypoglycemic. I requested Dave to tug over so I might get some sweet and lift my blood sugar.
I downed some sweet and not felt hypoglycemic however one thing else began to occur. I do not know precisely what it was, perhaps a response to the brand new meds, however I began to shake uncontrollably and my head began to pound. I attempted to battle by way of it however solely felt worse. I requested Dave to take me to a hospital.
On the hospital, they checked my blood sugar which was by way of the roof. Guess I ate an excessive amount of sweet. They despatched me again to the ready room the place I continued to really feel terrible. At one level I went to the toilet and handed out. Dave grew involved and located me, revived me and helped me again to a chair within the ready room.
After about an hour within the ready room and the hospital failing to take care of my excessive blood sugar and extra signs, I made a decision the most effective factor for me can be to depart and take some insulin I had within the automotive.
Dave helped me to the automotive. He nearly needed to carry me. I took some insulin. We made it to the resort in Strongsville the place I hydrated after feeling severely dehydrated. Dave went to arrange whereas I recovered within the room. I form of felt awful all weekend however not as dangerous as I did on the drive to the present.
Dave went and acquired me some much-needed Gatorade and Tylenol. I’m so grateful he was there to assist me, regardless that the hospital did nothing. Hospitals suck. You’re higher off taking good care of your self and it helps to have a pal like Dave.
So many good occasions, some loopy, with Dave in Strongsville. When new promoters took over the Strongsville present and raised the desk payment a number of years in the past, Dave didn’t need to do the present any longer. It has been slightly scary driving on the market on my own, figuring out I might go hypoglycemic or worse with no one to assist me.
I’ve come to depend on Dave for a lot extra than simply being my pal at card exhibits. It’ll be extraordinarily tough going ahead with out Dave.
Dave died the morning of July 6 from most cancers. He solely just lately discovered he had most cancers, it occurred so fast.
He had a number of different well being points these previous couple of years and I used to be involved. I final noticed him on the Kane County present in Could and he didn’t look properly and didn’t have a lot power. He packed up early, positioned his typical brown containers and three show circumstances on his previous blue cart and walked out.
He mentioned, “Goodbye Tone.”
For some purpose, I simply knew that might be the final time I might see him. I used to be unhappy however tried to cover it for the remainder of the present.
I used to be so heartbroken when his fantastic spouse Cindy known as to let me learn about Dave’s most cancers prognosis. I used to be crushed when Cindy texted two weeks later to let me know Dave handed surrounded by household.
This simply hurts.
We misplaced a particular individual. One in every of my finest mates ever. My card present companion.
I am unable to say how a lot I appreciated my friendship with Dave and all the great occasions. There are some particular individuals on the market that make your life higher — Dave was a type of individuals.
Relaxation in peace my superb pal. Thanks for all of the enjoyable occasions. My sincerest condolences to Cindy and sons Andy and Invoice.
A memorial gathering for Dave can be held on Tuesday, July 15, 10 a.m., adopted by a service at midday, at Steuerle Funeral Dwelling, 15 W. Park Blvd. Villa Park, IL.
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