This past weekend, I set up at Kyle Robertson's "smaller" Dallas Card Show. This one was held at the Marriott DFW South and it was the first show I set up after selling all my inventory in January, 2022.
I had a great Saturday and a very slow Sunday but there were plenty of people who came on both days. In fact, Saturday was so busy we were all busy from 10AM to 3 PM or thereabouts. Making the show even better in the DFW heat was the air conditioning was working very well and unlike some recent shows around the country, the show floor was an oasis from the overbearing heat.
This photo shown on the Dallas Card Show facebook page was an accurate representation of the Saturday crowd.
Since it was my first show in a while I was a little off rhythm in talking to customers but on Saturday most of the people who stopped by my table were people who were on my mailing list and many of them said they found out because they saw the promo I ran.
And then I started thinking about way back when. I took a break from doing shows, frankly because there were not very many, between 1981-82. Early in 1982, I don't remember the exact date the show which had been at the Montclair State College moved to a hotel in Seacaucus, New Jersey near where WOR-TV station and now the MLB Network headquarters are located. A really nice hotel, easy set up, etc. etc.
But what I remember as much as everything about that show was since the dealers on the "circuit" did not recognize me, they came over like piranhas asking me if I had any common 1982 Topps George Foster all-star cards. You see, Topps added the facsimile signature and thus those cards were the hottest cards on the market to begin the year. Turned out the best 1982 variations were the ones Fleer put in including the John Littllefield pitching lefty. That is a card I have never owned and only seen a few over the years.
But what really intrigued me then was did these dealers think I was not following the market and would gladly give them the "HOT" card at a reduced price. Good lesson that one should never assume other people are not aware of the market. Actually, today with the ways smart phones are used, there is always knowledge available for most people at their fingertips.
I would love to hear reactions from those who did shows that had not for a while to see if other dealers thought they were easy prey. I know we all think that way but sometimes those people are smarter than we are.
Till next month!
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