A conversation with a couple veteran dealers at a card show

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by rajah424

I would be willing to bet for every dealer that has never sold on eBay there are a hundred collectors that have never bought on eBay. They don't have a computer, they don't like/understand technology or they just want to hold the card in person before they buy.

Go to any decent size show and look at how many guys are there with notebooks or sheets of paper with their checklist. Why don't they have their checklist on their phone or iPad? Because they are old school and not into technology.

Right. Exactly the point that I was trying to make.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Right. Exactly the point that I was trying to make.

My fave folks to chat with, when I set up locally, are the guys with the paper sheets of checklists. The ones with the iphones and ipads, not so much. Call me old school....

[Snapolit1]

Can't tell you how many times I am at a show and I find a card I'm am interested in and I can't even find the guy whose table it is because he's gabbing across the room. Happens all the time.

[smallpaul2002]

Well, I'm old school and i do not have a cell phone. Never had a cell phone, and never will. I do have a laptop, and often purchase on Ebay and through auction houses. The interesting thing I find when chatting with dealers at card shows is it appears there are people who want to actually sell their items and others who just want to display what they own. Most collectors just enjoy the hunt for items they covet, so if you can't get what you want today, it will likely appear later...patience is the key. Regardless, you meet all types in this hobby, that's why it works for me, and my friends and family could care less.

[SAllen2556]

I mostly use paper checklists, and I didn't buy a card on eBay until 2013. I guess I consider myself a very late graduate of the old school. These days I still have my lists, but I have my phone with me as well to check prices. A dealer actually said to me that it was dangerous to have my checklist on my phone because I could get hacked.

Sadly, I do not think I'll ever go back to the show I've been attending, despite the interesting characters I've met. I'm tired of walking in with $500 and walking out with $490. It's just not for me anymore. And I've often had the same problem of trying to find the dealer whose card I'm staring at - makes you wonder how common thievery is.

I've been to the most recent National in Cleveland and hope to make a trip of it this year to Chicago with a couple friends. At least there you see cool stuff - that I can't afford!

[VoodooChild]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Can't tell you how many times I am at a show and I find a card I'm am interested in and I can't even find the guy whose table it is because he's gabbing across the room. Happens all the time.

+1 I went to a Chantilly show a few months ago (my first show since the late 80's) and noticed the same thing. I had a few hundred earmarked to spend and did end up spending it. There were some dealers who had stuff I was interested in, but wouldn't even acknowledge me for some reason because they were bs'ing with other dealers. I ended up having some nice conversations with more attentive dealers and spent my money on their cards. I probably would've ended up buying some "over priced" cards with the dealer the OP is referring to if I had a similar conversation with him. For me, the personal attention/collecting conversations is the reason to go to and spend money at shows.