Table Dealers at Local Shows

[kevinlenane]

I just went to the White Plains show at the Westchester County Center and I have to say I was disappointed but not surprised by the general attitude of most of the dealers there. Ever since I was a kid - the dealers I've dealt with have been - for the most part - really standoffish and kind of always had this "I don't have time for you" kind of attitude. I came to the show ready to spend several thousand dollars on some tougher Ted Williams cards but about 90% of the dealers acted like they were too busy sorting through their own cards to give me the time of day. I also overheard several dealers complaining about how they hadn't done any business that day - 5 dollars here, 5 dollars there. So it seems odd that me coming in, ready with cash would be so off-putting to them. I can't figure out if these guys are just amateurs and/or upset about eBay crushing their margin but it's really sucking the fun out of the collecting experience for me. There were certainly a few terrific exceptions but for the most part the show was chalk full of overweight jerks thumbing through cards with their heads down. I didn't experience this at the national whatsoever so maybe it's a local thing but I have to wonder if there is something about the stage of the hobby that attracts jerks who also seem to have little care for the success of their business. This isn't even getting into the issue of every dealer listing an absurd "book" price for beat up cards and then giving me equally absurd discounted prices. Anyway, I want to know if others share this experience.