My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Trevor Hocking</b><p>Sorry for the double post!!!<br /><br />Fist off I would like to say thanks to Leon and all the N54 people for a great evening at Shoeless Joe's. It was so much fun putting so many faces to people I have spoken and dealt with for many years.<br /><br />My most memorable moment was when I sat down with Jay Miller (a person who I have never seen before!) and we had a few beers. (actually I think we closed the bar down) By the end of the night we were so in-depth into the rarity of the Old Judge set it even amazed me. I think the neatest part about the whole conversation was that when you actually get time to really talk with other collectors you find that they are just normal people and have a lot of the same interests as you do, outside of the hobby.<br /><br />This was my favorite national hands down. I have learned that I need to post here more. You can't read a book without reading the cover!!! There are still deals to be had. All in all an amazing trip. I wish it was not over.<br /><br />People I saw for the first time, Leon, Jay Miller, Joe G, TBob, Cory Shamus, Doug Allen, David B, Elliot, Scott B, John Bilingsly, JC, (I'm sure I hacked some names, sorry) I know I met quite a few others but the names and faces just escape me. It was quit overwhelming to meet so many people at one show. Especially when you have so many questions you have been waiting to ask.<br /><br />Things I picked up:<br /><br />N173 Proof cabinet (One I have never seen before)<br />2 N173's Krock and Hoover<br />N172 Old Judge O'Brien (Mini Photo) Thanks Jay!!<br />N172 Old Judge Radbourn VgEx (a pose I needed)<br />N172 Old Judge Dotted Tie ExMt (a very tough one) <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br />2 N175 Gypsy Queen's NRMT+ Farrell and Krieg (The best condition N175's I have ever seen)<br />N284 Buchner Von Der Ahe SGC 50<br />1903 American and National League Photo (this thing is enormous 16"x20") with Joss, Chesbro, Crawford, Beckley, Keeler and 19 others.<br />W600 Sporting Life McGinnity ExMt<br />7 S74's all with backs 2 Turkey Red backs<br />25 T3's with Cobb, Johnson, Wallace, Mathewson, Lajoie, Breshnahan, Crawford, Evers, Brown, and a few more<br />10 BF2's With 2x Weaver, Carey, and Maranville (all in very nice shape. Photos are all still full)<br />3 T200's Cincinnati, Detroit PSA 5, and Pittsburgh<br />4 D304's Butter Krust With Wagner, and Mathewson<br />15 Star Player Candy's with Heilmann, and Lazzeri<br />A neat homemade sheet of B18 Blankets<br /><br />I'm sure I have forgot a few other items. Not trying to to show off just trying to share.<br /><br />The shows was great and I hope to talk with many of you soon. Thanks again Leon you are the man. The dinner was amazing. Net54 rocks!!<br /><br />Trevor Hocking<br />trevor@synergystudios.tv.

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Rhys</b><p>Trevor, you spent some serious coin! I saw some of that stuff when I was there and the prices of the items you mentioned were not cheap. I thought for a minute about the all-star cabinet you mentioned because it was very beautiful but passed at the last minute. I also talked with the guy that had the N173 Krock and the D304's for quite a while, but when I saw him he was not willing to break up his collection of 18 of them, nice guy though. You got some nice stuff.<br /><br />I was able to pick up a nice Dummy Hoy government signed card, some caramel cards, some cabinet photos, an Old Judge pose of Pete Hotaling I have never seen before in which he looks like he is sick with the flu, some Matty McIntyre estate photos with a 1905 Cobb, other early baseball photos, and a really cool Horizontal 1909 Obak card of a guy in a suit and boater hat. Other stuff as well, but probably out of the scope of this forum so I will not list them.<br /><br />I managed to put a dent in the checkbook but managed to get some good deals. Overall I thought the availability of decent cards was pretty good, but prices were higher than expected.<br /><br />Rhys<br />Prewarsports

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Anonymous</b><p>Thanks for sharing...sounds like you got a lion's share...or was it an early-bird eating up all the worms? <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />2nd rumor I've heard of a big D304 group for sale:<br /><br />If anybody out there has a lead on the whereabouts or availability of the others...please drop me a line...(terwilliger@charter.net)<br /><br />...I'm finally feeling like i missed something by skipping this year...other than a net54 party...and friends i only see once a year.<br /><br /><img src="/images/sad.gif" height=14 width=14><br /><br />guess i better make my Anahiem plans now.

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>dstudeba</b><p>Rhys -<br /><br /> Could you post a picture of the Obak you picked up? I would love to see it.<br /><br />Murcer -<br /><br /> Anaheim? YOu are going to come out here with all of us who have had our brain fried by the sun?

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Anonymous</b><p>sure,<br />I love Southern California<br />(although I haven't been there in 20 years)<br /><br />I just don't like smog or traffic or plastic surgery.<br />...and like to tease all you surfer-boys out there.<br /><br />Can I stay at your house <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14>

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>dstudeba</b><p>Sure, I will have to clean up the guestroom though as I keep all my cards there.... <br /><br />Actually I am pretty far away from the National as I live 2 miles from the Mexican border.<br /><br />Anthony would be closer; plus he has better cards!

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Fred (Judge Dred)</b><p>Rhys,<br /><br />Can you please post a scan of the N172 Pete Hotaling. It sounds interesting. Is it like a profile pose of his whole body where he's hunched over with his hands clasped together with his left knee pointing forward and his right heel off of the ground? <br /><br />

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>JimB</b><p>I was at the table when the guy bought a group of 17 D304s. I did not get his name, but he did say he was only going to keep a couple and sell the rest. Be on the lookout on ebay I guess.<br />JimB<br />P.S. It was really great meeting a lot of the folks on this forum. I had a lot of fun at the dinner and at the bar afterwards.<br />

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Anonymous</b><p>thanks for the reply Jim.<br /><br />...I was able to track them down.

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Rhys</b><p>I dont know if this card is any rarer than the other 1909 Obak cards, but in 15 years of collecting I have never seen one. Cool looking card. I will be listing it on ebay either Wednesday or Thursday along with some of the other stuff I bought. My scan is too big to upload using the image poster so hopefully this link works.<br /><br />Rhys<br /><br /><img src=http://pix.auctiva.com/pix/12/08/53/obak.jpg>

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Rhys</b><p>Here is the "I think I am going to be sick" pose of Pete Hotaling. This is only the third Hotaling card in any pose I have ever seen and he also was the first professional player to wear a catchers mask.<br /><br />Rhys<br /><br /><img src=http://pix.auctiva.com/pix/12/08/53/hotaling.jpg>

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>dstudeba</b><p>Thanks for posting the Obak Rhys! I look forward to seeing it on eBay....but did you have to do it while I still have active Mastro bids? HAHA!

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Joe_G.</b><p>Hello Trevor, I was surprised how much you picked up at the show when I saw you Saturday. The binder full of T3s alone dropped my jaw a couple inches. However, you didn't show me the Gypsy Queens. I'd love to see some pics if it isn't too much trouble. It would be a treat to see some high grade Gypsy Queens. Thanks.<br /><br />I didn't pick anything up at the show but had a lot of fun none-the-less looking at some special cards.<br /><br />Joe Gonsowski

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Anonymous</b><p>Joe.<br /><br />glad to hear you went to the show.<br />I miss your humurous posts.

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Judge Dred (Fred)</b><p>Rhys,<br /><br />That's a great card!!! Thanks for posting the N172 Hotaling!

My Experience at the National.
 

Posted By: <b>Anson</b><p>Trevor, can you adopt me? Because you must have dropped some serious money for that bounty you brought home.