CSCA Shows?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Anyone familiar with a group called CSCA, likely out of Chicago area (may stand for something like the "Chicago Sports Collectors Association) We have a bunch of cards of vintage players in black and white and one of them is stamped on the back:

CSCA
EXPO 18
Aug 91

The rest are blank (with players names written in pencil) So we're assuming it was something put out by this group, but have Googled our brains out and come up dry. Judging by the stamp, if it was an annual event it goes all the way back to 1974, so hoping it rings a bell for a long time collector from the midwest!

We love card show history and would love to tie a story to these.

[Rich Klein]

Those were the big shows in the Chicago area back in the day. Eventually Bruce and Bonita Paynter ran those shows for the CSCA. Fun card

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Thanks Rich! We actually have a binder full of them with players duplicated with different poses, so ostensibly from different years of the show.

Just found an old article about the CSCA pasted into a thread here in N54. Once I had names to go on I found a lot of info, though not the specifics of when these cards are from.

Now that I know what I'm looking for I can find tons of the 1976 cards, but they are very different from what we have which are taller and skinnier than a typical card and are an unadorned full bleed photo on front with a blank back.

[Tony Gordon]

I’m not sure when Jeff Blatt took over the CSCA from Bruce Paynter, might have been by 1991. You can find Jeff on Facebook. Also, a card shop called AU Sports was heavily involved in the CSCA. The shop is still open but with new owners, however, they have all of the original owner’s vast archives. The shop is currently located in Niles, IL. Also, if you post a photo, I can show it around at the Orland Park, IL, show on Sunday.

[Tony Gordon]

Just another thought — George Brace used to set up at Chicago shows selling postcard prints of his photos and he would write the player’s name on the back in pencil.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Tony Gordon

Just another thought — George Brace used to set up at Chicago shows selling postcard prints of his photos and he would write the player’s name on the back in pencil.

That's super interesting. Hadn't even thought of that but it is reminiscent of Brace, but they're not postcards. I'll PM you some images. I don't want this turning into an advertisement.

[Rich Klein]

I'll also say George Vrecheck (sic) could probably help with this as well