Thinking about doing a show...what are your thoughts

[bbcard1]

I am not sure this is not an idea that's past its time and I don't need to make a lot of money, but for personal interest, I'd like to consider doing a vintage only show, probably in Richmond, Greensboro, Charlotte or Raleigh because of the relative proximity. Maybe 50 tables and a free autograph guest fairly low admission, a one day show. I used to kill it with this size show. I was thinking 1985 or before. Would it be a miserable failure or could it be fun and reasonably successful?

[Jay Wolt]

Sounds like a great idea
If I was closer, I'd go

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Do you set up at other shows in those areas? If your hope was to attract people not just from this forum and you'd like to get a better read on that sort of traffic, my thought would be to set up at a regional show closest to the area in which you had in mind. Talk to the people who come to your booth and get a tally of how many would be interested. Ask the interested parties for their contact info, and naturally flood any social media with a show announcement, to include non-hobby regional groups and both regional and national hobby groups. In this day and age, I could see it working out wonderfully, especially with a small setup as you're envisioning!

I recently attended a local show for the first time in nearly 35 years. There was zero pre-war and I could count the number of pre-1970 hockey cards on one hand. I'm in Canada, so no hope of any vintage baseball. Funny, there was tons of it back in the late 1980's when that era's card boom first hit these parts. Your idea likely wouldn't and couldn't work up here, but in the U.S., definitely!

For the sake of for attaining the best turnout for both local traffic and people who wanted to take a trip, my guess would be Charlotte or Raleigh. Agree? Disagree? I'd surmise that it's easier to get people from north of those areas to travel a little bit farther than those from all parts south, as there has always been a healthier concentration of hobby people in the northeast. Then again, a vintage show would be a real treat for those in the south.

[parkplace33]

My only recommendation is to not just limit it to vintage, but a show with all cards in an area that doesn't have a local show. Good luck!

[rand1com]

There are a few fairly large regional shows in the Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh area. Two hundred or so tables. Most tables are modern cards and pokemon.

There are very few vintage dealers only at either of those locations. I would say at most 10% of true vintage only cards/memorabilia and literally only a few with Pre War cards.

Richmond was good many years ago when it hosted the large SCD Tuff Stuff Shows at the raceway but that was 25 or more years ago. Marco Rol tried a few there with minimal success after the SCD show folded. I have no idea what the vintage market might be there now.

Obviously, the Strongsville show has been highly successful over the years catering to only vintage so it is certainly the exception to the rule but it has been well established for 30+ years.

Would any of the locations you mentioned work for a 50 table show eliminating modern? Possibly, but having lived in Charlotte for 20 years until 2012, I doubt you could find 50 dealers who would even fit the classification that would venture out for a one day show in any of the NC locations.

My guess is it would be a miserable failure but you never know until you try. I have been wrong before a few times. My wife will attest to that!

Good Luck!

[mortimer brewster]

Don't be surprised if before the show opens the other dealers zero in on your table. That may be where you make your most sales. This was the personal experience for me way back in the day at the very first show I set up at.

[NiceDocter]

If you include Pokemon dealers the lines will be around the block to get in. Sad but true….

[Kevin]

First off, good luck! I do have a question: what’s a free autograph guy? In that area, would it be a guy like Bob Horner doing some signings? What would his hourly rate be? $500 for 2 hours ?

I always wonder about those things.

As for me, Long Island seems like a wasteland of Modern and Pokémon. They set up a monthly one at a Holiday Inn in Plainview, it seems like it’s all modern and John Goodman.

[Rich Klein]

I like the idea and here is a way to make it a vintage focused show (Like Strongsville) but allow some freedom.

ALL Cards in Showcases must be vintage or "vintage-related". That way you have flexibility to add things like Cut Signature or Relic cards featuring vintage players (my apologies to those who hate those cards but that allows for more flexibility) or modern cards with vintage players and frankly if you go to shows many people call 1990's Basketball Cards vintage

This allows for someone with mixed merchandise to set up but also favors the vintage people.

Just my thought and I've attended vintage shows going back to the 1990s

Rich

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

many people call 1990's Basketball Cards vintage

Time ticks on. It's just us getting older. To today's youth, it's exactly the same thing as my considering 1957 Topps to be vintage when I was growing up in the 1980's. Back then, they were playing songs from the mid-late 1970's on oldies stations. That's now the equivalent of calling a song released in 2010 an oldie! I barely know any songs that "old"--they're far too new to my ear.

[x2drich2000]

If you never have, I would try to attend the VA gathering in Feb. While not a show in the traditional sense (no sales), this is going to allow you to network with a bunch of other collectors in the mid-atlantic region to get feedback, see size, talk to people who might be interested in setting up, etc.

Promoting a show is far more involved than just renting a banquet hall. There are a ton of logistics and expenses. I would suggest talking to folks who have actually promoted shows in the past, rather than collectors who want a show. I know Scott (Aquarian Sports Cards) has organized a show and can tell you his experience. There are a few other board members that have also run show, that will hopefully chime in. I would think running a show specific to only vintage rather than open to everything would only add to the challenges.

[Jewish-collector]

All shows since the Covid boom have been packed. I'm sure it will be very successful, but you need to let the dealers bring whatever cards & memorabilia they want, including Pokémon. And, you'll see a line like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp82ZTuhcqY

[Yoda]

If you have the right stuff, they will come.

[bbcard1]

I have pretty good experience doing shows and organizing things. I probably did 20 shows back in the day and I still do dinners for 200 and corporate events. I'm not all that worried about that. I am a professional ad guy, so I think I can handle the promotion without a problem. I would mainly be worried about letting the dealers down. I would not want Pokemon/Magic cards...just not the vibe I am going for. As much as anything, I would want to promote a show that I would like to go to.

[ValKehl]

Todd, if you do a pre-War-only vintage show, I'd come to any of the locations you mentioned. If you do a pre-1975-only show, I'd come to Richmond. If you do a pre-1985-only show, I might come to Richmond. Wishing you the best with whatever you decide to do.

[MJRaider]

Please do it! Sitting in Cary trying to avoid what is now essentially Pokémon card shows at the fairgrounds.

[ccre]

Love the idea and I'd be the first in line. Not so sure you would get enough vendors for the tables though.

[bmattioli]

1985 is no comparison to 2025.. Today Pokemon is king as well as the shiny graded stuff at the local shows I go to in Conn. Good luck..

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

A pre-1985 show wouldn't ever turn any vintage affair into 90% 1983 Donruss, etc. It's not a fair comparison to letting in modern and Pokemon. A pre-1975 show would definitely turn things into a majority Golden Era-1970's event. That's par for the course due to availability of material and a greater number of dealers who could facilitate the category, but the crowds would also be larger, which is honestly needed. Incorporating post-war was what I had in mind when I originally said that I thought the idea might work out.

A strictly pre-war show would be borderline impossible. It's a wonderful idea in theory, but there's no conceivable way to pull that off, especially in the areas OP mentioned.

That pre-war event in VA hosted by fellow board members was a smaller affair, but let's face it: as great as the event looked in the photos, that was just a glorified Net54 get together. How many non-forum members did it actually attract? I only ask because OP is thinking in the sense of orchestrating a true show with an autograph guest and all. I'm not trying to diminish the Net54 event in the slightest and would have loved to have joined all of you! An exclusively pre-war autograph booth might have been an enjoyable addition from me.

If you wanted this to have a chance at working out, it would have to incorporate post-war in one of the two ways you were thinking. I personally would have gone with pre-1980 as my choice, as that's always been a popular cutoff date and one that does make good sense.

[Johnny T]

Did not read through all of the replies, but sounds like a mini Strongsville OH show....if it were closer, I would definitely go...

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

That pre-war event in VA hosted by fellow board members was a smaller affair, but let's face it: as great as the event looked in the photos, that was just a glorified Net54 get together. How many non-forum members did it actually attract? I only ask because OP is thinking in the sense of orchestrating a true show with an autograph guest and all. I'm not trying to diminish the Net54 event in the slightest and would have loved to have joined all of you! An exclusively pre-war autograph booth might have been an enjoyable addition from me.

The February event is designed as a Net54 get together. The only publicity for it is on here. Not a true show, but a social gathering. If someone from the general public walked in that would only be due to them being in the clubhouse and walking in the door out of curiosity.

[Wildfireschulte]

Tony Gordon is putting on a Vintage Only show this Saturday (8/23) at the site of his monthly (first Saturday) show in Oak Creek, WS - south of Milwaukee. His monthly show already attracts a fair amount of vintage dealers - I would guess maybe 30-40% of the 175 tables. Tony is a great promoter. I’m setting up hoping he pulls his typical customer base and that “vintage only” becomes a regular occurrence in Chicagoland. .