Going to card shows in the 1970s

[jchcollins]

This is the kind of stuff I fantasize about having a time machine and being able to go back to. I was born in '77 and started collecting from wax around 1986, so by the time I started going to shows a year or so later, the hobby was already very self-conscious and things had become relatively expensive. Many dealers in the 80's didn't give kids the time of day, and could care less if you were interested in vintage cards. I did build a respectible mid-grade vintage collection despite all this with the funds I was able to scrounge together. A hell of begging with my mother also usually paid dividends, but...

I read about people buying Mantles for a few bucks and just drool. I would have so eaten that up.

[Chris-Counts]

I went to my first card show in Anaheim, CA in 1973. The first table I stepped up to had a shoebox full of t206s in ex-mt and better. None were even in plastic sleeves — in fact, I'm pretty sure they hadn't been invented. The T206s were $1 for commons and $3 for HOfers. I was 12 at the time. I picked up a Chase, a Three-Fingered Brown and a Lajoie. Everboy else I met at the show seemed entirely focused on 1950s cards, with Mantle being the object of everybody's obsession. The 1950s hot dogs cards seemed were highly sought after. Few collectors seemed interested in pre-war cards.

In '75 or '76, I went to a show in Pontiac, MI. Just like I did at the Anaheim show a couple years earlier, I spent all my money at the first table, which included a shoebox filled with 1953 Bowman stars that looked like they had just been pulled from packs. At one point, I held up a thick stack of Mantles and admired how sharp all their corners were. I bought one for $11.

About this time I started attending the Southern California card club shows in Orange county, first at the Walton School in Garden Grove, and later at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center. I recall many of the regulars, including the president, Clay Hill, Steve Brunner, Gavin Riley, Tony Galovich, Mike Berkus, Wes Schleiger and others. What a glorious time that was!

[Joe Hunter]

Lou, I too, have very fond memories of the early shows in Overland Park. I believe they started around 1979 or '80 and continued thru the very early '90's. These shows were promoted by Jim Cumpton and John Mailen. John had one of the first baseball card stores in the KC area. The first several shows were held at the old Glenwood Theatre in Overland Park. Due to the huge crowds the show attracted, it was moved to the OP International Trade Center, more commonly referred to as the Merchandise Mart, where it remained for the balance of the show's run. As you mentioned, the crowds were amazing and Jim and John were able to bring in all the superstars for autographs. This was where I got my first in person Mantle signed ball for the outrageous price of $35! The show was always the highlight of the summer for me.

[JollyElm]

You know what's weird? We all wish we could go back in time and snap up all of these great and valuable cards at ridiculously cheap prices...but couldn't the same be said of everything we see nowadays at card shows? (Yes, I realize it's not a true comparison due to basic economic factors, etc.) When I'm walking the floor, I just scoff at the stupid prices I see at the tables, but would it be wise to overpay and scoop up whatever I could now, because a lot of this stuff is going to be 'worth' tremendously more in the future?? In the old days, you could grab up Mantles for a couple of bucks apiece (which was probably considered outrageous back then). Would it be wise to overspend today and build up your collection of Mantles, knowing the values are going to continue to rise?? For me the answer is a definite no (I have to find serious value), but it is certainly a curious thing to think about.

[1963Topps Set]

No. Baseball cards (and shows) were much simpler back in the day. No grading companies, no overhyped cards, no Bill Mastro and Alan "Mr. Mint" Rosen to contaminate our collecting desires. Just go to a show, pay your buck (or less) and go through a table of cards! All basically cheap, stars a bit more. It is an era that is certainly long gone, an age of innocence long taken away from us who collected purely for the love of it, not as an investment. A hobby transformed to an industry, which is what it is now. : - (

[topcat61]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

This is the kind of stuff I fantasize about having a time machine and being able to go back to. I was born in '77 and started collecting from wax around 1986, so by the time I started going to shows a year or so later, the hobby was already very self-conscious and things had become relatively expensive. Many dealers in the 80's didn't give kids the time of day, and could care less if you were interested in vintage cards. I did build a respectible mid-grade vintage collection despite all this with the funds I was able to scrounge together. A hell of begging with my mother also usually paid dividends, but...

I read about people buying Mantles for a few bucks and just drool. I would have so eaten that up.

I'm the same age as John and started collecting in '84 but I remember hearing all these amazing stories about how cheap vintage cards were selling for. By the time I started collecting vintage and going to shows in 1994, prices were through the roof. I think it stated hitting around 1978 when Beckett Americana came out and certainly when the monthly price guide hit shelves in late 1984. Kinda wish we went back to the 70's card show days cause it's too crazy now.

If I had a time machine, I wouldnt go back just for the cards, but for the publications and I'd really want to meet some of the Hobby pioneers around back then and hear their stories. I always wanted to meet Lionel Carter and Frank Nagy. I think that would've been neat.