East Coast National - this weekend

[Snapolit1]

Went yesterday for the sneak peak afternoon. Was there about 3 hours. Two floors and even tables set up in some rooms off the main floor. Good crowd for a friday afternoon. Sure the people running will be thrilled at the crowds they get.

I'd say about 40-60 vintage to modern. Small amount of football. Really was a great deal of vintage cards.

I am largely into memorabilia these days and there was some. I find shows are just awful to try to buy memorabilia. Prices are just insane. As one example, someone had a nice piece of hotel stationary signed by Ruth and the asking price was like $20,000. Photos at $9500 that I know would be lucky to get $2000 at a good auction. A Jackie Exhibits I recently bought last year on ebay for $595 was marked $1500. I realize it's harder to price memorabilia than cards, but for most of it I looked and didn't even bother engaging. I don't know if the sellers don't know what a decent opening price is or they are just waiting for Daddy Warbucks to arrive at a show knowing nothing and buying it.

Some nice eye candy as always from Heritage, Mile High and Memory lane.

Only a few people masking but saw one guy sitting on a chair along the back wall coughing like he was on death's door. Scary bad coughing. People were literally running to get away from him. Very sick man with Covid or worse. Bizarre that someone that sick would arrive in a crowded public space.

Didnt notice any AC issue. By time I left there was a significant line to get in. Like all shows, buy a ticket on line before you go.

Parking lot very crowded. Not sure where you go once the lot is full. And it will be full.

Apparently Josh Donaldson was walking around looking at basketball cards.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Went yesterday for the sneak peak afternoon. Was there about 3 hours. Two floors and even tables set up in some rooms off the main floor. Good crowd for a friday afternoon. Sure the people running will be thrilled at the crowds they get.

I'd say about 40-60 vintage to modern. Small amount of football. Really was a great deal of vintage cards.

I am largely into memorabilia these days and there was some. I find shows are just awful to try to buy memorabilia. Prices are just insane. As one example, someone had a nice piece of hotel stationary signed by Ruth and the asking price was like $20,000. Photos at $9500 that I know would be lucky to get $2000 at a good auction. A Jackie Exhibits I recently bought last year on ebay for $595 was marked $1500. I realize it's harder to price memorabilia than cards, but for most of it I looked and didn't even bother engaging. I don't know if the sellers don't know what a decent opening price is or they are just waiting for Daddy Warbucks to arrive at a show knowing nothing and buying it.

Some nice eye candy as always from Heritage, Mile High and Memory lane.

Only a few people masking but saw one guy sitting on a chair along the back wall coughing like he was on death's door. Scary bad coughing. People were literally running to get away from him. Very sick man with Covid or worse. Bizarre that someone that sick would arrive in a crowded public space.

Didnt notice any AC issue. By time I left there was a significant line to get in. Like all shows, buy a ticket on line before you go.

Parking lot very crowded. Not sure where you go once the lot is full. And it will be full.

Apparently Josh Donaldson was walking around looking at basketball cards.

Great recap thanks

And I understand Josh looking a basketball cards.
He is thinking that is the only size ball he could hit

[Snapolit1]

Ha, yes perhaps a basketball more his speed.
A few dealers showed me pictures of them with him. I was surprised how jacked he is. Looks like a NFL running back.

[Brian]

Can anyone tell me what the lines were like at BGS or PSA? I tried getting cards graded by Beckett at the National on three separate occasions, and each time, the line was very long, an hour's wait I was told.

[toppcat]

Parking can be challenging there. If you're on the right train line, you can take Metro North almost all the way to the show, then just hop a cab or Uber. I think it's under a mile away.

[Oscar_Stanage]

I was there Friday … felt a bit small, so I am somewhat disappointed that this is the biggest show outside of the National. That said it is definitely worth going. I’d say there were 6 to 7 tables with meaningful tobacco inventory that were worth spending time at. That is not a lot relative to the size of the show(prob 10%?), but enough to spend some time and make for a worthwhile trip.

Pricing is about what I’d expect. I bought a few commons for my collection at prices somewhat in line with what I get on net54 and other private deals. I looked at a few of the key cards I need but they are generally priced at the high end of a the range of realized auction prices, in other words adding another vig onto a 20% vig. Not really necessary for me to lift those offers.

[Snapolit1]

They claim it's a 500 table show.

Biggest show I've ever been to other than the National.

Originally Posted by Oscar_Stanage

I was there Friday … felt a bit small, so I am somewhat disappointed that this is the biggest show outside of the National. That said it is definitely worth going. I’d say there were 6 to 7 tables with meaningful tobacco inventory that were worth spending time at. That is not a lot relative to the size of the show(prob 10%?), but enough to spend some time and make for a worthwhile trip.

Pricing is about what I’d expect. I bought a few commons for my collection at prices somewhat in line with what I get on net54 and other private deals. I looked at a few of the key cards I need but they are generally priced at the high end of a the range of realized auction prices, in other words adding another vig onto a 20% vig. Not really necessary for me to lift those offers.

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by Brian

Can anyone tell me what the lines were like at BGS or PSA? I tried getting cards graded by Beckett at the National on three separate occasions, and each time, the line was very long, an hour's wait I was told.

On Saturday afternoon with two passes past Beckett tables, no line and not one person submitting.

Bought some stuff for sets I am completing but overall, most singles were overpriced for the condition.

There were a couple of searcher tabels with decently organized singles going back to the 30's that had nice discounts posted...

[Brian]

Thanks, Tim.
Yeah, I dropped off some cards but did not buy anything. The line stretched out the front door. As others have mentioned, cards were pretty over-priced. And I was prepared to spend, having been blown out on my white whale in the LOTG last night...er, morning. Some nice eye candy, but out of reach.

I did see a bunch of kids wheeling and dealing. They had cash to burn and knew what they were doing--they had the negotiation skills of much older folk.

Commoditization is alive and well. And all I could do was think about the good old days........

[Snapolit1]

One of the saving graces of the Westchester show is you can buy a Nathan's hot dog and fries (with cheese, of course) at their modest food court. I've seen a lot worse options.

[Topnotchsy]

I went back today to pick up my 1949 Dodgers signed baseball that I dropped off at JSA. As expected, the major signatures were all authentic (Jackie, Campy, Reese etc) outside of Gil Hodges which as I suspected, was a clubhouse sig.

I walked around a bit, but prices seemed like there was little to talk about. I spoke to a few vendors. Foot traffic at the show was apparently pretty good, but a lot of people were coming looking to sell. I heard a vendor saying that his experience at the show was making think he needs to sell more on eBay, since people were offering so little, but my personal experience was that prices seemed super high. For items I was interested in, I was ready to pay at least eBay prices and even a bit higher since it is in person, but I barely even asked about items since the prices labeled that I was interested in were consistently quite a bit higher than eBay and auction houses.