Reflections on 30 years of the Philly Show

vintagecpa · #1 12-08-2010, 01:25 PM

I'm still trying to get past the $25,000 Gretzky Wagner. Makes me feel a little better about selling a Gretzky rookie for $10 before the price took off.

curch · #2 12-08-2010, 03:15 PM

I went to the show for the first time ever this year. As stated in another thread, I though 90% of the dealers wouldn't give me the time of day. And I would say most of the cards can be purchased cheaper on ebay. But it was a fun time and would go back again if I were in the area.

Joe

Clark7781 · #3 12-08-2010, 04:03 PM

Ted, it was a pleasure to meet you a few weeks ago at my store. I tried to get to the Philly show, but I am moving into my new home this Friday and, well, I'm sure you can understand that the immediate weekend prior to a move is very hectic.

I'm sure our paths will cross again!

Your friend,

Paul

tedzan · #4 12-08-2010, 04:15 PM

I was looking forward to seeing you and your 3 children.

I drop in to see you some day in Flemington.

Best regards,

TED Z

tedzan · #5 12-08-2010, 04:52 PM

Responding to your......
"I first attended and set up at this legendary show in 1981 with my friend and veteran hobbyist Bob Thing."

Bill

That's when I met Bob, at my first Willow Grove show. Bob and I hit it right off the bat, since I lived in Maine
for 4 years (and go up there every summer), so we had a lot to talk about.

I see Bob every summer at the show in Cooperstown on HOF weekend. A really great guy and a great guy to
talk Baseball with.

Thanks for reminiscing about those early Willow Grove days.

Best Wishes,

TED Z

WillowGrove · #6 12-08-2010, 05:20 PM

Grew up being driven down to the WillowGrove show from Brooklyn by my parents when I was about 12-13 in 1977/78. They would usually walk around with me for a bit then give me 20 bucks and they'd go off antiquing.

I distinctly remember buying 1934 Goudey Luke Appling for three dollars and fifty cents and being pretty darn happy. I also still have the Bob Gibson rookie that cost me two quarters and the 62 koufax that was $3.00.

I was just a kid but my memories were of seeing all this amazing old stuff at what seemed like table after table. MY eyes would bug out of my head. I remember staring at an Allen & Ginter Cap Anson for like 5 minutes straight until the dealer offered to let me hold it. It was in a plastic sheet that was cut down to size.

Bought a lot of cards, went to the show about 10 times. So special to me I made it my name on our forum.

Ted I didn't know I was buying from you at the national until I met up with some fellow Net54ers and they told me. Thanks for a fair price on a couple common t206's. Hope to see you east of the mississippi sometime.

peter

Leon · #7 12-08-2010, 06:10 PM

Thanks for sharing the memories, guys.

Bobsbats · #8 12-08-2010, 06:39 PM

My grandparents live in Willow Grove, so it is a safe bet to say that I didn't miss a show at the GW Motor Lodge. One of my earliest memories going to that show with my dad and seeing the Fire Marshall standing outside the front door ( that had a plywood ramp over the step ) with his "counter" letting him know how many people he has let in so far. The aisles were so narrow that you couldn't squeeze by some of them. The lighting was so poor at some tables, I remember taking cards to Levi Bleem's table to see condition because he had every light this side of the Mississippi on. That being said, the material that you saw at that particular show was unbelieveable....every show I saw a Wagner, N173 Cabinets...you name it, it was there. It's funny, when I take my son to the "new" Willow Grove show ( Valley Forge ) I have dealers that say to me and my father, that they remember me, when I was his age at the George Washington Motor Lodge.

tedzan · #9 12-08-2010, 07:26 PM

Hey guys, my daughter Zoe recently sent me this photo that she took of me in the Summer of 1981.
Here is what I looked like when I first started "wheeling & dealing" at the Willow Grove show in 1981.

Check-out my Golden Glove award (to the right of my left shoulder).

[linked image]

TED Z

Jewish-collector · #10 12-08-2010, 08:10 PM

Ted,

I'm sorry to hear that. I really enjoyed seeing & conversing with you on the Friday evenings at the Ft. Washington Expo Center.

I have been going to this show on a regular basis since the mid 1990's and have even attended a few shows back when it was in the old motor lodge in the 1980's. Many times, I used to stay overnight from Friday thru Saturday. But, over the the last 5 or 6 years, I drove up & back on the Friday only. I haven't been to the new location as of yet.

Outside of the National, this had been known as the very best show around. The fact that it moved initially to Reading before its new location probably didn't help keep it strong. It is clear that the show promoter has decided that the autograph signings are more important, so therefore a lot of the national vintage dealers have stopped setting up because a lot of collectors of vintage cards are not attending. If they truly want it like the old days, they would have to put much less emphasis on the autograph signings to try to get the vintage dealers back.

Alan

ethicsprof · #11 12-09-2010, 12:18 AM

great stories and great reminiscings.
ted,my friend, you always have the capability to distill the best of the past for us when
you put on your reflective,philosophical cap.
bill h., ole friend, your reflections hold that same depth.
many thanks to you both.
ted,i must add that your hair in the picture puts ole shag shaugnessy to shame. The t206 shag---not the later pic of him where he looks like a coach.
i didn't realize you had a bit of the ole hippie in you, ted---or perhaps,part of that coal black hair is a shadow!!!
warmest regards,
barry

tedzan · #12 12-09-2010, 02:45 AM

From one "night owl" to another....your observations are correct on both accounts.
In the above photo, the darkness to the right of my head is a shadow, not a shag.

But, in this 1976 photo with my younger daughter Zoe, I am sporting a "shag".

[linked image]

Barry....me-thinks you are a very astute professor.

Best regards ole buddy,

T-Rex TED

tedzan · #13 12-09-2010, 09:27 AM

I remember those two cards. I think I sold them to you in one of our early encounters at the Ft Washington show.

That Matty Mac graded out pretty nice.

The BROAD LEAF 350 McGinley was one of my first BL 350's, that I acquired back in the 1980's.

Thanks for the kind words.

Regards,

TED Z

kcohen · #14 12-09-2010, 09:40 AM

Yes Ted, I've pretty much given up on the Philly Show. If you're ever looking for another show to do, Ron B. and I have done the last two Robert Morris U. shows in Pittsburgh and found it to be real enjoyable. The focus is on vintage and it's not overrun with autographs. The last one had members of the 1960 Pirates and Yankees as autograph guests to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1960 series. It added to the vintage vibe.

I'm sure we'll cross paths somewhere. Regards, Ken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6oHxq77_MI

cfc1909 · #15 12-09-2010, 09:42 AM

yes Ft Washington in the late 90s when BL 350 was no different than cycle 350 and not much different than Piedmont 350.

that stack had bl 350,cycles,old mill,sovereign,epdg and hindu brown-some are still raw but the few I got graded were either 4 or 5-all at 50 each-you can't beat it.

I was gathering tough backs when no one cared about them. Dealers were just starting to put a primium on them. I think instead of 25 bucks for ex cards the different ads were 50 in ex.

There was so much to choose from you could never bring enough money. I remember coming to a show with 3k and left with may cards and no money. I think on my last transaction of the day I wrote you a check.

bobw · #16 12-09-2010, 10:15 AM

I too stopped doing the show this year after setting up since 1983. I trekked to Reading in hopes that the show would return closer to Philly but then Bob sold the show and Hunts took over and almost doubled the price of the tables. I did the first 2 at Valley Forge but I lost the enthusiasm to continue. With MAB bringing more and more guests, the show will end up like their shows in NY and NJ which have few dealers and become just another autograph show.

Things I remember from Willow Grove

- The first table I had was in one of the dead end aisles near the snack bar.

- Everyone waiting to see who would get the free table for the next show.

- The show auction

- The first time I set up, I stayed at the super modern "George Washington Motor Lodge"

which was probably built when George was alive. I had a room on the second level and could hear the dealer in the room under mine snoring all night.

- There was a uniform collector named Jay I believe who would show me his flannel uniform collection which he had hanging in the coat room near Ernie Montella's tables.

-After the first show I asked Bob for a different table and he put me in the middle of a row between Ted Lanting and Dick Sikes and 707 Levi and Jim were behind me. Because there was no room behind the tables, the only way to get out was to crawl under your table.

-One show had a terrible rain storm and the dealers near the back door got soaked.

- The clean bathrooms

-The walk in material was amazing.

Things I will miss:

- My neighbors. I was between John Ross and Mike Gordon for the entire run in Ft Washington and Reading.

- Seeing the faces of familiar customers and just BSing with them even if they didn't buy something.

Hopefully, CSA's show next April in the Philly Expo Center will be start of a good show in the Philly area.

barrysloate · #17 12-09-2010, 10:42 AM

Bob- I used to sleep over one night at the George Washington Motor Lodge, and two memories I have about the accomodations are:

1) On one very rainy night the ceiling was leaking.

2) On another visit there were more than a few ants crawling in my room.

Ah, the memories...

ethicsprof · #18 12-09-2010, 12:36 PM

ted,
many thanks for the kind words, ted!!
i love being called astute!!

and that photo of the true Zanidakean hippie shag looks great.
i wonder if ole sloate ever had any hippie hair while riding around with
abbie hoffman.

jim r, i had wondered how you acquired all your fabulous cards---now i know why, at least in part!!! I was thinking maybe you were one of those rich fellows who owned much of the Emirates!!!!

warmest regards,

barry

tedzan · #19 12-10-2010, 09:17 AM

Here's a diagram of the layout at the Willow Grove Show. Note that there was not much space in the aisles between
the tables. And, there was even less space between the dealers behind the their tables. Remember the "bump" music
back then (e.g., Stevie Wonder's...."In the City"), well we were doing the "bump" quite often back then.

Here are some of the more known dealer locations at the show throughout the 1980's......

Dealer..................Table #

Tom Reid &
Don Flanagan..........1-3
Joe Dugan..............5
Frank &
Vivian Barning..........6-7
Barry Sloate...........14 (two shows)
Bob Thing &
Bill Hedin..............132-134
Ron Oser..............137-139
Bill Huggins...........143-144
Irv Lerner.............145-146
Lew Lipset............141
Tony Carrafiell.......142
Bill White..............127-128
Hall's Nostalgia.......122-124
Alan Rosen.............22
Wayne Miller...........27-28
John Broggi............36-37
Bill Henderson.........71-73
Rick Starks.............67-68
Bob Steinberg.........63
Phil Spector............61
Mark Lewis.............78-80
Dan Paley &
Ted Zanidakis.........38-39

[linked image]

TED Z

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Valley Forge Philly Show....Dec 4-6th....check it out	tedzan	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	48	12-10-2009 12:07 PM
Philly Show this weekend...	judsonhamlin	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	37	10-05-2009 10:12 AM
Philly Show	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	13	10-15-2007 07:45 PM
Reminder....Philly Show this weekend in Reading, PA	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	10	10-13-2007 11:11 AM
NAXCOM Philly show this weekend??	Archive	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	2	01-28-2005 09:14 PM