Your Favorite Local Shows, Past and Present.

[Seven]

With constant, never ending stream of auctions, and talks about the major shows that are around the nation, such as The National, I think local card shows have become overlooked. Whether it be from the past or the present, what were or are your favorite local shows near you?

[Bobbycee]

The Tuesday night P.A.L. Show in Parsippany, NJ of the mid 90's. Got me started on my T206 journey. Great Vintage dealers at that show.

[ullmandds]

silver spring armory auctions in the early 90's had some great stuff.

[CurtisFlood]

Columbia, MO, Springfield, MO, and several different shows in Kansas City. These shows have grown and have made it unnecessary to travel to bigger regional shows such as Chicago, Dallas, and Houston.

[x2drich2000]

It would be easy for me to say the George Washington Motor Lodge/Fort Washington show due to there size, but I'll go a little more low key. Growing up I always liked the shows at the Montgomery Mall, Village Mall, and of course the old Warrington Motor Lodge where I got my first old card, a 72 Clemente in action.

[philliesfan]

Hey Richard. Did you ever got to the Auctions at the Warrington Motor Lodge. I think it was R & B Auctions.

[x2drich2000]

Originally Posted by philliesfan

Hey Richard. Did you ever got to the Auctions at the Warrington Motor Lodge. I think it was R & B Auctions.

Not that I can remember. I was young. One of the reasons the show stood out to me is probably because the Warrington was owned by the family of one of my friends growing up.

[philliesfan]

I was a steady attendee of those R&B card auctions. Always picked up a lot of older cards and some T206 cards. A lot of fun back then.

[butchie_t]

Hard to say, no one comes to Colorado Springs. There was a local show last month. First in over 2 years. 95% new and game cards. There was a smattering of old cards (pre 80) and even less .0001% vintage.

Pretty much not gonna go back to that one. Denver, has them but it is not the easiest place to get to these days.

B. T.

[obiwan1129]

Seems like we did a thread like this or I happened to bring this one up in regards to a different type of conversation, but the VFW Hall in McHenry in the late 80's used to do a great small shows. Where I bought a lot of my 1969 Cubs team set. Not the greatest condition by my standards today, but man I had a lot of fun putting that set together the old school way. I have it in one of my binders to look at now and again.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by obiwan1129

Seems like we did a thread like this or I happened to bring this one up in regards to a different type of conversation, but the VFW Hall in McHenry in the late 80's used to do a great small shows. Where I bought a lot of my 1969 Cubs team set. Not the greatest condition by my standards today, but man I had a lot of fun putting that set together the old school way. I have it in one of my binders to look at now and again.

Wait...what? You went to that show? That show was run by the Fox Valley Collectors which was run by myself as well as Doug and Corky. That WAS an awesome little show and I am so grateful for you to even remember it.

[CJinPA]

Originally Posted by x2drich2000

It would be easy for me to say the George Washington Motor Lodge/Fort Washington show due to there size, but I'll go a little more low-key. Growing up I always liked the shows at the Montgomery Mall, Village Mall, and of course the old Warrington Motor Lodge where I got my first old card, a 72 Clemente in action.

I remember going to the George Washington Motor Lodge as a teen with my uncle who got me into collecting in the 80's.... I still work in the area and like to reminisce (now a Thompson Acura dealership there).

The Robbinsville Show in NJ was always a great place to find tough cards ('73 Topps in decent shape).

Loved heading up to White Plains to the Gloria Rothstein shows - loved seeing tons of '52 Topps and plenty of Mantles those days.

My favorite card shop was going w/ that uncle to John Broggi's shop (JKJ Collectibles, I believe) - so many years ago.....

[philliesfan]

The George Washington Motor Lodge in Willow Grove for me. Bought my first T206 there from another attendee. It was a trimmed at top Mathewson for $16.00.
I do miss those days of almost no parking and having to follow people to their cars to get their parking spot........to the 75 people in line in front of you to get in.......to the inhale and suck in your gut to get to the next table......Oh the good old days.
Bob

[Yoda]

As a dealer living not too far away, I think the Willow Grove and Ft. Washington were my favorite shows.
The Gloria Rothstein shows were always fun and GR herself was a real piece of work.
Growing up there were no shows. Just us neighborhood kids trading under a shady tree.

[WillBBC]

Originally Posted by Bobbycee

The Tuesday night P.A.L. Show in Parsippany, NJ of the mid 90's. Got me started on my T206 journey. Great Vintage dealers at that show.

This one. Tuesday nights turned into a tradition. I worked in Fairfield and played softball games off 46 and was also in a juggling troop that practiced in Parsippany, also on Tuesday nights.

Dinner with my grandparents, softball during spring and summer, card show, juggling, late night pizzas and drinks at the Reservoir Tavern in Boonton. Every single Tuesday for years.

I was also a big fan of the White Plains show and the handful that would pop up every now and again at the Wayne Manor. Bruce was never there but it was always a decent show.

Then I moved to DC, haha. Now it's definitely the Chantilly show!

[campersmd]

Wayne Miller show in Columbia,MD
Silver Spring Armory (MD)
Willow Grove, PA

[Johnny630]

White Marsh and Golden Ring Mall Shows Baltimore late 80’s early 90’s along with The Fifth Regiment Armory in Pikesville Md. Ahh so many Great Memories of Brooks Robinson, Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan, Paul Blair, I could go on and and on and on.

[judsonhamlin]

Regular shows at the long-gone Ramada back in the early 80’s were my gateway to better shows - especially the Willow Grove EPSSC shows. Got many cards at the Ramada that are still in my collection, including my first Goudeys.

[Phil Arem]

Willow Grove was terrific. Being from East Brunswick I also like the Ramada Inn but the North Brunswick fire house show was great as well !

[judsonhamlin]

Look at that - two EB natives on one thread. What are the odds?
Pretty good, apparently.
Forgot about the fire house shows. And the Brunswick Square mall had a couple of sports/antique shows as well back in the day

[BCauley]

As much as I love going to the card shows, it's always been something sporadic for me through the years.

I think the first one I ever went to was somewhere on the shoreline in CT when I was a kid and went solely to get my 1983 Topps card autographed by Jim Rice.

Went to a couple of others in CT here and there which was always fun as my Dad would point out some of the cards he remembered having when he was a kid from the 50s-60s.

I do remember the University of New Haven in CT had a run of a yearly card show which I attended a few times, not sure if they still do it but I enjoyed it. Managed to get Jim Rice and Fred Lynn to autograph a baseball for me one time, just need Dwight Evans on it now but I don't know if he does shows or anything.

After moving to Virginia once I was out of the military about 12 years ago, I've gone to a few here. Not small but have been to the Chantilly show a small handful of times, eventually I'll go again. There is a monthly card/comic show at a hotel in Tyson's Corner area that I pop into once every few months or so. Nothing much going on there but it's always fun to just go to a show once in awhile and look at stuff.

[Tere1071]

The first Thursday of each month at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, CA. These shows were organized by Mike Berkus and Steve Brunner. They also staged our major shows each Labor and Memorial Day as well as our first national conventions in 1985 and 1991.

Phil aka Tere1071
Upgrading my 1953 Bowman Color;
1971; 1972; 1974; and 1975 Topps
Baseball sets
Working on completing my 1970 and 1973
Topps Baseball sets

[jingram058]

Coral Square Mall, Coral Springs (Fort Lauderdale), Florida. The full-mall shows there in the 1990s were absolutely astounding. Many, many cards in my collection were picked up there. You could haggle over prices, and the sellers didn't get all puffed up about it. I really miss those shows!