Sports Card Show, stories from the other side of The sports card
table
A dealer’s perspective of a sports card show.
Some of the most interesting stories I’ve seen in recent years have
not been on television or at the movie theater, but at various sports
cards shows that I’ve attended as a dealer. Often, the most fun has
been watching the people, especially at mall shows.
Malls quickly gain a reputation among the dealers for their "view."
Simply, ninety-nine percent of the dealers are male, so the
attractiveness of the attending public can go a long way to making a
particular show a "good" show or a "bad" show. Certainly sales help,
but no sale can equal a table location near a store selling bikinis.
There was such a mall in south Florida and even though the store was
in a "dead" part of the mall, you were considered lucky to have a
table near that store. Of course, I never had a table anywhere near
that store. Instead, my table was always across from the children’s
merry-go-round that played "Bobby Vinton Sings Disney" all day (and
evening) long. Not to leave the reader thinking that sports card
dealers are sex-driven Neanderthals, other desirable locations
included being near the food court and the restroom.
You may find it amazing that a dealer’s neighbor is just as important
as the 1 – 10 scale of the viewing public. The dealer next to, or
behind you, can often make or break a show. I always made it a point
to get to know those dealers on either side of me. In the event the
show turned out to be a dud, there was a good chance one of your
neighbors could be your best customer. It is also important that you
quickly determine if your neighbor could be trusted to watch your
table (and not steal it) when you go on a lunch run or bathroom break.
Yes, being a sports card show dealer is not always the easy weekend
collectors seem to think. A three day show without beauty can easily
be as painful as show where the bathroom is closed for repair or the
only food within a mile is bad coffee and stale donuts. But
someone had to do it, and I’m glad I decided to be one of those
people!
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About the Author:
John is famous for his stories and his knowledge of buying and selling coins
as well as sports cards.
He is One of eBay's must trusted Coin Dealers.
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