tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post3351761088104465658..comments2023-10-29T10:11:53.672-04:00Comments on Battlin' Bucs: Who Needs Card Shows? My Flea Market FindsMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04854315904173219584noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-39586439897305867182015-03-31T18:06:40.367-04:002015-03-31T18:06:40.367-04:00That's some serious nickel goodness right ther...That's some serious nickel goodness right there. I think that Cool Papa Bell is my favorite. And I definitely agree with your points about customer service, both with cards and other hobbies as well. I'm actually planning on doing a post along these lines either tonight or tomorrow.Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13508921644099472101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-82772925681949455152015-03-31T15:18:00.051-04:002015-03-31T15:18:00.051-04:00Eventually, people will stop going to those mall s...Eventually, people will stop going to those mall shows because -- just as has happened with brick & mortar card shops and bookstores -- everything is available online and with an ability to compare pricing. Things like COMC, Just Commons, Sportlots, and eBay -- in addition to the other ways people sell cards on Twitter, on website forums, etc. -- are the great equalizer when it comes to card availability. Most of us would probably prefer to help the local guys, but when the local guys don't help themselves, what's the point?Tony L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01349226671097456632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-55500224130483752492015-03-31T14:07:01.464-04:002015-03-31T14:07:01.464-04:00For a couple of the guys, that is definitely true....For a couple of the guys, that is definitely true. And they've been that way for the decade-plus I've seen them setting up shows, so it's no surprise.<br /><br />I spent a good bit of time thinking about the discussion in the comments yesterday, and the thing that really gets me is the ripple effect it has on the larger collecting community. This is a major metro area with 3 pro sports teams and some of the top stars in their respective sports. I've talked with collectors who stop going because a decent chunk of the dealers have the same overpriced inventory each time. In turn, I wouldn't be surprised if the smaller crowds mean less profit for the "good" dealers, most of whom have stopped doing shows in the Pittsburgh area. It's a bit of a chicken/egg argument, but I think it impacts the entire local collecting ecosystem, if you will.<br /><br />There's a big annual show coming up in May, so it shouldn't be *too* hard to skip the next couple mall shows. Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04854315904173219584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-51873018322357442015-03-31T13:54:38.171-04:002015-03-31T13:54:38.171-04:00I know! He has about a dozen 3200 count boxes he ...I know! He has about a dozen 3200 count boxes he hasn't gone through yet. I gladly would have paid a quarter for most of the cards. The craziest thing is this flea market has been a 5 min drive from me for almost two years, and I never even knew it existed.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04854315904173219584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-89028738444506616152015-03-31T13:36:31.050-04:002015-03-31T13:36:31.050-04:00Off our conversation yesterday, I think the differ...Off our conversation yesterday, I think the difference may be in the ages of the guys involved. Those guys in their 70s remember the "good old days" back when we were kids/teens when everyone was buying and selling cards with an arbitrage involved that rivaled Wall Street. To a lot of those guys, cards have a VALUE (all in bold and caps) that people must PAY to get the card. And, if you sell the card for less than that VALUE, well, you're an idiot, you let people take advantage of you, etc.<br /><br />The guys who are younger -- people that are collectors in their 30s and 40s -- went through that phase of collecting too. For most of us -- and just read the blogs to see how many folks "left" collecting in that late 1990s period -- it drove us away. It was not a hobby any more. It was not fun any more. We don't want to feel like an idiot for giving a teenager a break on a card they really want, or a guy who spends hours poring through all the nickel boxes looking for the cards he needs, or the mom with her kid begging her for that Andrew McCutchen card. <br /><br />But that's how a lot of the "lifers" seem to think. It's not how all of them think, to be sure, and it's not universal that younger people are nicer or give more breaks. The money-driven mentality pushed a lot of us out of collecting, and it's the joy that keeps people coming back.Tony L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01349226671097456632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-5184692988262325552015-03-31T13:05:22.444-04:002015-03-31T13:05:22.444-04:00You make some really valid points about customer s...You make some really valid points about customer service. I don't think consumers realize the added benefits to their business if they just treat people like people.<br /><br />Secondly... a nickel box? Seriously? That's just ridiculous!P-town Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07437348006643978055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-9554897406398788692015-03-31T12:56:38.143-04:002015-03-31T12:56:38.143-04:00I would like to see Harrison and Watson. Maybe on...I would like to see Harrison and Watson. Maybe one of the starting pitchers besides Cole. Notable nicknames VANIMAL!!!!!BobWalkthePlankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16011292576523365641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-91706886996446978442015-03-31T12:17:02.372-04:002015-03-31T12:17:02.372-04:00I was really surprised to see completed auctions i...I was really surprised to see completed auctions in the $15-20 range for the card. I think I paid around $4-5 for all the others I have of him. But there isn't really much selection for mid range Pirate autos - Marte, Cole, and Polanco. I'm hoping we see some Josh Harrison autos this year just for a little variety.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04854315904173219584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9108520133795628754.post-64858504634156686602015-03-31T12:08:02.867-04:002015-03-31T12:08:02.867-04:00$8 is a great price for that Marte....especially f...$8 is a great price for that Marte....especially from such a high end release. His prices have shot up the last year. Before you could pretty much secure any of his cards for $10 or less. Now I'm seeing cards go in the $15-35 range depending on brand. He probably has the biggest price fluctuations of any of the current Pirates. BobWalkthePlankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16011292576523365641noreply@blogger.com