Card Show Stratego

The annual TRISTAR Collector’s Show is at the SF Cow Palace (TRISTAR SF) in a few weeks, of which I wrote about here TRISTAR 2015. Last year I visited the show without much of a plan-and thus lost myself. What I noticed last year is how few card dealers there actually were at the “collector’s show”, for the most part it seems to be modern memorabilia and collectables-I.E autographed photos, hockey sticks and the such, along with tables upon tables of SF Giants stadium giveaways such as bobble heads.  What card dealers they had there were mostly vintage in focus-there were “dime” boxes but they were jacked up to “quarter” boxes and the pickings were slim.

As with the other TRISTAR show, and I am sure every other one as well, there will be players from various teams and sports, retired or not, signing for a fee. This year Bob Gibson will be signing at the show-but the price for a single 8x10 photo is $79, Johnny Bench is $89, and Reggie Jackson is $99. Prices go up for other items. I think I will sit this one out-I have a certified on-card Gibby auto which set us back less than the cost of a blaster. As I write here I love the Topps Archives Auto series and Gibby’s “rookie” card version is at about that same price-so I would rather, if I was going to, pick that up. The idea of having no interaction with him, standing in line, and then carrying the item around the rest of the day doesn’t appeal to me.

So I have to have a plan for the show and as usual I will get there at the arse crack of dawn and get in line. I think all in all I am pretty chill person but I do admit being on time, if not very early, is a trait of mine-if I think I am running late I start to have a panic attack-chest tightens, breathing is hard, etc. Sorry the clinician in me comes out.

Action Item #1 Do a walk about looking for solid “dime” boxes-if I locate one that really seems like a winner I will dig in and do some excavating. If prospecting is no good move on to another mine.

Action Item #2 Focus on vintage Redbirds-not talking about T206s here-but vintage Topps singles-in particular commons I need to complete our team sets-I am looking for EX-NM.  I thought prices were decent-and it is hecka fun to look for them.

Action Item #3 For a few of the Topps vintage team sets we only need stars such as Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Red and Stan Musial. Hopefully, there isn’t a Redbird collector out there picking these up for a song-or better price than otherwise.

Action Item #4: Vintage Bowman singles needed to complete, or nearly complete, a couple of vintage Bowman team sets. 

 

 

Stay tuned for a follow up posting at the end of next month.