Glendale Card Show Review

I just made it back home from Glendale,CA.  A card show was being held at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.  They have held a few shows there over the past year.  I went to one before and was not too impressed.  The last time I was at this card show, they charged an admission for a tiny 30 table show.  I wasn't too impressed the first time.  I actually went to a sports card show with a cynical attitude.

I only went to this show because there was no admission fee but, parking was six bucks this time.  So, it kind of evened out.

The first time I attended this show, the auditorium was mostly filled with vintage and memorabilia dealers.  Nobody there was selling boxes, packs and new school cards were hard to come by.  I was curious to see if the same dealers were there.

The show this time around had pretty much the same dealers.  Tons of vintage, memorabilia, and a couple high end guys.  No hobby boxes or even dime boxes to dig through.  The promoter needs to get a better mix of dealers to attract bigger crowds.  The crowd at the show was really sparse.  There was nothing there to attract kids that want new products.

Luckily, I am okay with boosting my hall of fame vintage collection.  Since, patrons were scarce and it was the final day of the weekend show, I knew I could get some bargains.  A vintage dealer that I bought from last time was selling some cards from the 50s-70s.  Perfect!

He had a couple boxes of random graded cards.  The graded card selection included a Manny Ramirez Classic card graded to 10 and the box also had the glorious 1969 Topps Hoyt Wilhelm graded to 7.  I have been looking for some cards of Wilhelm because the dude looks like a creep.

Wilhelm probably racked up some strikeouts because hitters were too frightened to stare at him for too long.  This card needs to be put away fast because I am getting scared staring at his face.

I was also able to snag some 1972 Topps.  The color scheme is so genius in this set.  I need to try and collect all the hall of fame dudes in this set.  I do have a handful already but, some will take more than a few bucks to purchase.

Of course I was able to purchase some Dodgers.  I didn't go to this show with a list or even a solid game plan.  I know what I want.  I know what I collect.  I don't need no damn checklist.

I collect Dodger cards and picking up a cool Charlie Hough rookie in really good condition is what I do.  This will fit nicely into my 70s Dodger binder.  I am in the process of dividing all my Dodger binder by decades.  That will keep things in a little more order.

This was my favorite purchase of the day.  This card is showing the beast game that Charlie Neal had in the 1959 World Series.  The Dodgers beat the White Sox that year to bring the first title to Los Angeles.  Neal hit two homers in Game #2 in 1959.

If a Dodger second baseman did that in the World Series this year, I would make a statue of that individual out of a giant redwood tree.  That statue will be worshiped by all Dodger fans.  So, here's to the Dodgers making the World Series this year, Mark Ellis hitting two bombs in the World Series and me making a Mark Ellis statue out of redwood.  I wonder which one of these events is more far fetched.

One dealer at this show had a free table.  Yes, a table full of random cards that cost zero dollars.  Just a mound of scattered cards that could be had for free.  I have never seen anything like that at any other card show.

I was able to get this 1979 Topps Rich Gossage card for absolutely nothing.  I already have this card but, I don't mind getting a Yankee hall of famer for some trade bait.

A free Joey Belle rookie card!  This card probably used to get people a dollar in the 90s.  Now in 2012 it is free.  I actually have been building a Albert Belle collection recently.  Belle was a beast in the 90s.  The child version of me loved watching an angry body builder mash home runs.

One of these days I will write a post about my Belle collection.  Just so the blog world can then flood my mailbox with Albert Belle cards.

This card was also on the free table.  I am surprised that nobody else picked this up.  It is a flashy Leaf Limited card featuring hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr.  This card probably got some decent scratch back in the day.  The back of this card features some dude named Kevin Orie.  That name sounds vaguely familiar.

Either way, Kevin Orie will never be featured at the Platter.  I promise you that.

The card show was kind of weak once again.  Not much variety being sold.  This will probably be the last time I go to the Glendale Card Show.  It is kind of depressing due to the small turnout and dealers packing up hours before the end of the show.

I like the fact that a show does get put on.  The promoter just needs to get different dealers and realize what young collectors want.  I have doubts that this show will ever get better if it does come back.