I was wondering, I know I have mentioned this to other collectors before, but what would you think of having a 3rd Philly show? This last show was great. The people shaing collections and stories, new dealers and the great atmosphere makes it so inviting that I think it would be a big boost to the non-sport hobby. It seems like the attendance at the last few shows is actually increasing, which is a testament to our struggling hobby and the fact we won't let it die off completely. Remember the old days when there were shows almost once a month? Those were the days. With recent issues on the Internet, I think having more shows would allow additional collectors to meet with dealers, establish new relationships and do more business with them face to face, as opposed to a faceless transaction where you never know what you might get.
Just a thought. I would be interested in what others think. Having a 3rd show might allow others who can't normally attend, the chance to come and share in this great show.

I know what you are saying Beamer - the fun of a show like this should happen more than twice a year.

However, knowing the work that goes into setting up a show like this and the effort people put into attending the show (both dealers and collectors), I don't see it realisticly happening more often.

The folks that run the show, the Tosers, have NSU to run as well, and dealers like yourself and Ed from Sci Fi cards have to come from a long way.

I think a small local show would be a good filler between the big shows like like Philly and the Midwest show, and maybe with sportscard and comic dealers, somebody could do that.

That said, I feel more collectors should try to attend one of these shows. If you are buying your cards off eBay or in a local shop, the fun and excitement of a big show will really become a memorable experience.

While I would like to see a third show, I can think of several reasons why it could be a problem. A lot of the dealers and collectors travel a long way, which is expensive and time consuming, and spacing it out twice a year isn't so bad, every four months is a lot to ask, especially now, as the economic climate still isn't great. Collectors also have to put aside money for the show, again, only having four months between shows could be tough. We used to have a third East Coast show, "Dee's Show", which was in a great location just outside of New York City, and they even tried different dates, but it appeared that attendance was always on the low side.

I know there is also a lot of behind the scenes work to get a show ready, months of planning, so there again, every four months would be tough. I also think three shows is just too much, the reality is our hobby is only so big, and an additional show could go a long way towards having a negative impact on the two shows we currently have.

As I said, I would be happy to attend a third show, but I don't think it's feasible right now. If attendance is still good for the next few shows, then it may be something to consider.

Does anyone remember what happened when Mike Gordan tried having four shows a year in Parsippany instead of two? This helped kill the shows and also moving it to the PAL building really did it.

Two Philly Shows a year are just right. This gives people a chance to save up money to spend and it's doable for the dealers. It's great to see old friends because we only see them twice a year and it gives us something to look forward to. Read my Notes column in the next issue of NSU.

Speaking of NSU, people often say they would like a monthly issue. It's hard enough getting ads on a bi-monthly basis and it would be impossible to get ads on a monthly basis. Without ads, we can't pay the printing bills. Anyway, we think bi-monthly NSUs are just right, too.

Support NSU and support the shows. Help keep the hobby we all love alive.

How about having an extra Philly show in Cleveland . It's about halfway between Chicago [345 mi] & Philly [431 mi]
sumo

What about a Philly show in the UK ??

Allthough it sounds great to have more and more shows i would suggest great caution in going down this route. It has been tried here in the UK and it does not work. There is only so much money to go round and when it's gone it's gone.

If you have something that is working and everyone is happy with i would strongly suggest that you leave well alone.

Better to have 2 shows that the indusetry supports REALLY well than 3 shows with the same support spread more thinly. 2 GREAT shows are better than 3 ordinary ones

2 Shows a year is about all an average collector (like myself) could handle.

But what about trying to expand the current Philly Show a little by adding some movie / tv show guests. A few years back, Lawrence Montaigne (of Star Trek Fame) was at the Philly show. It was a great treat meeting and talking with him.

Adding a guest or two would add a little extra to the show

I can remember when there were 8 or 10 non sport shows a year and it never hurt the hobby. People kept going, waiting on lines 100 people deep for hours to get in. No matter how bad the economy is today, collectors still buy. People are still spending alot of money at the shows. I would rather go to a show any day then buy from ebay. Nothing compares to the face to face relationship between a collector and a dealer. Sorry, but I would still rather see more shows.

That's great if you live in Boston, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC, etc.
What about us in the West? Everything seems to be centered in the major population areas of the Northeast.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ace of Hearts,

The big convention type shows take a great deal of planning and advertising. Any larger venue is costly and the promoter has to get the money back from table fees, admissions and whatever other things he can think up. Also any big show now a days is expected to have autograph signers and that's more money to shell out. Then you have to hope that attendence is high or the promoter won't even break even.

Than if the dealers don't have enough sales to cover their time and travel expenses they are unhappy, but they are in competition with everyone else in the place for budgeted buyer money. The big shows have to be limited to annual or semi-annual events because it's just not economically possible to do otherwise in this market.

What I miss are the small shows in a school auditorium or a social hall. Ten or twelve regular dealers would get together every month or maybe every other month, plus the odd collectors looking to sell. They were held locally and any collectors in the area knew about them by word of mouth. I bought some of my best cards at these types of shows and I got to know all the area dealers and hobby store owners.

These small shows were made extinct by the internet buying, and the majority of those hobby stores are closed now too. So card collectors get to talk on forums instead of in person and its a real shame.

SD Quarterly Con in November.