Roxanne Toser in her editorial in the new issue made a very strong point about attending Non-sport card shows. Where are you guys?

I know money may be a factor for a lot of you but we need to support the shows to keep them going. In the past 16 months I have been to 4 conventions all over the United States. The Philly Card show in October 2003, Megacon in Orlando, Fl Feb 2004, Dragoncon in Atlanta, GA Sept 2004 and Dee's show in Seacausus, NJ November 2004.

Now I don't have a ton of cash but even I made the effort to attend. Not only to see a ton of great cards, but to meet fellow cardtalks, to meet the vendors who I have either bought from off their sites, or off the auction site, and to have fun.

At the Megacon, it was only Saturnman7 and myself, but we had a great time chatting with Uncle Allan from Inkworks who was at the show.

What do the manufactors think when they go to a show for the hobby and there are only a few hundred people when there could be thousands??

All the naysays who say the hobby is dying, well maybe they have been to a Nonsport show recently while most everyone else was not there! It would certainly look that way!

From Dee's show, I took a polaroid photo of every card talker I met the day I was there. I have 18 photos. There are 1600 members on this site and only 19(myself included) attended? And yes, I know I missed some of you who went on Friday, but that is sad.

In the end, it cost me about 300 dollars to travel to Dee's show in New Jersey from Mississippi, and yes, I had a weekend of misadventures getting there. But for 300 dollars I got to meet 18 cool cardtalkers(including several of my buddies), 2 Manufactors, a lot of dealers(including 1 who went the extra mile after the show was over to get me a card at a special rate), and it was worth every penny of the travel expense.

So, when you are thinking about skipping the next local show, or a not-so-local show but have access to get there--GO! It will be worth it!

It's not that I don't want to attend barobehere, it's the money issue. Paying for the hotel and airfare is one, but...it's totally I hate to go to things alone and not knowing anyone when I get there, or better yet...knowing where this whole thing is located. I'm what you would call, the new duck in the pond and this duck is a bit shy.

I was thinking of attending the one in San Diego, where it was the closest to me, but funds ran short...so I have to live through all of you that get there. I would love to meet Allan Caplan from inkworks, as well as everyone else here on cardtalk...instead of posts and emails.

I have to just support the sport through participating in other ways right now....hopefully one of these shows I'll be able to meet everyone.

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Originally posted by gilgle:
but...it's totally I hate to go to things alone and not knowing anyone when I get there, or better yet...knowing where this whole thing is located. I'm what you would call, the new duck in the pond and this duck is a bit shy.

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When I went to Philly, I did not know anyone. Which was part of the fun of it for me! I was finally able to put faces with usernames. Personalities that matched their cardtalk personality and a few which did not! It was exciting!

Oh, and on this trip, as my wife reminded me(she is still a bit angry about this) I hitchhicked a lot of the way from Philidelphia to Mt. Laurel, NJ. Which was fun. I did not want to pay for transportation and there was no free shuttle from the airport. Then thinking I would hitchhike my way around, I was able to get rides around after attending the show! Thanks Cardman1981, Miket999, and Harris!

I totally look forward to the shows in the Chicago area! After I got back from the Christmas/New Year's holidays, I put in for a vacation day the Friday of the Wizard World show. And as soon as Paul announces the dates for the Midwest show, I'll put in for a vacation day that Friday too!

These shows are a GREAT opportunity to meet fellow card collectors and to put faces to the names of Card Talk members. You get the chance to pick up some show-exclusive promo cards. You can get fantastic sketch cards done by the artists who attend the shows! You can actually chat face-to-face with card company representatives (sometimes even the company president). You have the opportunity to see cards that you might only dream of having...or even perhaps actually buy the card!

Man, if you're not attending the cards shows, you are really missing out on a terrific time!

I read Roxanne's editorial and agreed with much of what she said. I think anyone within a reasonable distance to a show should make an effort to attend, even if only for one day.

A card show is better than eBay, better than a well stocked shop. You may not find what you are looking for, but there is plenty to find anyway.

If you don't know anyone, you'll meet someone there. I just started talking with a guy while waitning in line one year, and now we have remained good friends for 10 years, trading and sending each other cards. If NSU is set up at the show, you already have someone you know there, Harris and his mom and dad. They will introduce you to Card Talk members. It's great to meet people like Kennywood, Greg Geerts, xtime and others.

If you can, bring some nice promos and inserts to trade, I have enjoyed rifling through boxes while others go through mine, and letting them have whatever they want from there.

You'll meet all kinds of dealers, most are very nice and will try to offer their cards at competitive prices. Many dealers will have promos and sell sheets they give away, as will manufacturers, so expect to walk away with some great stuff, even if you don't have a lot of spending money.

Don't forget the sketch artists and celebrity signers. Allot some $ for a custom sketch by some of Card talk's own artists, something you'll treasure for a long time. It's a thrill to meet people like Boris and Julie, Barbara Luna and Walter Koenig in person and chat with them.

While travel and lodging can be expensive and sometimes a problem, I think overall, the show experience is a very positive one. Start out at a smaller show, something like Wizard World can be overwhelming sometimes, and have fun!

Well, it;'s not that I dont want to attend any show, it's that there aint none near me. What I would give to attend one of the big ones. I do spend lots at the local toy and sports card show but would really love to hit one of the big ones.

There's something that needs to be done about promoters and the promoting of shows. For example, about two weeks ago I went to the mall (that I'm at all the time!) to look for shoes and lo and behold! there was a card show. Only 2 non-sport dealers, but still, I would have brought my wants list had I known - as it stood, I was by myself, no money and no list Had I only known. Had there been any indication on the mall's calendar or any notice in the local papers. Something to have told me what was coming...

OWM - years ago, mall card shows used to be pretty common here. Once I made the mistake of venturing out without my want list, and I walked into a show with scads of singles from sets i needed.

You only have to do that once. Now, even though i haven't been to any show with cards since last September. i always carry a piece of paper with my needs in my shirt pocket.

I've found singles at antique shops and shows, as well as flea markets, so I'm always happy to pull out my list. I abrreviate the set names, so it will be interesting if they discover my body someday, and some poor CSI team has to sit there and figure out what all the numbers and "ROTK Update" "Wom of Sunny" and "GPK" means.

I have not read the article as i don,t have my mag yet.

However i would say that everyone should go to a few shows if they can and if they can afford it.

Going to shows is not cheap and it is easy to sit at home and think of all the cards you could have purchased with the money you spent just getting into the show.
Our big Memorabilia show is now somewhere in the region of £30 for me just to get through the door and i live quite close to the venue.

However i do enjoy going to the shows and meeting people and trading for things and it is a nice day out.

The cost does become a big factor though and with so many shows in the Uk through the year you have to get selective and that means that some shows will suffer.

Sad but true.

I didn't receive my mag either but I agree. Going to shows is the funniest part of that hobby. There is no shows in France, but I go to shows in England and, when I have the money, I make the trip to San Diego. That's how I met Harris and some manufactors, I think that every collector should go to a convention at least once in his life, so start saving money like I do for San Diego 2005. You will not regret it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Szym,

i would love to go to san diego for the convention , that would be cool, a few comic ones i wouldnt mind going, may aswell stay at home and use a lighter on my money

Does NSU have a section devoted to listing upcoming shows around the country as some sports price guides do? If we are being urged to attend, it would be nice to know where some shows are. I certainly don't have the time or the scratch to make a pilgrimage to San Diego ComicCon or the Philly show but if I knew of a local show within a reasonable distance, I would attend.

Mark

In the back of each issue is a list of upcoming shows. The shows denoted with an asterisk indicate the shows NSU will be attending.

Although not every show in every state is listed, the larger, regional & international shows are listed.

Hey Kennywood and I had a great time at the midwest show as well as Wizard Chicago. I was onlt at Wizard one day but Just talking to Doug from Inkworks was enough for me...LOL

Jewel

I found this site as well that lists local shows :
http://www.upcomingcardshows.com/

Not sure how accurate they are and some shows have no description, and they have mostly sports card shows, but it's a start..

Thanks for the link OWM. It's nice to have these resources on file.

Unfortunately, I did a search for shows by state and came up with a big goose egg for my state.

Mark

Well, now that I've gotten my magazine, I must say Roxanne is 100% correct. The part where she talks about the person from NYC complaining that the SECAUCUS show isn't close enough is unfortunate(for that person). I took public transportation to Secaucus for BOTH days. Subway fare to Port Authority was $2.00, and I think the bus fare was under $5.00, so that's less than the cost of a tank of gas or about the same as a cab ride. It took about 20 minutes between NYC & Secaucus, and after I got off the bus I walked less distance to the hotel than I have to walk to the subway from work! So, all you NYC lurkers out there, it's practically just as easy to get to the Secaucus show as it is to get around Manhattan! Hope to see you there in 2005!

As for Philly, I'd love to go, but I'm not as brave as Barobehere and would be a bit uncomfortable hitchhiking. I just wish there was a way to get to NJ from Philly, but I don't think NJ Transit goes to Mt. Laurel. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

According to the college's website, it's on NJ Transit Bus Route 317 - whatever that means...

http://www.bcc.edu/html/DirectionsandMaps.html

There is a Greyhound station on Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel. That's just a few miles from the show. So, can take a short cab ride or perhaps a fellow Card Talker can pick you up there.

Thanks everyone for the helpful hints...I'm going to look into attending!