100th Philly Show - A Great Time Was Had

Ever since I knew I was going to be moving back east from CA, I was hoping to get a chance to go to the Ft. Washington Show.

If you've never heard of this show, you should check out the website here, especially if you live withing a few hours drive of Reading, PA. I know what you're thinking, "Philly Show, Ft. Washington Show, Reading, PA? Which is it man?" The show has moved around a little bit since it started in 1975, so it's been known as a few different names. You can read a little about it on their website.

I got a chance to go to the show last night and it was awesome. There were a lot of national dealers in attendance as well as many auction houses including Mastro, Huggins & Scott, Clean Sweep, Hunt, American Memorabilia, and Heritage Galleries. PSA and SGC were there taking submissions while GAI had a space reserved but nobody was there.

Now, I had heard that this show was a treasure trove of vintage cards and memorabilia, but I had no idea what I was in store for. There was so much stuff that I almost didn't make it through the whole show in the three and half hours that I was there. I walked around slowly taking it all in, the cards, the gloves, the game used jerseys and bats, the pennants, the programs, vintage hats, Spalding guides, trophies....I could go on and on for a while here, but I'll spare you the boring reading part and move on.

I was able to pick up a few things on my wantlist, which is very exciting for me. I'll scan them and get you some images to look at soon. I wanted to get a quick post in today while everything was still fresh from last night. I wish I could go back, but I don't have the time the rest of the weekend. I'll try to post again tonight, or tomorrow with some images and some more details about the trip.

Enjoy the hobby all, it's a fantastic one...

Not Exactly Prewar, But...

Okay, so this post isn't about prewar cards in particular, but it is about the

hobby. The entire hobby.

While going through a bunch of old boxes of stuff that I had stored away, I happened upon some interesting cards. A few of them are pictured at here. I couldn't remember where the heck these came from and I just sort of put them aside and kept rummaging through the box.

It wasn't until I actually flipped one of them over that I realized where I had picked these beauties up. It was at the 5th National Convention at the Aspen Hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey!

My family had just recently moved to New Jersey from Michigan and I was still a youngster. My dad took my brother and I to a "baseball card show" and I remember being completely floored when we got there. It was so huge I was actually a little scared to walk in at first. After a while however I was buzzing from table to table amazed to see actual Donruss rookies of Donnie Baseball.

I had no idea there was even a period of baseball cards called Prewar. I had never heard of a caramel card and wouldn't have known who Walter Johnson was if someone asked. This was 1984 though, the Prewar market wasn't like it is today (at least that's what I have gleaned from hobby veterans over the years).

I never knew I had been to National. I guess I didn't remember that part of the show. So all these years later, I have been reminded of this wonderful experience and wisened to the fact that I have, in fact, been to a National Convention in the past. And all because of the backs of these cards that I saved all these years in a box.

I love this hobby, Enjoy it everyone...