General Forum

If you haven't already, I strongly recommend everybody read The Infield Dirt in today's blogs and articles. A little long but a good read. I and many of us have been on both sides of the table and it resonates so true regardless which side your on.

Kari

Agreed that was a pretty interesting read.  I have only been on the buyer side of the table, but would concur with a number of the points made.  I don't collect high end or even medium end cards for the most part, but agree with the pricing notes in the article.  

Since I worl nights and normally can not show up to a show til later in the day, the one about packing up early drives me up the wall. I used to go to one show that was Saturday and Sunday from 9 til 3. If I went on Sunday I found that most dealers started packing up at noon, so they could get home to watch the football games.

Secondly, I went to a show in Canada for the first time last May. Being from the US I had American money. If I was a dealer this would upset me, and I now know that if I go to another show in Canada I need to switch my cash to Canadien money.

Having been on "both sides of the table" I can say that I have seen every one of the things described in that post, either firsthand or secondhand.

I still have some of the sleeves, top loaders, and cases that have my price stickers on them - from the shows I did 27 years ago. It looks like I had all the right ideas back then. I used to have 8-12 year old kids come up to my table asking to trade. I didn't do the flinch. I showed them the cards I wanted, the cards I could sell, and the rest that would go in the commons box, never to be heard from again. They appreciated the fact that I'd look to make the trade work rather than say "No kid, I ain't trading today." like so many of the other delaers did. (I actually had many of the other dealers coming over to my table to see why there were so many people around it throughout the day. I was mobbed by kids wanting to trade the duplicates off.)

But, when trying to sell stuff to dealers, I saw the flinch. I saw all the rude behaviors. Oh, and I usually had my dad there (at least part of the time) and made sure he was there at the table if I left the table. Never was my table unattended. I also wound up being the last person out of the hall. Mainly because I was still working deals (sometimes with other dealers), but because I didn't want to lose a sale by not being there.

And why on earth would you take something to a show you wouldn't sell? The only thing I took that I wouldn't sell was the plastic shelf that I'd set up behind the table to display wax boxes (upper shelves) and store my take home stuff (bottom shelf). Anything else there was for sale. And if someone had offered me enough, the shelf could have been theirs too! :)

Looks like it all boils down to just practicing common courtesy. Treat the customer (and treat the dealer) the way you'd want to be treated. Pretty simple.

Nice read.   Like most of us we have seen all if not most of the issues plus a few more.

I have only done one show.  My issue as all most all the other dealers jumped on me before and during the show.  I was the new meat as all the other dealers did the show all the time.  My cards were new to them.  Almost all of them complained about my prices as they could not made enough money if they paid that price. 

As a buyer (we all know my want list is tough  very narrow in the whole scope of card trading)     I have a hard time finding any cards I need.  Maybe 1 or 2 high dollar cards.  I talk to a lot of dealers and they keep saying they will bring my players to the next show but never have done it.  

Since the article will slip down the list day after day here is the link to the post:

http://www.sportscollectorsdigest.com/hobbyists-provide-input-to-improve-the-relationship-between-dealers-and-collectors/

That took me back to the '90s. Can't recall the last show, or even card shop I went to. At least 1997, they just don't exist anymore.

On-line is king, I really don't have time, the drive, or patience for it. But I do miss it.

That's a great blog post. the dissaperaing dealers and the ones with no prices are the ones that make me crazy!

My worst dealer story comes from the buying side of the table. Probably 10-15 years back, I was at the GBSCC Shriner's show in Wilmington MA which is held every November. I had been looking at a box of miscellaneous box bottoms and other oddball cards. I put it down next to me to purchase as I reached to look at another box. One of the other dealers was standing at the table chatting, grabbed the box and gave the selling dealer the asking price! I told the woman, I was planning to purchase it and she said, well, you put it down and I bought it. The item were then on display at her table, when I went by. Sho was not there, but her husband was, I told him what happend and all he did was shrug. I still see her every year and absolutely refuse to even look at her booth. One rude action cost that dealer a lifetime of business.

Scott