30 Minutes At The Card Show: Part 3 Diamond Stars

With time dwindling, I stop by my regular dealer's table.  Usually, I stop after a quick tour of the show, in case there is anything must have at one of the other tables, but today there was no time for such tomfoolery.  He knows I primarily collect pre-war cards and asks if I'm interested in actors and actresses, which I'm not, along with strip cards, which I despise.  There is something so amateurish about a card on a piece of cardboard with a simple drawing on it.  Below is a copy of one of the few strip cards I own, mostly because of the horrible printing error on the card.



With the likelihood of a decent purchase flying out the window, I start leafing through his stacks of cards, which often have something interesting in them, even if I am not actively seeking these cards for purchase.  About 15 cards down in the second stack I pick up, there are two 1930s Diamond Stars, Cliff Bolton and HOF Chick Hafey.  For the record, Chick Hafey is almost certainly the worst Baseball Hall of Famer, since he played in 100 or more games 7 times in a season and was what you would call a regular maybe four times.  While a fine hitter, he wasn't an all-time great for a few seasons, which is pretty much what you need to be as a Hall of Famer with 4,600 AB or a packed committee like Roosevelt's plans for the Supreme Court. 





Nonetheless, having decided to collect the entire Diamond Stars, I purchased both cards at a reasonable price, even after you factor in the Hall of Fame premium on Hafey, which ended up costing me just as much as the entire Goudey lot below.

The design and color of the Diamond Stars are just so stark and appealing.  As there is no Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio or Williams in the set, the overall costs are far more affordable than the other 1930s sets.  And as I start to wind down my T206s, I need to have something else ready to take the central role in my set collecting.  I swear, just one more post regarding what I bought at the show, which I will save for tomorrow.  As you will see, I did not save the best for last. 

The Local Card Show: Second Sunday of the Month

I'm a card show junkie.  I love the concept of multiple dealers set up in a small area, allowing me to browse their wares and when the mood strikes, purchase from their respective tables.  This also explains why I like going to antique stores and flea markets as well.  If only I were a home and truck owner, oh the vintage furniture I would own. 

Regardless, every second Sunday of the month, there is a small card show in a rec center about 20 minutes away.  When I first got back into card collecting about two years, this was the first show I frequented, before I learned, yes, I will travel 2+ hours to a card show.  With about 30 or so tables, there used to be a decent selection of cards and dealers.



Over the last two years, both have disappeared from the show.  One time, I went and there were six dealers at the show, which after paying my admission, led me to purchasing nothing that sad day.  In the past, I managed to find some very interesting cards to add to my collection, like the Wallie Schange (Wally Schang) strip card with the off-center printing or the B18 Covalskie felt blanket that sits in a binder.

On Sunday, it was a struggle.  I arrived and there were about 10 dealers at the show.  There is one guy, who often has a great amount of oddball cards near the front, so I waited to go his table last.  There was no current, unopened product to be had at the show, which was a little disappointing, given my desire to break something open.  One dealer had commons from the most recent releases and a small shelf of cards from the 70s, which didn't call to me.  Another, had cases full of new rookie cards and another having a large selection of football cards.

As I made my way around the room, I found one dealer who had a T205 for sale.  The T205 set known as the gold border set, for the gold borders on the tobacco cards.  Gold borders which almost always fleck off, making it hard to find them in excellent or better condition.  I had seen the card before and refused to make an offer on the card, since it felt like buying for the sake of buying and I expect there to be a price if I ask.  I believe the first time I saw the card, I was offered it for $150, which is only three to five times to real value, unless a card with somewhat damaged borders and less than perfect corners can be considered EX-MT. I saw the card again, marked $600 on the front, because the Mint price of a 100 year old card comes into play, never.  Even with a generous discount, it was enough to keep me walking along to the next dealers. 

Another dealer had just finished breaking a few boxes of 2012 Goodwin Champions, which he must have brought with him to the show.   One of the cards for sale, was a Paul Coffey two color (white and orange) patch card.  Having bought one for $1 on eBay plus shipping with only one color, I was somewhat interested in adding another to my collection.  I inquired about the card, likely being the only person who cares enough about Paul Coffey to come to a rec center on a Sunday morning, expecting a price of somewhere between $5 and $10.  The dealer, serious as can be, gives me the card and quotes me a price of $25.  I didn't even waste time doing anything other than returning the card.  I understand a show premium and will pay it for something that I want, but I would never pay a 5X show premium, which seemed to be the rule of the day. 

Disappointed, I take a second tour of the show, as my regular oddball dealer, didn't have anything of interest, other than some very low grade 1963 Topps Flags of the World cards that I just couldn't pull the trigger on.  I went back to the table in the far corner, where I spy a box full of boxes.  Boxes of cards from the early 1990s.  I looked and I looked and thought about a box of 1992 Topps Baseball, but decided that wasn't quite for me.  I did however, see a box 1991 Stadium Club Hockey.  The price was fair and I was able to leave the show with something I was quite interested in. 

I've yet to break the box, but look forward to the rainy day project.  I do hope the cards are not stuck together and perhaps the collation gods at Topps will be kind and I will be able to put together a complete set from the box.