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04-13-2013, 07:54 PM #1
2013 Spring Expo - Not Sure If I Should Go
Hi all,
I was thinking of going to the Spring Expo in Toronto this May. I've never gone before and it's a 6 hour drive for me to get there, so I'm wondering if it would be worth it for me to go. Can anyone give me a sense of what the product selection and pricing is like?
If I went, I would be looking for jersey/patch and auto cards of various common players (both non-serialed and short print), singles of UD sets from the 1990's and 2000's (I have a few near sets that need completing), and maybe buy some complete UD series 1 and 2 sets or early 70's OPC sets (if they're priced below book).
I do most of my buying through eBay but I'm finding that there's a lot of stuff that either isn't listed (like short printed jersey/auto cards) or isn't worth the shipping costs (singles and UD series 1/2 sets). The 4 card shops in my area fill some of the gap so I figure an expo with a ton of LCS showing up should give me a lot more to choose from.
Interested in getting various views from people that have been there before. Thanks.
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04-13-2013, 08:43 PM #2
You will find a huge selection at Expo but mostly high end cards. Very few dealers bring base singles as most are travelling to get there. Definitely worth the trip just to look around and you never know what you will find. With over 900 tables there's usually something for everyone.
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04-13-2013, 09:01 PM #3
g-force pretty much summed it up. There will be thousands of patch and auto'd cards of all values along with every other type of card (vintage, jersey, inserts, parallels, etc). Many booths have cards on tables and in display cases while other booths have cards in binders, card boxes, or bins to search through. Plus there are athletes signing everyday who you will be able to see whether you pay for their autograph or not. I usually take my camera for when some of the big names are signing and take a few pictures when there is a clear view. This year Patrick Roy and many players from '93 Canadiens will be signing. Also if you like breaking boxes, each of the companies usually have some sort of program where you get a free card of some sort for breaking one of their newer products at their booth (check with them for details about the programs before buying).
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04-13-2013, 09:16 PM #4
I never missed this show when I lived in Toronto...thinking about flying there this year just to attend. It's simply the biggest and best card show in Canada.
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04-13-2013, 10:41 PM #5
I've been to it many times, it is hockey card heaven. You will find (almost) everything you could want there, you just have to take the time to look.
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04-13-2013, 11:11 PM #6
If you want to find those hard to find commons from the 90's, what you need to do is contact the sellers who have booths well in advance. Let them know that you will be at the expo and ask if they have card XXXX. You can get a listing of the attendees from the website and scrounge the internet for contact info.
Good example is GAme BReakers. They are from Ottawa and have a ton of singles and stuff, but they can't bring their whole store with them to Toronto. They pick and choose what they think will be the most likely to sell. If they know that they wil have a buyer for something in advance though, they will bring it.
GL & Cheers,
reoddai
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04-14-2013, 01:15 AM #7
I'm from Finland and I've been there three times. Not the easiest and cheapest trip, but well worth.
Harri
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04-17-2013, 10:00 PM #8
im from montreal and i went to the expo 2 times, its just amaziing, nothing like the montreal one, a lot of tables, tons of tables, tons of 1-2 dollars gu and auto binder, you can find a lot of high end cards but a lot of cheap gu, inserts and auto to fill your players pc or sets.
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04-17-2013, 10:05 PM #9
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04-18-2013, 09:29 AM #10
If you're a hockey collector, it's worth making the trip. There's a nice mix of everything, including a couple of guys who sell sets from the '70s and some extremely high-end stuff from a few different vendors. Even if you don't have anything in particular in mind, you're bound to find some things that will catch your interest.
You won't find much from other sports, but for hockey this is as good as it gets.
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