Michigan, Mt. Clemens November 24th-26th

[doniceage]

NOVEMBER 24-25-26th - MT. CLEMENS
MAIL ORDER & ADVANCE TICKETS CALL: 586-465-6440

NOVEMBER 24th
DAVE
ROZEMA MT. CLEMENS
Advance Tickets call:
1-586-465-6440

• Friday, November 24th Signing at MT CLEMENS 1:00pm - 3:00pm
• 1984 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION
• FREE AUTOGRAPHS AT THE SHOW
• Mail Order - ADD $5.00 TO ABOVE ITEM PRICING
  (plus shipping & handling)

NOVEMBER 24th
BILL
GADSBY MT. CLEMENS
Advance Tickets call:
1-586-465-6440

• Friday, November 24th Signing at MT CLEMENS 3:00pm - 5:00pm
• HOCKEY HALL OF FAMER
• $5.00 - Any Item
• Mail Order - ADD $5.00 TO ABOVE ITEM PRICING
  (plus shipping & handling)

NOVEMBER 25th
JUAN
BERENGUER MT. CLEMENS
Advance Tickets call:
1-586-465-6440

• Saturday, November 25th Signing at MT CLEMENS 1:00pm - 3:00pm
• 1984 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION
• $5.00 - Any Item
• Mail Order - ADD $5.00 TO ABOVE ITEM PRICING
  (plus shipping & handling)

NOVEMBER 26th
JUSTIN
VERLANDER MT. CLEMENS
Advance Tickets call:
1-586-465-6440

• Sunday, November 26th Signing at MT CLEMENS 3:00pm
• DETROIT TIGERS ROOKIE PHENOM
• $60.00 - Flat/Ball
• $70.00 - Other Items
• $10.00 - Each Inscription
• Mail Order - ADD $5.00 TO ABOVE ITEM PRICING
  (plus shipping & handling)

NOVEMBER 26th
JEAN
BELIVEAU MT. CLEMENS
Advance Tickets call:
1-586-465-6440

• Sunday, November 26th Signing at MT CLEMENS 12:00pm - 2:00pm
• HOCKEY HALL OF FAMER
• $20.00 - ANY ITEM
• Mail Order - ADD $5.00 TO ABOVE ITEM PRICING
  (plus shipping & handling)

[doniceage]

The Gibraltar shows have been one of the longest runnings shows that I can think of and makes Detroit area a haven for the hobby in my mind. So with that I marked this date ahead on my calendar for the year and planned on making a trip to see the Family during the Thanksigiving Holidays and then do the show. I done this for the last few years as I have to visit the family. On a yearly basis I set up at either the T-day show or Christmas in Taylor or Mt. Clemens depending on the show schedule.

So for the first time in my years of setting up Mt. Clemens fell into the rotation and I was going to set up there. I didn't know what to expect. I had heard various pro's and con's but as we all know you truly can't make a judgement til you experience something for yourself. With that I checked out the website and planned the trip accordingly.

Friday 24th, 2006

Wife and I wake up at 4:00 and are on the road by 5:00 arriving with little problems as I-75 was smooth sailing. So we pull into the Gibraltar trade center loading dock and plan to get ready to unload the truck. I load the dolly with all the inventory (chairs, cards, cases, etc.) so we will be set to get the table ready to go for showtime as I think it starts at 12:00. After getting back I checked the website and sure enough the hours are posted as

SHOW HOURS: FRI. 12:00-9:00, SAT. 10:00-8:00, SUN. 10:00-6:00

I get ready to roll my flat dolly cart into the trade center and am told that I that the general public has already been let in and I can not take anything but a hand dolly into the show area. That means several trips and more work as I tell the guard that the website time was posted incorrectly. I get little sympathy on that front so I head to the office to pay for the table. The wife waits for the hand dolly to come back from being loaned out.

I go to the office and give the lady my name and pay for my table. She gives me a layout of the show and shows me the tables that are available and to let her know which one I choose. Not being familiar with the show layout or the entrances I ask her for a copy of it and circle the available tables. With that I head back to the wife who is waiting at the loading dock. I throw fate to the wind and tell my wife to choose a table for our 3 days here as my guess or choice would be no better than hers and I truly just want to get set up as I am already a hour and a half behind at this point. The wife comes back and I make three trips with the handdolly to set up and have her let the lady know what table we chose. After about 20 minutes and little before 1 our table looks like this:







The table next to ours looks like this as you can see my case is at the end. This shows what a normal vendor set up look like as I am small potatoes.



The day goes smoothly and my friends start to roll in. Dennis Hatlas or a.k.a. Rene comes in from Canada and we talk for quite some time and do some trading. As he had brought me some Dafoe's, Ritcher's, and Beezer's, for DeOrc (Steve Robinson). We chat with usual as this is usually a once a year event for us and needless to say we been trading for almost 10 years now. Of course Dennis only frequents the Candaian Boards for his trading but I keep in contact with him via e-mail. He and I both love parallels mostly old compared to the new stuff which also helps our budget.

Another friend Mike (stang16041) that I have met over the last few years with Ian comes to the show also from Canada. He is home for the Thanksgiving Break and decides to stop by with his girlfriend to take a look at the show. Here is a picture of him and I as I like to put these on my website over the years (as this one will be on there soon). We work out a trade for two Nash's going his way and a Hemsky Triology Ice Script and a Kari auto coming my way.



Tjwharry (neptune) and his wife arrive and again we talked for quite a while. Another nice couple that we hope we have the pleasure of metting when we head to the NHL draft. Tis, another trading name I can put with a face and hopefully a new friendship down the line over time. As they stated they would be at the NHL Draft this year so perhaps we will run into them again.


So as the day progresses the autographer sign Dave Rozema and Bill Gadsby. I had my wife get two auto's of Bill on two sticks that I am keeping for my personal collection as of now. I will show those later in the post and will address why call it the GOOP ACCIDENT.

Saturday 25th, 2006

The wife and I leave my parents early to get up there before the market opens to the general public. So we set up and wait as today there will be only one signer Juan B. who will not be a big draw as the anticipated Sunday. So with that I just sit back and wait for the people to come that I know have stated they would.

Karl (belfan) and his wife and son come up to the table later in the day as I had ran into them at the other end of the show at another dealer I know Harry. Told Karl I would see him later and of course they arrive at the table. We talk for a while but another friend Rick (rwjduke) shows up and we begin to talk. Karl leaves as he left his tradebait out in the car and Rick and I talk for quite some time on things at the Expo's in Canada, Nationals, and many other events that have happened since we last saw each other.

Belfan and I posting for a pic with me on the left.



We spend a hour or so hashing out a trade for two Ed Belfours as you notice his Blackhawk jersey. I have had those cards for a while and today is the day that we work out a trade to help another friend of mine for some Roy's Karl happens to have plus two other nice pieces. Here is a picture of the cards.



Tom (googcapo) will be getting those plus a few other tidbits for Christmas as like Dennis we have been trading for quite some time and send packaages back and forth over the years. It quite the saying between our wives "how happy we get when we see a package bearing the name from one another." So Tom a shout out to you for all the years of great trading bro.

Sunday 26th, 2006

Now the day of the big singers come up Jean Beliveau (hall of famer) who played for the Hab's in his long career. He had a hundred or so in the line including my wife as again we arrived early to get tickets and have her in the front of the line. So with that she goes up and chats with the fan's in the line and mentions how Jean wore a suit and signed a beauty of a autograph when she comes to show me my stick's.

Here is a picture of that sticks with his two signatures as you can see what happened in the GOOP ACCIDENT.



Anyway as you can see the autographs from Bill and Jean are premo. If you take a look at the one stick you will see a signature started in Silver Sharpie and then has a GOOP of ink as the pen broke while he was writing. My wife said he was worried about getting the ink on Gordie Signature as he signed below that. So as for both guys I have to say Class Acts all around. Here is a picture of Jean B. signing on the stage.



I also have a picture of Justin Verlander as he had the most people signing up but there was much griping as he was charging $60 dollars for a ball or flat. $70 for anything else and a extra $10 to make it a whooping $80 if you wanted a Inscription. Lets just say the dealers were saying if you spend that much money on a graph that definitely takes a chuck of the dollars for them on a spending level from the customers.



So with the last signings I was over all happy with the show as there were a few good buys that I will post in the Hockey forum's as tradeabit and show and tell. A few good sales but the main thing talking to the guys and gals I see on a yearly basis and just catching up on the hobby in general. Needless to say the human interaction on the boards just let us keep in contact on a more frequent level. But there is nothing like in person trades, meeting in the flesh, flurry of card trading, good stories, and new friendships born at every corner.

I just like to shout out at David and his Brother that sat up across from us who made the weekend bearable, Rick who spent some time showing me some great cards, Ed Norton for a few great deals and chats thru out the show, Tim for a few deals and heads up on some buys to be made, Harry for chatting with ya as usual and hoping to see ya down in TN when ya come closer for, and all the others guys and gals that I met and hope to meet again in the future. Thanks for the great time and I hope you all have a great New Year as well as I hope to.

p.s. Last but not least I wanted to share with some of you hockey folks the prices of boxes at the show. As I always try to let ya know this is one of the best places for that. I think these prices bear that out also as they compete with most of the big time stores. One thing is no shipping and no possible damage. A few dealers can compete with these prices but for the most they are even and when shipping is added it pushed their boxes over the hump.


06/07 Fleer Ultra $50
06/07 Artifacts $85
06/07 Flair Showcase $65
06/07 Fleer $40
05/06 Black Diamond $150
05/06 Parkhurst Hobby $35
05/06 Sp Authentic $79
04/05 Pacific $35
03/04 Supreme $39
02/03 Parkhurst $30

HOT PROSPECTS they had as low as $53 a box for a good value on your dollar for those that hit the auto patch out of 1 in 2 boxes (average).

DON

[PUCKFRMCALI]

Don That Show Always Kick's ™™™™™

[mikesilvia]

Outstanding article!

I have not been to a card sow in so long! Now that they have moved the Hawaii Trade Show to Florida I won't get to one anytime soon!

Mike

[tmgrnzx9r]

Great read Don. I wish I knew you were going to ber there that weekend, as we have chatted before about the show as I live close to it. Me and stc member ttyler516 were there on Saturday. Im sure I passed you by as we walked the whole show. Maybe next year!!!

[P-NUT-BUTR]

Looks great as always. Beliveau would have been a good one to get an auto from. When Mike and I set up at Mt.Clemens Guy Lafleur missed his flight and I was chomping at the bit to get his auto (helmet).

Taylor and Mt.Clemens have been the only card shows where a fight broke out over cards. Thats awesome and sad when it's at the quarter tables ?????

[doniceage]

Ian,

Yeah but at least ya know someone is truly into cards when the fight breaks out. The problem is it usually between adults as the kids are far and few between in the hobby as far as percentages go. You see kids but mostly it the adults doing the business.

tmgrnzx9r
Would have loved to meet you and Ttyler516 as I love trading with people in person and just chatting. Well, hopefully you keep a eye on the events int the future as I will be up there in the next year sometime. Might be Mt. Clemenes or could be Taylor as I will do anyone in a heart beat.

I have met so many people over the years and just love talking the hobby in general. Some are big cog's in the industry on the local level while most are just like me and love the hobby for what it is A HOBBY!!!

p.s. I hope to get a list of all people from Michigan and holler in the future about shows such as this. SO if STC members ever do a show will try to get a notice out who and where it will be for that particular state so people can prepare.

DON




p.s. Would have been a good video hosting on YOU TUBES and used as a INSTRUCTION TUTORIAL (HOW NOT TO ACT AT A CARDSHOW)!!

[Neptune]

That show was fun! It was cool meeting you guys, and Janelle really enjoyed it as well.

I didn't see much for my personal collection at all, and I was disappointed at the lack of wax there. I guess I always picture the dealers there as having as much as they had in 1999 when I would go. These days, they are pickier about what they sell.

Do you still have that Suchy patch?

[Belfan]

Hey Don, It was good to see you again, and adding to my Belfour collection... I'll enjoy them for years to come...

Already looking forward to you next trip up here!

[doniceage]

Neptune,
I still have that patch and wil pm ya about it.


Belfan,
Ya know I always like meeting ya and whenever I have a chance to pick up a BELFOUR it always has your name written on it.


Look forward to meeting you two guys again as always.

D
O
N