What is the most anticipated and most aggravating countdown? To many people, it's these words: Only __ shopping days 'til Christmas. Here in the DFW area where we still have not even come close to a freeze yet and have barely dipped into the high 40s, sometimes the holiday season seems miles away. Other times, such as when I'm doing my usual walk at a local mall and hear … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Putting the Hobby in the Holidays
Rich Klein's Ramblings
Ramblings: Tips for First Time Show Dealers
Our upcoming show is going to be the biggest show we will ever have at the Southfork Hotel as we are also the final event to be at the hotel before the sale becomes official and we move up the street to the Comfort Inn and Suites. What that has meant is we will have many vendors who have never set up at one of our shows before and even some who’ve never done a show period. … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Tips for First Time Show Dealers
Ramblings: Recalling the Show Vibe of 25 Years Ago
1990 doesn’t sound like ancient history if you were a working adult back then but I guess it’s time to face facts and admit that it was 25 years ago. I was recently asked to compare what card shows were like in 1990, compared to today. The hobby itself has gone through a huge transformation since then but has continued to move forward. While it’s not likely we'll see sports … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Recalling the Show Vibe of 25 Years Ago
Ramblings: Garfield Show Still a Hobby Favorite
Recently an old North Jersey collecting comrade of mine, Mark Marinello, invited me to join a Facebook page featuring a group of collectors who frequently meet up at the twice monthly Garfield, New Jersey shows run by Gary Sipos at the local Boy’s and Girl's Club. There were several aspects which truly struck me as wonderful even though it has now been a quarter century since … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Garfield Show Still a Hobby Favorite
Ramblings: Show Promotion Always a Learning Experience
Earl Weaver’s autobiography was titled "It’s What You Learn After You Know it All That Counts". Well, I never say I know it all and the fact is despite being active in the hobby for a really long time, I'm still learning truths-- real and imagined-- about running card shows. This weekend was no exception and some of the lessons are useful to know for both our readers and as … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Show Promotion Always a Learning Experience
Ramblings: Collecting Athletes as Entertainers
When I first started at Beckett many years ago one of our pet phrases (which drove many people crazy) was the term: "Topical Subset". That meant, instead of working on completing sets or player collections, one went after a thematic grouping of cards. That could be as simple as finding cards of players who share your birthday (Joe Montana, Jose Reyes and Dave Cash are among the … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Collecting Athletes as Entertainers
Ramblings: To Deal or Not to Deal
Recently there was a terrific thread on a message board asking if it is still possible to be a part-time dealer in today's hobby. The short answer is, of course it is possible and in fact is in some ways very easy. The more nuanced answer is, what are your intentions? I have been a part-time dealer (and a full-time dealer way back in the day) and it was never that hard for me. … [Read more...] about Ramblings: To Deal or Not to Deal
Ramblings: Bulk Selling Follow-Up
We received quite a few responses to last week’s column about the man with a massive supply of monster boxes full of cards, sorted by player. He was looking for the best way to unload them. Most were along the same lines: eBay is probably best if you want to move a lot of cards quickly…but take what you can get. I sent some of the replies to him and here was his … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Bulk Selling Follow-Up
Ramblings: Pondering Methods for Selling in Bulk
Recently, I was chatting with an old friend of mine who has way too many cards. Let's just say the amount of cards he owns could full my house, which of course would cause a lot of consternation with my wife and mother-in-law. But, like many of us, he does not want to retail each card on a one by one basis but would rather move bulk. So he has spent a ton of time putting the … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Pondering Methods for Selling in Bulk
Ramblings: Remembering The Fridge 30 Years Later
While watching a YouTube video of the 1987 Chicago Bears replacement players during the lengthy strike that took place that season (current Saints coach Sean Payton was one of them), my mind worked back to a much different season that had played out just two years earlier. I then realized it’s the 30th anniversary of the “Year of the Fridge”. Just about this time of year in … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Remembering The Fridge 30 Years Later