The sports spotlight that’s belonged mostly to baseball for the last three to four months is now shared by the young NFL season. The Philly Show is one of the first major hobby events to take place since the start of the regular season.
The first Eastern Pennsylvania Sports Collectors Club show in 1975 took place at Spring Garden College, and eventually became known by its current moniker, The Philly Show. Baseball cards dominated four decades ago, but collecting casts a wider net these days. The show is bigger, too, with over 500 tables sold for the September edition of the tri-annual show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.
Among the autograph guests at this year’s September event were a pair of former Eagles quarterbacks: Randall Cunningham and Ron Jaworski both signed for collectors on Saturday as did one-time Philly’s longtime NFC East rival Joe Theismann.
In the modern card market, dealers say it’s usually the Super Bowl champion quarterbacks they’re asked about most, with Patrick Mahomes at the top of the list and Tom Brady still popular as he moves into the broadcast booth.
The new Topps football card products tied to 2023–even without NFL licensing–are getting a look according to Scott Monize from LTD Sports Cards in New Bedford, MA.
“The hottest set right now is ‘23 Composite Football because of the CJ Stroud autographs,” he told SC Daily.
Despite a loss Sunday, the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year got off to a good start in his second year and he’s the first name on the minds of those who collect and deal in modern football cards.
Sunday’s games would bear witness to the up and down nature of young players still trying to establish their long-term credentials.
“People are looking for Stroud, (Anthony) Richardson and also looking for ‘24 product that’s unfortunately not out right now,” Monize said Saturday. “They’re looking for Caleb Williams.”
As a whole, the market for vintage remains robust–and more stable–regardless of sport.
“We’ve seen business as a whole pick up since the National but football’s just a portion of it. Baseball is still king,” said vintage card dealer Steve Gadziala of Champion Sports Cards & Collectibles in Waltham, MA.
“We’ve had some people coming up looking for older football like Bronko Nagurski. As far as the 60s stars go, no one’s really jumped out. It’s still Gayle Sayers, Dick Butkus, Joe Namath, those type of players.”
The three-day show included more than 500 tables.
The next show is set for Dec. 13-15.
-Jeremy Lee contributed to this story.
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