General Forum

I tried one today and it just felt weird. Have you ever been to a Casino in Vegas or maybe a Fair and there are crowds of people around that are sort of excited but only aware of where they want to be? I felt like I was in the middle of a feeding frenzy. Don't take this the wrong way, people are free to charge whatever they want to, but I looked at a 1985 Topps Kirby Puckett rookie card that a guy had $45 on (I paid $8 a few years ago), then I looked at a box of 1987 Topps Wax packs that another guy had $450 on and I knew that I paid just under $50 for one with shipping a couple of months ago and yet there were enough people crowding each of the tables that you would eventually get jostled. At each table there was one customer sitting in a chair fixated on the box of $1 or $5 cards flipping through them almost angrily.
It might make ME sound odd but I just couldn't shake this feeling that people weren't acting quite right. It made me wonder about those rumors that Casinos would pump in extra oxygen to give people more energy.
Let me just say that I grew up going to auctions and flea markets but this felt different. I ended up just walking out of there. I wasn't feeling a panic attack and I don't have a fear of crowds, I just had this feeling that people were a little too excited to be rational.
Some of you must attend these kind of events, ever felt this carnival like atmosphere or do I just sound nuts? It was probably just me.  

I can't wait to attend a show, but we have entered a time when people are looking for the next great thing/lottery ticket, not so much a collector looking to complete sets and their favorite teams/players. When I started, there was ONE rookie card.  Now there may be upwards of 100.  Makes no difference whether any big league time has been played.  Hype.  I won't even mention wax pack prices.  Cheers to the old school collectors!  You made the right move walking out. 

I'd have walked out too. The frenzy on cards over the past 2 years is completely unprecedented and I grew up in the 1980's when everyone wanted the newest cards no matter the cost. What has happened in our hobby lately has become completely ridiculous to me. I'll stick with what I have and just trade online to get cards I want or get the cards I don't want to the people that do want them.

Coin collecting is different. It's mostly people who care about flipping more than collecting because they genuinely love something. 

Those people are out there, but they are outnumbered. 

I only check the coin forum about once a month because of it. Only takes about a half hour to read all the good posts and parse through the flipper stuff.

I collect coins as well if not obvious. 

Need to expand this and publish. Good stuff. 

Crowds/Mobs do that....

Like Lemmings, they just follow along...

Inhibitions just go away...

Went to several gaming conventions 30 years ago....
Viewers screaming for a player to "do this or that", believing the player(s)

were not aware of something happening....

The 2 shows I go to, it seems the heavy majority flock to the "bling" tables. They are there to work deals or try to pawn off their latest pulls. Pelican cases in hand and everything. Hoards of people around the new "dime" boxes ($.50-1) of the newest rekeases tearing them up. Meanwhile I wander over to my vintage dealers and start pulling my discounted commons and semi-stars. Always avoid the tables of vintage with the inflated pricing. No, I'm not going to drop 2K on your gourgeous Ryan RC; you couldn't move that very same card 4 years ago when it was $600...

I've been to a few shows/conventions and I'll say it depends on the size of the show and the location.

Also definitely on multi-day shows/cons the second day is usually more laid back.

I noticed the bigger cons tend to have a flow as far as foot traffic crowd size that makes it feel rushed.

At smaller shows I had time to ask the vendors of the tables if they mind if I pull up a chair and flip through boxes.

I also tend to find better items or deals when you have time to chat, and the table runner gets to know what you're after.

I was digging through a box of non-sports stuff while chatting with the guy and I mentioned that I brought stuff with me to trade but it was so hectic I didn't wanna bring it in to the show. He said let's go take a look and we agreed upon an even trade about $300 both ways it was a great show.

When I went to 3 rivers comic con it was look at table move to next table look at table move to next table.

I was only there for about 2 hours before I felt like the big money was already spent before I got there.

I had more fun talking with other fans outside of the venue than inside the building itself.

In some venues....

When it comes to closing time, many vendors throw prices out the window,

so they don't have so much to tote home....

Does that happen with coin/card sellers.....

Smaller shows I've been to, no. I've heard about it from larger shows (National for example) though, especially in years gone by. How that plays out this last couple years, not sure. Too much insanity..

Though I'd be willing to try out the theory, thinking of heading to Toronto in November.