The Top 10 Critical Things You Need When Selling at a Baseball Card Show; The Essential Guide

Hi Folks,

   I hope everyone is having a fantastic week, and for baseball fans, I hope that your favorite team is where you want them to be, EXCEPT if they are in the same division as my New York Mets! Is there any more hair to pull out of this head of mine? Let's not go down that ugly road. It's so ugly, we'll call it fugly (umm, RTFM, lol!)

   I don't know about you, but I still get those first date jitters the night before selling at a card show. The thought of all of the people, and seeing some great friends and talking sports and cashing out a little, all shares the same headspace with the thought of all of those hours and being cut off from anything outside of my little table-zone. And then the stomach rumbling starts just from the thought of hunger!

   So, in order to combat this psychosis of mine, I made a list of the top 10 things you need to have in place and with you when selling at a Baseball Card show (or Sports card show of any kind, Coin shows, or even Comic Book Shows). These items are not listed in any particular order, with each one being quite an important part of a successful day at the show, but they fall into 4 categories: Technology, Human Beings, Goods, and Last Minute.

Technology:
1.   Internet Access; The worst thing you can do is find yourself at a card show and you have no pants on. The next worst thing is to find yourself at a card show with no access to your online price guides, eBay, your website, your home network, etc. Bad move. Make sure and verify that the venue has Internet access or WiFi. If not, I'll present an idea shortly in another item in this list. If they do have access, make sure you have all of your passwords, as well as your tablet, smart phone, laptop, and ALL power cables and chargers. Again; ALL power cables and chargers. Hint: Bring an extension cord in case the outlet locations are not convenient.

2.   Security; Look, for the most part, people are honest. But the few bad apples out there really screw things up for everyone else. Of course, you should cover the front of your table with an overlapping thick tablecloth, with your boxes weighting the edges of it down to avoid anyone from sticking their hands in for freebies. Your table should be set up with the high risk of theft items in the middle. I learned my lesson years ago when I had a 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly Rookie stolen right off my table. It was so busy at the show that I never even realized until re-inventorying that evening. That was pre-tech age, and now I suggest, if you have a little bit of tech savvy in you, to pick up a mini PC USB Camera that you can have record to your laptop or tablet, with ample hard drive space. At least you'll have footage to show to the venue and the police. Hint: Stay alert and stay present in the moment! Watch out for "distracters".....they usually come in pairs and one asks you nonsense question after question, while his accomplice swipes things from your table or underneath when your attention is being overloaded.

Human Beings:
3.   Never underestimate the power of having good table neighbor's when it comes time for that bathroom run. I suggest if you have friends who are vendors, make sure you have your tables all together in one spot so you can all repay the favor. I don't want to hear you had no friends, so you just brought an empty whiskey jug. Weirdo! If you don't have friends, make some with your new table neighbors and gauge your level of trust with them. Chances are, they'll approach you first for the favor!! The power of friends can also help with the WiFi issue, as you can invest in a WiFi Signal booster, have a chat with the Venue Security, and plug it in closer to the WiFi location, ideally half-way between you and the WiFi Source. Then, you guys will be online in no time. Hint: If you do this, please don't put up a sign that says, "Vendor Web Access, $39.95 one-time fee". It's enterprising and straight-up honest hustling, but just not cool to do! I'm such a tech-geek!

4.  You need a "Runner"; Check the availability of a "runner", such as your teenage kid, wife, husband, uncle's brother’s nephew's roommate, anyone who can run over that 1971 Seaver you have someone ready to give you 5x book value for. Anyone at all. Do you have a pet seal? Pay him with fresh fish after the show. Seriously, I've been stranded before. Plan ahead.

Goods:
5.   One Binder full of cards of the player or players signing autographs that day. Their popularity spikes on those days, and even mediocre players rise to superstars the day they sign autographs. You will sell a lot of these; Every one either needs one for signing, or wants to have one to be a part of the action.

6.   A notebook to track everything you sell. Just as I described earlier, it gets crazy, and sometimes you have 5-7 people looking at your cards, while 3 others are trying to hand you money. Remember I mentioned to stay alert? This will help you truly weigh out your Gross Sales, and also, it will help you document where each card went vs. wondering where it went.

7.   Top Loaders/Penny Sleeves/Bags/Business cards; Customer Service is key. I always say their 1st purchase is not the most important, but their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on. Build a relationship in a field we all love. Rules of thumb; Every card they buy under $10 gets a sleeve. Every card over $10 gets a Sleeve and a Top Loader. Sleeves are a penny each, Top Loaders are 30c a piece. It's a worthy investment. On multiple card purchases, offer them a bag. And every single person that buys from you or stops to look at your cards gets one of your business cards!

Last Minute Essentials:
8.   Change or Cash for Parking, etc; Scout out the venue and see if the parking is free, if there are meters, a garage, etc. Can you pay via Credit card or Cash? Do you pay for your table on show day? Make sure you have your credit cards you use for Shows and Cash +10, which I call Cash + 10% extra (If you need $100, bring $110).

9.   Snacks and Water; Trying to talk to someone while your stomach is grumbling is tough and even embarrassing, but even more importantly, it leaves you talking without any nutrition in you, and that can lead to "dumb-mouth". It sounds funny, but it can compromise your virtue; You might give an incorrect price or forget something. If I don't eat, my blood sugar tanks, and I kind of wander around until I realize, "Oh yeah, I skipped breakfast and now it's 3PM". Not a good image to set around your peers or potential customers. So I suggest that you bring with you enough snacks and water with you to hold you over during the show. Proteins like nuts and sugars like chocolate will suffice, or even better, pack some nice mini sandwiches you can chomp fast. This isn't a culinary dining experience. Also, it will get hot when the room is loaded with people, so hydrate yourself by drinking plenty of water. Of course, you will have your group of table buddies we discussed earlier, but bringing snacks and water with you keeps you behind the table, and the less you have to leave the fort, the more sales you can make.

10. Hygiene: Nobody else will stand up and say this, but I've been at shows with sweaty vendors that needed to refresh. Folks, these places get crowded and very hot. for the sake of all things holy, use underarm deodorant, and it's fine to wear a hat, but there is nothing wrong with using some hair gel and styling it up. Remember, brush those fangs nice and white, because you want to flash those pearly whites a lot.

   One bonus piece of advice is confidence. Bring it. Nobody put a gun to your head to sell at the show. You chose this! It's your hobby, your business, and you know it backwards and forward. Be an authority, and make some friends and remember that the folks across the table from you are there for some of the same reasons. We have our own lingo and swagger, and think of it as a huge club meeting of like-minded folks.

   Please look for my Essential Guide with the top items needed when you're attending a card show, which is planned for in a future post.


Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

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The 'Conforto Factor' Jumpstarts Investment in Baseball Cards

Hi friends,
    I hope you're all having a great week so far. Lots of exciting things happening in so many sports that I have whiplash from all of the channels and TVs I've got going!

   In terms of MLB, Trevor Story, is of course, the captivating story of the moment, but ever the die -hard Mets fan, I recall former 80's Met Danny Heep, a virtual blip on the radar unless you are from New York (or Houston), when he took a .400 batting average into late April, early May, before fading back into the shadows.

   Now, the 'Conforto Factor', which I named after Michael Conforto, is what I really want to tell you about. Conforto, a very young rookie with the Mets, joins a cast of young players, including fire-baller Noah Syndergaard, who we'll refer to as "NS" for sake of making too many typos. NS is on fire, and my prediction is that a no-hitter is imminent for him....this season.

   However, there is one factor that simply awes me, and it is not the power and consistency that we want in our hitters, both of which Conforto has. It is the "no fear" mentality with eyes always open watching and observing. Mike Trout has this. Bryce Harper has it. Going further back, Tony Gwynn certainly had it as well. It's almost as if an older, wiser soul resides within him. Pull up some of his at-bats online. How can he take pitches like that and know they are not strikes? He's a tough out, and he makes each pitcher earn their pay. Let me be clear. He's 23. What 23 year old has an eye like that?

   Last Fall, with the Mets down to their final out in the World Series, the pinnacle of pressure in Sports, Conforto was up at bat. The first thought is hostile crowd, huge pressure, rookie.....equals strikeout. Nope! Conforto hits a single, and extends the game one more batter before the ugly ending. But the point here is, folks, this kid has got it. When you can have that kind of cool, calm, collected mentality, along with hitting home runs with exit velocity readings of 115-118 mph off of his bat, you've got a winner.

                                               A Shout Out to MLB.com for this image!

   Taking all of this into account with the Media spotlight in NY, the World Series run the Mets will be making again this year, I have started investing a lot in Conforto rookies, whether they are Chrome or Base Set cards. So, for the many folks that have been E-mailing me on our site, www.CardboardandCoins.com to ask me, I just cannot part with any Conforto cards just yet! It's that darn 'Conforto Factor'! Funny thing, I am not alone in this, as I spoke to 2 friends that are industry "heavies" and they are doing the same exact thing. The "factor" is real!

   I have been putting plenty of Mike Trout cards up on the site, and you might want to check back as we are constantly adding more inventory with over 200,000 cards in stock.

   Who are you investing in? Which young players show you the most potential. I'd love to hear!

Regards,
Rob Eisenstein, President CardboardandCoins.com
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
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That includes all Major Sports, as well as Comics and Pokemon Cards
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#Conforto @mconforto8 #mets #Syndergaard #baseballcards #cardboardandcoins #mlb

OK, I Admit it; I Really, Really Love Baseball Cards

Hi Folks,
 
   OK, I have to admit it; I love baseball cards. I have placed myself in just such a way that I am over my head with stacks of cards that I've been buying nonstop. I'm not talking junk either. I am talking 84 Topps Traded Set, and 12 pounds (yes, 12 pounds) of card assortments.

   If I only spent more of that time listing cards on the site, you'd have even more variety and I'd have more room. Somebody stop me, please !!!

A few of our latest additions:

1972 Topps Pete Rose In Action, Graded an 8

2015 Topps Heritage Mike Trout Short Print (SP)

1966 Topps Joe Morgan

Remember:, that's just a small taste of things to come. Check the site daily!

   The list goes on and on, including a slew of new Kris Bryant cards.
Check it out and help me clear some space by visiting CardboardandCoins.com

Also, note that the Long Island National @ Hofstra is coming up on 4/16 & 4/17. The show is run by JP's Sports & Rock Solid Promotions. Every show get's better than the one before, and that is due to a group of guys that dedicate their hearts and souls to this. I've seen time and again how they remind us that it's all about the kids. Great example of good folks in our industry, and the name "Rock Solid" fit's them just right ! Check out more info on them and their shows at www.nyshows.org

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
That includes all Major Sports, as well as Comics and Pokemon Cards
All US Shipping is FREE, Always
....and there is NO Minimum Order Size!!
www.CardboardandCoins.com

Everything seems to be Mike Trout lately; Don't forget Bryce Harper!

Hi folks,
   Mike Trout here. Just kidding!
   Or am I?

   Every generation in baseball has that one player who stands out leaps and bounds above the rest. When I say this, I mean not only because of their ferocious swing, lightning fast speed, or their ability to wrap it all together with a friendly smile and confidently happy laugh. I don't have to tell you about a personal favorite during the last phase of this evolution, but I should mention his name; Ken Griffey Jr. Always smiling, happy to be alive, present in the moment realizing that he is in the midst of living "The Dream", and knowing his age and not taking one single moment of it for granted. Close seconds for this honor were both Mike Piazza, and being the Anti-Yankee, I still need to be impartial here and say Derek Jeter. Strong, Silent leaders, both team captains with a warm-hearted smile and both mentally present in living their dreams. Not to mention, some pretty fast-moving Rookie Cards!

   Now, back then, Griffey was spread all over the place, aside from multiple types of cards, from mainstream to the rare type, he was just the smiling face of baseball. A big kid. Now, granted that the Internet was growing during Griffey's reign on the diamond, it cannot even compare to the internet saturation of today.

   Enter Mike Trout.

   With the country very pleased seeing Piazza and Griffey voted into the Hall, and with an eye towards Jeter's turn at the Hall in a few years, American media and fans have scoured the playing fields, and they've found their man....the new smiling face of baseball.

   So now, with the way the world is interwoven like a huge quilt, Mike Trout is everywhere. Being in a good mood one morning, I think I heard someone say, "Hey, check out the Mike Trout smile on that dude over there". I went to the doctor with a cold and the doctor asked me, "I guess you don't feel so Mike Trout today, I'm guessing". Really? Or how about the new puzzle for the ages; who would win in a fight, Mike Trout or Paul Bunyan. Here is my answer....Babe's Blue Ox.

   Now, don't get me wrong. I respect what Trout has done. It is immense. When you can hit close to .300 and 41 Hr's and it's considered a close to average year for you, that's abnormally good. And being young at heart, I think he is taking in every moment of this and living it now!! That takes good upbringing and a sharp head on your shoulders. The fact that he's a New Jersey fist-pumper instead of a New York guido, well, ok, he's got one strike against him! Seriously, a cool guy from what I can see in terms of mutual respect he shows reporters and the fans and folks around him. Trout is the real deal, he's here to stay, and he is destined for the Hall of Fame, absolutely!!

   Now, not running too far behind him is one of the coolest guys to hit the diamond, Bryce Harper. Ok, now let me be straight up and honest here; I was not the biggest fan of Bryce Harper just because he was just another guy hitting 30 home runs and batting in the middish 200's...basically, a batter that you can pull out of anywhere in the world. Not such a big deal when you need him to come up with a key hit, and he's a 1-for-4 kinda guy.

   However, after seeing Harper's consistent performance in 2015, from the beginning all the way through to the end, I have to make a few observations here, but let me stand up and say this; Bryce Harper you really are impressive! When you can walk off that field at the end of 2014 and you come back the following season hitting almost 60 points higher, all season long, you are truly a remarkable hitter. Now here is my observation which is that from the end of 2014 up until the 2015 season, Harper must have devoted 5 - 6 hours every single day in the cage hitting, hitting, hitting, and honing his eye for Balls and Strikes, so now when he's at the plate he sees a huge red beach-ball coming down the pipe instead of a tiny baseball. Now, without stating his name here (Umm, Papelbon, CEO of TEACH-ME-TO-MIND-MY-OWN-BUSINESS Inc), I and many others can see clearly how sitting out that one game gave Gordon and Arenado the opportunity to lift their average and season HR totals, respectively. Nonetheless, you rock, bro, and the word "Triple Crown" looms ahead for you.! One last note on Harper; he stated during the Post-Season that he's glad the Met's won (the Division, Pennant) because we faced the Nationals fair and square each time, and that is the mark of a true gentleman, for being mature enough to see past the friendly rivalry, and to see the bigger picture at then end of the season.

   So, miles of smiles from Trout and Harper, but Trout smiles more, thus the spread of Trout-mania. Let's just stop for a moment and think about the lives that Bryce Harper and Mike Trout lead, and let's stand back and realize just how amazing this is at their age.

    By the way, when folks start using Mike Trout in place of saying "Top Dog" or"King of the Hill", please remember this post!

   As a shout out to Mike Trout and the previous smiling icon of baseball, Ken Griffey Jr., here are some of our newest offerings of these players:


2012 Topps #446 Mike Trout "Rookie Card", NM-MT


2015 Topps Update # US227 Mike Trout, PACK FRESH, NM-MT+


2013 Topps Heritage Mike Trout 430a SP SHORT VARIATION LOW POP HIGH # ANGELS


1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD RC #1 HOF MVP Grade 8.5 NM-MT+


1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD Grade 10 GEM MINT RC # 548 HOF MVP


1990 Bowman #481 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 8.5 NM-Mt


1999 Finest #200 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 10 "GEM MINT"


Remember:, that's just a small taste of things to come. Check back here daily!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

TAGS: #Cardboardncoins #MikeTrout #BryceHarper #baseballcard #rookie #griffey #jeter

CardboardandCoins, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Baseball card, Rookie, Griffey, Jeter

Where Are the CARDS on CardboardandCoins.com?

Hi Folks,
   It's been some time since I touched base, and I just received a question from one of my direct buyers who filled out the contact form and said, "Hey, Rob....something is missing from your site. Like Cards?". Oh yeah, that.

   Well, I can blame this one and that one and the dog and everyone else, but the latency falls on my shoulders with that. Now, don't get me wrong, we have 80+ products posted, covering baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, coins, Pokemon Cards, and Comic Books, but this batch was only the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

  Now here follows my excuse, which again, falls on me; Getting items listed on the website is one of the most massive undertakings I've had to work through. Between preparing the scans, getting the grading done by the entire grading team and then creating the Ads...this all takes time. When you add in someone who is a "petty perfectionist" (me), you are looking at an hour per Ad. Yes, I know, not normal. I am now working with templates and csv files to expedite things and I'm putting a lot of faith in finding the right solution or combination, So, please bear with us as it may take some time but you will see more and more quality products that you look for and expect to find in your favorite shops.

What are some of the hottest items that just got listed?:

1) 2012 Topps Update US144 Mike Trout RARE Gold Border Parallel, Grade 9.8 MINT+

2) 2010 Topps #148 Rob Gronkowski Rookie Card, Patriots Legendary TE, Grade 9.8 MINT+

3) MEGA VENUSAUR EX 2/146 ~ HOT! ULTRA RARE HOLO EX Pokemon XY Base Set


Again, that's just a small batch and a taste of things to come.

Stick around, really, you're gonna like it here!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com
From Wheat Cents to Baseball Cards, and Beyond!
http://www.cardboardandcoins.com


TAGS: #Cardboardncoins #MikeTrout #Gronkowski #baseballcard #topps #pokemon #venusaur #holo #rare