Wow. So many questions.
1 -- Dave seems to know my display well. I focus on items from $1 to up to $10,000 and up. My focus is on the 1880s to the 1980s. I probably have the largest display of Zeenuts cards from the 1910s to 1930s. They are all minor league baseball with many stars and superstars. I just picked up over 300 new Sweet Caporal P2 pins with over 80 hall of famers including 4 Cobbs and many rare ones. I have many sets including over 500 non sports sets from 1930s to 1980s, most earlier than later. I have many rare Topps test cards non sports and sports. Some perfect 10's. When I have a large show, I put up a very large display of empty display boxes and unopened wax boxes. I try my best to stand out, and I am often told, even at an 600 to 800 booth show like the National that I have the one of the best displays. My display will include vintage baseball (even a T205 set), vintage football, basketball, hockey, Golf, Tennis and Boxing. I have a selection of almost everything; As I said, I am one of the survivors from the 1970s, and I have also personally run over 300 baseball card and comic book shows. I have set up at thousands of shows over the years.
2 -- So what did I sell at the last Philly show? 6 empty original "expensive" display boxes including a Lost in Space, James Bond and Gilligans Island. I had a repeat customer who bought many Bread labels including 2 expensive James Bond bread labels and 10 to 15 others. I sold 2 rather expensive baseball cards, which I can't even remember which ones they were. While I don't truly focus on non sports from the 1880s, I did sell a number of such cards to one customer. I sold 10-20 cards from my non sports books, which I have 5 large books, and wrappers from my seven books of wrappers.
When I got home, there was already a message from a new show customer to buy 2 more expensive empty wax boxes, which he did.
I really can't remember what else.
3 -- At this National, I will be putting up a display of at least 8 showcases and the full display of Unopened and empty display boxes. At least 2 or 3 of my showcases will be fully NON Sports. I will also have 5 to 7 boxes of All Star, World Series, Super Bowl, NY Yankees, NY Mets, Brooklyn Dodgers, and NY Giants Programs and Yearbook. I have some very rare ones which are autographed such as the 1st Yankee yearbook, and MINT copies of the 1962 Mets Yearbook and Program, and the rare press guide, and every one of the Yankees and Mets yeqarbooks, Most Dodgers and many Giants.
4-- I also have a new addition to my display. After 40 years in business, I now have an alarm system that will be watching 360 degrees of my display. Once in a while, something disappears, so now I will be able to immediately determine who took an item by using my IPhone or IPad. When I thought I lost several big time items in the past year, I bought this system, but I have to admit that the items were both found eventually 6 to 9 months later. Still, it will protect me from such occurrences.
5 -- Yes, I will be selling all of my Wacky boxes for more than $1,000 each, but I already consider them inventory, so I am not in the least concerned if I take them home with me. I would like to sell some but again, if I don't -- such is life. I'll respond to any other questions later this week or next, as I am in the process of buying two to three more boxes and would prefer not to count them in until they arrive.
6 - I have two half page ads in the latest The Wrapper, issue #300, so you can get my e-mail and telephone and booth numbers at the A.C. show in those ads.
Happy hunting and sorry to elaborate, but I was primarily answering questions.
Steve Sabow