Two Card Shows In One Week?

 I know what you're thinking.

"Bert, can't be!"

Yes, you read the title right. The man that has attended probably less than a dozen card shows in the last decade has attended two in the span of six days!

This time I visited our neighbors to the east and took a drive up to Portland, Maine for a Friday night card show. I also took my wife and promised to take her out to eat after the show.

Now it's not very often you see a woman at a card show, not to mention an attractive woman, so after about five minutes she told me she was going to sit in the car and wait for me.

Apparently she has a much easier time getting a dealers attention than I do.

So while she was in the car reading a book, I picked out the following:

A bunch more 1978 Topps. I am going to have to break down and make a list because the memory thing is not working. Apparently I keep buying the same ones over and over again.

1979 Topps I have made a list for, so I'm (positive?) I don't have these.

I also picked up some 1975 Topps...

...as well as some 1976 Topps and Topps Traded.

I also picked up a few 75 minis...and I'm more than happy to send them to a certain blogger if he wants them.

I think I have all of these, so these will probably end up as trade bait.

I wasn't sure if I needed these, but they were extremely cheap. I love a bargain.

I also picked up some inserts to use for trades...

...as well as this Verlander. I'm sure somebody needs this.

I'm also putting together the 1991 Line Drive Minor League set, and this Ivan Rodriguez was needed.

Most of the dealers had dime and quarter boxes and I was pretty sure I didn't have this 1984 Topps Strikeout Leaders card, so I took a chance on it.

Same thing with the 1985 Topps Dwight Gooden rookie. I wasn't sure if I needed it or not (I did), but I couldn't pass it up for a quarter.

I also picked up a few of these 2-card packs of Post Cereal cards. I have a few of these already and was looking to add to my set.

Here's all six.

I also picked up a few auto/memorabilia cards to use for trading.

Ray Ordonez auto (Minor League)
Roberto Alomar Jersey (Mets)
Magglio Ordonez Bat (White Sox)
Rickie Weeks Jersey (Brewers)...although the jersey swatch is from a USA game.
Edgar Alfonzo Jersey (Mets)...although for some reason Robin Ventura is on the back (no jersey swatch though).
Kazuhiro Sasaki Jersey (Mariners)

 

Todd Helton Jersey (Rockies)

 

I ended up with quite a haul and it was definitely worth the drive up.

 

 

 

So now that you've seen everything I bought, how much do you think I paid for all of it?

 

The one who comes closest (and you can go over), will get some cards of your favorite team (so let me know with your guess) and I'll also check your want lists and see if I can help you out there too.

 

One final thing:

 

During the few minutes that my wife was at the show, she noticed a lot of the dealers were older (or at least they appeared older) than us, and most seemed to have brought either their wives or girlfriends with them.

 

"Is that going to be us when we get older?" she asked me, pointing to one of the couples behind a table.

 

I looked at her and said very meekly, "Probably."

 

"That's cool. I can deal with that." she told me.

 

Phew.