Buying trip to Tri-Star’s 34th Annual Houston Sports Collectors Show:
So you're telling me you’re giving me a reason to leave the freezing rain and snow at home in Buffalo to head to Houston for a weekend?? Yes, Please! After a quick layover in Chicago (where I got some killer breakfast tacos) I arrived in sunny, warm Houston.
Decided to start the show off fast and stopped by my buddy Phil’s booth who I met last year at the Nationals in Chicago. He usually has a good amount of autographs and items that we can use. So after spending about an hour with Phil, I walked away with just a “couple” of cards...
So, now that I got the show started off on the right foot I continued to make my rounds and bought a few more cards, before ending the day at the BlackJadedWolf booth. Stopped by there to see my friend Sharon, she always has a good amount of high valued basketball and baseball autos. So after buying a handful of cards, I stayed and watched as a customer ripped a box of 2019-20 Prizm on her live feed, which is always fun.
After a successful first night of buying I was ready for some dinner. One of the added bonuses of traveling to these shows is trying new places and new food. Something I would have never said about 5 years ago as I was deathly scared to try new foods and always ate like the same 5 things. So I went with an old coworker Rob, who now works for Fanatics, and tried a local chain spot called Hopdoddy Burger Bar. ( I found out they have locations in 7 states so not really local, but oh well) I left my comfort zone and tried the Buffalo Bill and tried my first bison burger. It was fantastic!
Saturday was another successful buying day. After mostly hitting familiar faces Friday since it was a shorter day, I definitely focused on hitting every table this day. One cool thing when you go to shows is you get to see a wide variety of cards of players from teams in those areas. Whether it be local sellers or people who have traveled in and focus on players of the local teams, you always see a wide variety of players in that market. That was once again true in Houston as I saw more DeShaun Watson cards, Houston Rockets, and Houston Astros (Please hold the Boos) than any other show. Saturday was great, as I bought cards from a number of dealers, many of which I have not met before. It’s always good to meet new dealers and create new relationships. Speaking of new relationships, I also was able to connect with Michael Vinokur from Pullwax. You may also know him from his other business Sneak Peek Luxury. Michael has begun to get heavily into cards. The excitement that he has for cards is contagious and it’s nice to see the genuine enthusiasm he has for the hobby.
Saturday night I wanted to find a bar to watch the UFC fights. I almost went to the fights as they were in Houston, but after a long day at work, I decided to pass. So I found a nice place with lots of TVs and a patio. In Buffalo, there are not many places you can sit out on a patio and watch the UFC fights, especially in February, so I jumped on this chance. I ordered some nachos and a beer and settled in for the fights. The card was very solid even before we got to the main event of Jones vs Reyes. So, I ordered another beer and some tacos and hunkered in for the main event. It was a great fight, though I think I disagree with the judges. I definitely thought Reyes won the first 3 rounds before Jones took over the last 2. So by my scoring Reyes should have won the fight 48-47. I guess we’ll have to wait for a rematch.
Sunday morning came early after staying up and watching the fights, but I was up and ready to tackle the last day. Sundays can be great days at a show. People are sometimes more motivated to sell cards because they don’t want to go home with them. With that being said, I probably had my best day Sunday. I was able to package cards together for several larger deals. I also probably picked up my favorite card of the trip, a Triple Threads Russell Wilson 1/1. Not only is it a 1/1 the patches were very nice.
After a successful 3 days on the show floor I decided to go catch a Houston Rockets game. Also part of the reason I didn’t go to UFC, decided it would be one or the other. Though I missed a great card, I was able to catch one heckuva (I’ve always wanted to use that word in something) basketball game. If you haven't seen the video, check out @hitparadecollection on instagram as there were two buzzer beaters. The first by the Rockets to go up by 2 with 1.6 seconds left, then Bogdanovic answered with a prayer for the Jazz for the win. It was a great way to end the trip.
Until next time…..Which in March will be fast and furious as I will be heading to Columbus, Chicago, Atlanta, Birmingham, and Raleigh.
-Tom
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