Sports Card Dealers
Wisconsin card show becomes big hit thanks to Salvation Army
A lifelong collector who set up and sold cards at shows in the Chicago area as a high school student in the 1980s, Tony Gordon moved into the show promotor role in September 2014.
His first show, in a hotel ballroom near Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, had 12 dealer tables for, oh, five fellow dealers and about 20 or 30 customers.
“It was tough in the early years. I had a tough time getting dealers, a tough time getting customers,” said Gordon, 56, who lives in Lincolnshire, Ill.
His small, regional, monthly card show hit rock-bottom in June 2005: the show drew five customers.
“I thought about [retiring as a show promotor], but then I got angry and really wanted to make it work,” said Gordon, who quickly adopted the Bill Veeck attitude.
Gordon went with stunts to draw a crowd, and the one that immediately worked was, “Free Food.”
He first gave free donuts to customers and dealers. He even made posters for the show and hyped “FREE DONUTS.”
Then he expanded his offerings in his Veeck-drive to further expand his shows. He offered free coffee, sandwiches and cupcakes.
“The [free] food brought in customers and dealers; it was amazing,” Gordon said.
But then the Clarion Hotel where he had been holding his shows was sold to the Marriott Corporation. “And Marriott didn’t like that I was giving away all of this free food, including free pizza for my anniversary shows in September,” he said.
Marriott wanted Gordon to buy food through them — for considerably more money. Gordon wasn’t interested and simply switched to free packs of cards for attendees — and it included some high-end then-new releases.
“They loved it and people were pulling terrific cards, including autographed rookie cards, cards numbered to 25, etc.,” he said. “The free packs brought a buzz, and the shows steadily grew.”
Show Calendar: Find a card show near you
But after four years at the hotel, “Marriott kicked me out because they wanted more money,” he said.
Ironically, at times when he drove home from the hotel show, he’d travel down South Howell Street — and that’s when he noticed the Salvation Army Community Center in Oak Creek, Wisc. Gordon called, pitched the Salvation Army to host his monthly card show, held on the first Saturday of every month, and they were immediately excited.
“They became a partner, instead of an enemy like the Marriott. We’ve built this together,” Gordon said.
On March 4, the Sports Card Show — as basic as that sounds — delivered an amazing, eye-popping experience. The show opened at 9 a.m., and collectors were there on que, ready to buy their favorite collectibles.
There were kids. Yes, lots of kids at this show. Many, of course, walking around carrying those ever-common, card-holding briefcases.
There were adults, men and women. Sure, there were more men, but there were female collectors aplenty.
There were vintage dealers, many of them. There were dealers selling modern, unopened hobby boxes. Dealers selling Pokémon items. There were a large number of dealers focused on autographs — be it signed jerseys, baseballs, footballs, helmets, mini-helmets, baseballs, game-used memorabilia, etc.
There were 130 dealers, filling 180 tables — and at least 970 collectors. Dealers were selling in five separate areas of the Salvation Army Community Center, including the hallways and the chapel.
This was Gordon’s best-attended show.
“It was a great show,” he said. “We’ve been growing steadily. Word is getting out.”
Every Gordon show brings new dealers, and the dealers all help with word-of-mouth promotion, he said.
“Most shows, I get some dealers who complain that their sales weren’t very good. But I didn’t get one complaint [after the March show], which was really nice to hear,” Gordon said. “Pokémon sales are still through the roof. A lot of the Pokémon dealers were bragging how well they did.
“We started in one room at the Salvation Army with 40 dealer tables. Now we’re at 180 tables and about 1,000 customers. It’s been phenomenal growth.”
The Salvation Army also has a host of volunteers working at the show. They man a concession stand, which multiple dealers praised, including the homemade sloppy joe sandwiches. Funds from concession stand sales and the $1 admission donation is all for the Salvation Army.
“It’s been really busy the past couple of years. These are the best shows, the best in the state,” said dealer Scott Prodzinski, 52, of Oak Creek, Wisc., who has been a collector since he was 10, and has sold his wide-ranging cards at every Gordon-run show over the past 10 years. “There’s everything here, from vintage cards to graded cards to rookie cards to autographed items to Pokémon, YuGiOh!, Magic: The Gathering to Star Wars, and more.
“If you can’t find it here, I don’t know where you’re going to find it. This is probably one of the biggest state shows not put on by a prominent [show promotor], such as Tristar Productions, or with a big backer, such as PSA or Beckett, anywhere in the country.”
Prodzinski said one of his fondest memories at a Gordon-run show was finding a card of former Washington State University quarterback Anthony Gordon. Prodzinski bought it — and every one he has seen since that first card — and gives them all to Gordon the show promotor.
Prodzinski sells cards from all sports and everything from $1 cards on up. He also trades. At the March show, for instance, he showed an Aaron Rodgers autographed card, numbered 4/5, from the 2017 Panini Immaculate Collection set that he acquired in a trade. He was selling the Rodgers card for $600.
Gordon’s shows are card-heavy, not autograph-heavy, as seems to be the case at most larger shows. Showcases on table after table are filled with cards. Countless baseball and football cards. A decent amount of basketball cards and a spattering of hockey cards.
Gordon’s shows rarely have autograph guests, though former major leaguers Don August and Bill Sharp have both signed at past shows, among others.
“I think I have more kids attending than most shows, and they are very knowledgeable on the hobby. Many are great negotiators, too,” Gordon said.
Gordon, who primarily collects and sells vintage cards, said his major purchase at the March show was a 1963 Topps Tony Oliva rookie card (No. 228), “which I’m pretty happy about,” he said.
At one of his shows last year, he purchased a near-complete 1951 Bowman Baseball set. “That might have been my best buy, ever,” he said.
Many customers came to the March show with their checklists of needed cards, a flashback to the 1980s when collectors traveled with a notebook with the card numbers they needed to complete a set. Gordon attended many of those shows decades ago at the Hillside Holiday Inn in Illinois and venues near Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
“You’d be amazed at the [collectibles] that walk into the show,” Gordon said.
At the March show, for instance, a collector traveled from Minnesota with Old Judge cards from the 1800s that he was trying to sell, along with a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card.
Dealers mostly travel to Gordon’s shows from nearby states, including Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa. Some customers travel five hours to attend. Dealers only pay $30 per table.
“I want anyone and everyone to set up, including kids and retirees,” Gordon said. “Most dealers make a lot of money [at these shows]. In fact, a couple of years ago, I had a dealer brag to me that he made $20,000 at the show.
“My goal is, everyone who walks in the door, dealers and customers, has a good time and they talk about the show once they leave,” Gordon said. “I hope they brag about their experiences, what they bought or what they sold. I’m trying to create good memories, particularly for kids.”
Here’s a look at some of the collectibles available at the Sports Card Show:
• Mini shot glasses with NFL team logos: $1
• Green Bay Packer lanyards: $1
• Embroidered patches, numerous teams: $4
• Tom Brady Leaf rookie card in his University of Michigan uniform: $125.
• 1990 Classic card of Hulk Hogan: $2
• Pentagon Jr. autographed Upper Deck AEW card: $50
• WWE Kane autographed card: $50
• Jeff Hardy autographed TNA/Tristar card: $50
• A dealer selling autographed wrestling cards said, “I got them signed myself, have pictures of them signing [the cards].”
• 1990 IHRA Drag Race 100-car set: $18
• Mickey & Willie book: $5
• 2014 Panini Prizm Stephen Curry Yellow & Red Mosaic Prizm card: $300
• 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco rookie card: $15
• 1983 Fleer Ryne Sandberg rookie card: $15
• 1983 Fleer Tony Gwynn rookie card: $20
• 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn rookie card: $20
• Rickie Weeks autographed baseball: $25
• 1940s Ford Frick Salesman Sample Baseball: $90
• 2023 Topps Series One Baseball packs: $2
• Autographed mini-helmets, including Peyton Manning, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Dan Marino: $175 each.
• Chipper Jones autographed No. 0: $80
• George Foster autographed 8-by-10 with 1977 NL MVP inscription: $20
• Alex English autographed Denver Nuggets jersey with HOF 97 inscription: $50
• John Hannah autographed New England Patriots jersey, with JSA: $35
• Lew Burdette model retro glove: $60
• 1960s Green Bay Packets berets: $140
• Green Bay Packers Wheaties Box: $10
• Brett Favre life-size standup: $75
• 1979-80 Milwaukee Admirals program: $6
• 1956 Milwaukee Brewers yearbook: $120
• 1963 Green Bay Packers yearbook: $150
• Chicago Bears programs from 1950-69: $25 or 5-for-$100
• Mini mini-football helmets, often found years ago in vending machines: 50 cents or 3-for-$1
• Mini mini-baseball helmets, often used — even nowadays — to serve ice cream: $1
FIVE HOT-SELLING HOBBY BOXES
• 2023 Topps Baseball Series One: $89.95
• 2022 Allen & Ginter: $100
• 2022 Bowman Baseball: $249.95
• 2022 Bowman Chrome Baseball: $399.95
• 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball: $145 or $275 for the jumbo box.
GRADED CARDS
• 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle (2.5): $200
• 1975 Topps George Brett (7.5): $300
• 1953 Topps Satchel Paige (1): $600
• 2019 Topps Chrome Fernando Tatis (10): $550
• 1977 Topps Walter Payton (7.5): $725
• 2017 Panini Prizm Patrick Mahomes (8.5): $750
• 1976 Topps Walter Payton (3): $200
• 1979 Topps Walter Payton (7): $40
• 1975 Topps Robin Yount (5): $75
• 1977 Topps Walter Payton (6): $60
• 2001 Upper Deck Golf Gallery (9.5): $35
• 2001 Upper Deck Tiger Wood Golf (10): $100
• 2019 Panini Hoops Hot Signature Rookie Zion Williamson: $1,350
• 2017 Topps Becky Lynch Autograph (9.5): $125
• 2020 Topps Bianca Belair Autograph (10): $125
• 2019 Upper Deck Kirby Dach (10): $100
• 2010 Upper Deck Taylor Hall (8): $40
• 2019 Sage Aspire Patrick Mahomes (10): $35
• 1965 Topps Denis DeJordy (5): $25
BASEBALL COMPLETE SETS
1980 Topps: $175
1996 Upper Deck: $100
1993 Topps: $100
2005 Topps: $100
1993 Topps: $30
1991 Upper Deck: $30
1991 Fleer: $40
1999 Fleer: $40
1991 Topps: $50
UNOPENED HOBBY BOXES
2021 Upper Deck AEW: $100
2021 Topps Chrome Update Series: $35
2022-23 Leaf Exotic Football: $120
2022-23 Leaf Exotic Basketball: $100
BOBBLEHEADS
Omar Narvaez: $5
Brandon Woodruff: $35
Giannis Antetokounmpo/Milwaukee Brewers: $35
Hiking Jim Gantner: $5
Jim Thorpe: $20
Corbin Burnes: $10
Robin Yount: $25
MISC. CARDS
1972 Topps Charlie Joiner, rookie: $7
1978 Topps Tony Dorsett, rookie: $12
1986 Topps John Elway, rookie: $30
1973 Topps Jim Langer: $6
1970 Topps Alan Page, rookie: $12
1983 Topps Walter Payton: $5
1984 Topps Walter Payton: $5
1985 Topps Warren Moon, rookie: $10
