Buying Vintage at the Philly Sports Card Show

My second time going to the Philly Sports Card Show proved to be a lot more challenging. I did it to myself though. The list of cards from my want list were tough to find. It is encouraging to hear when dealers say things like, "You have a good list" or "I've never even seen this card before."
Similar to the last Philly Sports Card Show in September, they had an overwhelming amount of vintage. I tried to change up what was shown. I kept in a lot of the traditional vintage we all love, but also mixed in some autographs, oddball and unique items as well!
I had some nice discussions with some dealers and collectors. Thank you for those that came up and said hello! It was cool to meet some people that have watched my content.
Howard Chasser (A Few of my Favorite Things)
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[@ken-pr2df]

Thanks for taking us along to the card show Sammy!! That was a ton of vintage!! There was a lot of expensive ungraded cards. Do you ever ask the vendors why they don’t get their cards graded? I find it difficult to spend a lot of money on an ungraded card. It is good to have a list and be selective. Awesome Mays pickup!!

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks so much! I generally don't ask those questions to dealers. I'll only ask if I know them well enough.

[@markhoyle2275]

Great episode. Love seeing both of those Spaun collections. I casually collect some Boston Braves Spaun pieces . These guys have motivated me to go look for a few more.

[@SammyThunder]

Awesome! These shows bring out some of the best stuff!

[@DoubleBarrelSportsCards]

Great Video !!! Enjoy it !! Thank you for showing the cards and not just people talking !!!!

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Double. I just rewatched your 64 box break video. Crazy hits!

[@TJ_Is_Online]

I also spoke with Howard at the show (Friday). He’s very nice and welcoming.

[@SammyThunder]

Howard's cool!

[@flybone100]

Video was great, thank you for letting us live vicariously through you.

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you for watching! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@DonOlszewski-th1ir]

Thanks for showing other vintage other than baseball. Most content are incredibly baseball heavy. As a vintage football collector it’s hard to find content. Also- major props to your filming. You move the camera slow enough that you can read the prices. Another typical mistake by film taken at shows. It typically seems blurry. Yours was spot on.

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and will continue to showcase football.

[@s.macintosh-jc9rf]

Hi Sammy, Thank you so much for the great video of your experience at the Philly show. I am truly gob smacked by the sheer quantity of vintage cards at the major shows. There were dozens and dozens of quality vintage cards including the 1953 Topps Satchel Paige and enough Clemente cards to make me more than happy. Thank you for giving us the experience of going to these shows. It’s always a treat! Have a great evening and I will look forward to your next video, Peter

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you Peter. The goal of this show was to show how much different memorabilia there was outside the traditional stuff that we see from table to table. I'm glad that it met your expectations in terms of quality and quantity!

[@Hodges1455]

Awesome scarce Mays pickup! Thanks for sharing, Sammy

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks man!

[@BaseballTimeTraveler]

Great tour, Sammy. Wow, so many great vintage cards. I really appreciate the sellers who display their prices. Your Willie Mays is a treasure. The orange background really pops! Enjoy it, and I hope it grades well for you. Thanks for taking the time to record your visit to the show and end it with a fantastic, and arguably a once in a lifetime acquisition of a beautiful card. Well done, as always. Take care, Rob.

[@SammyThunder]

Well said Rob. Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I always appreciate them as they always encourage me to improve the quality of the content. The reason why I wanted that Mays card was for the artistry of the card. The orange really does exemplify the profile or action shot Mays is in. I love the look of the card and I think it'll look great once it is graded.

[@yankeesandgiants1886]

Man what an amazing collection of cards available. @16:19 - a 1962 Mays PSA 8 for $11,500.

[@SammyThunder]

I'll have to look at VCP to see what they're going for. I haven't checked. Sounds high to me.

[@criteriumracer]

Unbelievable vinyage of all shapes and kinds. But it was the Milk Duds cards that caughtmy eyes. Never seen or heard of those before

[@SammyThunder]

They’re really cool. If you’re interested in any of them, I can send you the dealer’s information.

[@user-jm7nv3yc8n]

Awesome pickup on that mays. Well worth the money.

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks so much!

[@vintageslabman]

So much fun to see. Congrats on the Mays, such a great card. Thanks for taking us all along for the ride

[@SammyThunder]

Appreciate it man! Thanks for watching

[@stevemutzel5546]

Nice meeting you yesterday. Glad you had a good time. I thought card prices were very high. Didn’t buy anything.

[@SammyThunder]

Great meeting you too! It was great to walk around. I was thinking that I was going to walk away empty handed. Thankfully, that changed. Prices were definitely a bit on the higher side. It helps if you get to know some of the dealers though or have had a history of buying things from them.

[@kevingeary2072]

I am glad you found one of the cards you were searching for. When you showed your list I thought that is going to be a heck of a search. Hope you get a decent grade on the Mays, it is a cool card. Love the video walk around. Thanks for sharing.

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Kevin. I was foolish into thinking that yesterday was going to be a few hours walking around, find something on my list and then head back home. It was an all day walk-a-thon.

[@kevingeary2072]

@@SammyThunder but your hard work and dedication to your goal paid off. This year I made list of about 50 cards I wanted and made a goal to get them by the end of the year. I was lucky enough to get most of them but still need a handful. We need goals to keep our hobby exciting and fun for us. I bet your heart skipped a beat when that dealer pulled out that Mays. That is what the hobby is all about. Keeping searching for the others, I know you will find them.

[@SammyThunder]

Love the optimism and enthusiasm Kevin. Thank you so much for that. Definitely what we as Collectors want to hear. That’s awesome that you’re meeting your goal and finding the cards that you want.

[@luist5887]

My buddy Sammy what’s up? WOW might be the best content because you already know me and how i truly love and have a passion for not only the hobby but more for the vintage. This is the type of content that I’ll watch more then once because seeing those 1940’s to 1970’s cards were unbelievable so gotta get to this show one day because it’s definitely worth my 3 hour drive just let me know when this Philly show comes up again from your good buddy NY LOU

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Lou. It’s a bit bigger than the Jimmy Ryan shows. It’s always great to walk up and down the aisles. So much to explore!

[@forgerelli1]

The Hire's Root Beer Mays is an all time great card. From the looks of it I wouldn't be surprised if you got a 2.5 or 3.

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks for the optimism on the grade. If it gets that grade, I'd be incredibly joyful.

[@legendsofthedugout4899]

Congrats on the Mays!! Awesome video and thanks for sharing!! Loved seeing all the pre war, wish i was there. Dave

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Dave. There was a lot of Pre War!

[@billysikes1374]

I love when the plrices are on cards

[@SammyThunder]

It's very helpful!

[@TODD1968ification]

I like how you filmed close enough so we could see their prices on the cards.

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you. I have a ton of card show videos dating back a few years.

[@captun5207]

Great video as usual. Prices were high but there was so much quality and lots of unusual items. I managed to pull out a few nuggets that were fairly priced. I submitted them to SGC and am eagerly awaiting the results. Congrats on the Mays, what a find. Did you see the Transogram Mets set with figures and all that one table had ?

[@SammyThunder]

I did. The dealer offered them for 2k. However, the Ryan and Seaver card both would’ve had wrinkles

[@jimfalkler9361]

Hi Sammy, thank you posting the great content. There were some great looking vintage cards at the show. Cannot wait to see what your Mays grades at.

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Jim. I hope that it does get higher than a 1. It's a bit of a risk, but given the scarcity of the card, it'll be challenging to find another one.

[@4softcorners728]

Great footage and recap Sammy! Congrats on the Mays

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you! It was the last table of the day.

[@larrygitlin6017]

Congratulations on finding the Mays. That is a unique gem. Your filming was great as I watch and stop and check prices. Loved the unusual ultra vintage that you would only see at the Philly show. I remember years ago one of the Chicago Nationals, I looked for a nice 34 Goudey Greenberg and found only two and bought one.. I think you showed more than that in your video. I am going to watch it againl Thanks for taking us along on your journey.

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Larry. I do my best to accommodate different types of vintage collectors. I’m glad this met with your approval!

[@mookiechillson]

Wow that was a loooot of vintage. I have to get to that Philly show soon! Congrats on the pickup - let’s hope it grades well!!

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Mook. I'd recommend going. Let me know if you'd like to go. Maybe we can carpool?

[@ACollectorsDream]

Wow Sammy, some incredible vintage tables at that show. Congrats on the Hires Mays, such a tough card. Beautiful cards at the show and awesome footage. thanks for sharing

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Orlando!

[@vintageonvintage817]

Looked like a great show Sammy, you did a fantastic job of showing the selection, thanks! Congrats on the Hires Mays, can't wait to see how it grades! Think long-term Willie Mays, especially rare ones are really great buys. Love the Unseld RC, he was a really great player and I love vintage basketball! Good luck with that submission and thanks for sharing!

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Steve! I’m hoping for a 2.

[@LegendsNeverDieCollection]

You got the Mays!!!!

[@SammyThunder]

Yes sir! Cost me a pretty penny, but what a penny it was!

[@gfesportscards9641]

Love your content and videos!!!

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you!

[@BaseballCardPhanatic]

Congrats on that awesome Hires Mays! I was there Friday and really enjoyed the show. I came home with one of my target cards. It was a ‘52 Bowman Musial SGC 4.5 and dead centered. Keep up the great work with your content!

[@SammyThunder]

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the show! Great find with the Bowman Musial. Fun fact about Stan that I heard was that he stuck around a few more years extra when he found out the Mets were playing at Shea. He was a Mets killer!

[@catdaddy2643]

And the Thunder rolls

[@SammyThunder]

Yes!

[@heatherwyse295]

Like most card shows it is obvious the dealers are there to show their cards off. Because they sure the fU#@ aren't there to sell any! 😂😂😂

[@SammyThunder]

Lol. That is a conversation topic for another day. 😆

[@RipFan8]

Hi Sammy, great footage as always. Just seeing your footage, makes me wish I was there again. I'm certainIy going to try and make another one of those shows next year. I remember you mentioning that Mays card early, so I'm so happy that you were able to pick one up. That's a huge card and I'll keep my fingers cross, you get a great grade. Congrats on your purchase. Talk soon my friend

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Stephen! It’s turning into one of my favorite shows to attend. Easy to navigate and a lot to look at!

[@jasonjanega3537]

Awesome content Sammy. Loved the footage, congrats on your pick up!

[@SammyThunder]

Thanks Jason!

[@mipierno]

Congratulations on the rare Mays pickup; looks like it was a great show. You spotlighted some tremendous stuff that isn’t often seen - certainly a feast for the eyes. Good luck on the SGC submission - fingers crossed it comes back a 2 or better. Btw Fishkill was awful. It made history. The first show in my entire history of attending sports card shows (1988-92, 2019-present) where I didn’t pick up a single card. I just grabbed some supplies and went home. Strange feeling.

[@SammyThunder]

Fishkill was left without their promoter for that Saturday because he was set up in Philly. Shame it didn’t hold the same weight as weeks past. I think that’s just a one time setback.

[@frezfreleng]

the show didnt look very busy. is that typical?

[@SammyThunder]

It was. I just didn't do a lot of footage of me walking around the tables. The initial footage was from when I got there as the doors opened.

[@SteveAustin-jp3ev]

Dealers prices are extremely high. I see better deals on eBay.

[@SammyThunder]

Yeah, that’s generally the feeling amongst buyers. That said, these shows are great at finding unique items that are tough to find on eBay.

[@RandomEsports1]

ebay is where the low low go.

[@oarancards4443]

Typical philly show with delusional prices..

[@SammyThunder]

They’re starting prices. That’s how I look at it