Outline · Standard · [ Linear+ ] Things Overheard at the Shop......2012......, New Location.....Same Crazy People.....

[dodgerblue38501]

Each year for the last 3 or 4 years I have started a thread in this very forum on this site outlining the often times ridiculous, insane, outlandish, and down right crazy things that customers have said at my shop. There have been some real doozies over the years. Many of these encounters have left me with a look of....... Others have provided us all with hours of entertainment. There have been tall tales of safety deposit boxes filled to the brim with autographed Babe Ruth rookie cards and other rare treasures. There have been many silly questions that have proven that while the customer may always be right, they often times still have no idea what they are talking about. These stories are meant to give everyone a chuckle and even more, a look inside the things that dealers have to go through on a daily basis. For every good solid educated customer that knows sports and sports collectibles, there are 10 that have no idea if a football is pumped or stuffed but who are more than happy to talk to you about everything and anything. Mark Twain once said, "I prefer to remain silent and appear to be a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt". I'll be honest, I don't know anything about how to fly an airplane, so you won't catch me having a conversation about my piloting skills. Still, some of these customers relish the opportunity to educate me about the world of sports collectibles. Luckily, I have learned a lot in my 25 years in the hobby, but I know I still have a lot to learn If you are new to this site and haven't followed the saga, I linked the past threads below. Now its time to sit back and enjoy the latest installment of Things Overheard at the Shop.......2012 edition.

Things Overheard at the Shop.....2009

Things Overheard at the Shop.....2010

Things Overheard at the Shop.....2011


Two weeks ago I relocated my shop to a new mall that was recently renovated and reopened after being empty for the past 7 or 8 years. This place is right on the very busy I-40 corridor between Nashville and Knoxville. The location could not be more perfect. Local traffic studies put thousands of cars per day passing by this area. I already love it. My previous location was out of the way and I had to work non-stop to establish myself and build up a client base. It's hard to believe but I made it work at that location for 10 years !!! I had been ready to make the move to a better spot for years now, it just had to be the right opportunity and the right situation. I got a U-Haul and a buddy to help me and we carefully loaded and unloaded my entire shop inventory all in one day. My new shop looks like a disaster zone behind the counter but the storefront is coming together nicely. The first two weekends at the new location have been awesome. I have already met more knowledgeable sports fans in two weeks there than I did in 10 years at the other place. The 2 locations are only about 11 miles apart but they are like different worlds. Nonetheless, I still have met some folks that will no doubt provide me with lots of material for this thread in the coming months. The first 2 memorable encounters from my first 2 weeks are outlined below. Read at your own risk. Once you start reading, there's no turning back


My very first weekend at my new location came and went without much of the strange and unusual encounters that I had become accustomed to at my previous locale. Sunday evening just before closing time, a guy about my age came in walking with a cane. I greeted him and we exchanged hellos. He seemed like a fairly normal guy. Surely, he wouldn't ruin my perfect game? He wouldn't spoil my shutout this close to end of the business day? I had made it through my grand opening with only positive experiences. No crazy stories or tall tales or ridiculous questions. My high school English teacher had a saying, "If it seems to good to be true, hey baby, it ain't true!" I should have known my streak would come to an end sooner rather than later. The guy looked around and then it began....."Do you have any Michael Jordan cards?" he asked. "I sure do. What type cards are you looking for?" I questioned. "I have a card of his and I'm not sure what it is worth" he continued. "I have never seen another one like it" he affirmed. My mind began racing, oh boy, we are about to go off the tracks, I just know it. "It is the one where he is dunking the ball" he stated with a straight face. There it is folks! I knew it was coming! This guy has the card where Michael Jordan is pictured dunking the basketball. You know Jordan rarely did that, so this MUST be valuable! "I think it is from 1989" he continued. "I would just have to see it and then I could give you an idea of what it might be worth" I replied. "It is put up" he nodded. "I've got it in my safe with my rare Emmitt Smith gold card" he said. "Do you know what that Emmitt card might be worth?" he asked. "It is 14 karat gold" he continued. "It is the one that shows him running with the football" he confirmed. Oh no he didn't! There it is again! I knew it! Emmitt only made a living running the football. Why would he ever be pictured on a trading card doing such a crazy thing? "I would just need to see that one too" I said filled with a familiar feeling of deja vu. The guy poked around for a few more minutes. He may have mumbled some other things but by that time I was tuned out. He shuffled off and I thanked him for coming by. Mostly I was just thankful for his contribution to this thread as the very first entry of 2012 !!!

Last weekend a couple teenagers came in. They were blown away by each and every item they saw. They were filled with the usual questions......"Do you buy cards?", "Are these autographs really signed?", "Is this card $10 or $5 because it has 2 prices on it?" You know the usual stuff One of the kids who had a nice set of Bama Bangs covering half of his face, declared that he loved the game of basketball. Before you know it that had turned into a game of 50 questions, all of which began with, "Do you have any cards of (insert basketball player here) ?" After showing the kid my selection of base, inserts, RCs, and GUs of every player he asked about, he was ready to make a purchase. You see this kid had wasted a good 2 hours of my time and now he was about to reward me with.......$2.00........in dimes and nickels. I could tell from our conversation that he knew very little about basketball and even less about cards but he was determined to spend his $2.00 in change and he was prepared to go ask his mother for as much as another $1.00 if necessary. His sidekick was of the same ilk. Very little knowledge about sports or cards or life in general. He disappeared for a few minutes and returned to ask the question of the day....."Do you have any cards of Mickey Rooney?" Now I was without a shadow of a doubt certain that he had no interest in any Donruss Americana cards so I assumed that he was perhaps looking for another Mickey that some sports fans may have heard of. "You mean Mickey Mantle?" I asked. "I don't know his name. My mom said he was some famous baseball player or something." "I'm sure she meant Mickey Mantle" I affirmed as I showed him a stack of modern Mantle base and inserts. "I'll be right back the kid said" as he disappeared again. He then returned with $1.00 of his own, and be still my heart....he even had paper money! He picked out a Mantle base card and left. He then returned several more times asking each time for a different baseball legend whom his mother had told him about. All in all I made about $8.00 off these 2 kids for a couple hours of aggravation and frustration. The best part is that they both said they would be back every weekend. Maybe I can teach them a thing or two and they may even turn into solid members of our hobby. Who am I kidding, I hate to say it but I miss Packlets already.......

[hugeeaglesfan]

Would you be interested in an autographed Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle baseball?


-No, man. I only collect baseball cards from 1986-1995. Sorry that I can't help you.

[dodgerblue38501]

Would you be interested in an autographed Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle baseball?
-No, man. I only collect baseball cards from 1986-1995. Sorry that I can't help you.

The guy that actually asked me that brought in about 3 or 4 stacks of early 90s commons wrapped in rubber bands and proceeded to tell me that he had some "old ones" in there. He spread all that junk out over one of my display cases, removed a Steve Yzerman base card, because as he explained, "that was a very rare one", then he showed me the 'older" ones which included the ancient treasure of a 1991 Donruss Cecil Fielder Diamond King. Let's just say I'm not holding my breath on the Ruth/Mantle baseball.

[dodgerblue38501]

A guy in full western gear complete with boots, hat, string tie, and handlebar mustache sauntered in and began to look around. His wife was dressed in a frilly flowing dress straight out of a 1960s western movie. I had seen this guy several times at my previous location and had been approached by him more than once to tell the same story about a bunch of wrestling magazines that he wanted to sell. Now I admit, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, but I remember faces and especially remember the outlandish things these people say. I mean, if you see the same person EVERY week for 10 years, don't you think you would at least recognize them? I guess I am not very memorable because several times people have approached me to tell me the exact same story as they did a couple months prior not realizing that they have talked to me several times. Then again, given the level of intellect involved in most of their stories it shouldn't surprise me I guess. It does surprise me that some of these people can actually find their way home and back again to repeat their crazy tales. The guy looked around for a minute then asked, "How much is Dan Marino?"  "What Dan Marino item are you asking about?" I wondered. "Rookie" the man said. "Marino's rookie card is from the 1984 Topps set. It has a book value of $60." I said. "I got one." the man firmly stated. There was a pause I assume waiting for me to applaud, high five him, or hug it out like bros. "Yeah, I have one down there in the display case labeled Football Rookie Cards." I answered. "What about Peyton Manning's rookie?" the man continued. "Peyton has probably 50 or more different rookie cards so it would depend on which one you have" I answered. "The main one" the man said.  At this point any shred of patience I had for this ridiculously dressed individual went right out the window. "Manning's rookies range from about $10 to $1500 depending on what you have" I again continued. "Mine is from the 80s" he again stated with a poker face. "Peyton Manning was in grade school in the 80s. His first year in the NFL was 1998" I said with distain in my voice. This drew a few chuckles from some other regular customers who were browsing around the shop. The man's wife then chimed in and stated, "You really know your cards!" At that point my self esteem had never been higher. Receiving such a fine compliment from a couple of Bonanza stage hands really made my day. "Yes, I have been dealing with sports memorabilia most of my life" I affirmed to the lady. "Do you want to buy some wrestling magazines?" the man chimed in. "What era are they from?" I asked. "80s" the man deadpanned. "Most of my wrestling customers are younger kids and they only know the current stars. They don't know many of the guys from the past." I said. "That's a shame. That was back when they really 'rassled. They didn't fake it back then." the man said proving once and for all that he was in fact dilusional. "I may have to bring my cards in to sell them to you" the man said as he and his wife walked away. I can hardly wait for that money train to roll into the station. Of course, I'm sure we will have this conversation again several times before I ever see any cards from 'ol Tex. 

Another weekend of wild and wooley action from the trenches of sports memorabilia sales, has come and gone. More of the same silly questions, mass produced 90s gold mines, and people trying to haggle on a $3 item.

A couple weeks ago, I shared a story about the King of the Cowboys (story quoted above) who came in and told me of all the great things he had including a Dan Marino Rookie Card and a Peyton Manning Rookie Card, his "main one", from the 1980s. Well, guess who showed up again yesterday? Yep, it was 'ole Handlebar Tex. He was similarly dressed and this time flying solo minus his wife. He strolled up to me and asked, "Do you buy cards?" "You asked me that two weeks ago, and the answer is still the same. I am only looking for cards produced BEFORE 1980" I answered. "I did?" he acted surprised apparently not remembering our exchange. "What about Dan Marino?" he asked. I just looked at him filled with rage. "I got his rookie card" he said. "So do I" I replied. "You wouldn't buy that?" he asked again. "Not interested" I replied shortly. "I got Peyton Manning's rookie card too" he said yet again. Again I just looked at him. "I need to bring them by and maybe we can work out a deal" he said as he was walking away. "I'm pretty well stocked on Manning too" I said to the back of his head. "It's from the 80s" he said as he left the shop. "Thanks buddy" I heard him exclaim from somewhere down the aisle. I swear if this guy comes back one more time and tells me this same crap, I WILL snap. I can't take it anymore. The sheer level of stupidity and general cluelessness is getting to me. I would post a sign stating what exactly I am buying but it wouldn't do any good. I give the same answer to that stupid question EVERY time, "I'm only looking for cards produced BEFORE 1980". Everyone always says that they have some "old ones", then they roll in with 1991 Donruss commons. After years of this same nonsense, it is really wearing on me. Maybe 1 out of 5 people that I talk to has any idea about sports or collectibles. The rest are complete idiots. I have got to find a way to set up a webcam or something. Peoplel will never understand how frustrating it is unless they see it first hand. Thank goodness, I am on vacation next week. I really, really, really, really need a few days away to clear my head.

[19th Century Indiana Jones]

Complete idiots? Wait until I make a road trip to your store. Maybe I won't even tell you who I am.

[dodgerblue38501]

Two weeks back after my vacation and still more of the same.
"Do I buy cards?"
"Are these cards really signed?"
"What is a Goudey Joe DiMaggio Rookie Card worth?"

Wait a minute.........what?

That is exactly what I was asked moments ago. An older gentlemen wandered in and asked me if I was selling any cards today? Even though it was none of his business, I responded with, "Yep, sure am." Then he hit me with the bomb, "How much is a Goudey Joe DiMaggio Rookie Card worth?" Now he would have to know a little something about cards to know about the Goudey brand. They aren't exactly as plentiful as early 90s commons. I told him that the value would depend entirely on the condition of the card. "I had it graded about 15 years ago" he continued. I almost fainted. Not only did he know the term Goudey but now he was talking about graded cards. Could it be too good to be true? "What did it grade?" I asked. "I don't remember" he answered. Now wait a minute, this guy has a very rare Goudey Joe DiMaggio rookie card, he went to the trouble and expense of having it graded, and he doesn't know the grade? Maybe he has so many awesome rare vintage jewels that this card is no big deal. Maybe Joltin' Joe's rookie card is just another piece of cardboard amongst his epic collection. I just have a hard time believeing that if someone had something so rare and potentially valuable that they wouldn't have any idea what grade the card received after having it professionally graded. I mean my memory is horrible, but I'm pretty sure that little fact is something I could retain.

Before the DiMaggio debacle a guy came in and stated that he had a question. I waited patiently for the madness to ensue. "I have a collection of about 30,000 cards that i need to sell. I got them from an older man. I'm not looking to piece them out. I want to sell them all for $800." I then went on to explain that I'm only looking for card produced BEFORE 1980. He then continued about all the great cards he had, stacks and stack of Derek Jeter rookies, Alex Rodriguez rookies, and Trot Nixon whom he said "should be hot right now". That is where I cut him off. "Trot Nixon hasn't playe din the major leagues in years. He was an average player at best even in his prime" I said. "Not Trot Nixon, that guy that is so hot right now, what's his name?" he asked. Somehow I made the connection between Trot and Trout and asked, "Mike Trout?" The guy lit up with excitement. "Yeah there is a bunch of him in there" he said. He then went on to explain that this collection also had a 1991 Topps Desert Shield Chipper Jones rookie and a 1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name on the Front rookie. Just so happens that those are two of the most rare cards from the early 90s. Of course he has them BOTH. Then he showed me his shrewd negotiating skills and said, "I only gave $100 for them all". Well, that takes the cake. Not only does this guy have the only desireable cards from a an entire decade but he was only trying to make a modest 800% profit off me. I told him that I don't buy large lots anymore due to the volume of cards I have in inventory and I only look for a few specific things. Then I sent him away to another guy I know that has an eBay store and is always looking for inventory. My luck the guy actually did have all that stuff. Oh well, i will still sleep tonight without all those Trot Nixon rookies.

[dodgerblue38501]

Just checking in with a short and sweet entry this week.

A family came in that visits every few weeks. They always talk aloud to each other about all the great stuff and they always try to impress each other with their vast sports and collectibles knowledge. Today they were browsing about the shop talking about how awesome everything was and of course, not spending a dime. One of the young boys said, "Hey dad, who played for the Cowboys who had the last name Smith and wore 22?" The dad looked at his son with much disgust and snapped, "Emmitt Smith son! At least pretend that you have watched some football o.k.?" They continued to browse about and the other young boy pointed out a framed 8x10 photo of some Green Bay Packers legends. "Who is that guy?" the boy asked his dad as he pointed at the photo. The dad again seemed disgusted, rolled his eyes and replied, "That's Vince Lombardi. That is the guy they named Lambeau Field after." ......... Glad the dad cleared that up for us. I'm sure their next visit will produce more great bits of wisdom and no sales......as usual.

[dodgerblue38501]

Well another weekend of shop insanity is well underway. So far today I have been asked several questions, most of which we have covered in these threads many times. I did get one question from a young lady that I must say, I have never been asked in over 10 years of business in this area. She started out by asking, "You don't have any Derek Jeter cards do you?" After I assured here that I did, I got the stack of Jeter rookies from my baseball rookies display case and presented them to her. I then fetched the stack of base cards and inserts of Jeter that I have behind the counter in my star boxes. She was blown away. She took a particular liking to the Topps Gold Jeter RC that I had. Then she thought for a second and hit me with this gem, "I wish you took Wal-Mart cards because I don't have any cash". I am continually amazed at the number of people that come into this mall, spend time looking, waste my time getting stuff for them, only to announce that they didn't bring any money with them. This literally happens a few times every weekend. Maybe I am the crazy one but if I don't have money to spend, I don't go to a store, I stay home!

[dodgerblue38501]

Another interesting exchange just overheard a few moments ago. Two guys in their 20s stopped in to look and ponder aloud the authenticity of all my PSA and JSA authenticated autographs, many of which I obtained in person doing shows for the better part of 15 years. Apparently there is only one blue sharpie in the world and I have it and I use it to forge all these signatures. I don't have a good explanation for it but the majority of autographs signed are in blue ink. It has been that way for years. Just look at some of the pack pulled autographs in your collection, the majority are signed in blue. One guy said, "I saw a thing on TV about this" gesturing toward the autographed items. "Maybe somebody carried a blue pen around with them all the time" the other guy said. People crack me up. They just can't fathom that someone who deals in sports memorabilia and has for over 20 years could have so many autographs. They crack me up.

[chopinalex]

good to read up upon your last adventure or misadventures..funny stuff!