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How far is to far for a card shop/show

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Bogeysave82

New member
Jan 16, 2013
432
0
How far is everyone willing to travel for a shop or a show(not including the national)? 2,3 even 4 hours or is anything over an hour not worth it? What's the furthest you have traveled before?
 

GriffeyFan

New member
Nov 28, 2011
538
0
I've traveled a hour and a half to go to a new shop.It's normally worth it just to meet the owner.I tend to go on days off,so I go around 11am-noon when it's pretty slow.I enjoy sifting thru $1,$2,$3 boxes also,so change is a must.
 

Musial Collector

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,671
2
7 hours one way for me, so 14 hours round trip, spent 3 hours at the show, went from St Paul MN to Chicago last November for the Sun Times show.
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
I'd travel like 3 or 4 hours one way for a show if it was nice. If I were with a buddy or something, I'd drive much further or even fly.


---
Looking for Albert Belle cards! PM me!
 

TwinsWin

New member
Mar 14, 2011
1,499
0
3 hours to the nearest shop, now since the one that was 2 hours away closed


Sent from my iPad using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

hive17

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
21,426
24
I drove 60+ minutes one-way for a shop once. It was a guy who sets up at the regular shows, and I was going to miss the next one; so I thought I'd drop in on him. One time I was traveling back from Huntsville for the Army and had to stop half-way (mandated). So I looked at the Beckett show calendar and found out there was a mall show in Decatur, IL; which was sort of half-way between Alabama and Wisconsin. But it was like 45 minutes out of the way from my straight-line trip home. But you could say I drove from Huntsville to Decatur for a show :)
 

1st4040

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2008
5,918
105
New Bedford, Ma.
took a 3.5 hour trip to NY for a card show twice in my life.. other than that usually an hour or so to the big show north of Boston once a year.
 

predatorkj

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
11,871
2
I've drove to San Antonio before but it was more for Monte Irvin than anything else. The fact that there was a show was just icing on the cake. As far as normal, I'll drive about an hour or 45 minutes each way but not much more than that. Now, when it comes to autographs, I travel much further. I've gone to Dallas and back in a day several times. I've also done the same in Austin and San Antonio without there being a show. But, I'll also try to swing by a shop or two while I'm there. Just depends on my schedule and who I'm with.
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
I never thought about it, but I suppose an hour for a shop if I am either going there for something specific that I know they have, or if I've heard reliably that it's worth the trip (been a couple decades since I've heard that one). For a show, I guess it's 1 hour per 30-50 tables. I won't drive 1 hour to San Antonio for their monthly 20-table show, but will go for the bi-annual 50-table show. And I'll drive 3 hours to Houston or Dallas for the Tristar-size shows. I've never flown for a show, every year I contemplate the National and every year my sportscard interests get narrower and narrower, making it bad EV. I did just fly to Vegas for a Magic tournament, though, with total negative EV, which I expected, just for the experience.
 

TBTwinsFan

New member
Nov 8, 2009
24,583
0
Southwestern Minnesota
It depends. I have traveled over 6 hours to an autograph signing before, but I was up in the area for something else so I don't think that counts.

For something card related specifically, probably 3 hours. I don't necessarily live in the "middle of no-where" but if I want to do anything card related outside of Wal-Mart, it's a minimum of an hours drive. 3 hours isn't that long though.
 

BunchOBull

Active member
Dec 12, 2008
5,463
14
Houston, TX
Anything greater than the walking distance you are willing to travel after you run out of gas or cab fare.

In all reality, it depends on the shop, depends on the show, depends on what they're selling. People don't go to the National annually for nothing!
 

predatorkj

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
11,871
2
Anything greater than the walking distance you are willing to travel after you run out of gas or cab fare.

In all reality, it depends on the shop, depends on the show, depends on what they're selling. People don't go to the National annually for nothing!

Yes but living down here like I do, would you bother going to the national? It might be something I'd do once and only once.

Even for shows, I don't always go to the Tristar shows because I hardly ever find any Bagwells I need and I end up digging through the cheap boxes and am still broke within a couple of hours(broke as in I spent all the money I took to spend). I can't fathom spending all my money on one card unless its a Bagwell or Stackhouse I don't have that is really rare. So I end up buying 90's inserts for the most part, and a few cheap autos of players I collect but have no auto of. It's a fun experience but never one that feels superior to any others since I've done it several times. It really just depends on the show.
 

cbrandtw

Active member
Sep 12, 2008
1,573
1
Daphne, AL
Not counting National- I made an 11 hour round trip to a show once.

Even though you said "not including the national" I still have to share this experience. I got off work at 5p on a Friday arrived in Chicago around 9a Saturday morning. Stayed at the show all day Saturday. Right after the show went out with fellow collectors until about 4a Sunday morning. Got back in the car about 4 hours later around 8a Sunday. Pulled back in my driveway around midnight Sunday and was back at work Monday morning at 8. I was tired.

@hive17 -I got your Huntsville to Decatur joke.
 

Bogeysave82

New member
Jan 16, 2013
432
0
Great stuff guys thanks for the input... I have a couple shops here in town(myrtle beach) but nothing new has come in lately. So I was thinking of expanding out to other cities that are a couple hours away. Back when I lived in Cincinnati I drove 4 hours each way to a tri star show in Cleveland. That was mainly for Bo Jackson & ferguson Jenkins.
 

lambert58

New member
Sep 29, 2008
425
0
Melbourne, FL
This is the exact reason I started my thread - CARD SHOW IN MELBOURNE FLORIDA TOMORROW - no shows around. I needed to drive 2 1/2 hours each way to South Florida. Lots of miles means lots of gas money so you better get lots of stuff and spend lots of meny to make it worth your driving money alone.

The new show is now only a 10 minute drive so I MUST continue to promote the show like crazy - for myself if nothing else:) but really the show is getting more and more foot traffic and keeps growing it seems and I get some great deals. So go to the Melbourne/Rockledge card show run by another FCB member - Casebusters
 

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