November Sun-Times Show Chicago

[kenoshacub]

I couldn't agree more that this show is a mess. I only went yesterday because I can't take the morons at mounted anymore. I received a free deluxe VIP package because they screwed up a autograph for me at the last show. So I didn't go friday night because I didn't need any of those guys. I arrive there yesterday get my bag and look for my free autograph ticket, and what do I find in the bag? A Gaylord Perry ticket from the night before. So I go to the ticket booth to pick up my tickets for Reggie and Eddie Murray and tell them about the Perry ticket and the idiot proceeds to tell me thats my fault for not showing up friday night and won't replace with it with someone from saturday or sunday. I pitch a bitch and get someone from mounted at the booth and she finally sees the error in their ways and lets me trade it for anyone i want, but i have to pay the difference if it's more than Perrys $29.00. I really go nuts now and say this is complete bull**** and tell them there's no way this is right. I didn't pay for the VIP, but the point is there's suppose to be a free autograph in that bag and the one that was in there was from the previous night. Finally she figures it out and lets me pick from a few and i wind up with Longoria ball/flat ticket. I really don't know what these people are doing but i wish George Johnson would go back to running these shows, he wasn't the greatest but it sure was better than mounted. The cancelations also were not handled properly, post them on your web site. I heard several people complain that they only went yesterday for Chapman and he canceled. They knew this friday night but failed to let anyone know. Plus there was hardly anyone at the show yesterday. I seriously doubt mounted will ever get it right. I hope others share their stories also.

 

[SoonerOrLater]

I went just for Chapman yesterday. I preordered my ticket a couple weeks ago. I get there yesterday, pick up my ticket, nothing is said that he cancelled. I go and meet up w/kenoshacub and he is the one that has to tell me that Chapman cancelled. Why they didn't post it on their site doesn't make sense. It would have saved me parking and admission costs.

 

[82brewers]

i went friday and saturday. i was going to get the reg vip, but did not since cruz cancelled and mcmichael was switched to sunday. ive been going to suntimes shows for about 15 years. they usually have had a good track record with guests showing up untill this show. usually 0-2 guys per show dont show, but considering they bring in 40-50 guys thats not bad. this show was there worst. i thought on saturday it was very crowded. with all the guys that didnt show up, they should have posted all this info outside by the addmision booth and put it on the web site as soon as they knew. my friend got denny mclain in his vip bag. after he cancelled they offered him william perry or dawson, he took dawson. my other friend got oscar robertson and traded it for franco harris. i bought a strawberry ticket(39) from a vip guy for $25. i got mike scott and doc gooden on friday. also had sutton tickets, he cancelled. steve carlton and mike scott had a decent line on friday, not so much for the others. saturday i got boggs, murray and strawberry. some guys had decent lines on saturday but alot more didnt. i always bring my own stuff to get signed. i feel sorry for the people who relied on buying a high quality 8x10 from the merchandise booth. i dont know where to begin on this. in my view on this, i saw them printing those g---y photos after you ordered one. i doubt they had paid for image rights on all those. they may have, but i doubt it. to do this boldly right in front of everyone, wow. plus the guys behind the merchandise booth were the biggest amatuers ive ever seen at a show. from there customer service to not knowing who the players were that they were printing. i was not impressed with quality either. curled photo paper, bad finish, print lines, i wouldnt wipe my a-- with those. there 16x20's were done up ahead of time, most of those were higher quality. also on friday night the line to buy autograph tickets was most unorganized that i have seen. very slow would be kind. they could not find the tickets in the piles after you ordered them. then they had to puch stamp them. then add a hologram, then add them up. the guy i had needed a calculator for even the most round numbers. i would also agree with the above comment about george johnson running a smoother show. when i left this show on saturday, i told my friend that this show may not be around long with these guys. i do enjoy going to this show, i hope they clean up a few things.

 

[hollifield23]

Add Seaver to the no show list. I bought a jersey for him. I was highly disappointed to walk in the door Sunday morning to see cancelled written in red sharpie over seaver's name.

 

[SoBrave]

This thing has kinda gotten out of hand. I mean with all these no shows. Something has to be up. I for one am buying into the fact there is something contract issues or lack of money that is causing this whole damn thing. I agree with the Show Merch table. The guys were not very helpful, and the photos were bad looking in general. I just hope things change. I moved to Chicago in 98 and have been to just about every show except 2 or 3 since then. I loved it when George Johnson was in charge of them. I never had a problem with him, and I am hoping that he gets control of them again. I guess I might as well start saving for the NSCC in Chicago since that will be High Prices as well.

 

[kenoshacub]

It will only change if we the people that pay the prices for the autographs don't do it anymore. I know that's a lot to ask for but that's the only way it will change. You need to hit them where it hurts, the wallet. Also for what the dealers were selling signed stuff for your almost better off just buying direct. You could've saved between 20-50% off of most of the guys that were signing this weekend. You don't get the attitude and you save money. And a previous poster mentioned the psa line? I may be asking a dumb question here, but why are you paying them? You just got the item signed, you know it's legit. And you'll never sell it for what you just paid for it, so why do it? Just asking?

 

[nbrock624]

The PSA line was worse today than yesterday. They have to address this for the March show. They need a 2nd table to get people moving. With such high value signers they couldn't handle the demand.

 

[jeff3880wi]

And a previous poster mentioned the psa line? I may be asking a dumb question here, but why are you paying them? You just got the item signed, you know it's legit. And you'll never sell it for what you just paid for it, so why do it? Just asking?

I was thinking the same thing. You can get a signed item already PSA/DNA certified cheaper than you can get the autograph ticket for most over priced guys.

 

[DJSMOKES]

The PSA line was worse today than yesterday. They have to address this for the March show. They need a 2nd table to get people moving. With such high value signers they couldn't handle the demand.

After reading all these posts, I'm glad I didn't go as I really wanted Seaver. In regards to the above, do you think the PSA folks would buy another table? Seeing as they know they'll get business, why would they have to buy another table and spend more $$$?

 

[82brewers]

this show was very unprofessional. he are some more observations. friday night i was in the general admission line 45 min before it opened. there was about 20 people in front of me. then shortly later some guy started another line off to the side. then people mingled in the center area. well you guessed it, when the show opened, everyone merged towards the doors. i know its not a big deal, because everyone got in, maybe a difference of 2 minutes, but it doesnt look good. this never happened at a george johnson show. he would bring out 2 guys 10 mins before opening, collect the first 50 or so addmisions and stamp hands, so when the show opened there was a flow. i got in the autograph ticket line at about 4:05. there was only 2 windows opened. i was 6th in line. i got my tickets bought at 4:45. then they decided to open a cash only line as i was walking away. at 5:30 i had to get in the autograph ticket line again because i found a photo of mike flanagan at a dealers table i liked. i got in the cash line, about 15 back. shortly later, the lady behind the table was yelling at the last guy in line to cut the cash line off and not let anyone else get behind him. im sorry, but i dont work for you was what i was thinking. another thing thats becoming more obvious over the past few shows are the voluteers getting there stuff signed out front at the show tables insteed of in the back. in the strawberry line, some guy who was working show, stopped strawberry from doing the paid customers, and put down a page and half of cards for himself. again, no big deal, everyone got there autographs, but looks unprofessional. plus it may tick off a few people and maybe they dont come back to show. i also remember when they started having vip's, they would sign for 3 hours each. then it went to 2 hours, now some are 1 1/2 hours. this make a big difference in getting through the lines, especially if you like to get alot of cards done. just some of my thoughts.