Working the connections

 

As a lifelong introvert, I remember being very concerned as a teenager when I found out that "it's not what you know, it's who you know" was a significant part of landing a career.

At least that's what I was told. I was horrified. I still have a problem speaking to people when there's an ulterior motive behind my words. "Working your connections" makes me shudder. What connections? Oh, I was in trouble.

 

In the years that have followed, I'm happy to say that most of the connections I've made in my career have been based on my talent, not empty words. It's been true in this hobby, too, thanks to this blog. But I do know how to work the connections out in the real world -- if I really try -- and that's because of the hobby, as well. It happened just this past weekend.

I went to the monthly card show Saturday. I had an actual plan this time. It was "find the guy with the 1969 commons." This was because when I went to the mall show last month, I bought some '69 stars from a certain dealer who I recognized from the monthly show. He brought out a box of '69 commons that I couldn't look through at the time (i.e. didn't have the cash). But I found out he'd be at the show the following month. Connection made.

I went right to his table when I walked in Saturday. His cards were there, but he wasn't. I waited around in a semi-panic. But then he showed up and recognized me right away. Now normally I rarely say much when I'm at the dealer's table, but I reintroduced myself and he brought out the commons box again.

I started pulling card needs (I had written out a small list to consult). I needed a lot of Tigers.

And I needed a lot of high numbers, too. Weirdly, the high numbers are in better shape than the low numbers I picked up (some back issues). 

These are my two favorites out of the '69 cards that I bought. I've seen that Joe Keough card enough on the blogs over the years and have written about it a time or two, it's about time I had the thing.

The Oliva is an upgrade and that didn't come out of the commons box. The dealer has a separate display of discounted vintage, arranged by decade, and that's where I found Oliva.

I gave the dealer the cards and he asked me how close I was to finishing the set. I told him very (less than 40 cards), but I still needed Reggie and Nolan, etc. He plopped all the cards I gave him in a stack on the table and went and fetched his Reggie and Nolan. Both were not in prime shape so each was affordable but I didn't come prepared for that, so maybe next time I said.

But in his excitement, he had mixed the Oliva in with the commons and I got the whole selection for 5 bucks! Woo!

While I was leafing through the '69 commons, a guy walked by and patted me on the shoulder. "Leave some money for my table" he said. I turned and recognized him. He works with me, in a different department. He collects, too, big-time, and in past conversations I've had with him, he wasn't interested in selling. Apparently now he is. This was his first time with a table.

So -- more connections! -- I wandered over to his table, this is one of the few times that I've know dealer outside the confines of a card show. 

We chit-chatted in that comfortable way of people who know each other, not in the usual dealer-customer way that often feels forced. He talked about who he saw (people we know) and what was selling and the hobby in general. This was a guy who used to buy as much as he could when he went to Walmart who now says hasn't bought new product in more than a year.

I grabbed a few Dodgers out of the discount box and he tried to get a handle on what I liked for the next time he had a table (he said he was lucky to get that table and has been told to never give up his spot or he'll never get it back).

From there I moved to another table down the aisle. Even though the show seems to be expanding monthly now, there are still a lot of tables that do nothing for me. This was up my alley, a small table with a few discount boxes.

 

I pulled out a few cards, for me, and some others not seen here for others. The dealer wasn't there when I first showed up, but he suddenly appeared and he said, "for you, the dollar boxes are 50 cents and the $2 boxes are a buck." It was then I knew that he knew me and I suddenly realized that I've visited his table at least three times in the past. I just didn't recognize him at first. Now I was getting a discount because "you always stop by."

Connections! It's easier at a smaller monthly show where people get to know each other a little more quickly.

A lot of this is new to me. Prior to the last couple of years, I had never experienced a monthly show. But now I know it's good points and bad points. And I know some of the players, too. As I headed out, I waved goodbye to another dealer who I know outside of the show. He used to work with me a long time ago and now works at a college.

Pretty good for an introvert I guess. You do what you gotta do.