A Day in the Life, Act I -- The Ritual

It's almost here.

The card show. The huge bi-annual Chicago-area show.

There's a few hundred tables at this thing, easily. It's open for three days, Friday through Sunday.

And it's coming in a week, St. Patty's day to be exact. My dad and I have gone to each and every one of these shows for the past three or four years, always on the Saturday because that's the day that seems to have the most business.

I get really excited in the days leading up to the card show, to say the least. Thinking about those mountains of dime boxes, anticipating the gems I'll unearth.

As a result, I'll be posting an "Act" each day until Saturday, taking you through my favorite day of my card collecting calendar.

Perhaps a lot of you are like me when it comes to card shows.

I'd guess that most of us have attended at least one card show in the past couple years or so. If not, I'd highly recommend you see if there's one around you.

If other collectors are anything like me, I'm sure that we all have some sort of ritual that we go through before we make that great trip to our local card show.

I've personally never done it, but perhaps a few of you bring your lists for your set needs to the show, making sure you have them before you walk out the door, or something along those lines.

I'm not sure exactly when it started, but my pre-card show "ritual" is grabbing breakfast at IHOP with my dad before heading out.

I don't have a big meal like Ed Kranepool appears to be having. Just a basic eggs, sausage, and hash browns breakfast. I'll usually talk about what I'm looking for at the show with my dad, always saying the same thing:

Nothing specific.

When I'm done with breakfast, I get the great feeling that the card show is almost here. All those cards in that one place.

After we finish our meal, we go outside to the bus stop and wait for the bus. But that's the next act in this play.

I don't expect this show to be any different. I'll still be grabbing breakfast at IHOP, and I still won't have a specific "plan" on what I'm looking for.

It's going to be great.