Albany Sports Card Show celebrates 50th anniversary
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The 50th anniversary of one of the longest continuous-running sports card shows in the United States was celebrated in Albany this past weekend.
Charlie O’Neil was there at the inception of the Albany Sports Card Show. “In 1974, a group of about a half dozen people started a club. One of them was the principal of a school in Troy so we would hold a monthly meeting there. At meetings, we discussed the hobby, swap, and trade cards. Ultimately, we decided to organize and run a show.”
The first show was held at the Polish Community Club on October 26, 1974. O’Neil says there was no admission charge and the event drew a decent-sized crowd. “Our club continued to meet monthly for the next ten years and we held annual conventions. We disbanded in the early 80s, but another gentleman took over running the show, eventually turning it into a monthly occurrence. It progressed and continued ever since, except for the COVID-19 pandemic.”
As the show grew, so did the network of relationships. Scott Trudell, owner of Albany NY Show Promotions, says he has developed relationships with several of the biggest grading companies.
“I started working with SGC in 1998 and have been a loyal customer since. SGC has even entrusted our show management to receive submissions on their behalf," said Trudell. "We will receive cards from collectors and ship them to Florida where they get graded. SGC then sends the cards back to us to distribute to the customers. We also have a great working relationship with James Spence Authentication.”
The level of interest in the hobby has experienced fluctuations over the years; nevertheless, the Albany Sports Card Show has persisted. “There have been shows where we had 17-18 tables and 60-70 people walking through the door. We have also had shows with 40-50 tables but only 15-20 people walking through the door. We have seen both ends of the spectrum.”
O'Neil cites the late 1980s and early 1990s as an instance of heightened collector interest. “There was rapid growth at that time as more companies produced cards, which generated interest. There was a lot of competition between companies like Upper Deck, Fleer, Topps, Donruss, etc. They were all going for that market share. There was a lot of variety in baseball, basketball, and football cards, and the demand was there.”
O’Neil says the card market is experiencing another surge right now. “Shows are very well attended as the hobby is experiencing a new fire and it’s not just for sports cards. We see non-sport cards, Pokemon cards, Magic the Gathering, miscellaneous memorabilia, etc. The shows are for all ages and collectors.”
Part of the surge relates to people O'Neil says are joining the hobby for other reasons than for collecting. “The biggest trend I have seen is people getting into the hobby for the investment.”
While this latest trend has been met with mixed reactions from collectors, Trudell believes it is not bad for the sports card world. “It is widely accepted throughout the hobby. There are many different types of customers and such a high demand for everything. The hobby market is great right now. You are seeing pack breaks on YouTube and auctions being held online. There is a lot of media attention to big sales and transactions that stimulate the card economy.”
One auction that garnered media attention involved a mint condition 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. The card, auctioned by Heritage Auctions, sold for $12.6 million in August 2022.
Trudell says he was fortunate enough to see the card in person and hold it. “The card was at the national convention. Some colleagues and friends at Heritage Auctions let me hold the card when it was at just over $7 million.”
Trudell says other valuable cards and memorabilia he has seen through the years include Honus Wagner cards, New York Yankees World Series rings, Jackie Robinson and Bill Russell rookie cards, and a Bobby Richardson ’59 game used jersey.
In addition to sports cards and memorabilia, many professional players have passed through the Capital District and Upstate New York. “Legends have come through here, including Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, and Warren Spahn, among others. Albany is a good sports town and the interest has not waned. We see cities that can no longer support a monthly or annual sports card show.”
O’Neil and Trudell attribute some of the interest to the history of sports in the local community. “The area is rich in sports history and dense in sports collectors,” said O’Neil. “Historically, we had teams like the Troy Haymakers who played in Lansingburgh in the late 1800s.”
“The Northeast probably has the largest number of collectors in the U.S.,” adds Trudell. “Aside from Albany, the White Plains and the Boston shows do well and we all look out for each other.”
For Trudell, collecting will always be a passion he wishes to entrust to future generations. “If you look at the history of collecting, it has brought friends and families together for years. Collecting brings back those childhood memories of your favorite players and teams. It is so wonderful to see families coming to shows. We see mothers, fathers, grandparents, and children laughing and having fun. Children are the future and we want to ignite their passion to keep collecting. Collecting is all in good fun and has been a labor of love for all of my life."