Front Row Card Show

Pasadena Convention Center — 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101

After a number of vendors recommended we get into a Front Row show, we chose this one to start with because of its size and Grayson's ability to travel over Labor Day weekend. This show is strict on leaving early, so flying out Monday was a must — and it worked out.

A Bonvoy umbrella hotel sits next to the convention center, which worked nicely, and there's plenty of food within a short walk. For me, a lot of logistical boxes checked.

The show itself is easily the most organized one we've worked. Banners everywhere, rows labeled (at least in the main room), and ample signage throughout.

Day 1 was much slower than I anticipated. 770 tables, coming off a big Dallas show in Houston, and we maybe sold $7k worth of cards. We turned down a couple of trade opportunities where the other party's value was too high, but frankly I was surprised based on everything I'd heard about the show. Trade Night was small, but active.

While sales were slow, I did move two stubborn cards — an Ohtani Rated Rookie /299 and an Aaron Judge Transcendent patch auto /10. Both were admittedly bad buys that had sat in the case for too many shows.

Grayson had been looking for a LeBron James rookie refractor and missed one at the Dallas show in Houston. He found a BGS 9 here and jumped on it early, before the show opened. It cost a little under $20k, making it his largest purchase.

Day 2 is already off to a rough start with rain in the forecast. My decade working out of Southern California taught me that SoCal doesn't do well with rain.