Hi Matt!

When I do these consignment trips, there's generally an end destination - one big consignment that needs me to come pick it up. From there, I'll reach out to consignors (or potential consignors) I know along the way and set up more appointments, and I'll try and route a trip that includes places I enjoy going to, or places I've never been that I'd like to see.  Once I've got the final trip routed, I'll advertise it to our customers in the states I'm visiting, in case anyone along the route has material they'd like me to pick up.

The drawback to these kinds of trips, because I drive, is that it's very difficult to make concrete appointments, which is a little bit of an imposition.  When you're covering thousands of miles, one traffic jam on a Monday afternoon can make it impossible to get to a Thursday appointment on time.

There are a TON of advantages about them, though, most notably getting to visit with consignors in person, shake their hands, and learn a little more about what makes them passionate about the hobby. It's one thing to know what someone likes, it's a totally different thing to see how they have it organized or displayed.  

In terms of the coolest find I was not expecting, there's no question - I was in San Antonio, and I got a call from a collector in Houston, asking me if I could come by and pick up a consignment.  I was really hesitant to do it, because it would take me several hours out of my way, and I was just about to head back home.  The collector said "Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while."

So I drove out to Houston.  By the time I got there, it was the middle of the night, like, maybe 11:00.  And he consigned virtually his entire collection - about $500,000 worth of rare Exhibit cards and complete sets, T210s, and other really tough tobacco issues.  It was an incredible collection, and I almost didn't get it because I didn't feel like driving out of my way.  I knew he was a really advanced collector, though, and when he said "I'll make it worth your while," I knew it was going to be good.  I would guess that in today's market, it would've been close to $2 million worth of material!

-Al

@al-crisafulli amazing! Thanks for sharing all that. Yeah, I'm often torn between chasing a lead I don't feel great about vs. "what if?" So, serious question . . . (since I'm just starting to look at cards as a "business" somewhat) . . . is that entire trip a business expense? : )

The entire trip is a business expense, but the entire trip is decidedly NOT business.  🙂

-Al

@al-crisafulli your secret is safe with me lol.