I used to be a baseball card collector (Yes, I still have my collection). I have kept many of the Beckett Baseball Card Monthly magazines I used to subscribe to.

Last weekend I went to my local dealer's shop over in Concord, CA and chatted with him regarding "SLABBING". An interesting conversation to say the least.

Well I did purchase the April 2001 issue and today I found an unopend copy of a April 1994 issue.

Is the Baseball card hobby healthy in California? I make it a safe BET that it is NOT looking at the number of shows listed in each issue.

In the current 2001 issue

March 11 thorough April 29

there are 15 shows listed in California

In the 1994 issue

March 12 through April 30

there were 245 shows listed in California

Now for the entire country information...

The 1994 issue the "April Convention Calendar" starts on page 80 and ends at page 100! . . .21 Pages

The 2001 issue the "Calendar" starts on page 103 and ends on page 106! . . .4 PAGES

Other than the Baseball Player's strikes I wonder just how much the Slabbing/Grading companies might be responsible for the decline in baseball card shows?

I don't know how long baseball cards have been slabbed and graded. However I just got off the phone with PSA who is one of the top two companies who do slab and grade baseball cards and I was told they have been doing baseball cards for approximately 10 years. I know the other top company Beckett started much more recently.