More than 500 attend Pharr antique show

 PHARR - Francis Allen found everything he wanted Sunday - an autographed football card of Pittsburgh Steelers's wide receiver Dallas Baker for $12.

The 43-year-old Brownsville resident was one of more than 500 people who attended the Pharr Chamber of Commerce Executive Club's first Antique and Collectibles Show at the Pharr International Convention Center at 3000 N. Cage Blvd.

Allen said he has been collecting Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates sports cards since he was a kid. He said Sunday's event - which was largely sports memoriabilia - was "pretty good."

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce decided to send their 20-member volunteer group, the Executive Club, on a retreat to Monterrey to reward them for their services and to talk about chamber goals, said Luis Garcia, the business development director for the chamber. He said the chamber board annually attends a weekend retreat and they decided to start sending the volunteer group on their own retreat.

The Antique and Collectibles Show was the club's first fundraiser to support the retreat and chamber officials plan on making it an annual event, Garcia said.

Thirty-five booths featured mainly sports cards, action figures and jewelry.

Carol Simpson said she read the notice for the event in the newspaper and she and her daughter decided to sign up and sell some of their belongings in the garage. It was probably the largest display of items most resembling stereotypical antiques.

It was the first time the 70-year-old McAllen resident had sold items at an event.

"I thought it would be a good way to get your feet wet. It's been okay," Simpson said. "I just wish there was more people."

And Jacob Edward Gutierrez from Pharr couldn't have agreed more.

In 30 minutes, he said he had only two customers - kind of disappointing for the "Delived Egg."

The 14-year-old was dressed in a deviled egg costume and offered advice, a song and a dance - each for $0.50.

The Monitor was only his second customer of the day. It is still unclear exactly how Gutierrez wound up in a deviled egg costume Sunday tucked away at a sports card table in the back, but he said the idea came to him when he was hanging out at the Pharr Memorial Library.

"Here I am, telling jokes, and advice, dancing and singing," he said. "Also, I'm' good a parties and entertaining little children."

Jackie Leatherman covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4424.