I grew up in the Baltimore area and used to attend shows in and around Baltimore in the 1980's and 1990's. None of the shows were really that successful. Baltimore had never been a great sports card show city. This was, of course, before the inner harbor area was transformed to the downtown that it is today.
When I found out the National was coming to Baltimore this summer, I was delighted, but was very skeptical that it would be a success. I thought transportation issues, parking, etc,... was going to be problematic. I didn't think attendance would be that good. I am very happy to say that I was absolutely wrong. This National in Baltimore was a huge success. Period.
The Baltimore Convention Center turned out to be a wonderful venue. There was actually additional space (another room in fact), to the left of the main entrance, for more booths. As mentioned earlier, the venue is very close to the Orioles ballpark as well as the inner harbor shops & restaurants. There is public transportation readily available and parking near the convention center, while a little expensive, is readily available. There are also enough activities for mom & the kids to do while dad is at the show.
Some dealers (vintage thru shiny stuff) that I spoke to said their sales were "decent". Some said "good' and a few others said "great".
I had a fantastic time !!! This was one of, if not the most enjoyable Nationals that I have ever attended. I'm glad that I was there Wed. thru Sat. It was really nice meeting/seeing many Net54 members as well as meeting some other longtime hobby collectors at the show and at the dinners after the show.
Alan
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