National Locations Announced Through 2019
 

Per Beckett Media, the National Sports Collectors Convention has announced the locations of the show through 2019. They are as follows:

2014: Cleveland
2015: Chicago
2016: Atlantic City
2017: Chicago
2018: Cleveland
2019: Chicago

I'm definitely disappointed about AC and no Baltimore.

Danny

Why can't they do KC, STL, or somewhere on the west coast? Atlantic city sounds like a very expensive national. Chicago is already bad enough. Baltimore is the cheapest one and best I've attended so far. Speaking travel wise

What? No St Paul, MN?!

+1. Great idea

Andrew

100% DITTO to your comments here.

Although, I live only a 2 HR drive away from Atlantic City....I'd rather take the 2 HR train ride to Baltimore.


Pennsylvania TED Z

Agree with the previous posts. I'm really suprised that they chose Atlantic City again. Almost all of the dealers said that 2003 show was a disaster.

I'm sorry I missed the past Baltimore. Would have been my first.

I could make a daily mad blast to AC from mid Lawn Island, although I'd rather train it and be in Baltimore. One thing about AC though, and this is what I intend to do, is that if you live within hog-calling distance of a casino -- and that means NY, PA, NJ, DE and the like, you can grab an early morning casino bus (cheap and free casino tokens!) and then when disembarking just walk over to the National. In the evening you just bus it back home. Then do it again the next day.

Ridiculous, we have a convention center, come on! lol

Would love it in the twin cities

I was voting for Lucas Texas. :o

I think we could do the Dallas Convention Center
 

It is big enough and there is now a hotel adjacent so that will take care of one need.

I don't like Dallas area because too many different places and not all in walking distances and not a lot of good dining areas near enough the show,

But we would be OK

Rich

Wow.....I have no aspirations of Louisville although we have a great convention center, the Louisville Slugger Museum and the AAA farm club of the Cincinnati Reds....the Louisville Bats....BUT.....surprised that Baltimore got chopped. I know both times all the dealers liked Baltimore and as a participant, I could fly to BWI and train it right in to a hotel right next to the center/stadium, etc. I really enjoyed Baltimore. I like Chicago and Cleveland because of the 4.5-5.5 hour drives from Louisville but they do get kind of tiring as far as scenery goes......

Anybody know what happened to Baltimore? Looked like it might end up in the permanent rotation for a while. Guess last year didn't go so well.

Nationals
 

I would love a National in the Boston area---plenty of convention centers plus hotels---but from what I understand, The board says Boston is too expensive---Baltimore was great---but also heard there are no available dates in early August----At least AC is on the east coast---but I dont think they ever had a good National in Atlantic City---I remember around 15-20 years ago, a new fellow tried it and it was the worst ever---lines of dealers waiting hours to register etc.---Anyway excited for this years National in Chicago---I drove to Baltimore last year---flying to Chicago with a carry on for my best cards--and paying another dealer who is driving to take some other stuff. thanks, Don

thanks for posting this info.

I'm really suprised that they chose Atlantic City again. Almost all of the dealers said that 2003 show was a disaster.

I must be the only guy who liked the AC national. Then again the craps table was very kind to me (or is it carps? :p ).

I guess Detroit was booked...

From my experience as well as word from several dealers Baltimore last yr was very good to all that attended.

What, no Washington, DC?! I was hoping for at least Baltimore.

+1 Don, for selfish reasons. But I agree, Boston is an expensive city to stay in. It's also tough on folks coming from the left coast. I'd actually like to see a National in San Fran. I could sell my wife on the trip, see a few vineyards in Napa and then hit the show. Wins all around!

I liked the Baltimore one, but AC is about an hour drive for me, so I'm all for it. Now I just sit and wait three years...

I'll second that for KC, STL or the Twin Cities? All of these locations are easy to get around in and inexpensive. More $$$ for cards. :D

San Diego would be nice for us West Coast collectors.

This article from sportscollectorsdaily.com sums up their considerations when selecting sites:

The National Sports Collectors Convention will return to Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2016.** A recent vote by the show’s long-time exhibitors will bring the show back to the Atlantic City Convention Center for the first time since 2003.

The facility contains 500,000 contiguous square feet of space and occupies a site of nearly 31 acres, making it one of the East Coast's largest Convention Centers. It was built in 1997 at a cost of $268 million. It was the centerpiece of a multi-billion dollar Atlantic City redevelopment plan which included The Walk, a retail and entertainment complex.

The show’s schedule is now set through 2019, barring any unforeseen developments.* Other than the venture to the New Jersey shore in three years, it will take place in either Chicago or Cleveland each summer.

The vote for 2016 was between Atlantic City and another trip to Cleveland. *Baltimore, which hosted the show in 2010 and again last year to generally positive reviews, won't be hosting again anytime soon.

Some have clamored for the show to return to a different east coast city, the west coast or south but finding a sizeable venue convention *at a reasonable cost has proven difficult.* Chicago and Cleveland are centrally located for many who attend annually and the show is welcomed.

“We have size requirements now,” NSCC Director and Co-Founder Mike Berkus told Sports Collectors Daily in 2012.* “Operating *under 325,000 square feet would mean that many exhibitors would be shut out. Vegas and Atlantic City pose challenges on diversion of attention and attendance. Philly, New York, and Boston have financial and union issues that require exhibitors to have large increases in booth fees. Anaheim, San Francisco, and Boston will not host us without a cancellation policy that would kill advance travel and planning for all concerned. They want trade shows that require 8000 to 10,000 room night guarantees or they can cancel us without recourse. We are constantly researching and negotiating as many locations as possible.”

I wonder if they considered Charlotte. Really nice sized city, but quite reasonable from an expense standpoint. Very nice downtown convention center that would allow for fantastic night life options.

I hate Cleveland, as there is nothing central to the CC and no real nightlife.

I wonder if they considered Washington, DC. The (relatively) new convention center is enormous, with plenty of transportation options, hotels, restaurants, and parking. The baseball stadium is a few subway stops away.

Very disappointing. Baltimore was by far the best place. Wish they would get away from Chicago & Cleveland already.

They should select a different State each year. A better idea would be to have the dealers and attendees vote on a location.

I guess they solved the "diversion of attention and attendance" issues for AC; so why not Vegas? At least I know I won't be going in'16. Rio baby!

Trust me
 

For those of us who value our sleep, the answer to this is no

+1. No offense to Clevelanders but really??? Again next year and 2018? I love Chicago but that is also getting old. They only schedule the National when the Cubs are in town, never the Sox. Wrigley is great but the Cubs are a joke.
I know there aren't any driving forces in Dallas/Arlington anymore since Wanda Marcus passed but avoiding Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis and the Twin Cities is ludicrous. If you are going to have one in Atlantic City, why not just have it in Vegas?
They need to shake up the membership of the committee that makes these selections :mad:

Detroit would be a "killer" show. What is the bs with chitown chitown chitown! Damn.:(Dave.

"Some have clamored for the show to return to a different east coast city, the west coast or south but finding a sizeable venue convention *at a reasonable cost has proven difficult.* Chicago and Cleveland are centrally located for many who attend annually and the show is welcomed."

Centrally located? Kansas City and St. Louis are centrally located.

+1

Cleveland is at 1300kmfrom me... More reasonable drive than chicago..(1850km)

1300km in car is possible in 1 day so i will perhaps be at the nats in 2014

I enjoyed Baltimore and had hoped it would come back soon.Looks like Im going to Cleveland next year.I can't miss two in a row.

Wow. Terrible news. Here's to hoping 2020 comes out west.

It's all business
 

And I head a rumour (nothing more) about part of the issue with Baltimore, if true, one or two bad apples ruined it for the rest of us.

Rich

Baltimore should not be left out of the cold here. It has a great location by the harbor & hotels are close by. Enjoyed the National in Anaheim years ago & it has never returned back to Anaheim since. St. Louis would be an interesting location for the National since it's in the Midwest & I can buy dinner for Bill Goodwin.

What does 1300km mean? haha

I live 2 hours from Atlantic City and will say it is a bad venue. Don't worry, by then 75% of the casinos will be out of business and you can spend more money on cards.

Since I live in NJ, this is what I would recommend:
1. Rent a house for the week at the shore and make it the family vacation. You can get a decent shore house 30 - 45 minutes from Atlantic City.

2. For the single people on the board, get together and rent a house as above.

You'll have to rent a car to get back and forth to the show but it would be worth it. If you do a Sunday - Sunday, you'll have a few extra days to go into Philly and NYC.

it SHOULD be in minneapolis, they have a massive convention center.

here is the list for the rest of the century, j/k but not really.

chicago,
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago,
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago,
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago,
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
Phuket, Thailand
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland

Well that explains why they won't go to Baltimore again. :confused:

Same old...............
 

I guess it will be another 9 years before I attend another National. Lame excuses as usual.


Patrick

I know that 50% of the US population lives within 500 miles of Columbus OH. Perhaps they are referring to population with that statement.

+1 for Baltimore :(

How did Anaheim works itself out of the rotation?

That would make sense. It's all about attendance and I would do the same if I were selecting a location for the National. 500 miles, you drive it. Anything further west and people are flying.

+1, but AC is only one hour for me. At least Baltimore has culture.

There is an issue that the promoters and the Anaheim Convention Center disagree with. It's been said here before, but I cannot remember the reason.

That is the official word. The real reason I suspect is related to majority of the dealers are east of the Mississippi and they don't want to travel several days trucking their wares cross-country. Anaheim is far from the only major trading post in the West. The last National in Anaheim was in 2006 and attendance was poor.

The bigger problem is that the show circuit in our hobby has slumped a great deal since the strike years. It isn't about kids, young people or the internet because they all show up to Comi-Con. But our hobby's culture has become more introverted and internet based. I have friends that collect(even vintage stuff) and they are in their mid-30s, but won't attend conventions.

Like how MLB is doing the World Baseball Classic to influence global competition and expansion, I've seen shows like the Culver City one pop up trying to revive show activity on the West Coast. Like a lot of people on this forum, I definitely try to support these efforts when I can but I expect it will be awhile before the board decides it's worth coming out West again.

Craig H.

I'll go to a national when it's actually in a city and not 30 minutes away in some suburb or by an airport.

Immensely disappointing. Either Anaheim or San Diego has to be put in the rotation.

San Diego has the following to offer...

Petco Park - 2 blocks away
Seaport Village - 2 blocks away
Gaslamp Quarter - 1 block away, with unlimited restaurants, bars, etc.
Tons of easily "walkable" hotels
A Gigantic Convention Center (which also supports ComicCon)

Nearby attractions for family members including...
San Diego Zoo
Wild Animal Park
Sea World
Mission Bay
The Beach
Belmont Amusement Park
LegoLand
Even Tijuana (if that's your thing)

Plus it's in the City, and less than 10 minutes from the Airport.

Plus you get the certainty of perfect weather. There cannot be a better location. The West always gets jobbed :mad:

They need to spruce it up and give people new reasons to go.

comicon is as popular as ever. how come they can go to different cities?

my revised list of national convention locations

chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
chicago
cleveland
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
no convention
...........

There is a board that makes the decision on where to have the National. That being said, the founder and promoter, Mike Berkus, is set to speak again at our Dinner this year at the National. He has gone over the reasoning for the locations before. It's not as easy as everyone thinks. The main things it has to do with are money (cost of venue), ingress and egress, contractual issues (can they reserve for years in the future) and sometimes it has to do with Unions. He has explained it a few times but that is what I remember. As I have said, for me personally, once I get on a plane I don't care where it is. I go to the show for the show, nothing else. It could be in a 350,000 sf tent in the desert (as long as there is ac) for all I care. I am going and am going to have fun. I go on family vacations for other things. I go to the show for the show. I am probably in the minority as usual. :)

Comicon is always in San Diego, but that being said I agree with everyone. The need to book it 5 years in advance is a little silly. I believe that is why Baltimore is out of the mix. One of the best sites for the National and should be in permanent rotation and I'm saying this as someone who lives on the West Coast.

Other cities would be great, or a permanent rotation that didn't include Cleveland. Bottom line is probably money. These guys are promoters and there is a dollar figure that they want to make in order to make it worthwhile to them. If there is a venue that doesn't make them the same amount of money, it gets axed from the list.

The local show that we put on, we do for fun. We are collectors first and foremost, not promoters. It's a different mindset.

I was actually excited to see AC on the list...i'll reserve my room at Revel now ;)

I think that would be a fun weekend for sure.

PS- I am also of the opinion that an NYC Nat'l would be amazing.

So they can go east coast with AC but no love for Cali?

Boooooo for hating on the West.

Hey Travis,

Very funny about your proposed locations but I wanted to focus on this part of your quote. I agree and I have a theory in this regard. When I go to the National I can't help but notice there are very few young people/kids who attend. I am not saying there are NO kids, just that there are much less than one would expect at a National Convention of this nature.

I think one of the reasons for this is that the younger generation is growing up in a world completely different than ours. Their world is full of interaction (video games, etc) and the idea of looking at static images on pieces of cardboard is not very attractive to them. In fact, I gave my son, who is now 16, a number of 1960s and 1970s baseball cards of star players (Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Pete Rose, etc) when he was younger and he said "Thanks Dad, that's really nice." However, that night the cards went into his dresser drawer and I don't think he ever looked at them again. I simply don't think trading cards grab the imagination of the youth like it did in our day.

With that said, I think one thing that would truly increase the attendance at our conventions is to offer more interactive components for the youth. I still don't understand why we couldn't have companies like EA Sports and others there with interactive sports related games. I understand our industry is about nostalgia but I don't think we will truly reach our youth with this hobby unless we offer them more than what we are now. That's not to say things like "case breaks" are not appealing to some of the younger people who like to rip wax but I really think the interactive nature of the Comic Con is one of the reasons it is so popular and always draws huge numbers of people.

Just my thoughts.

+1 for AC
 

about time they accommodate the collectors from the best state in the country..NEW YORK...

nice to be able to DRIVE to a National for once, and not have to FLY...

Drive? Let's take a helicopter from NYC! :)

I was told that Baltimore was booked up on all these dates for that time of the year. I think its 2019 for the next National in Baltimore. There suppose to be an open date for a year & San Francisco would be another great place to have the National.

Yep... I agree Texas would be a Brilliant choice... I'm sure Beckett would roll out the red carpet... I'd love to go to my 1st one anywhere other than their past normal sites... Although Baltimore I'm sure would of been a treat... Looks lke Chicago or AC will be my 1st

I've read on blogs complaining that the National is mostly a vintage, high-dollar card affair and there is limited emphasis on new cards.

http://www.sportscardsuncensored.com...oming-extinct/


I'd guess 70% of the tables at the National are devoted to older stuff. Kids would be mostly drawn to newer stuff. Mike Trout excites them more than Mickey Mantle because his cards are more obtainable than the Mick in their mind and they can see/relate to him better.

Our hobby is vast and yes there is $$$ to be made, but the National doesn't seem to serve the diversity of the field that it could. I haven't got a clue as to how to change it, but that is what I see.

Another issue with the National requirements that puzzles me is their requirement for 18,000 sq. feet minimum(or whatever it is). The National only has about 500-700 tables--far from the 1000 tables there were 20 years ago. Maybe the committee has priced themselves out by having too many strict requirements??? Other events are held at the convention centers and they probably have to deal with the same requirements as the National committee, so it's somewhat of a headscratcher as to why the committee would limit itself to mostly Chicago and Cleveland.

Craig H.

Not sure where you get your info but it's so far off I don't know where to start? First of all....18000 square feet? really.....how about almost exactly 20x that amount to hold a National. Minimum is about 325,000+ square feet. Then, 500-700 tables....well, how about 1100-1200, but who's counting? Strict requirements, no not really. It's called capitalism and they do it as a profit center, not as a benevolence event. No head scratcher at all if you have all of the correct information. And as far a catering to young folks, well, the last 12 of them I have been to had quite a few young folks but not enough. I actually think the hobby, with the internet the way it is, has grown over the last 30 yrs. It has made everyone be able to collect on so much more of a wide scale, and brought everyone together, I think it is more healthy than ever. If anyone doesn't think so just look at auction prices .....Just my view, nothing personal.....

Craig does have ONE aspect right
 

These shows are no where near being Kid orented, even if the yougsters come and get free admission with Daddy or Mommy -- the parent has already shlled out $25 for admission plus any fees for parking (Chicago is cheap if you use the MTA station at about $5) and any food, etc.

We should ask for lower admission fees, at some point we might eliminate any walk ups at that price.

Now free is too cheap, but IMHO only, a $10 admission charge is sufficient but that is just me

Rich

I agree as I said "well, the last 12 of them I have been to had quite a few young folks but not enough"


As for the admission cost I agree too, However, we aren't the ones incurring the expenses so we don't know exactly what they are and what it takes to be profitable.

simple..
 

they need to add a batting cage and pitching speed cage to give the kids something PHYSICAL to do, then they have fun...

i have thrown out my arm plenty of times at yankee stadium trying to get to 90MPH in the pitching cage (smartly placed by the booze section)...

Admission Charge
 

Just as with the NY Yankees, at some point the admission charge will end up scaring away anyone but the most "corporate" types.

The only problem iwth $25 is that it scares away peoiple from just shwing up and at some point the nice families, such as we have who come to shows like the Craig Ranch McKinney, TX show (last month was an exception as we were very slow in terms of people) prefer the free admission.

Now the National can not and should not be free, but perhaps a lower admission cost might actually bring in some new people to attend. If I have $100 to send and $35 or so is spent on parking and admssion I only have $65 left for the vendors.

If I know to park at the MTA (or even take the MTA) and then spend $10 to attend - I have $85 to spend with the vendors. Plus, and I do not know this for sure, but I suspect in this case, lower admission costs would bring in more people.

What this does, is ask more people to buy badges up front.

Just my 1cent (because Leon's quarter is more valuable) worth

Rich

There have been throwing cages with pitching radar machines at some of the Nationals. I know because I did it once. I was in tennis shoes, flat ground and am an old man...and think I threw 68 MPH...which for the folks around me doing it, it was pretty good.

I agree Scott. I think if you look at the MLB All-Star FanFest and the NFL Experience at the Super Bowl it will validate that statement.

I remember going to the National in St. Louis back in the '90s and they had a goal post where you could actually try to kick field goals. I think I was good from up to about 12 yards. I was pretty proud of myself :)

and in cleveland
 

there is that ferris wheel or whatever that is in the middle of the show floor and yes that is operative.

In Cleveland's Case -- the Downtown Convention Centrer would be a better fit for most people IMHO

glad you didnt hurt your "bidding arm"

Leon,

I never claimed I knew the specifics. I pulled those figures out of my butt. You are right there are 350,000 sq ft of space. But the website clearly states there are only 600 dealers and corporate displays. There used to be 1000. (I should have meant dealers not tables). The point was that the hobby seems to have consolidated somewhat(fewer dealers, fewer collectors, less $$$ available than 20 years' ago) yet the expectations have gotten larger???

http://nsccshow.com/show_details.shtml

I just think it's odd that the promoters make it seem like the only place viable to have a convention is in Chicago or Cleveland when other industries under the same circumstances regularly book events in other cities. This is largely what everyone has been complaining about--not that it is easy or cheap to set these things up.

The details as to why the National stays in those cities has been discussed before yet it appears people are not satisfied with the answers. I agree with you in that I do not really care where it is hosted. I've accepted the reasons as it is but apparently a lot of people do not feel that way.

Craig H.

I would think your two options as a promoter would be to move it around a lot, or not at all. The first to take advantage of a different local and regional collector base each year, the second to just lock it in with a good deal from the convention center based on consistency, and for simplicity of planning for attendees. Why the swing between Chicago and Cleveland, which aren't that far apart anyway? And I don't get Atlantic City at all.

I will NEVER
 

understand the choice of Cleveland all these times Cleveland has always SUCKED for me. sorry thats as nice as i can put it. I do not really set up much anymore and will almost definitely not be setting up in Cleveland. Oh well good thing I don't do this for a living anymore. I actually lost money in Cleveland one year at a national? that is hard to do. Terrible venue not much in local collectors, poor choice for such frequent visits. Must be cheap so the board can pocket more money for themselves because Ive heard many similar complaints over the years.

They have complex issues when selecting a city for the National. The venue availability, minimum size venue, union issues, costs, etc,...

They have decreased the number of dealer tables over the last few years to be able to select smaller venues in new cities (ie Boston) in future years, but it appears they've gone back to their rotation of Cleveland and Chicago. And, I don't know what the reason was for choosing Atlantic City.

With all due respect to Glyn (Hi Glyn !!!) and others, I happen to really like Cleveland. For me, it's only a 6 hour drive, driving & parking at the expo center is trivial and I enjoy the downtown area at night.

I'll never forget 2007 in Cleveland, when we were forced to use the 2-wheel configuration of our handtruck because the union, who would motor your stuff out for $250, wouldn't allow 4 wheels on the ground. So we hauled maybe eight loads during a monsoon through the parking lot while the union guys sat on their carts with nothing to do. That really made me want to come back to Cleveland.

Now, who would object to the convention being in Palm Beach? Brand new Convention center too!

At least then the Hawaiian shirts & jean shorts would fit the climate...

I've only attended 1 national and it was Anaheim in the 80's and I stumbled through the door with my Dad and my Brother. We walked away with a primo Brett rookie for $3.

If they go to New Orleans or Hawaii, I could see going. Otherwise it's Bagger's, and Sterling, and ebay for me.

what's the difference between calling something "the national" and calling something "the east coast national" if the national never hits anything west of chicago?

a/c
 

I am stoked:D

This is the one you will all meet me at:)

Can you really approach 90 MPH?? If so, WOW and hats off to you.;)

No Boston show.:( I guess it would cost too much. The hotels are expensive from what I've heard.