Improvements to the N'atl
 

Sorry for yet another "National" thread...BUT...I was thinking of an idea that I thought would be good at the nat'l for the future. Whether it's feasible or not...who knows...but here goes.

I'd hear occasional announcements on the PA for various things. IT'd be awesome if there were a way to announce a certain card that someone was looking for on the PA. And I realise that there would have to be restrictions somehow as it'd be really annoying if there were constant announcements for pedestrian cards. Maybe only for rarities?

Then the dealers...hopefully would hear this...or maybe it could be texted to their cell phones and respond. The announcements would have to be few...maybe raffled or dispersed in some rational way.

I think this could stimulate sales and interactions between buyer and seller.

Is this just a stupid idea or what?

National
 

Pete, the political pins community does something a bit different but none the less fun and exciting. They have a person that is on a stool and describes what he has and then accepts bids on it. About 20 - 40 people stand around him and bid on the item. An impromptu live auction basically.

It is an interesting foundation for an idea. To help regulate it I think you would have to put your money down saying I am willing to pay this much for this card in this condition and if a dealer can provide the card at that price then it should be considered a done deal. That would stop a lot of random searches.

Maybe a few stock tickers planted through the place with the information scrolling?

An app would work best where there can with a buyer and seller area.

The issue with an app is the assumption that all people use devices with apps. I don't use any devices with apps.

Edited to add: Apps would help greatly for those that have it and could still be an idea, I was only pointing out that it wouldn't benefit everyone.

The app is the PA system. It works for everyone except those few collectors who are deaf....

I was thinking about this the other day (well something similar). What if a month or two before the National attendees submit a "wantlist" to the event organizers. The organizers then distribute the collective wantlists to the dealers. The dealers hopefully will recieve the list a couple weeks before the national and inform the organizers what they will bring on said list and, for a nominal fee, attendees can purchase back their lists with the location of the items they're looking for.

It's a win-win-win.

Personally I wouldn't want things shouted over the PA. It's real distracting. Saturday morning I was near the Upper Deck booth when their annoying girl started screaming out endless winners from the expired redemption promotion. Finally other dealers had enough as well and had the officials shut her off.

It's hard to carry on conversations when others are blaring their news to the masses.

Some good ideas guys. I agree the blaring PA of the card companies was annoying but maybe it was their crappy PA or annoying screechy voices.

Maybe have an announcement every 15 minutes...or 1/2 hour...or hour..."Attention...does anyone have an old judge scrappy carrol left leg showing card(I made this up)...any condition. If so pls reply with table #...we've got a motivated buyer!"

Something along these lines?!

I like the idea of a text. If dealer is so antequated as not to receive texts...that's their problem.

I really like the idea of an app. I understand there are some without access but I think the majority have and use frequently devices which would allow an already good experience to be augmented; it's not 1989...

How bout this....
 

There is one line for someone who wants to use "a personal buyer" at the National.

The "personal buyer" is one person who has real time access to a message board where a group of dealers are located (here for instance).

The dealers would respond within a few minutes if they had the card this specific buyer was looking for. Set the minimum value card to be searched at around $250. If someone is serious enough, they will wait in line for this service and pay a small finders fee perhaps. Connects many dealers instantly with serious wants lists.

I'll be anyone's partner who wants to start this business with me.:)

I kinda like the app idea...but kinda not?! With the problem with theft...and insufficient help at a lot of tables...I think the distraction of having to look at your device could pose a problem.

I much prefer the concept that at regular intervals...the PA will announce the desired card/cards at which time the crown will "hush" wanting to hear the announcement...and I think some type of reward for the seller who comes forward the quickest would be positive incentive too?!

The only problem with the personal shopper idea is that the pool of available cards will be limited to those participating as well as the idea that these sellers will have to be on a message board and not manning their stuff.

Want an idea to improve the National?

I have never been to the Natioanal (or any sports card shows in the last few years) however, time after time, I have read on this board about members going to shows and being PO'd about dealers not having their items priced and the prices being where they can be seen.

My suggestion, therefor, would be for the organizers of the National to REQUIRE the dealers setting up to have their items priced and the prices in plain site. If they are found to NOT have this then they will be immediately booted from the show.

I mean, this show is supposed to be for buyers and sellers to get together and NOT to be a museum.

David

A big improvement would be to occasionally move it to the West Coast. Anaheim would be awesome instead of Cleveland and Chicago routine. Maybe every 4 to 5 years here in California or even Dallas. Some collectors actually do live west of the Mississippi River.

I had some Net 54ers email me during the National altering me to certain dealers having, for instance T210s, at their table. The more friends you have at the show the better :D

I agree, Bob. Seems like I get texts or emails letting me know about this and that at dealers' tables throughout the show. Also helps to walk around and talk to people and dealers about what you're looking for. The more you open up, the more help you get. I'd personally hate it if I heard announcements all day long at the show. Even at 5 minute intervals, I would think it would be extremely annoying. I like the thrill of the hunt and don't mind spending a few days digging through boxes or talking to dealers to find one or two items for my collection.

How about this:

Each entrant is handed a free book (may also have some printed advertisement space).

In the book, each dealer is given one page to list the dealer's top 100 items in inventory - and asking price strongly suggested, but not mandatory. And of course, a booth number and floorplan.

So the bound book would be up to a couple hundred pages highlighting what the dealer thinks he has that is noteworthy.

I would have loved to have this in 2011 when I was in Chicago. It would have helped me navigate the place, and also I could have gone over it like a like a kid with a Christmas catalog at night in the hotel room.

The dealers' submission deadline for this might also force some dealers into organizing their stuff before they pack and head to the Nat.

The lists could also be published on the Nat's website (for the tech-savvy).

Cheers,
Blair

I like where this idea is going. I would be willing to pay for said service, but only if it entitled me to first dibs on items. Knowing that 20 other collectors are going to be receiving the same "leads" as i do wouldn't be worth anything to me.

Something like a twitter feed with a hashtag would work. Dealers could pick out the hashtag and tweet back if they have a match. Biggest problem is dealer multitasking as it seems like one more thing for them to do and would raise the theft proabbility I think..

That is why you make one line....first come first serve...you snooze you lose.

If after 5 minutes you don't get a response from a dealer, you get to search for another card, no extra charge....so you basically go until you get a match!

Win-win

While this sounds well and good. Please remember most dealers are 50ish and only use a phone(regardless of it's capabilities) to send and receive calls. They are not tweeting or following instagram. For them to do what most suggest would involve reinventing the wheel for them. Myself included.

Some different locations. It is ridiculous to have Chicago, Cleveland,Baltimore and ocassionally Atlantic City. There are plenty of other great cities that are worthy of the National.

On-site dentistry would be a plus . . .

There were more dentist's floating around that room that you could count!

I like the idea of having one out west sometimes. Las Vegas would work. Then again, dealers wouldn't want buyers blowing all there money at the tables instead of buying cards.

A Net54 Dinner every evening of the show.

+1000

+1000

Leon loves the work and thrives on planning dinners for hundreds :D

There's a cool app called "Group me" It works like text messages but with a group. The groups are private. If all the pre-war dealers/buyers joined say a "2013 National Pre-war collectors" group, then a buyer could send a text like "who's the guy with all the N321s?" Everyone will get the message, and the right dealer could respond. The down side would be that all buyers would get the message and another interested collector might be closer then you!

The idea of a free program book, with a floor plan and corresponding list of dealers, and a separate index listing the dealers by the type of material they sell, is a good one. And if advertising can help to keep it free, so much the better.

I like the app idea, but this appeals to me as well. Heritage had a numbered floor plan in their catalog. I think that there needs to be a way in which the table numbers are displayed in a more prominent manner.

I always thought people enjoyed the hunt?

not to diminish the hunt...as for most of us this is where the thrill is...but hunting/fishing without ever catching/killing anything sucks!!!!

I like the Net54 dinner each night too. :D
How about a shuttle on call to take us from the show entrance to the McDonalds :D

A serious idea that might work is to group different sellers of cards together in each part of the show. Tables 1-300 would vintage cards, tables 301-500 modern cards, tables 501-600 autographs, tables 601-650 auction houses, tables 651-655 grading companies, etc,... The seller might have some new stuff, but if they sell predominently vintage cards, then put them in that section. Each National, switch it around so one year the the vintage sellers are tables 1-300, the next year they're at 800-1000.

Again...I was thinking for rare items...not 50's hof'ers...or 33 goudey ruths!

I say "good luck" to the Dinner every night suggestion. :) ....we'll be very fortunate to have one next year but it's a long ways away so who knows.

As for having tables with designated categories, I don't think it would ever work. Too many have things from different eras and different parts of the hobby. As for an app, I am still trying to connect the string from one cup to the other in order to hear.

We could all crash at Leon's place.

That is one of the funniest comments I have seen in a long time!
JimB

On location Dentistry sounds good to me...no insurance accepted...payment in vintage cardboard only!

Leon, I am sad to hear that there might not be a dinner next year. One of the main reasons I am planning on attending in Cleveland is for the Friday night dinner. My one and only National (even though I have been collecting since 1986) was in Baltimore last year and one of the main reasons was to attend the dinner. I would reconsider my plans to go to Cleveland if there was not going to be a dinner.

I think blowing all your money at the tables means something different to collectors at the National! :D On the serious side, I would like add my vote to those that would like to see another National west of the Mississippi.

One thing I have been wondering, is how does Comic-Con always make their event such a happening? They call it a comic book convention, but are there people actually selling comics at this show? I've never been there, so I don't know if you can even compare the two events, but maybe there are some things to be learned from how they have managed to make this such an great show.

App
 

I work for a progressive internet based company who uses an app for our twice-yearly conferences. Everything from agenda, to poll questioning, to updates, to Twitter or Instagram feeds.

Positive: Engaging, interactive, definitely the wave of the future.

Negative: Can be slow, cumbersome, mass numbers hit the servers at the same time slows it down considerably. In an area with poor reception like the Donald E. Stephens, that would have been a major issue.

We will know approximately 6 months in advance, if we will have one or not. Cleveland is a bit more difficult venue to have one at. I know a lot of members look forward to it so we'll try. It does have a lot to do with sponsorship too. The costs have gone up a good bit. And, no, I won't consider charging to go to it. The $5 donation for doggies is about as much as I ever want to solicit, and even that goes against my philosophy of having this board always be free to members. But I will make exceptions to help good causes. LL

Thanks Leon...Although you wouldn't consider charging a fee, couldn't we allow donations if anyone is inclined? I know that I would be happy to contribute and would not be the least bit put out to do so.