Question about The National
 

Very excited. Just booked my first trip to the National in Cleveland this year! I'm attending primarily for the experience but would absolutely be willing to buy if I find some stuff I like.

My question is about purchasing. I understand cash is king, espically at sports card shows, but I would feel a little nervous about carrying large amounts of cash. For the sake of argument, let's say you find a good deal for a card you really want for $5000. Are you okay carrying that much cash around, espically not knowing if you'll buy anything at all?

Potentially, too many crooked eyes on the conv. floor watching as you whip out your $5K wad to make a buy. Could follow you outside and stick a gad in your ribs for what you have left. And going thru airport TSA check in, you might get flagged carrying $5K on your person, as derived from a drug transaction. Plastic is much safer. Many sellers accept it and any buys you make via paypal give you protection. Not that I'm paranoid, just looking at the downside.

Many dealers will take Paypal / Square Cash / Venmo / Straight CC's, but there are always dealers out there that will take nothing but cash.

The last local show I went to, I had to reluctantly pass on a very nice $950 card because I didn't have that much cash on me. It was sold not long after I walked away.

That same dealer had cards priced as high as 8K+, and he claimed that people do pay him with that much cash.

I'd personally be somewhat concerned about carrying a ton of cash with me.

Cash will always be king.

I set up at the National and shows on the East Coast---I only take Cash, Paypal and checks from people I know or with Good references. I do lose some sales, but the same card will sell at a later date. I do have many high priced cards and trust me, buyers do bring a lot of cash. Many dealers will take up to 50K in cash . I do get stopped at the airport, not for the cash, but for the encapsulated cards that cause an alert for some reason. I then have to explain what I have and that I am selling them at a show. Cash is still King and I don't know of any guys that have been robbed at the National due to cash (other than cards being stolen from showcases)

FinCen rules apply to international travel not domestic, and it would be anything above 10k on your person.

From experience, domestic you can take as much cash as you want to on a plane.

Don, you are the reason I take cash to shows now! A few years back, Don had a great card I wanted but I didn’t have the cash and he didn’t know me to accept a check (plus I didn’t have a check on me). I didn’t get the card. At the National a few months later, I rolled in and bought a pretty 51 bowman mays from Don, all cash. There have been other times I have missed out on cards from other dealers bc I didn’t have cash, or I had to leave a cash deposit and send a check later, which sucks. Cash is king. You get better deals with cash and everyone accepts it.

Don’t they have an ATM right outside the show? I think I remember leaving the show last year, and saw a must-have on the way out that I missed earlier, went to the ATM and snagged it

It gives me a chuckle when reading this, I remember you well at the Chantilly show, I usually don't go that far south to do a show so I didn't know you. You were quite upset since you didn't understand why I only took cash. But we did meet at the National and Yes, you did have cash this time.--Hope to see you again in Cleveland, take care and have a great 4th.

Thanks to all of you for your information. Guess I need to decide if I'm willing to lose a purchase.

Happy 4th of July to everyone!!

Assuming you bank with a major bank just uber to the nearest branch, pull out the cash you need, then uber back to the show. If you put a small deposit down any dealer should be willing to hold a card until you return with the rest of the cash.

I carry no more than 2K with me to the National. However, I don't expect to ever lose a purchase due to a cash shortage. It helps that I have been collecting for a long time, and many/most of the dealers I'm likely to buy from recognize me and will accept my check. Some dealers will accept credit cards and/or PayPal. There usually is an ATM around. In the past, I've had a dealer who knew me well vouch for me to convince a dealer who didn't know me to accept my check. Another time, a dealer who knew me cashed my check, so I could pay cash to a dealer who didn't know me. The point is, "where there's a will, there's a way." When all else fails, I've yet to meet a dealer who wouldn't accept my check and ship me my card after my check cleared, as I'm ok with leaving the show without my newly-purchased card in my hand.

If your carrying more than $2K in cash on that convention floor you better be carrying something else that requires a permit. IMO, just asking for trouble carrying that much cash. It's 2018, if a dealer is only taking cash than I'm sorry, that's plain bad business, and frankly, would give me cause for concern.

Square and CC's are fine for 98% of all the dealers there. If you really want a card and it's all cash, work out the 2% surcharge. Buy what you like, at the price you like, with the method you like, it's your money.

In Addition to Buyers worried about having a lot of Cash it would be much worse for Sellers as they Have a lot more cash and are more Recognizable.

I, for one, would not want to be a Seller at a Card Show.

Are these Sellers Not Worried?

Has anybody ever bee Robbed at a Card Show Before?

Also, about what percentage of Sellers are "Cash Only"

It will be my first time going to the National Show too :)

Don't know about anyone else but my Bank only allows me to take out $400 a day, so ATM's are of questionable usefulness.

As a vendor I accept checks from people that I know well or cash. I just don't have time to play with credit devices as there are usually 3 to 8 people at my booth buying or working on lists. I don't have enough eyes to be distracted in that manner. I lost a major theft to someone when I turned my back momentarily to run a credit card. Never again.

This. If you offer a reasonable non refundable deposit (not $20 on a $2k card) to hold the card for the day most dealers will gladly give you time to get to a bank. And Cleveland is a major city, sort of: they probably have all the major commercial banks.

Last year in Chicago the ATMs at the convention center ran out of money Saturday. As has been mentioned, banks limit how much can be withdrawn each day. My bank limits it to $600 per day.
James

This is fine if you bank with one of the major banks. I don't.

Same for me. I'm at a regional bank with no presence in Cleveland and my ATM withdrawal limit is $400. I've even had out of town (but still in the US) transactions denied as possible fraud over $500.
Even if I did find a dealer to take a debit/credit card it could be an issue to call my bank, get approval, designate my account for approval and the make the transaction, espically late Friday or Saturday.
The more concerns I read about carrying large cash amounts the more nervous I get, I guess I'll just have to trust in a normal amount of walking around money and PayPal.

If you're really that worried about carrying cash you could open an account locally at wells Fargo or bank of america, throw a few grand in, then withdraw by the show if you make a deal. The suggestion to have another dealer vouch for you so someone you dont know will take your check or PayPal is also a good one. This is what I planned to do in Chicago last year.

Just hope D.B. Cooper is not on the plane.

Brian

I wish it come to ATL.
I don't get out a ton and probably never get to a show.
But if one did come here, I'll make sure to go.
It would be neat to meet & shoot the breeze with some of the nice people on this board.

Couple of notes:

1) I seriously doubt the National will ever get back to Atlanta. it was held there in 1992 during the hobby boom and the show was not great for that time period. Then it was held again in 1999 and was terribly slow. We're not going back to Atlanta for a long, long time unless they basically RENT FOR VERY MINIMAL COST the convention center to the national promoters. If they do that, then we got a shot to be there. Remember Atlanta in the summer is hot and humid and generally icky.

2) Most ATM's by the National run out of cash each year. Whatever you plan to bring -- if you can afford to bring double that amount, then do so.

Rich

You can do it on your Phone Now.

No Need to Turn Your Back.

When I was in buying mode, first time around, I think I would bring upwards of 10k in cash. Nowadays when i go it is somewhere between 3k and 5k. I never worried about it. When I set up I will take almost anything except a CC as I don't have a personal merchant account. Folks can still pay on CC through Paypal though, which is how i earn 2% cash back when I use PP. I have also borrowed numerous wads of 100s, from friends at the National, to make cash purchases when I ran out of said cash. Where there is a will there's a way.
.

All you have to do is call the bank and change your daily limit to anything you want. I do it all the time when going on vacations/traveling.

Cash is king because not everyone reports it.:D

You can, I can't. I have a smart phone, but do not use internet. Good suggestion though. I'm an old dog and have trouble learning new tricks!

Square on your phone doesn't use the internet. It's an app.

Pretty sure you need internet to use a Square to process transactions.

EDIT: I went and looked and Square does allow you to make(record) transactions without internet. The transaction doesn't really take place till you do have an internet connection. That is pretty cool.

The tricky part is that you are assuming the risk that the transaction will be declined when it does get sent.

I did some simple math, subtracting my son's birth year, 1976, from 1992. I remembering taking him when he was 14. I didn't realize it was a national.
I remember telling him we should buy a '52 Mantle. The price we saw there was $5000. At the time I wasn't aware how improtant condition is.

That's a great idea. Heck, you might already have a Wells Fargo account you don't even know about...

Post of the day.

It is 2018

I know alot of People and the Only People I know that do not have Internet on their Phone are my Grandparents who are in their 90's.

I always take 5k+ cash. Never had a problem. I did have a problem with paypal at the Baltimore National though. I tried calling customer service and was on hold for about a half hour before I gave up. Turns out they put a hold on my account because they thought the transaction was fraudulent. I wasn't able to get the hold lifted until I was back home.

I guy I work with had a couple of extra accounts he didn't know about. He only found out when he got a bill for late fees charged on unpaid monthly account management fees.

please define “alot”

...but I bet they know how to capitalize properly.

I guess we will never meet. I have a flip phone. No need for an idiot phone. The only person I would call with it is my wife and that is just when I am travelling. Under 60 and comfortable with technology that I use and need. I also still shoot film with my Nikons and use film scanners and photoshop along with real darkrooms.

Interesting, might look into it.

You coming to Cleveland Justin?

Unfortunately I can't make it this year. Prior commitments.

I have to say Square has been a boon to my business. I wanted to use Paypals processing to keep all my business with one company but for some mysterious reason they didn't approve me. So I went with Square and I've never regretted it.

Thanks for the advice!

I have set up at every show but the first four shows. I have never accepted credit cards. I prefer cash and have accepted checks in the past, but now I hold the items until the check clears. I have accepted Paypal cash as well but not for very pricey items. In most cases, anyone who gives me a check comes back and pays in cash usually on that same day. Believe it or not, I have known a number of buyers who carry $100,000+ to a show, and sometimes with a bodyguard. Everyone has their own limits, so I am not suggesting that you do the same, just that you could lose out on a special item if you assume that most sellers take credit cards.

Stop by and say hello at booth 600.

Steve Sabow

Just curious...what sort of reaction would I get from a typical dealer at the National if after purchasing a card for, say, $1200 in cash, I were to ask for a receipt? :eek:

Question about National re: cash
 

I've been to at least a dozen shows (Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore)
and never had a "scary" moment while carrying cash. Someone said below that "cash is king" and they are right. You move to the top of the food chain with a seller if you have cash, and my experience is most sellers do NOT have online banking means while at the show. Take cash and plenty of it!

Happens often
 

They give you one. It may just be written on paper but you get a receipt. Not sure why you think this would be controversial.