I scheduled a trip back East to visit family to coincide with the Strongsville show. Ended up helping a longtime hobby friend with his table when the show opened Friday. I lived in Ohio almost my entire life and started attending Strongsville back in the 1980s. Though it has changed over the decades (different venue, different owners of the show, more autograph guests now), I think its roots are still there. I see many dealers who were there 30-40 years ago, and the same goes for attendees.
Attendance on Friday and Saturday was consistently strong, and from what I saw Friday, people were there to spend money. If any dealer had a disappointing show, I think he or she should look in the mirror to figure out why. I didn't hear the words "tariffs" or "stock market" uttered once.
I didn't see the table that was devoted to Pokemon, but I can state that at the end of the show Sunday, the building was still standing, so I think everyone survived.
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