OT: Will the National be Pokemon free?

[Brian Van Horn]

Just curious.

[ClementeFanOh]

Brian-

With only 1 exception, Pokemon has been available at every sports(!) card
show I've attended in 2025. At one particular show- 300ish tables- the
number keep increasing. I'd be astonished if Pokemon is absent in Chicago.

Trent King

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

You're kidding, right?

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

You're kidding, right?

So, the possibility of 90 degrees outside, no air conditioning inside and Pokemon to boot. LOL! Hiccup.

[ClementeFanOh]

Brian- make no mistake, I'm not a Pokemon fan. It's growing like mad though.

Trent King

[RayW]

Will be plenty of Pokémon, Wembanyama, and Cooper Flagg cards. Judge and Ohtani fans will have a field day. Personally never understood the allure of Funkos. To each their own.

Will be skipping 90% of the booths. For the cost of my flight and accommodation, could get a nice T205 card. Not looking for anything specific, so mostly impulse buying.🥳. And hopefully meet some forum members.

[theshowandme]

0% chance

I helped a friend secure this in 2024 Cleveland

[jayshum]

I'm guessing the Pokémon collectors don't care if there are vintage card dealers at The National so why should vintage card collectors care if there are Pokémon dealers?

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by jayshum

I'm guessing the Pokémon collectors don't care if there are vintage card dealers at The National so why should vintage card collectors care if there are Pokémon dealers?

Precisely.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

Just curious.

Dude -- what planet are you on? With as many tables and vendors at the NSCC there is ZERO percent chance there will be none. In addition, if the promoters try to say you can't bring those in, I guarantee you there will be lawsuits a plenty. That would constitute a restraint of trade and then they would argue (and in my opinion, correctly so) that if they can't bring in those cards then other vendors could not bring in other non-sports cards Old and New.

I do know of several promoters who are running 2-day shows with Saturday being Sports Card heavy and Sunday being TCG heavy and promoted that way.

If you want a TCG free show, check out the promoters who do things the way I noted and go only to the Sports Card day. I will say my little 20 table show had almost no TCG cards on the dealer tables but I ended up with some kids trading those amongst themselves in a little trade area we ended up creating.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Dude -- what planet are you on? With as many tables and vendors at the NSCC there is ZERO percent chance there will be none. In addition, if the promoters try to say you can't bring those in, I guarantee you there will be lawsuits a plenty. That would constitute a restraint of trade and then they would argue (and in my opinion, correctly so) that if they can't bring in those cards then other vendors could not bring in other non-sports cards Old and New.

I do know of several promoters who are running 2-day shows with Saturday being Sports Card heavy and Sunday being TCG heavy and promoted that way.

If you want a TCG free show, check out the promoters who do things the way I noted and go only to the Sports Card say. I will say my little 20 table show had almost no TCG cards on the dealer tables but I ended up with some kids trading those amongst themselves in a little trade area we ended up creating.

While there will certainly be pokemon at the National (there always is), there is absolutely no possible cause of action for a private show excluding a particular type of card.

[Rich Klein]

Maybe but could you imagine the bad publicity in and out of the hobby if they try to ban those cards. And there will be suits a plenty. And all you need is one judge to agree with that.

[JollyElm]

Fixed it for you:
OT: Will the National be 100% Pokemon?

[notfast]

It hasn’t been pokemon free for 30 years.

[Jewish-collector]

Nowadays, all shows have an increasing number of Pokemon dealers.

[Eric72]

I still have a sealed box of Base Set Pokemon. Not 1st Edition, but it is the first set. Event though it's the printing with a blue winged Charizard on the box, it's still rather tough to find these days.

I was running a card shop about 25 years ago. I had a WotC account and got product direct from them. I decided to stash a box back then, just in case. If I was going to the National this year, I would probably bring it along. Since I'm not, I will likely bring it to the next Philly Show. With all the Poke-maniacs (and breakers, YouTube micro-celebrities, etc.) running around, demand is pretty strong.

I thought about opening it back when boxes were only $1,000 or so. At this point, though, it seems insane to rip packs of Base Set.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Maybe but could you imagine the bad publicity in and out of the hobby if they try to ban those cards. And there will be suits a plenty. And all you need is one judge to agree with that.

I know we live in a litigous society, but that is simply not how it works. There would be zero problems with a sports card show restricitng dealers to only sports cards. A dealer wants to purchase a table at the show, they have to accept the terms of the show. Simple as that. There is literally no cause of action, and no viable threat of one.

And frankly, I'm not sure what bad publicity you think would come from a sports card show being only sports cards. Who's going to be mad? Pokemon collectors? So what? That doesn't hurt a sports card show.

[parkplace33]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I know we live in a litigous society, but that is simply not how it works. There would be zero problems with a sports card show restricitng dealers to only sports cards. A dealer wants to purchase a table at the show, they have to accept the terms of the show. Simple as that. There is literally no cause of action, and no viable threat of one.

And frankly, I'm not sure what bad publicity you think would come from a sports card show being only sports cards. Who's going to be mad? Pokemon collectors? So what? That doesn't hurt a sports card show.

Card collectors are card collectors. And Pokemon is big money right now. Why restrict?

[steve B]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

I know we live in a litigous society, but that is simply not how it works. There would be zero problems with a sports card show restricitng dealers to only sports cards. A dealer wants to purchase a table at the show, they have to accept the terms of the show. Simple as that. There is literally no cause of action, and no viable threat of one.

And frankly, I'm not sure what bad publicity you think would come from a sports card show being only sports cards. Who's going to be mad? Pokemon collectors? So what? That doesn't hurt a sports card show.

Many shows did similar restrictions back in the day. Many banned cards like the "benchwarmers" sets.
And of course most banned unlicensed cards.

Some dealers complained, some threatened, but I don't remember any of that getting anywhere.

[Eric72]

[imdaman1964]

Pokemon is taking over the collecting world for good or bad
It's what kids relate to now

I have set up at sports card shows and as a test I show a Babe Ruth card to a young kid and asked them to identify him. NO CLUE.

But CHARIZARD? Of course!

Although I am not a follower I will say Pikachu will never go on the DL or get caught in scandal