the most collectors

[GasHouseGang]

Well, I think the dealers probably choose to go where the most collectors are when they can. So if we look at the National Baseball Card Collectors Convention, and where it's being held as an indication, maybe we can tell. I categorized each location as either East Coast, Midwest, or California. I'm sure it can be debated whether TX is Midwest, or if OH is East Coast, but here are the locations where it has been held since 1980.

1980 Los Angeles, CA California
1981 Detroit, MI Midwest
1982 St. Louis, MO Midwest
1983 Chicago, IL Midwest
1984 Parsippany, NJ East Coast
1985 Anaheim, CA California
1986 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Midwest
1987 San Francisco, CA California
1988 Atlantic City, New Jersey East Coast
1989 Chicago, IL Midwest
1990 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Midwest
1991 Anaheim, CA California
1992 Atlanta, GA Georgia East Coast
1993 Chicago, IL Midwest
1994 Houston, TX Midwest
1995 St. Louis, MO Midwest
1996 Anaheim, CA California
1997 Cleveland, OH Midwest
1998 Chicago, IL Midwest
1999 Atlanta, GA East Coast
2000 Anaheim, CA California
2001 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2002 Chicago, IL Midwest
2003 Atlantic City, NJ East Coast
2004 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2005 Chicago, IL Midwest
2006 Anaheim, CA California
2007 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2008 Chicago, IL Midwest
2009 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2010 Baltimore, MD East Coast
2011 Chicago, IL Midwest
2012 Baltimore, MD East Coast
2013 Chicago, IL Midwest
2014 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2015 Chicago, IL Midwest
2016 Atlantic City, NJ East Coast
2017 Chicago, IL Midwest
2018 Cleveland, OH East Coast
2019 Chicago, IL Midwest

TOTALS
Midwest=19/40=47.5%
East Coast=14/40=35%
California=7/40=17.5%

So, based only on where the National has been held and is planned to be held in the near future, it appears there are probably more dealers and collectors in the Midwest. Not incredibly scientific, but it may be as good as any other indicator.