The 2006 National

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Posted By: NickM

I didn't pick up any pre-WWII cards or memorabilia there (the oldest thing I got was a graded 1953 Bowman FB card), but I had a blast, and picked up a mix of post-war vintage, modern, memorabilia, and giveaways.

There is little reason to come to the National looking for the things you can find every day on eBay. They will probably be a lot cheaper on eBay. It's where you come to network, have fun, and look at (and hopefully buy or sell) things you can't get readily on eBay.

Even if you look down on modern cards, recognize that the manufacturer giveaways (VIP admission package freebies and booth distributions) are saleable/tradeable and have (sometimes very significant) value to other collectors. The autograph tickets from the VIP package also had value to a large group of other collectors.

Nobody knows every area of sports collectibles thoroughly, so there are always items that you might find really interesting but never knew about until you see them in person. The National has far more such items than any other show. Looking at tables that have items outside your collecting area (at least once you're done going through those tables in your collecting area) can prove very fruitful and enjoyable.

Nick