Some National Thoughts

[Rob D.]

Off the top of my head without thinking too hard, in the past year or so I have paid:

$20 a night to park at a hotel in Niagara Falls, Canada

$15 to park at a weeknight Cleveland Indians game

$10 to park at an Ohio State football game

$10 to park at a Columbus Blue Jackets game

$30 a night to park at a hotel in Chicago

$12 to park for about 3 hours at a parking garage in downtown Cincinnati

Complaining about paying $8 in a private parking lot for an event at which you're going to spend 4-8 hours is comical.

If you start saving 4 cents a day, by the time the next National in Cleveland rolls around, you'll have three days of parking covered.

[Jay Wolt]

In june I went to see the new Yankee stadium w/ the wife courtesy of Sarno.
We (not Sarno) stayed in a hotel by the Garden and I parked at the Port Authority right past the Lincoln Tunnel.
The next day headed for home and we parked at the Port about 26 hours, our fee $53

[2dueces]

Originally Posted by Yankeefan51

We find EJM's comments about the East Coast and the plethora of advanced collectors to be an inane. Another “lower class commentary” from the same crowd that elected the government whose economic programs are sure to bankrupt America.

Wealthy, successful people have rights too. The joy of the National is having the opportunity to acquire truly unique items, and exchange collecting experiences with world class collectors.

Although we have not been able to attend the National for the past few years, we enjoyed 16 shows where we had the chance to see Four Base Hits, Texas Tommy's and an Old Judge advertising poster, and countless other rare items.

As for poor, pathetic EJM, when the National is New York City, we will provide him with a job cleaning bathrooms. Perhaps he will get lucky, and clean up after an advanced collector. That may be as close as he ever comes to tasting the joy of owning an ultra rare, high grade baseball card.

Please!!! Your last great President left a $1.3 trillion deficit and you say this administrations economic programs are sure to bankrupt America. If you have another thought on politics, do us all a favor and let it go. Just let it go.

[Ejm1]

Originally Posted by 2dueces

Please!!! Your last great President left a $1.3 trillion deficit and you say this administrations economic programs are sure to bankrupt America. If you have another thought on politics, do us all a favor and let it go. Just let it go.

Agreed.



Originally Posted by Yankeefan51
We find EJM's comments about the East Coast and the plethora of advanced collectors to be an inane. Another “lower class commentary” from the same crowd that elected the government whose economic programs are sure to bankrupt America.

Wealthy, successful people have rights too. The joy of the National is having the opportunity to acquire truly unique items, and exchange collecting experiences with world class collectors.

Although we have not been able to attend the National for the past few years, we enjoyed 16 shows where we had the chance to see Four Base Hits, Texas Tommy's and an Old Judge advertising poster, and countless other rare items.

As for poor, pathetic EJM, when the National is New York City, we will provide him with a job cleaning bathrooms. Perhaps he will get lucky, and clean up after an advanced collector. That may be as close as he ever comes to tasting the joy of owning an ultra rare, high grade baseball card.


I found out who this is so maybe if I can get off welfare and my probation officer lets me, I will ask for this job in person. In the mean time keep selling your sheet music Bruce.

[Wite3]

San Diego is a fantastic idea. Comic Con is there every year. The size of the convention center is huge. They have two halls that could hold the national if I recall. It is right next to Petco Park, hotels, food, etc. From Comic Con, I was able to walk to my hotel, the Gas Lamp, Petco, the harbor, and Horton Plaza (large shopping mall). Great local transportation and a slew of family places like the world famous San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Mission Bay, Gaslamp, etc. It is an amazing location.

If we cannot have it in Anaheim or Vegas, I definitely vote for San Diego.

Joshua

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Ejm1

Just make it a trade show not open to the public, dealers only. It seems the small timer is not a welcome guest.

I agree. The arrogance at trade shows turned me off of them. I just save my pennies and buy a vintage card every once in a while, and I'm not willing to deal with the bloated sticker prices and used car salesman mentality.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

If you start saving 4 cents a day, by the time the next National in Cleveland rolls around, you'll have three days of parking covered.

I completely agree; in the overall context of hotel, airfare, admission, food, etc., the cost of parking is a drop in the bucket. Enough whining about the nickels and dimes.

[autograf]

As for parking, spend a day with a car in NYC.....went there with three friends when the National was in Atlantic city. Parked at downtown Athletic club in the am to go to statue of liberty....$30. Parked in Chinatown/Little Italy in a garage for a couple hours......$30. Parked on Hudson around 32nd for rest of day......$10. Probably could have done it a little different and cabbed or subwayed and saved but $70 for the day. $8 is $8. As for the I-X center, it's not THAT bad. They've at least built a huge new bathroom near the front of the center that's nice. Otherwise their bathroom facilities stink. The food stinks at each and every show I've ever been to. People are correct that at Brown convention center in Chicago, you can go out to something close....Giordanos, Gibsons, McDonalds and get back pretty quickly. And the hotel situation is good. In Louisville, Chicago is 4 hours for me, Cleveland 5.5, so I'm cool with any of them. Have been to every national since 1992. Atlanta, St. Louis were also good, close venues to us. Would assume East coast is where the dearth of collectors and dealers are. Ultimately, it'll be where the dealers and promoters decide. Mike Berkus has been great to answer questions and give rationale behind some of the decisions. As some have said, we're addicted and will follow whereever they have it. Vegas would be cool but all the diversions might make it difficult to stay focused!

[Rich Klein]

[QUOTE=autograf;740890] Would assume East coast is where the dearth of collectors and dealers are. Ultimately, it'll be where the dealers and promoters decide. Mike Berkus has been great to answer questions and give rationale behind some of the decisions.

T-Bob -- just playing the Barry S role of grammar/vocabulary host here. Dearth means shortage -- don't you mean -- biggest group.

Rich

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

Off the top of my head without thinking too hard, in the past year or so I have paid:

$20 a night to park at a hotel in Niagara Falls, Canada

$15 to park at a weeknight Cleveland Indians game

$10 to park at an Ohio State football game

$10 to park at a Columbus Blue Jackets game

$30 a night to park at a hotel in Chicago

$12 to park for about 3 hours at a parking garage in downtown Cincinnati

Complaining about paying $8 in a private parking lot for an event at which you're going to spend 4-8 hours is comical.

If you start saving 4 cents a day, by the time the next National in Cleveland rolls around, you'll have three days of parking covered.

Thos Somolians can really add up. Did you split the room at least?

[Frank A]

First of all, it is called a National but it has become a regional show. Same locations over and over. Second, the show is to long at 5 days. It's no wonder some dealers pack up early. Move the damn show around the country as it should be and cut it down to 3 or 3 1/2 days.

[Frank A]

I wonder why a city like Knoxville, Tennessee has never been thought of. Easy access from 8 surounding states. 4 hours from Cinci, 3 frm Charlotte and Atlanta. 2 1/2 fron Nashville. Easy access fro Penn. , St louis, Florida and others. They have a large convention center. A NEW AREA. Why not? At least you'd get some new faces in the crowd. Instead its the same old, same old. Wake the hell up.

[Frank A]

Just checked. Knoxville convention center has 500,000 sq. ft. of space. I guess that would be big enough!!!!!!!! Also is an excellent location for familys. Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg right up the road is an excellent area for vacation with plenty to do and Dollywood an excellent Disney type park. Minor league ball in the area also. Got to be a hell of a lot better for a family than Chicago or Cleveland.

[Frank A]

More thoughts on Chicago and Cleveland. With all the shows that go on in this area I would think that the dealers would welcome some new areas for the National. New blood is needed in any business and theres none left in that area. The people with resources will travel to wherever the national is. The people in the current area are the same people over and over. I would bet that this years show was not that great and it's not only because of the economy. You need fresh blood.

[mberkus]

Just a quick note to consider. I hear the same issues that are being bounced around on the thread from our National dealers and our Board of Directors, so the questions and suggestions are not new but still worthy of listening to. It would be impossible to satisfy everyone, just not possible. Families traveling to the National have totally different needs than individual collectors. We tried to work out packages in Anaheim to Disneyland, Knotts, Angel games, etc. but the groups that we did our deals with were totally disappointed with the turnout of response and do not care to work with us anymore. Response was minimal and we were advised to just let those that want to see sights, booked their tickets or times on their own. It became apparent to us that we need to concentrate on our show rather than outside venues. We do try to include all different price hotels in our block of rooms and we usually know the areas well enough to suggest food and entertainment to those that ask but few attendees ask. As for smaller cities, i.e. Knoxville, two problems exist. First, the total amount of exhibit space advertised on their website is 120,000 sq ft. This is on the first floor only, additional floors have a combination of 250,000 sq ft but broken up. We cannot house a National in that small of a facility and certainly not in broken up space and different floors. Second issue is population. We expect at least 50% of our attendance to be of a local nature, within 1 hour drive to the facility. That means that a smaller base population could mean much smaller attendance. My life would be threatened by our dealer base if I made that mistake.

Trust me on a couple of fronts. After 30 years of the National, I am somewhat familiar with the primary issues of hosting a show. The following examples are listed by priority to us, as promoters. 1) facility - must be all on 1 floor with 300,000sq ft min. 2) decorator charge - Cleveland leads in permitting dealer easy set up, that is the absolute primary reason for our repeated visits. We pay the union/decorator $45 per dealer, upfront, to turn their backs on union rules. We do not pass this charge onto the dealer and we pay it for the entire room, every booth, regardless whether the dealer uses the service or not. It is a flat fee to us and run anywhere from $23k to $28K total. Without this, dealers would pay hundreds to wait inline with their inventories and have union workers deliver the stock to each booth. 3) is local population. We would like at least 15,000 local people to join us at the show. We have a local ad and marketing budget of $50,000.00 just to encourage the sports person to either come to buy items or sell what they may have been sitting on for years. 4) local expenses to our out of towners. This includes hotel, food, parking, etc. fees that we try to keep reasonable. 5) hours of the show. We know that 2-3 days is plenty for local attendees but persons who fly in or drive a great distance want as much value for their time as possible. Also dealers need to have a full slate of hours open, to guarantee a strong financial return on their investment. We could hardly expect a VIP attendee to pay $119 for the VIP package and only have 3 days of the show, less autograph tickets, or special product sets. Also, dealers do leave early on Sunday! This is a double edge sword to us. We do not want to impose sanctions on our dealer base. We are not in the police business and the more rules we impose the more problems we all face. Our promoter team has taken it's lumps for allowing dealers to leave early. We have to close our admission booths down at least 3 hours before we are officially closed to not cheat any attendees out of their time on the show and if some booths are empty. This results in a financial loss to us with about an average of 1000 or more attendees come into the show for free. What some dealers don't realize is that many large sales have been recorded by the dealers who stay until the end. But, the bottom line of responsibility, is our job. If we put 10,000 customers on the floor at 4:40pm on Sunday, dealers would stay. We just can't find that formula to gather consumer interest after 2-3pm. We continue to try.

Well, there you have it. The instant guide for promoting a National. On one hand, there is a ton of improvement that constantly needs to be reviewed. On the other hand, we must have done one or two things right, next year in Baltimore will be our 31st annual National. We have weathered the downswing in collecting, the negative press articles, bad economies, loss of local shows and collecting base, and even the attitudes of convention centers who do not want our business. As I mentioned before, we are taking serious looks at Las Vegas, Boston, St. Louis, and anywhere on the West Coast that comes close to matching the above priorities. Baltimore is getting a very strong and positive reaction by our hobby and that is a very good sign. Sometimes it's just up to attitude that can make a difference in how succesful our show is.

Anyway, keep the passion, without it we have no hobby. Even if it's in the form of a complaint. I have grown a couple layers of thick skin over the last 30 years and can handle a lot, just as long as the National survives.

Regards,

Mike Berkus

[Frank A]

Sorry Mike, I don't buy it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dealers on more than one floor. In fact I think the dealers of early stuff would like it better if the new stuff guys were on a different floor. I think the buyers would like it better also. it would make thier search time less. As far as area with easy access Knoxville is as easy or easier than anywhere you have a National. Also the place is large enough for autyograph signings to be away from the dealers floors. Sorry Mike but I don't agree with you at all. Frank

[mberkus]

Hello Frank,

Sorry but you could not be more wrong. The last time I ran a show on two different floor was in 1992, Opryland Hotel. The dealers all complained. The ones on the 1st floor thought that the dealers on the second floor got better traffic and the ones on the second floor thought the dealers on the 1st floor got all the traffic. Double set of ticket takes, double set of security, double set of management needs, load in, etc. Had to refund $35K of dealer tables to satisfy complaints and have the hotel comp 40 room nights. It was close to a riot. Bet you can't get 20 dealers from the National to agree with you. Plus, if you do some checking, you will find you are wrong about the Knoxville CC. Get facts straight first, then complain.

Mike

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Sorry Mike, I don't buy it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dealers on more than one floor. In fact I think the dealers of early stuff would like it better if the new stuff guys were on a different floor. I think the buyers would like it better also. it would make thier search time less. As far as area with easy access Knoxville is as easy or easier than anywhere you have a National. Also the place is large enough for autyograph signings to be away from the dealers floors. Sorry Mike but I don't agree with you at all. Frank

Frank- this is why this board is good. You can disagree with anyone and give your opinion why you disagree. This argument reminds me a lot, but on a much much smaller scale, of managing this board. What happens is that over time I (and Mike B on the National) get very accustomed to hearing the other sides of the argument why, or why not, something should be done. We (and I am not really speaking for Mike but he will probably agree) have to make the best decision for the masses. I have about a third of the experience of running this board (and being on it) as Mike does at running a National show. His reasoning is tried and true, to try to appease the largest numbers of dealers and collectors. We absolutely KNOW we will not please everyone. It just isn't possible. We can try as hard as we want but as long as humans are involved we know it's an impossibility. I appreciate Mike coming on the board and explaining a lot of the reasoning that goes into picking a venue for the National. It's certainly not as easy as it might sound. As a pseudo-dealer/auctioneer and collector extraordinaire , I think they do a fine job. WE could have the show in the New Mexico desert and I would be happy. For me it's all about having a 5 day party with my collecting friends. I absolutely love it...take care now and please keep voicing good, bad and indifferent opinions. It's the only way we can evolve and continue the vitality of the hobby. best regards

ps....by the looks of the local workers I think I see a niche to be filled, for dentists, in Cleveland. I thought I was in the Appalachians.

[Frank A]

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike just say that you are happy with having the show in the same area every year rather than give me a line of bullshit. 500,000 sq. ft. is 500,000 sq. ft. Don't insult me with some stupid remark. I CAN READ. If you insist on Chicago every other year STOP calling your SHOW ( and thats what it is) a NATIONAL. IT is nothing more than a regional state show. Complacency will however be the end of your show. Look around at the businesses going under from it. Yours will be no different. People are getting sick of the same old, same old. Wake up.

[HRBAKER]

"ps....by the looks of the local workers I think I see a niche to be filled, for dentists, in Cleveland. I thought I was in the Appalachians."

No Leon, no stills in plain sight.

and Mike, thanks for all of your efforts. I had a great time in Cleveland, Chicago, or wherever. If you have it, they will come.

[Frank A]

LEON; Absolutely!! You would travel to do the National wherever it is. And so would most big dealers. However with the show in the same place all the time it has left its status behind. There are other collectors in other cities who would like to go and spend some money at this show. I did not go this year because of ths $600 it would cost me to go. Also it gives dealers in other areas a chance to set up. I do not like the way it is now set up, it needs to advance to the next level. Frank

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Frank A

LEON; Absolutely!! You would travel to do the National wherever it is. And so would most big dealers. However with the show in the same place all the time it has left its status behind. There are other collectors in other cities who would like to go and spend some money at this show. I did not go this year because of ths $600 it would cost me to go. Also it gives dealers in other areas a chance to set up. I do not like the way it is now set up, it needs to advance to the next level. Frank

I hardly think of me as a big dealer but I have been called worse. Now, if we are talking circumference then I am getting bigger all of the time. I too would like a change of venue but it's just not that easy. I absolutely can guarantee Mike, and the other directors on the board, want to do what is best for the show. There is not one thing that you have thought of that Mike and crew hasn't discussed a hundred times. I very much trust he knows what is best and will continue to do what is deemed best. Please try not to get too personal too. You can throw the BS flag, I do it frequently, but please stay courteous. We are all friends and collectors here..I haven't seen anything over the top but just a friendly reminder..... thanks again.....

[mberkus]

OK Frank, I see that the passion is still alive. Dollywood, here we come! I will recommend to the board that we take the show to a new level of 3 floors, 2 or 3 days of admission, regional dealers taking priority over 31 year table holders, and minor league ball at it's finest. We will probably all be able to stay at your house, given the high points of the "new Regional" convention.

Just kidding Frank, keep your sense of humor and come to Baltimore. I'll give you a free weeklong pass.

Regards,

Mike

[Frank A]

BAKER; Your remark about the people in the Appalachain's was uncalled for. Obviosly they are much better people than you.

[Ejm1]

"ps....by the looks of the local workers I think I see a niche to be filled, for dentists, in Cleveland. I thought I was in the Appalachians."

As far as that statement goes, Some of the dealers were some of the grosser folks there. Bad teeth and obesity are everywhere so that statement is null and void of truth.

[tothrk]

Q: What do you get if you lock 14 Cleveland natives in the same room?
A: A full set of teeth.

If you want to increase attendance on Sunday, which I guess is family day, give people more of a reason to come out. Are there any autograph guests on Sunday afternoon? Maybe 6-8 autograph guests which would appeal to collectors of new stuff as well as vintage collectors would help. Maybe something could be worked out with the parking & admission for Sunday? If all else fails, hot chicks in bikini's will usually draw a crowd.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Ejm1

"ps....by the looks of the local workers I think I see a niche to be filled, for dentists, in Cleveland. I thought I was in the Appalachians."

As far as that statement goes, Some of the dealers were some of the grosser folks there. Bad teeth and obesity are everywhere so that statement is null and void of truth.

I admit I am overweight....I like to eat. Sorry, I was just calling it like I saw it. Sorry if offended anyone. I will try not to say what I think anymore....based on being there. best regards

edited to add that the folks working there were all very nice.....my comment was solely based on a few individuals needing a few more teeth. There are worse things in life....

[calvindog]

Mike, you make good points. The show is called the "National" because it brings dealers and collectors from all over the country once a year. And while I'm sure Knoxville is a swell place, I just don't see it as a National venue for the reasons Mike mentioned.

[tbob]

[QUOTE=Rich Klein;740896]

Originally Posted by autograf

Would assume East coast is where the dearth of collectors and dealers are. Ultimately, it'll be where the dealers and promoters decide. Mike Berkus has been great to answer questions and give rationale behind some of the decisions.

T-Bob -- just playing the Barry S role of grammar/vocabulary host here. Dearth means shortage -- don't you mean -- biggest group.

Rich

Rich- You might ask Tom B. he wrote that not me.
Tbob
P.S. I do know where dearth means BTW

[Ejm1]

Can't we all just get along?? Really....we all do the same thing, just on diffrent scales as far as spending and does it really matter where we come from? People that don't collect think we are Dorks, Nerds, Losers anyway so lets try to keep it together. Have the National anywhere it needs to be. Everytown will have pluses and minuses. Now I have to finish my 1990 Fleer baseball set. (Joke).

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Frank A

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike just say that you are happy with having the show in the same area every year rather than give me a line of bullshit. 500,000 sq. ft. is 500,000 sq. ft. Don't insult me with some stupid remark. I CAN READ. If you insist on Chicago every other year STOP calling your SHOW ( and thats what it is) a NATIONAL. IT is nothing more than a regional state show. Complacency will however be the end of your show. Look around at the businesses going under from it. Yours will be no different. People are getting sick of the same old, same old. Wake up.

Frank,

You couldn't be more wrong. It's called The National because it attracts dealers and collectors from a nationwide audience, not because it moves around the whole country.

The International Consumer Electronics Show is held every January in Las Vegas. Has been there since 1978. No one is Oslo is bitching that they don't get a shot.


I think the ability to have the entire show on one floor is vital. Splitting us customers is never a good idea. Some of those customers of shiny stuff might be captivated by seeing vintage cards. Also, having the autograph signers close is important. They are there to attract people to the show. If you move people to another location, you defeat that purpose.

I think Mike and his team do a great job or organizing the show. If you don't, I have a suggestion for you. Go to the people at the Knoxville Convention Center and sign a contract to lock it up for a week. Convince some dealers to come and set up. Spend a couple of bucks advertising to collectors and run your own show.

You will soon find out it isn't as easy as you think. Coming on a public message board, using foul language to attack the event organizer, when you clearly have no concept of what's involved is uncalled for.

Disagree all you want, but right now, there aren't five people in the country more knowledgeable about organizing this show. You're not one of those five.

[Frank A]

Didn't ask for your 2 cents and don't need them. Your whole post was about the dealers and promoters. Sorry, BUT THE BUYERS MAKE THE SHOW. No buyers, no show.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Didn't ask for your 2 cents and don't need them. Your whole post was about the dealers and promoters. Sorry, BUT THE BUYERS MAKE THE SHOW. No buyers, no show.

I have never needed your permission to offer my opinion.


After you get your own show up and running, maybe you could start your own message board. That way you'll never have to deal with dissenting opinions.


And by the way, keeping the dealers on the same floor is about BUYERS, not dealers.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by Frank A

Didn't ask for your 2 cents and don't need them. Your whole post was about the dealers and promoters. Sorry, BUT THE BUYERS MAKE THE SHOW. No buyers, no show.

Frank, I think the National is usually held in cities with larger metro areas because there is a greater likelihood of attendance and participation in those places. Knoxville just doesn't cut it.

[Kawika]

Take a swing at C Dog, Frank.

[Frank A]

LOL Just venting my opinion. Not looking for a fight. I'm to old.

[Jim VB]

http://www.knoxvilleconventioncenter...loor_plans.php


Looks like Mike was correct and not feeding you a line of BS, as you claimed. I think you owe him an apology.

[buymycards]

I love the Vegas idea. Lots to do. Great food. Cheap flights and hotels. Combine the national with a vacation. Sounds like fun.

Rick

[calvindog]

Vegas would be awesome. Problem is, would anyone show up at the National?

[Reginald Marsh]

Vegas is a horrible idea because gambling would kill card sales LMAO. People would lose so much cash at the tables that cards would just sit. Anyone who thinks a major card show should be held in Knoxville Tn has probably drunk to much moonshine in one's life. Not that i dislike Tn because i lived in Nashville for 3 years but no way is a card show going to fly.

I really do not see what the fuss is all about, Cleveland was fine and finding the show was very simple. I think Baltimore will be a hit though because the building has a better layout.

[Frank A]

NO NO NO NO NO; Moonshine keeps your sinuses clear so you get more oxygen to the brain. Nothing wrong with that.

[Rich Klein]

[QUOTE=tbob;740984]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Rich- You might ask Tom B. he wrote that not me.
Tbob
P.S. I do know where dearth means BTW

All you T.B. types sound alike to me -- sorry about that -- that's way I should not become the Barry S English Prof on this board

And for Frank A; I do understand and sympathize with your points; when I started this thread -- I understood there are no perfect solutions but with my experience in the hobby I just wanted to make a few points. We've had some twists and turns and kept this mostly positive and recieved some fantastic comments from Mike B about what is needed to run a National (Plus he's offered you a full pass for next year -- as long as you get to Baltimore )

OK; let me conclude for now with a few pts

1) My instinct from walking around the area of the Baltimore Convention Center is that this is a very solid location although it will cost the promoters a few more sheckels than some of the other venues. They will do a good job promoting the show locally for the National is both a LOCAL and a NATIONAL show. When I did the Favorite Player Contest for BHN at the 1988 Atlantic City National and talked to Frank Barning later, he told me that the National was a bigger, better and wider local show. The National is still exactly that, with great dealers; a nice flock of collectors and hopefully a good regional crowd to full out the arena.

2) My biggest issues are something the promoters are very aware of; which is the dearth of people who attend and stay on Sunday. That, includes the dealers -- which is why I suggested varied admission pricing based on what day/days you came to the show, how many hours you wanted to be there, etc. They want Sunday to be better; I want Sunday to be better,. etc.

3) I also wanted to focus on what we can change. We can not change the parking fees to attend so guess what; I did not bring that up. I want us to focus on what we can suggest on collectors/dealers; not what we can't suggest.

You realize we've drawn over 7K views to this thread -- so as Mike B has said; not only have the posters shown passion but also the lurkers are very interested.

4) Let's keep this courteous. Some of the worst nights of my life have been spent in the pre-1994 National Business Meeting. For those of you who remember those; they had a tendency to end about 2 AM. I really don't want to return to those days folks. Mike deserves respect for making the statements he does on this board.

5) I am very much pro-National and pro shows. There is something special about seeing the cards before you buy/sell them!

Anyway -- thanks to everyone who posted/read or learned a lot about our hobby. I learned a lot and I thought I understood about the mechanics of the National -- and there is so much more to learn.

Regards
Rich

[mberkus]

OK, there have been some very passionate comments made and some very complimentary statements as well. I thank Jim, Rich, Leon, and others who truly care about the National and attend with a love of this hobby. Many issues concerning the show are just not known by so many people. I think that most of you, once explained, understand what can and cannot be done. All sites of the National are voted on by the dealers. No one, myself included, can select a National location without the dealers voting. Anything that happens at our show, booth fees, site selection, expenses, decorating, etc. are approved by the Board of Directors (which I am not a member), before they are put in place. Our show is owned by the dealers and everything is decided by the dealers. Once the show location is approved, my team (John Broggi, Bob Wilke, and myself) are directed to operate the show under the terms laid out by the Board of Directors. We do not make these decisions on our own. It truly matters not to me where the dealers choose our show location, I am consumed by creating the marketing, advertising, and partnerships so desperately needed by the National, to make thing work best. My role is the same regardless of the site. For those of you who think I make all these decisions, check with the Board of Directors and you will find the truth. Truth be told, I am the least political of anyone. I just want the show to survive. It is a matter of pride. No one has more fun at a National than me. I live for it.

Most dealers and collectors do not care about the details of the show. They just want it right, when they get there. They want the booth selection that they picked out ready, tables, sign, and chairs. They want the show to open on time and have no cares what the fire marshall might desire or demand. I don't blame them! They pay the freight of the show and that means I work for them. Many of the participants of the National have no idea what we have discussed so far on this thread and could care less. As Rich said " the old dealer meetings lasted until 2am". Today, our dealer meetings last 15 minutes. Things run smooth because both the Board of Directors and our promotion group are on the same track. Keep it simple and do it right. If you want a scary moment, walk into a 500,000 sq ft facility 2 days before setup and take a hard look at an huge empty area. Then, worry about filling it up with dealers, attendees, corporate sponsors, and staffing. That always gets to me before each National. No matter how many shows I have done, I always worry that this one will fail. It is what keeps me honest and working hard.

Whether it is Frank wanting Knoxville or anyone else with ideas that differ from what we are doing currently, I am always interested in hearing about it. But, once the music starts, just like a ballgame, it is too late for talking we have a show to run. Aside from seems like my complaining, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being part of the show and hope that some of the information I have passed on is helpful to you. I know that without your participation, we would be far worse off. We need all of you to care, imput ideas, and most of all, be at the show.

Good luck to everyone for the next year and if I can be of any help, my email is mberkus@aol.com. I truly enjoy hearing from you. Hope everyone can make it to Baltimore. Most importantly, stay well, none of us are young!

Best regards,

Mike

[Willstk]

As a lurker living in Baltimore,looking forward to my 1st National, how much complaining do I have to do to get my free pass?

Can't wait until next year - and will be offering any help I can to the board for surviving in and enjoying Baltimore.

Will

[mberkus]

Dear Lurker,

I will take care of anyone who has posted before "this post". I appreciate all the comments so I have made a list of those who took the time to chat and if anyone who has posted on Rich's thread prior to this last post of mine, wants to attend, email me at mberkus@aol.com. Sorry, to those who I cannot include, you are still welcome to attend but unless the Balt CC decides to let me have their facility for free, we need admissions!

See you in Balt.

Mike