Now that the dust has settled...

[Vintagecatcher]

Now that the dust has settled, and people have returned from the 2014 National...

How was this year's National?

Seems like there was light coverage compared to previous years.

Would love to hear highlights and impressions from those of you whom were fortunate enough to attend the 2014 National.

Thanks in advance,


Patrick

[timn1]

Smaller than previous years (there was 100 feet at the west end of the convention hall not being used, and I'm pretty sure it was used in previous Cleveland nat'ls. I think Cleveland has really worn out its welcome over the past decade, and not as many people showed up.

Less exotic vintage than I remember at previous ones, although this may be a subjective impression.

Prices seemed a little less absurd than in previous years, although maybe I'm just inured to them by now.

Still a heck of a lot going on, and amazing cards around.

Everybody come next year to Chicago (if I remember right) and let's make it the best ever-

[vthobby]

I think next year is Atlantic City.....

mike

[refz]

year is Atlantic City.....

mike[/QUOTE]

Speculation or concrete? This would be great.

[kamikidEFFL]

This is the schedule for the next few years, the reason I know that is I asked if there would ever be a east coast show close to Boston and they said no because the venu was to small. Anyway below are the Venus for the next 5 years as of now.

2015: Chicago
2016: Atlantic City
2017: Chicago
2018: Cleveland
2019: Chicago

I really want to just hit one up to see what all the buzz is. I watched a few YouTube videos from this year. Some interesting stuff. I posted a link of a few different 2014 national videos. Kid rambles a bit but still just nice to see what the fuss was all about.

http://youtu.be/y8kmjYScck8
http://youtu.be/nbsaOYK9O10

[mrvster]

will be off the CHAIN! I missed the last time it was there, but I hear it was great! ac airport right there......tons of casinos....tons of stuff to do within a small radius, almost over whelming.....

does anyone remember ac?? I cant wait to go.....

[Vintagecatcher]

Here is the upcoming National Schedule which I copied from there site:

What is the schedule for future Nationals?
2014 - International Exposition (I-X) Center - Cleveland, OH

2015 - Donald E Stephens Convention Center Rosemont IL

2016 - Atlantic City Convention Center - Atlantic City NJ

2017 - Donald E Stephens Convention Center - Rosemont IL

2018 - International Exposition (I-X) Center - Cleveland, OH


Patrick

[brass_rat]

I'd like to echo the comments that there are a lot of auction houses advertising and displaying upcoming auction lots (which is kind of neat -- I got to hold a Ruth gamer and take photos with it). One well-known ebay specialist, however, simply setup a bunch of la-z-boy recliners and took up a lot of space.

On the whole, the show very much feels like a card museum with a gift tables (where you can buy autographed items hot off the press). Pre-war definitely felt underrepresented.

I like Cleveland more than Chicago and Baltimore because the I-X Center is larger. (I-X has about 1 million sq. ft. compared to 840k sq. ft. in Chicago and 400k sq. ft. in Baltimore.) A side note, the food inside Cleveland is much better than either of the other two locations.

Had it not been for the case breakers (with whom I have no issues), the show's attendance would have been abysmal.

I look forward to weekends in cities where I can catch ballgames as well -- I made it to two exciting Rangers/Indians games on Friday and Sunday. Atlantic City won't have that...in fact, AC in 2016 may very well be one of the most depressing cities in the US. The local economy there continues to dive, and crime is only destined to get worse after the next few casinos close.

Overall, I really enjoyed the National. Hopefully, the case breakers will breath life into the future of the hobby and perhaps some of those chasing the lottery inserts will find enjoyment in pre-war in the future. (I understand that it's easier for young collectors to relate to modern players more so that historical figures.)

Have a nice day,
Steve

[Tyler]

I have family in Cleveland, so it is a good excuse for me to time my trips around the National there.

I dropped my young child off at my sister's and spent 5 hours on my own...I had an absolute blast.

Highlights...

-Finally got to meet Leon (hi Leon). It was so cool to finally see and hold his multi-strike and Matty proof. I have been following the board and occasionally participating for around 7 years.

-I filled a bunch of holes in my 59 Topps set. Met some really cool dealers in the process. They were far more friendly than I had anticipated.

-I got to see some AMAZING items. I like the fact that the auction houses are there to show their upcoming lots. T206 Wagner, that Cy Young collection of cabinets, etc.

-Thanks to the overwhelming amount of beer stands, I caught a buzz and decided to overpay for some items. I have no regrets, I am not the fizziest pop in the fridge, but I wasn't going to go home empty handed.

Overall, it was a great experience. I had a great time making some deals with Levi of 707. I took home a '33 Goudey Gehrig and I could not be happier.

See you in Cleveland '18!

[kamikidEFFL]

Tyler sounds like you had fun. Glad to hear that you were able to score some PC items

[the 'stache]

If they had the National in Dallas, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Traveling to Chicago, or Cleveland, is an impossibility for me.