Planning on traveling to shows in 2020?

[1954 topps]

I'm surprised people aren't jumping in their cars for a road trip. Avoid taxes and negotiate better deals in person with cash. Ebay and auction fees increase their asking prices and if your buying a couple big cards together you almost always get a package deal.

Is Strongsville that great of a show? For vintage selection, yeah it's a decent little show of around 130 tables. Decent mix of raw vs graded selection but it's an all vintage show! I don't have to walk by any tables without looking. Is it worth a 13 hour drive, absolutely not but I usually combine my road trip with a few shows on the way back home in PA, NY, or NJ. Also, the football hall of fame in Canton is a short ride from Strongsville.

Wilmington, MA has two shows per year, April and November. The fall show is the one worth traveling to. I wouldn't travel more than an hour tops for the spring show.

I went to Chantilly April '19, I was told 4-5 of the larger vintage dealers went to Strongsville so that was my mistake. Just go to Strongsville if any show overlaps the schedule. My thoughts on Chantilly are that it could be a decent show with the vintage dealers on site. Great food in the area though!

For the MI, MN, WI guys who responded, nobody mentioned the Shakopee show, anyone ever been? Is it any good for graded vintage or more of a collector grade show? I'd love to take a road trip out there and hit up smaller shows you mentioned in Dubuque, LaCrosse, Eau Claire, etc. Never traveled up that way and for that reason alone it's worth a trip.

[Exhibitman]

There isn't much within 300 miles of L.A. I will be missing the National this year for the first time since 2004, but AC just sucked last time and it is hard to get to for me: ends up being a 12+ hour trip each way with either a single flight and a very long ground leg or two flights with a shorter ground leg.

[pokerplyr80]

I won't be traveling out East for any shows this year. I may head to long beach or Frank and Sons if I take a Saturday off but that's it. I do enjoy shows but would rather take the money I'd spend traveling and pick a card up at auction.

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I won't be traveling out East for any shows this year. I may head to long beach or Frank and Sons if I take a Saturday off but that's it. I do enjoy shows but would rather take the money I'd spend traveling and pick a card up at auction.

+1

Never been to Frank and Sons. Is it worth a look? Any vintage or is it all Pokemon and magic cards?

[1954 topps]

Atlantic City sure isn't a convenient location for a National for anyone other then those already in the Northeast and even coming from MA and dealing with New York and Jersey traffic it isn't ideal. I'm actually surprised it's heading back there so soon, it's only been 4 years since it was there.

I've been to Chicago, Cleveland, and AC and of the three Cleveland was my favorite venue. That building is just massive!

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by 1954 topps

. I'm actually surprised it's heading back there so soon, it's only been 4 years since it was there.

I'm surprised that it's returning to AC for an East Coast venue. Seems like a much better choice would have been Baltimore or DC - both have large convention centers, plenty of hotels, are (fairly) easy to get to and have major league teams. But who knows what the criteria is when choosing a venue. Probably not any of the things I've mentioned above.

[wdwfan]

I think the only show we have around here is Rich's show in Dallas. Nothing in Shreveport, nothing that I know of in Waco. Those are the closest big cities.

That said, we're trying to get a show/trade day going around here soon. Shooting for mid-March if we can get a date pinned down and get word/advertising out. We're hoping the LCS lets us put a flyer in their store.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by wdwfan

I think the only show we have around here is Rich's show in Dallas. Nothing in Shreveport, nothing that I know of in Waco. Those are the closest big cities.

That said, we're trying to get a show/trade day going around here soon. Shooting for mid-March if we can get a date pinned down and get word/advertising out. We're hoping the LCS lets us put a flyer in their store.

To be fair in the DFW area, Kyle Robertson runs a monthly show in Frisco and 2 big 3-day shows in Allen. I have cut back for 2020 because of my wife's recent transplant and the possible need to continue to assist in her recovery. As of today, I have

2 Adat Chaverim shows scheduled (March 8, September 6-7)

One show at Comfort Inn and Suites Plano East (June 6-7)

Regards
Rich

[maniac_73]

I stick to the Sports Card Expo in Toronto In May and November as that's the big one around here. Mostly hockey but always find some ok Baseball deals.
Would love to do the National one day but it falls on a week my company puts on a a big tournament so they are blackout days for us.

[mortimer brewster]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I'm surprised that it's returning to AC for an East Coast venue. Seems like a much better choice would have been Baltimore or DC - both have large convention centers, plenty of hotels, are (fairly) easy to get to and have major league teams. But who knows what the criteria is when choosing a venue. Probably not any of the things I've mentioned above.

I have a friend who grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Bel Air. he told me there is currently a lot of political unrest and violence in the city. This may play into why Baltimore is being skipped over.

I went to the last 2 Nationals there and they were great and well attended. Outstanding waterfront. Also went to an Orioles game. It is an 8 hr drive for me but I would gladly go back there.

[forceplay sport]

I will be heading to AC this year, havn't been to The National since the last time in Baltimore. Both are an easy drive for me. I found good bargains my last time in Baltimore !!

[jjp3rd]

Originally Posted by mortimer brewster

I have a friend who grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Bel Air. he told me there is currently a lot of political unrest and violence in the city. This may play into why Baltimore is being skipped over.

I went to the last 2 Nationals there and they were great and well attended. Outstanding waterfront. Also went to an Orioles game. It is an 8 hr drive for me but I would gladly go back there.

Baltimore's violence issues are largely limited to specific areas of the city and do not impact any of the major conventions that happen here. It's a city like any other...there is lots of good and bad, with its fair share of political issues.

With that said, the National is missing out on a great location, as you know based on your quote. The area around the convention center has everything someone could want...great sports venues, casino, great restaurants, lots of hotels, the waterfront, etc. Not too far from the airport. Easy to get in and out of the city.

Hopefully, it will come back!

[chris6net]

As a retired law enforcement officer I would never spend a dime again in Baltimore after the way the city administration treated the 6 officers in the Gray case. I know I am not the only one who feels like this.

[Leon]

+1
The National committee needs to be replaced .

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

There isn't much within 300 miles of L.A. I will be missing the National this year for the first time since 2004, but AC just sucked last time and it is hard to get to for me: ends up being a 12+ hour trip each way with either a single flight and a very long ground leg or two flights with a shorter ground leg.

[buymycards]

Originally Posted by 1954 topps

I'm surprised people aren't jumping in their cars for a road trip. Avoid taxes and negotiate better deals in person with cash. Ebay and auction fees increase their asking prices and if your buying a couple big cards together you almost always get a package deal.

Is Strongsville that great of a show? For vintage selection, yeah it's a decent little show of around 130 tables. Decent mix of raw vs graded selection but it's an all vintage show! I don't have to walk by any tables without looking. Is it worth a 13 hour drive, absolutely not but I usually combine my road trip with a few shows on the way back home in PA, NY, or NJ. Also, the football hall of fame in Canton is a short ride from Strongsville.

Wilmington, MA has two shows per year, April and November. The fall show is the one worth traveling to. I wouldn't travel more than an hour tops for the spring show.

I went to Chantilly April '19, I was told 4-5 of the larger vintage dealers went to Strongsville so that was my mistake. Just go to Strongsville if any show overlaps the schedule. My thoughts on Chantilly are that it could be a decent show with the vintage dealers on site. Great food in the area though!

For the MI, MN, WI guys who responded, nobody mentioned the Shakopee show, anyone ever been? Is it any good for graded vintage or more of a collector grade show? I'd love to take a road trip out there and hit up smaller shows you mentioned in Dubuque, LaCrosse, Eau Claire, etc. Never traveled up that way and for that reason alone it's worth a trip.

I have never heard of the Shakopee show. They don't advertise on the Beckett Show Calendar or the SCD show calendar.

There are a lot of show promoters who don't take advantage of the free advertising from Beckett and SCD. It can make a big impact on attendance, and it hurts the dealers who set up at the show. It only takes 1 or 2 good customers to turn a crappy show for a dealer into a profitable show.

[Exhibitman]

I'll miss the National but I am probably going to book a family vacation instead, so I probably will have to drown my sorrows in mai tais on the beach in Kona...

[roarfrom34]

I usually make all The Philly Shows and this year I plan to hit The National due to it's location in AC

[cardsagain74]

I'm considering making a summer beach vacation at Atlantic City for this year's.

Question for those who have been to the National recently: how were the deals there (especially for postwar vintage cards) compared to what you'd find on ebay? Better, worse, easier to negotiate?

I haven't been since Arlington in the early '90s when I was in high school.

[skil55voy]

We have 3 monthly shows in the Indianapolis area. All 3 are pretty good. I will make it to at least one of the Moellar shows in in Cincy. I would like to get to Columbus Ohio for one of JD's shows. Great venue at the fairgrounds and lots of dealers new and vintage. Not going to Atlantic City. Sick of all the nationals being east of the Mississippi. I agree with Leon, the National committee needs to acquire some new thinking.

[ALBB]

National in AyeCee is going to be awesome