Does The National Still Happen This Year?

[ocjack]

I recall back in the early days when there were shows on the West Coast, it was almost impossible for new dealers to reserve a spot due to all of the tenured dealers. I knew before I arrived, which dealers I would always see front and center at the entrance. And which dealers I would find buried way in the back. I was able to set-up by sharing a table with a lower-level tenured dealer - so we were in the back. We would know that once the doors opened it would take a good 30-45 minutes before we would start seeing convention-goers. Once they started adding corporate booths, the back of the show was a wasteland.

Tenure is a nice perk for loyalty, but it also acts as a negative to allowing new dealers to showcase their wares. Maybe some form of lottery for the tenured dealers allowing perhaps 70% of them to reserve tables and a randomized drawing for table location.

Bottom line, maybe this is the year to rethink how they have run the National up to now and perhaps new ideas and locations should be considered by a new group of individuals willing to take on the burdens/rewards of holding such an event. Monopolies are never a good thing. After all, if I'm not mistaken, the National began on the West Coast and is the location of most all of the larger-attended shows. And dealers from other areas of the country were more than happy to attend.

Just my 5 cents.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by ocjack

After all, if I'm not mistaken, the National began on the West Coast and is the location of most all of the larger-attended shows. And dealers from other areas of the country were more than happy to attend.

I don't remember if there was a National in 1980.

I definitely recall that the following Nationals were as followed.....

1981 Detroit

1982 St. Louis

1983 Chicago

1984 New Jersey

I missed the one in Detroit, but was at the St. Louis, Chicago, and NJ shows.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by tedzan

I don't remember if there was a National in 1980.

I definitely recall that the following Nationals were as followed.....

1981 Detroit

1982 St. Louis

1983 Chicago

1984 New Jersey

I missed the one in Detroit, but was at the St. Louis, Chicago, and NJ shows.


TED Z

T206 Reference
.

\

1980 was the 1st National, Labor Day Weekend in the LA Area IIRC

[brianp-beme]

Posting this from Wiki (because Wiki knows all, and is going to tell your mama on you)

1980 Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel (First NSCC Show)
1981 Detroit, Michigan Plymouth Hilton
1982 St. Louis, Missouri
1983 Chicago, Illinois Holiday Inn, O'Hare Airport
1984 Parsippany, New Jersey Aspen Hotel
1985 Anaheim, California Disneyland Hotel
1986 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Arlington Convention Center
1987 San Francisco, California Moscone Center
1988 Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City Convention Hall
1989 Chicago, Illinois Hyatt Regency Hotel
1990 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Arlington Convention Center (First venue to host two NSCC shows)
1991 Anaheim, California Anaheim Convention Center (Over 100,000 attended, NSCC record)
1992 Atlanta, Georgia Georgia World Congress Center
1993 Chicago, Illinois McCormick Place
1994 Houston, Texas George R. Brown Convention Center
1995 St. Louis, Missouri Cervantes Convention Center
1996 Anaheim, California Anaheim Convention Center
1997 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center
1998 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
1999 Atlanta, Georgia Georgia World Congress Center (25,000 attended, lowest NSCC attendance since the 1980s)
2000 Anaheim, California Anaheim Convention Center
2001 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center
2002 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2003 Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City Convention Center
2004 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center (First three-time NSCC host)
2005 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2006 Anaheim, California Anaheim Convention Center
2007 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center
2008 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2009 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center
2010 Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Convention Center
2011 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2012 Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Convention Center
2013 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (First six-time NSCC host)
2014 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center (Third-highest attendance - over 43,000)
2015 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2016 Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City Convention Center
2017 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2018 Cleveland, Ohio I-X Center (Approx. 45,000 attendees)
2019 Chicago, Illinois Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2020 Ain't gonna happen (my poignant commentary/prediction)

Brian

[packs]

Probably some deals to be had at that 1980 show.

[Exhibitman]

'smatter, Detroit, can't take a little good natured ribbing?

As for "All the fat white guys live in the East. People in California play outside", well, I've been to card shows all over the place and I've run a few in Cali, and no matter where you hold a show you will get a bunch of fat white guys. It's a fat white guy magnet, like free pizza. Now I'm not saying most collectors are fat white guys but if you need to find a bunch of fat white guys, maybe as extras for a Destination XL clothing commercial, you pretty much would meet your quota at a card show anywhere in the country. And I am not just CEO of fat white guys at card shows, I am also a member...

[cannonballsun]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

'smatter, Detroit, can't take a little good natured ribbing?

As for "All the fat white guys live in the East. People in California play outside", well, I've been to card shows all over the place and I've run a few in Cali, and no matter where you hold a show you will get a bunch of fat white guys. It's a fat white guy magnet, like free pizza. Now I'm not saying most collectors are fat white guys but if you need to find a bunch of fat white guys, maybe as extras for a Destination XL clothing commercial, you pretty much would meet your quota at a card show anywhere in the country. And I am not just CEO of fat white guys at card shows, I am also a member...

I also am a member of the OFWGC (Old Fat White Guys Club). I don't know if I'd go as far as to say a proud member. Gotta stick to that diet.

[SAllen2556]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

'smatter, Detroit, can't take a little good natured ribbing?

As for "All the fat white guys live in the East. People in California play outside", well, I've been to card shows all over the place and I've run a few in Cali, and no matter where you hold a show you will get a bunch of fat white guys. It's a fat white guy magnet, like free pizza. Now I'm not saying most collectors are fat white guys but if you need to find a bunch of fat white guys, maybe as extras for a Destination XL clothing commercial, you pretty much would meet your quota at a card show anywhere in the country. And I am not just CEO of fat white guys at card shows, I am also a member...

It's like if you have a brother that just can't get his shit together, ever. It's ok for you to make fun of him, but if someone outside the family does it, you take it way more personally. So don't pick on Detroit...unless you live here.

And, there have been many big shows in Detroit. I remember meeting Al Rosen when I was about 12 at a show here that had dealers from around the country – I paid $5 for a 1969 Mickey Mantle card. Here's the ad from a show in July, 1978.

Detroit_Free_Press_Sun__Jun_25__1978_.jpg

[Seven]

Originally Posted by packs

Probably some deals to be had at that 1980 show.

Man to go back in time. As a younger collector, I do feel I missed out on a lot of opportunities, simply because I wasn't alive. I found the first print beckett price guide online and the prices on some of the cards, is straight up ridiculous. $15 for a 55 Clemente? $90 for a 33 Goudey Ruth.

Hell you could've purchased a mint set of 53 Topps for $350 (according to beckett at least)!

Would love if some of the older collectors could chime in on what it was like back in the day.

[ocjack]

Originally Posted by packs

Probably some deals to be had at that 1980 show.

If only......

[skil55voy]

I would like to see a show in Denver or Omaha (very underrated town but probably not enough hotels etc..) I lived in Houston when the National was there. I lived in Detroit when the National was there. I dislike going to Chicago. Since I live outside Indianapolis, I drive up. I took my wife one time and she hated it, the traffic, the convention center etc.... I've been back twice but I drive to Kankakee the night before and stay there and then drive up for the show. She went with me to Cleveland and we had a great time, we drove. The hotel had a shuttle to and from the center. We stopped at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the McKinley memorial in Canton. Had a great time. That's the other part of this if it were held somewhere else we would go. Especially if it is somewhere she hasn't been and if there was something else we would like to see in the area.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by packs

Probably some deals to be had at that 1980 show.

1981 show (not National), my first vintage cards, total $11.00

Brian