What was your earliest National Convention?

[HexsHeroes]

Plymouth Michigan in 1981. My brother was the sports card collector back then. My collecting interest (at the time) was coins but I was a historical baseball nerd. Absolutely fascinated and blown away with the quantity and quality memorabilia and vintage cards at that show. That started my passion in this wonderful hobby.

Like many of you, I composed teams of dead-ball era teams, versus golden year major leaguers, versus modern player teams and played on behalf of all teams. Wood bat, sock ball, unlimited ceiling for pitches. Afew lifetimes ago …

[Chris-Counts]

I went my first "West Coast National" in Anaheim, CA in 1974. The highlight was picking up a handful of mint T206s at $1 each. A couple years later, I attended what was billed as the "National" in Plymouth, MI. Man, those were the days. If only I had time machine. I recall walking up to my first table in Plymouth, and spending all my money on 1953 Bowman stars. There must have been 20 Mantles available, all with razor sharp corners at $11 each. There must be a few other board members who went shows in the 1970s.

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

I went my first "West Coast National" in Anaheim, CA in 1974. The highlight was picking up a handful of mint T206s at $1 each. A couple years later, I attended what was billed as the "National" in Plymouth, MI. Man, those were the days. If only I had time machine. I recall walking up to my first table in Plymouth, and spending all my money on 1953 Bowman stars. There must have been 20 Mantles available, all with razor sharp corners at $11 each. There must be a few other board members who went shows in the 1970s.

I remember being 15 years old and begging my dad to take me on a 2 hour car ride to the Hillside, Illinois Holiday Inn where Bruce and Bonita (i think that was her name) Paynter but on the monthly Chicago area card show on Saturdays. I believe this would have been about 1976 or so and those were still the days of no price guides, condition was of relative importance and the pricing was usually whatever someone wanted to charge versus whatever someone would pay. I remember turning down a BEAUTIFUL '53 Mantle for 20 bucks as I thought the seller was nuts for asking that much.

[ValKehl]

IIRC (and I often don't), it was the 1992 National at Atlanta.

[dwr11]

My first National was 1982 in St. Louis. I have been to the vast majority since then.

[Fred]

1991 - If I remember correctly, a dealer (I think from Baltimore area) got heisted, real bad. In today's value, the theft (of baseball cards) probably would have been the largest I'd be able to recall.

Only 5 Nationals on the west coast and none since 2006. I get it, it's a long haul for the dealers that probably have the best material, but it's almost been 20 years. Most of the Nationals I've been to have been middle America.

I've been fortunate enough to make a few east coast shows (not nationals) that could rival a national.

One of my collecting buddies that I used to hang with at a few nationals passed away a while ago so it's not been as much fun. I keep telling myself to get to another one, maybe next year (as Lucy pulls the football away, again).

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Fred

1991 - If I remember correctly, a dealer (I think from Baltimore area) got heisted, real bad. In today's value, the theft (of baseball cards) probably would have been the largest I'd be able to recall.

Only 5 Nationals on the west coast and none since 2006. I get it, it's a long haul for the dealers that probably have the best material, but it's almost been 20 years. Most of the Nationals I've been to have been middle America.

I've been fortunate enough to make a few east coast shows (not nationals) that could rival a national.

One of my collecting buddies that I used to hang with at a few nationals passed away a while ago so it's not been as much fun. I keep telling myself to get to another one, maybe next year (as Lucy pulls the football away, again).

The Baltimore Dealer who got heisted was our own Dan McKee's father. And IIRC it was done overnight so even the best efforts of Dan and Dad could not really help them.

Tbe Burbank Card Show under the aegis of Rob Veres and his team has a shot of becoming a West Coast Natoinal if it is not one already.