The National in Baltimore

[sox1903wschamp]

Hi Phil,

Very valid questions. I went to a few Nationals in the 80's and then was able to make Cleveland in 07 and Chicago in 08.

As many posted above, it is a great opportunity to meet fellow collectors, see awesome stuff in person and just enjoy the atmosphere.

As for my experience, I loved working on upgrading my 50's and 60's sets and prices were resonable and selection was over the top with multiples to choose from of most cards which makes it more fun for a centering freak like me. I really enjoy spending hours going through boxes and pages of cards looking for cards that appeal to me. But that's me

I did find some pre-war cards that were priced reasonable but I think you have to really look to find these. Picked up a couple of T-204 Ramly's in Chicago that I was happy about. Most Pre war is priced above ebay auction's but heck, there has not been much on ebay lately.

I think you have to go if you have a passion for collecting and just take it all in and have fun. I will not be able to make Baltimore this year but will be back in action in Chicago in 2011. Hope to see you there.

[Jay Wolt]

W/ the advent of the internet shows are a dying breed.
But the National is as strong as ever, and if you are a card or memorabilia junkie, its the place to be. Over 600 dealer tables!
There are so many cool items that you can view, and many you didn't even know you "needed" till you saw them in person.
And to hook up w/ fellow collectors on both sides of the table is great too!
If you are into autographs there's usually a slew of Hall Of Famers present and even if you don't want to buy an autograph.
You can still check em out signing.
Also there's a variety of other things to do in Baltimore incl. the O's are home vrs the White Sox & Angels.
You'll have a blast, its worth the effort & expense.

[FUBAR]

Tickets to Baltimore- $500
Hotel Room for 3 days- $500

Your first visit to the national- $Priceless!!!

For everything else, there is Ebay!

[morgan118]

Hi,

Just some friendly advice if you do go and are looking to purchase some higher dollar items. Don't be afraid to make offers to dealers who have items you are interested in that seem to be overpriced. Most of them have purchased the items for a fraction of the selling price listed in large group purchases.

I specialize in oddball offerings and some of the prices I see initially are so off base it is laughable so I actually let the dealer know that the item is way overpriced and make an offer. You would be amazed at how far they come down in price especially if they sense you know more about the pricing and market for that item than they do. I can typically get the pricing down 25 - 30 % off the asking price in larger purchases - $500.00 or more. The initial price listed that you see is typically for "retail" customers. Believe me most dealers will have a minimum of 10% to move off that. I have gotten countless deals at up to 40% off the marked price at most Nationals.

I wouldn't miss this one especially in a new city like Baltimore. I am bringing my wife and daughter and making it into a semi vacation. I have a sports collectibles business so at least I can write off some of the expense. Best of luck to you.

[mark evans]

Go to the show. You will feel like a kid in a candy store. Even if you can't justify the trip by a strictly financial analysis, it is well worth it for the excitement of the experience.

[nolemmings]

it is oftentimes a function of what you collect as to what kind of bargains you might find. Oddball stuff can be all over the board. The general prewar stuff--mainstream sets in collector to mid-grade, can vary from table to table but I think sellers recognize they have to be more flexible if you're determined to haggle. Of course, the later in the show schedule the better the chances for a discount (and sometimes at the end of any one day), but much of the stuff has been picked over by then.

Although I agree with the notion of offering less, some sellers are just plain out of their mind high on stuff, to the point where I just walk away. This often happens with either some of the semi-scarce stuff or the regular stuff in high grade. For example, I collect m101-4s and 5s, which are not particularly scarce but with some of the ad backs they aren't garden variety cards either. A couple of years ago, a guy had Stengel in grade VG with an Indianapolis Brewing back (middle of the road back, maybe akin to Sovereign in t206) that was priced at $1750. At that time, that card on its best day should have commanded about $750. I did not want to waste my time asking the seller to take a thousand dollars or more off, and figured he would get insulted and then I would say something I might regret He had other cards marked more than double market value and there were other sellers who priced this way too, at least on the stuff I was buying.

Bottom line and as others said, go there for other reasons, and hope you find a thing or two at about what should be paid or a few centavos less. there will be no steals, however, of that I am pretty confident.

[Jewish-collector]

Phil,

Let me be honest with you. I spend, if not the least amount of money, then one of the least amounts of money on cards & memorabilia of anyone from this forum that goes to the National.

I treat the National weekend as a mini vacation. I save up my money for it. I usually drive and stay at one of the least expensive motels in the suburbs and usually spend about 2 days at the show. I also end up attending a rock concert one of the nights plus I hit the downtown restaurants & clubs in the particular city.

The show has so much material from vintage stuff to the shiny stuff and everything in between. Cards, memorabilia, autographs, equipment, etc,... absolutely everything. It is quite amazing to see.

Probably the most enjoyable part for me of the National experience is meeting other collectors, dealers, auction reps, etc,... It's too bad that Leon isn't having the Net54 dinner because that was honestly the best part of the entire weekend.

Attending the National is the most enjoyable & personal rewarding experiences I have in this hobby.

Alan

[Exhibitman]

It is all about spending the better part of a week talking, walking and breathing cards with people who don't think that is a strange thing to do. Financially, from a card buying perspective, it never makes sense to go there--the costs more than consume any deals you might get. I also like it because it lets me promote my book and web site.