Thoughts, observations and opinions on the National

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

LOL! Wasn't it a year ago that someone called you, (and I quote):


"WOW!! MR. High End Millionare dealer/collector/pompus ass. The National is'nt all about you megabuck nerds. You got some big stones calling the I-X a dump. "


And you're still crapping on Cleveland!

Well, facts are facts. The IX is a dump. A toilet. A trash heap. Feel free to insert additional derogatory terms here:__________. That said, stating a preference for Baltimore over Cleveland is hardly taking a crap on Cleveland (and that would be redundant anyway). Though now that I think of it, the mistake by the lake remains the worst venue of any I've attended.

What do you call a good looking woman in Cleveland? Tourist.

On a flight to Chicago the pilot comes on and says "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have bad weather over Chicago and we have to divert to Cleveland." A drunk in theback says "Cleveland? I'd rather crash in Chicago than land in Cleveland."

True Story I: the mayor once set his hair on fire twice while trying to cut a ribbon with a blowtorch at a bridge dedication.

True Story II: The same mayor’s wife turned down an invitation to dinner at the White House because it conflicted with her bowling night.

What’s the difference between Cleveland and the Titanic? Cleveland has the better orchestra.

The National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers have existed for 40 years and have never won a championship.

There was actually a tornado in Cleveland last week. Destroyed an entire city block. 3 bowling alleys, a liquor store, and the liquor store museum.

Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown," Cleveland's citizens joke grimly. "He decays."

[Matthew H]

Will the national ever be back on the west coast again? I was only 11 yrs old when I went to my one and only National. I don't think it's ever been back to Los Angeles, although I wasn't paying much attention in my teenage years.

[Bilko G]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

Will the national ever be back on the west coast again? I was only 11 yrs old when I went to my one and only National. I don't think it's ever been back to Los Angeles, although I wasn't paying much attention in my teenage years.

It was held in Anaheim back in 2006

[joeadcock]

Though may not be a possibility, being a Floridian my whole life(deep south of Miami), would be nice to have a show in the lower South East some time. I went to the Show in Atlanta in 1993 and I thought it was great, though I was alot younger then.
I thought this show was really good though, just kind of far for me.

Frank

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by Bilko G

It was held in Anaheim back in 2006

Figures it was the year I spent Bois le Roi... I've been out of touch, I probably would have missed it, even if I was in town. Does the venue alternate, east-west, or was it rare?

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

Figures it was the year I spent Bois le Roi... I've been out of touch, I probably would have missed it, even if I was in town. Does the venue alternate, east-west, or was it rare?

It doesn't alternate. As Rob d. noted, the current schedule is as follows:

2011: Donald E Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, Ill.

2012: International Exposition (I-X) Center; Cleveland, OH

2013: Donald E Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, Ill.

2014: TBD

2015: Donald E Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, Ill.


Chicago required a multi-year contract to book. Other promoters were trying to book that space.

In various posts from Mike Berkus, who is on the Board of The National, he has stated that Anaheim does not want them back. They have looked into the Mosconi Center in San Francisco and that doesn't work. They only book consumer events a maximum of 18 months in advance, and that's not enough lead time to pull everything together.

So, if you want a West Coast show:
1. Find a convention center with more than 300,000 sq. ft. of space, all on one floor, in one building.
2. Check their union rules for set up. (The Javitz Center in NYC wants $2450 per booth for set-up. Cleveland wants $45.)
3. Check price, space, and availability of hotels.
4. Check transportation (long distance and local.)
5. Check parking (Just for Alan!)
6. Consider the climate. (Baltimore may have been hot and humid, but Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and/or Phoenix would have been worse.)


They took a chance this year and tried Baltimore, even though it had only 290,000 sq. ft. It seems like everyone was OK with it, but there are fewer cities than you think, that meet this criteria.

[timzcardz]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

They took a chance this year and tried Baltimore, even though it had only 290,000 sq. ft. It seems like everyone was OK with it, but there are fewer cities than you think, that meet this criteria.

That's interesting, because it looked like they didn't even use all of the available space.

This was my first National so I have nothing to compare it to. Was vendor/corporate participation down?

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

So, if you want a West Coast show...

1. So why has it not been back to the LACC. (the only national I've been to) Did they not want them back either?

2. How 'bout Vegas? Tons of CC's there.

[Anthony S.]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

2. How 'bout Vegas? Tons of CC's there.

Something tells me that the adage "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" really wouldn't be necessary.

[Jewish-collector]

I grew up in the Baltimore area and used to attend shows in and around Baltimore in the 1980's and 1990's. None of the shows were really that successful. Baltimore had never been a great sports card show city. This was, of course, before the inner harbor area was transformed to the downtown that it is today.

When I found out the National was coming to Baltimore this summer, I was delighted, but was very skeptical that it would be a success. I thought transportation issues, parking, etc,... was going to be problematic. I didn't think attendance would be that good. I am very happy to say that I was absolutely wrong. This National in Baltimore was a huge success. Period.

The Baltimore Convention Center turned out to be a wonderful venue. There was actually additional space (another room in fact), to the left of the main entrance, for more booths. As mentioned earlier, the venue is very close to the Orioles ballpark as well as the inner harbor shops & restaurants. There is public transportation readily available and parking near the convention center, while a little expensive, is readily available. There are also enough activities for mom & the kids to do while dad is at the show.

Some dealers (vintage thru shiny stuff) that I spoke to said their sales were "decent". Some said "good' and a few others said "great".

I had a fantastic time !!! This was one of, if not the most enjoyable Nationals that I have ever attended. I'm glad that I was there Wed. thru Sat. It was really nice meeting/seeing many Net54 members as well as meeting some other longtime hobby collectors at the show and at the dinners after the show.

Alan

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Well, facts are facts. The IX is a dump. A toilet. A trash heap. Feel free to insert additional derogatory terms here:__________. That said, stating a preference for Baltimore over Cleveland is hardly taking a crap on Cleveland (and that would be redundant anyway). Though now that I think of it, the mistake by the lake remains the worst venue of any I've attended.

What do you call a good looking woman in Cleveland? Tourist.

On a flight to Chicago the pilot comes on and says "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have bad weather over Chicago and we have to divert to Cleveland." A drunk in theback says "Cleveland? I'd rather crash in Chicago than land in Cleveland."

True Story I: the mayor once set his hair on fire twice while trying to cut a ribbon with a blowtorch at a bridge dedication.

True Story II: The same mayor’s wife turned down an invitation to dinner at the White House because it conflicted with her bowling night.

What’s the difference between Cleveland and the Titanic? Cleveland has the better orchestra.

The National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers have existed for 40 years and have never won a championship.

There was actually a tornado in Cleveland last week. Destroyed an entire city block. 3 bowling alleys, a liquor store, and the liquor store museum.

Anyone who falls into the Cuyahoga does not drown," Cleveland's citizens joke grimly. "He decays."

Oh... I wasn't disagreeing with you.


By the way, that tornado... it did $30 million worth of improvements!