Advice for "The National"

[E93]

Joe and Peter,
You guys are f#%@ing hilarious.
JimB

[Leon]

Originally Posted by E93

Joe and Peter,
You guys are f#%@ing hilarious.
JimB

Sorry, but I sat here laughing and laughing on that one. The first one, Joe, nailed it....and Peter's follow up was well played too. Thanks everyone. That lightened it up a little.

As Jay said, go there with low to no expectations of finding something you want or need and you will leave happy. Most likely you will find a gem or two. I do have to admit, last year was my worst year ever for getting stuff for my collection. The first day I bought a $40 strip card with an almost perfect wet sheet transfer on it, from a board member,...and nothing for my collection the next 4-5 days. I got a few odds and ends for resale but it too was almost dry. Other years I have done much better. Maybe if I quit talking for long enough to look at tables it would help? It is a great social event though (to me and many others) and I have always thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Hankphenom]

Bring LOTS of money and plan to spend all of it.

[martyp]

The past two years PSA has allowed people to join they collector club or renew their membership at the show. The free grading which comes with paying for the membership could be used at the show for on site grading, It is not 2 hour, but normally next day or two. This can save a couple of bucks for show grading.

at least 95% of the dealers are completely set up Wednesday at open time. Over 80% are set up Sunday. It is hard for the dealers to leave early if they are there Sunday because they do not open the doors to leave until the show ending time. This does not stop them from spending the last 2-3 hours of the show packing up.

[btkpath]

Again, I just wanted to thank everyone who has chimed in regarding their advice and prior experiences at the National. I now have some direction (and a rigid training plan that I will undertake over the next several months in preparation for my attendance) in order to make the best use of my time in Baltimore.

Leon, I will definitely attend the net54 dinner that gets planned.

Thanks again for everyone's help and keep the ideas coming!

[Rich Klein]

But the absolutely most important thing to remember is to wear the most comfortable shoes possible.

Those concrete floors are hard and after several days do take an effect.

And remember, if the item is something you have been looking for years; don't be afraid to make a quick purchase but if you are chasing 1975 Topps, you can certainly take your time before finding a vendor you are comfortable with.

PSA and BGS lines tend to be long; SGC is not nearly as long

Rich

[Jewish-collector]

Barry,

Here's a beginner's guide to the National:

My advice to first timers is to wear comfortable shoes, carry a large shoulder bag or a pack for your cash, want lists, top loads, plastic cases, and a small box for graded cards. Leave your coat/jacket/sweater in your car. it will be warm at the show. Bring a pen and a notebook to keep track of your purchases and to make a map of dealer booths so you can remember where you saw particular items. Don't pay the listed price for anything. Many times the dealers will offer you a discount before you ask for one. It doesn't hurt to ask for a larger discount that the one that they offer. If you are looking for specific items in specific grades, make a list of the prices that you are willing to pay. It is easy to overpay at the show. If you look hard enough you will find a few bargains, but it may take some time. Bring a small flashlight, a loupe, and a magnifying glass. Bring some $1 bills and $5 bills. It is surprising how many dealers don't have enough change.

When you see a card in a dealers showcase with no price, and you ask the dealer how much he wants for it, usually if he says, "hold on a minute, I'll look it up", you can count on the dealer asking for much more than it is worth. Generally he will be looking for collectors who are willing to overpay, or he really doesn't know how much it is worth and he is "fishing" to see what you will offer. It seems like some of the dealers don't like to acknowledge that you are looking at their cards, and that you may like to buy something from them. They are too busy eating, reading, or sorting their cards to look up and say "hi". It also seems that the dealers who do acknowledge you, talk to you, and ask you questions are the ones who are willing to be flexible on their prices. Some of the dealers are there to sell their cards and turn over their inventory, and some seem to bring the same overpriced cards to show after show.

Also, do get together with other collectors & dealers. DEFINATELY GO TO THE NET54 DINNER !!! It's a great way to put some faces to the names of the Net54 members. People can be quite different face to face than they are on the forum.

You will have a blast at the show even if you don't buy a whole lot.

Alan