Thoughts, observations and opinions on the National

[Rob D.]

We've got a National pickups thread, a photos thread and another dedicated to "the meeting," but I thought it'd be appropriate to have a place for folks who were in Baltimore to chime in about anything they feel is relevant. I'll get the ball rolling:

The venue

Living in Ohio, I'm always happy when the National is in Cleveland, but even I have to acknowledge that the Baltimore Convention Center and its surroundings are a top-notch venue for a National.

The convention center itself easily is large enough, and the number of hotels in the immediate area is impressive. I stayed at the Hilton, which is connected by a walkway to the convention center. That might not sound like a big deal, but during the days when the temperature was in the mid 90s and the humidity heavy, it was nice. (I read a comment on the board that the walkway from the hotel to the convention center is "convoluted." True, you had to make a few turns, but if you were able to read and follow signs that read "Hotel" or "Baltimore Convention Center," I think you were OK.)

There seems to be a nice choice of restaurants immediately around the convention center, ranging from Subway and California Tortilla to Morton's. Within walking distance (maybe four or five blocks?) is the Inner Harbor area, which has a ton of eateries.

Finally, the area also is the home to Camden Yards, which, because the Orioles were in town, added to the buzz.

I can't emphasize enough how this contrasts to the IX Center in Cleveland, which seemingly is surrounded only by parking lots and industrial office space. I'd be bummed if Cleveland was taken out of the rotation, but honestly, it seemed to me that Baltimore lacks few things as a site. And my trip made me realize how lacking Cleveland is in some areas. Of course, I'm not a dealer, so perhaps those folks will have a different take.

Which leads me to:

The dealers

I think sometimes dealers get a bad rap. I know I wouldn't want to park myself behind a table for 4 1/2 days after shelling out money for a hotel, travel and meals. Too often the only comments you read about the majority of dealers are their lack of tact and overabundance of waistlines. Because I could stand to lose more than a few pounds, I'm not going to comment on the later, but as for the former ...

I was walking the floor Thursday morning at about 11 o'clock. I paused as a table where the dealer was complaining to another that "no one is here."

"I'm not setting up Sunday," he said. "It's dead. I've already started looking for an earlier flight."

Now, keep in mind that the show was about 5 hours old (Wednesday 4-8 p.m., and the show opened at 10 a.m. Thursday). I took a closer look at the dealer's table. None of the cards had prices on them, and to be honest, the cards he had weren't displayed well. There were stacks in locked showcases that seemed to have ho rhyme or reason. I spotted a T206 Lajoie (batting) in a PSA 2 holder. After standing there for a minute or two, alternating between looking at the Lajoie and trying to get the dealer's attention, he finally glanced my way. Then returned to his bitch session with his friend.

Finally, after I said, "Excuse me," he again looked my way.

"Could I see the T206 Lajoie?" I asked.

"It's $800," he replied.

Well, I hadn't asked about the price, but I figured at that amount the card must have a non-common back. Because no one would really expect to get $800 for a Lajoe in that condition, right?

"What's the back? Can I take a look?" I asked.

"The back?" he asked, clearly annoyed. "I don't know. Probably a Sweet Cap or Piedmont. You're not going to get a Hall of Famer with a Drum for $800, you know."

I instantly wished he had said this to Ted Z., only so he could receive a lecture that Lajoie with a bat isn't found with a Drum back. I smiled, said thanks and walked away.

Now, granted, this was one disappointing guy in a sea of great guys. Most dealers I interacted with were pleasant and nice to talk to. And most I heard commenting about this National had positive things to say. I guess my word of caution would be not to take the word of just one dealer whether a venue is a good one. I don't think the dealer mentioned above could sell the cure for AIDS, so the fact he wanted to make an early exit means little to me.

Yes, the prices marked on cards were high. And if you didn't realize that counteroffers are the rule rather than the exception, you might have felt intimidated by the numbers. But, to me, negotiation is all part of going to a show in person. In fact, it can be one of the better parts.

Enough of my ramblings. Please share your thoughts on Baltimore.