Summer in Chicago can be a bear (that's with a small "b" but the other kind are not far away now that NFL training camps have opened). This time, the humidity is nowhere to be found. No thunderstorms either. It was a bright, beautiful 80 degrees when the 2019 National Sports Collectors Convention opened Wednesday with its annual "Sneak Peek." For collectors … [Read more...]
Bound for National Sports Collectors Convention? A Little Advice
It doesn't seem possible but the bulk of this story was originally written several years ago, just prior to the 2008 show in Chicago. "The National" is back for another go-round so it's a good time to post it again and add a few more hints to help you get the most out of the industry's biggest event. It's been around for going on since 1980, when a group of dealers … [Read more...]
NSCC Schedule Set Through 2023
The National Sports Collectors Convention will return to Cleveland in 2022. That’s the word from show promoters after finalizing the results of a vote by dealers this week. The other option on the ballot was to eliminate Cleveland from the rotation through at least 2023. As it stands, Chicago is hardly being left out. The show will take up … [Read more...]
Wild 1991 National Was Promo-Powered, Star-Studded…Theft Plagued
Things may happen at this year's show but chances are it will be relatively tame compared to the headline-grabbing circus by which all others will be measured. Held at the height of the runaway freight train that sports cards had become, the 1991 National Sports Collectors Convention in Anaheim, CA had everything. Some of it was awesome. Some of it was … [Read more...]
1982 National Program: Seminars, Swimming, Softball–and a Show
If you made plans to attend the National Sports Collectors Convention 36 years ago this summer, you brought you best inventory. You also may have packed your softball glove, your swim trunks, a few cards to flip...and your Bible. The agenda for the fledgling event's third year was a little different from the one you've become used to in the current … [Read more...]
NSCC Schedule Set Through 2020
The National Sports Collectors Convention will return to Atlantic City in 2020. On the heels of this year's annual event, show organizers have unveiled dates for the next three shows in the rotation with the New Jersey resort getting a second crack at hosting the event following last year's show at the city's convention center. “We are extremely excited the … [Read more...]
The National Continues to be a Family Affair
The 38th installment of The National Sports Collectors Convention has officially come to a close and (hopefully) everyone left Rosemont, IL with exactly what they were looking for. That said, if you weren’t among the lucky few that got to brush elbows with Jennifer Lopez while she was slumming it alongside her latest boytoy Alex Rodriguez or catch up with Los Angeles Lakers … [Read more...]
Strange Finds at The National: Baseball Edition
For generations, fathers have shared their love of baseball with their kids. In my house, it’s the same…but with a twist. You see, every other year, The National Sports Collectors Convention hits Rosemont, IL, and, again, my 13-year-old son (who is NOT a sports fan) will be in tow. “It’s like Comic-Con for sports nerds,” I tell him every year, “but this year…Jose Canseco … [Read more...]
VIDEO: 2017 National Sports Collectors Convention Opens in Chicago
From Aaron Judge to Hank Aaron. Buck Weaver to Earl Weaver. George Mikan to Michael Jordan. If he's on your want list or if he is your want list, the 2017 National Sports Collectors Convention will have something for you. The five-day show opened Wednesday afternoon with hundreds of tables inside a sometimes dimly-lit Stephens Convention Center, all … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Dawn of the National
Baseball card shows began to spring up fairly regularly in the 1970s. They still weren't a common sight and more often than not, you had to drive a little ways to find one. Many were held in VFW halls or small hotel conference rooms with local collectors buying and selling but mostly trading. Larger cities, though, began to hold "National" shows--larger events … [Read more...]