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 packed with stuff the dealers are hoping to sell by Sunday. Some of it you’re not apt to see again because this show attracts avid collectors who bring bulging wallets, checkbooks, credit cards and Paypal accounts, ready willing and anxious to use them.
Many of the major auction houses are showing off items in their current catalogs. Grading and authentication companies were doing a brisk business in the opening hours, too, as collectors and dealers appreciate the opportunity to hand over their items in person and possibly get them back by the end of the day–or the end of the weekend.
And while the free VIP autographs and pay-per-signature portion of the show will attract about 100 (mostly) former athletes and coaches, the stars of the show are what’s inside the showcases and sitting on the tables.
Just before the show’s official opening, we took a tour of the floor to give those of you who can’t make it a chance to go anyway.
See an ongoing photo gallery from the show here.
Check out all NSCC-related stories in our special section.
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NSCC Schedule Set Through 2020
The National Continues to be a Family Affair
Strange Finds at The National: Baseball Edition
Editor’s Blog: Dawn of the National
FLASHBACK: Strangest Finds of the 2015 National
Wrapper Redemption Packs, Autographs Part of Upper Deck NSCC Plan
VIP Bags, Free Autographs and Plenty of Stuff to See
