2008 National Sports Card Convention Review

The Big Show is down the street from my house...literally. I'm so glad I took the week off so I could make the effort to go to the National being held in Rosemont, Illinois. The plan this week is to go today (I just left the show) and Saturday. Today is the, "let's go see what everyone has to offer day." Saturday will be, "Spend everything you have day!!!"

Lots of stuff on sale, lots of booths selling everything from early tobacco cards to the latest product causing mass hysteria, Topps Allen & Ginter. Junk packs? There are at least three booths selling it. Insert sets and singles from 2007 backwards? At least four to five booths.

Tons of sellers with "vintage" meaning 1950's to 1970's cards and earlier.

All the big brands were there...Topps (or more like it, eTopps was there), so was UD, and Donruss had this nice huge area too. In The Game, and Press Pass were there too. Probably the biggest buzz was to be found in the Razor booth. I'm sure that the two men there answered the same questions over and over by collectors as to what they were going to do with their recently signed draft picks and when to expect a set. They were even giving out these Razor Tim Beckham promotion cards that Stale Gum was talking about today. You fill out a survey, you get a free Beckham card. Now, I'm no prospector, but I'm not about to say no to a free card. So needless to say, gasp, I have a non Topps card in my possession. And I'm sure the Bay will be happy to get rid of it for me rather quickly.

It was disappointing that the Topps company didn't have a prescence at the National, it was a decent consolation that their eTopps brand was there promoting their site. Their deal was that if you sign up as a new eTopps customer, you can get free stuff. Sadly, I signed up back in 2000, but I've never taken advantage of the program. All the same, they considered me an old member, so I didn't qualify for the free stuff.

Today was also the day that Bartman was supposed to show up, pick up that $25,000 bounty, and sign his name on a picture of that infamous foul ball. As expected, he didn't show up. But the people running the spectacle sure made it interesting.

I'm not really into autographs, but while I was there, they had the '85 Bears in the autograph booths. William Perry (I didn't know he was in a wheelchair), Dennis McKinnon, and Dan Hampton were among the athletes at the booths when I passed by.

The Dmitri Young PSA Gem Mint 10 rookie card collection took up three displays at the PSA booth. Needless to say, he has quite the collection. Even has the only PSA Gem Mint 10 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson RC.

The crowd was all right I guess for a Thursday. Not too many people compared to the Saturday show that I went to a few years back. I think that the weekend will bring heavier crowds to the show for sure. I can't wait to go back. Until then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama