Live Blogging At The National!!!

Update: 5:22 pm CST

It is truly time to call ot a day. Spent 10 bucks on supplies and am now outside waiting for my ride.

Thoughts: it used to be easy to find dealers who sell inserts in groups. Nowadays, it seems many dealers throw random cards into boxes in the hopes of keeping people at their booth longer. This is not helpful for the set collector. If you're a team collector, I am sure any card of any player from your team will do, so this arrangement could work. If you are a player collector? Not so much.

I brought $400. Spent $116 on cards, $10 in supplies, and $30 on the ticket in. Total spent: $156. Total left: $244.

Overall, I had a good time. Seeing every kind of collector looking for cards to add to their varied collections gives me hope that this Hobby will continue to thrive and grow. If the museum's message is correct, then the Hobby will continue to evolve.

My wife and I will be going out to dinner soon. We plan on visiting the restaurant that hosted our wedding reception 28 years ago. Should be fun.

Thank you for following along on my trip around the National. It is returning here again in 2027. I will try and do this again then. 

Update: 4:24 pm CST

Found the "Museum." I am going to spend some time here first before going back downstairs and buy supplies and then call for my ride home. Should be fun.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend!!!

This is not me, I swear.

Update: 3:29 pm CST

Walked through many booths and none...NONE...had any designated spots for inserts from this year. I swear my patience and desire to complete sets can sometimes be a blessing and a curse at times. Because if I was more patient, I'd take my time looking for insert cards from years gone by and be successful in finding them. Looking for these remaining 17 cards at the National is like looking for a pin cushion in the middle of a haystack. I say this because you CAN certainly find one solitary pin...but try finding a cushion with 17 pins...and you get the idea.

Anyway. Lots of other things to see here.

There is a huge display of Star Wars movie memorabilia being displayed by Heritage Auctions.

And some He-Man stuff as well. 

I am going to go upstairs one more time, and then probably call it quits.

Just realized I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Will have to fix that.

Update: 1:29 pm CST

I am now at the Topps booth. It's set up like a stadium with a lot of interactive events going on, including a 30-person competition to find a golden ticket and win an actual card. The last person won a graded 3 Walter Payton Rookie.

Passing by what appears to be the "rip a pack, get a National Exclusive" line, Topps has displayed their Topps 75 iconic cards. They're the cardss presented on their Ripped blog earlier this year. Don't get why Ohtani's 2018 Topps Update Rookie Debut card is among them instead of his rookie card from S2, but I didn't make the picks.

I did find another booth with insert cards, but their 2026 cards were lacking. I did spend a buck on a Chase DeLauter 1991 card, so the want list is down to 17.

Will hang here for a bit. 

Update: 12:26 pm CST

Success. Found my favorite dealer from the regular Chicagoland Sports Spectacular. One of the few people left who will open product and keep everything organized by set. This is my kind of dealer. Of the 65 cards in my Series 2 insert want list, he had 47 of them. For $115, I have now completed both the First Pitch and 1991 All-Star sets, and now only need 6 of the 1991 cards, 6 Crooked Numbers, and 6 Glove Works.

Now the challenging part: finding other dealers who might have these available. This is going to be interesting. 

Update: 11:30 am CST

Just watched a few minutes of the Women who Collect panel on the second floor. Friend of the blog Sooz (Susan Lulgjuraj...aka yanxchick...aka...one-half of A Cardboard Problem) was on the panel. 

Other than that, second floor had some interesting booths. The Lids booth had loose S2 cards including a couple of 1991 All-Stars mixed in. Unfortunately, I have both, so the hunt continues. On to the main floor.

Update: 11:00 am CST

Paid my 30 bucks and have my bracelet. I'm good to go. I brought $400 with me. I don't pman in spending all of it. But I know what I am here for. If anyone is actually reading this and want to find me. I am wearing a black Homage Topps 75 Diamond shirt with a blue shoulder bag. Time to go.

It's Showtime!!!

It is now 10:51 AM Central standard time and I am walking through the Donald Stevens convention center getting onto the escalator to stand in line and buy my ticket to the Greatest Show on Earth.

No, not the circus...although the atmosphere here is circus-like. But the National Sports Collectors Convention. 

Better get into the cash line. The lines are long but moving quickly. There are already boiths up here on the second floor. I'll check these out first. Wish me luck.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama