National first-timers have their say

There’s so much fantastic National advice pouring in right now from the hobby’s experienced content creators: YouTube, podcasts, social media, etc. I’m trying to collect as much as I can here in the National content archive.

But this week, I’m more interested in those like myself who haven’t been there and who will soon experience The National for the first time. Why are we going? How are we preparing? What still feels like a mystery?

Below, seven National first-timers took time to answer the same three questions. I’m grateful for their participation and am confident you’ll find it as enlightening as I did. - @Iowa_Dave

Q1: Why did you decide to go to National? There are card shows in every state in the country. Big shows, smaller shows, major shows, regional shows, hyperlocal shows – all shows that would cost a lot less to attend while still providing lots of dealers and cards to choose from. So why go to this one?

Matthew (@1956toppsguy): I decided to go to The National because I’m from near Chicago (mom still lives in the area) and I’ve never been! I made some great friends in the hobby and we thought The National would be a great place to meet in person. I don’t expect to do much buying because I think I get better cards at better prices online (eBay, Facebook, message boards) than at shows. I’m actually not a big card-show fan, but I’m excited to hang with my buddies.

David (@mostly90sbasketballcards): I have a very busy family life with a 4-year old and 1-year old at home. Leaving my family to go to a show for a day is more of a concern to me than the monetary cost of attending The National. So I figured if I'm going to go through the trouble of working out childcare so I can attend a card show or burdening my wife I better make sure that the show is worth it. In this case, we're headed on a family vacation to Wisconsin the following week and I'm able to drop off my kids with my parents and then sneak away for a couple nights to Rosemont. For me, The National is going to be more about meeting a bunch of friends I've made online. Attending The National allows for those social experiences moreso than any local show would. 

Austin (@carlson_cards): My No. 1 reason to go to The National over other shows is to connect with as many of my "online" friends as possible. It's crazy to me that I've talked with dozens of people for 2 years plus without having ever met them face to face! The National is the best opportunity to meet as many people as possible in the hobby.

Brandon (@sportscardstruggles): While there are definitely shows that are closer, most of them are lackluster, for lack of a better term. The ones that are within one hour of me are small and only happen once or twice a year, and they don’t have anything that I’m looking for. The National should provide an opportunity to find some of the cards that I’ve been looking for. I’m also looking forward to meeting some of the people that I’ve been chatting with on IG that have helped me in my collecting journey. I don’t have any local friends or family in the hobby, so the people on IG are really all that I have to share cards with, so being able to shake hands and have conversations with them in person is just as important to me as finding cards that I’ve been looking for.

Kevin (@nostalgia_cards): I consumed so much content around The National the past two years or so that I became so interested in experiencing a show on that scale. When I realized that this year’s show was going to be in Chicago, I decided to see if I could use it as an opportunity to see my best friend from when I was in the Army, who now lives about an hour or so outside of the city. I have not seen him in eight years or so, but we still talk weekly. While he doesn’t have the same affinity for cards that I do, he collected Marvel cards as a kid and understands the nostalgia factor. Should be a great opportunity to see an old friend and hopefully meet some new ones along the way as I continue to navigate my way through relearning this hobby. 

Mark (MJS_Sportscards): I’ve wanted to go to National ever since Bill Simmons wrote blog posts about the event for Grantland (2009 and 2011 I think). A convention center full of cards and memorabilia? It sounded so cool to a sports nerd like me. Since then it’s been a bucket list kinda thing and after I really started collecting again in 2021, I’ve been plotting to make my way to National. I also  wanted it to be a Chicago National because I love the city and it feels much easier to navigate than Atlantic City.

Scott (@wcocards): I just got back into the hobby in November. I only collect soccer. Local shows, I'm lucky to see a handful of cards. I met some good people, but local shows are a waste of time.  eBay and Twitter are better for what I'm looking for.  I met a bunch of people in the soccer card community via Twitter. I hope to find some soccer cards at The National.

Q2: There’s a lot of advice out there about how to prepare for one’s first National. What advice, if any, have you either consumed or received that you plan to put into practice?

@nostalgia_cards: The only advice so far that I am actively trying to heed is creating a list of somewhat hard-to-find cards that I am looking for. The intent is to try to locate those cards first and not make a bunch of purchases I might regret later. I have not been to a ton of shows, but I can tend to be an impulsive person. I’m trying to be self aware enough to force myself not buy from every table I go to on the first pass. 

@MJS_sportscards: Kevin (@dacaptain37) does a helpful do’s and dont’s for card shows. Jon (@basketballcardguy) and others really advocate for having a list. I plan on listening to the experts and being prepared with a list and a budget. But I’m also prepared to just walk the show and take in the experience. If I don’t get any of the big cards on my list, that’s okay. I want to meet up with folks I’ve had great IG interactions with, hit up some bargain bins, get a photo with an athlete or two, and create some cool memories with my kid (who I’m hoping to take with me for one of the days).

@1956toppsguy: I have heard so much about The National in various card content avenues and frankly it’s too much. The only helpful thing I’ve heard is to be prepared to be overwhelmed and overstimulated. I actually think it’s a great time to buy cards now because everyone is saving for the National.

@carlson_cards: For me, it's two things. First, deciding on 20 or so cards that I want to bring with me for trade bait/selling, and then put sticky notes on each card with recent sales data (for if the internet is spotty). Second, creating a concrete list of the top cards/sets I am looking for at the show (with a realistic mindset). This way, I can make my card "network" aware of what I am looking for ahead of time! I have already made one pre-show deal through this logic, and it makes me even more excited for the show to pick up the card in hand!

@wcocards: I have been in contact with people I want to meet. Printed out the floor plan and dealer list. Highlighted the booths I want to see. Gave myself plenty of time to make my way around the show.

@mostly90sbasketballcards: I'm still working on putting these into practice, but the plan is to sell a few cards that I'm willing to in order to have some cash on hand when walking the floor. "Cash is king" is a phrase I hear frequently, which makes sense. If I see a card I really want I'd rather be able to negotiate the price and buy it than try and work out a trade with my cards that the dealer may or may not be interested in. The other piece of advice that I'm focused on is I'm really going for the experience and the social aspect. I'm not planning on finding a grail and feeling like I need to go home with a haul of cards that makes the trip worth it. It's a social trip for me, and if I end I'm finding some cool cards that fit into my collection then that's a bonus.

@sportscardstruggles: Evaluate your PC.

Consignment.

Have a list of cards that you’re looking for and have a game plan. 

In April I started going thru my cards and sending stuff that didn’t fit in my PC off to consignment, and I’ve been taking the payouts and setting them aside. Now I have a pretty significant amount saved up so that I can afford the cards that I want, if I find them. I have a list of about 12 cards that I’ll be looking for, and I have several people who will be there before me (I’ll only be there Saturday) who will be looking for those cards as well. They’ll get a finders fee if any are found. 

Q3: What questions or concerns do you still have about National?

@MJS_sportscards: I’m curious about people’s experiences with autograph signers. I’d like to do a photo op or two, but I’m nervous about it taking up too much time in line.

I also get that almost any card I will be looking for will be somewhere in that room, but I have no idea how I’d locate them given that I have PC interests that are a bit outside of the mainstream.

Finally, I’m interested in trade night do’s and dont’s and if people think trade nights are still fun/useful if you don’t really have a lot of trade bait.

@sportscardstruggles: I’ve consumed enough content about The National over the last couple of years that I feel reasonably prepared, although I’m certain that that feeling will go away when I walk in and see everything for the first time. 

My main concern is getting to see as many of the tables as possible. So many people know each other and like to stand and talk right in front of a table in such a way that it impedes others from looking. Only being there for one day, it will be important to see as much as possible the first time through the room because if I miss a card the first time, then I might not get a chance to see it again.

@1956toppsguy: The only outstanding question I have is “what’s the parking situation?”

@mostly90sbasketballcards: So, I've never been to a card show before … ever. Not a small show or local show or anything. I have bought and sold cards exclusively online for the past three years, and when I was a kid it was all local card shops. I'm a little concerned about the overwhelming scale of the show and whether there's any way to focus my time and energy in finding cards I'm interested in. I'm planning to write down table numbers of dealers I want to visit beforehand, but beyond that will there be any way to find the 90s basketball cards I'm more interested in without going through tables and tables of vintage baseball cards? Also, I'm wondering if there's any chance the WiFi or cell service will be working. I've heard before that it's not reliable in the convention center, which might make looking up prices difficult, but also just coordinating and trying to meet up with friends. 

@nostalgia_cards: I think my biggest concern based on what I’ve read on social media is dealing with dealers that have unrealistic prices. I don’t want it to feel like a waste of an experience if I can’t find cards that are priced reasonably. 

Another concern on a personal level is what my experience at a trade night might be like. I’m a relatively introverted person so the concept of a trade night is daunting in and of itself from a social perspective. Combine that with the fact I have never done one and don’t even know where to start … intimidating. From the sounds of it, it seemed like a lot of people had more success at trade night than the actual show so I just don’t want to miss out on that opportunity based on my own shortcomings.

@wcocards: None really. Just trying to figure out what I would like to do in the hobby collectibles space. Either do something or just enjoy collecting in the hobby.

@carlson_cards: Food logistics, strategy for when you FIRST walk into the door on Wednesday night, how to best meet up with others (i.e. do you say "hey let's meet up at booth __ at this time?”).