Cards
Longtime sports card dealers in awe over growth of The National, record sales
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Mike Berkus was, no doubt, looking down and smiling at the 46th annual National Sports Collectors Convention during its five-day run at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
Noted dealers “Mr. Mint” Alan Rosen, Barry Halper and Dick Gordon would have been smiling too, along with hundreds of others who paved the sports memorabilia path from the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel—site of the inaugural National—to the monstrous, multi-level Chicago venue drawing more than 100,000 attendees to the largest and most prestigious sports card and memorabilia show in the world.
And the 2026 National was, arguably, the best ever!
“Mike would have thought this [year’s National] was a fabulous show,” said dealer Tom Daniels, one of two dealers who have attended all 46 Nationals. In fact, Tom and Anita Daniels, based in Wisconsin, have had the first pick of dealer tables for the past three years—and they have the same location steps from the main entrance when The National returns to Chicago in 2027.
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Hobby dealer John Rumierez is positioned across the aisle from the Daniels and he too has personal memories of that first National in Southern California.
“That Los Angeles National was a great buying show,” Daniels said. “This year’s show was great with really great crowds every day, and the people were buying.”
Daniels said early Sunday, hours before his last transaction, that the 2026 National was his best show.
Kit Young is another veteran in the sports memorabilia industry, having sold cards at every National except one. He was sorting 1975 Topps cards when asked about Berkus. Young said Berkus would have a smirking grin on his face and would take a lot of pride in the 2026 National.
“I don’t think he’d be too bewildered,” Young said. “He’d just pound his chest with pride and take great pride in the event.”
Young tagged the inaugural National as a “great show,” but it would have filled one small corner of the 2026 event.
“I never envisioned The National becoming what it is today,” he said.
Dealers then spent around $8,000 at the first National. Today, $8,000 wouldn’t even land you one or two good cards, Young said. He brought 300 vintage Mickey Mantle cards to Chicago and sold more than 100, including a classic 1952 Topps card.
“There were huge crowds and the event was really well run,” said Young, who added this year’s National was his best, by far.
Chicago-based dealer Tony Gordon said the 2026 National was also his best.
“I ran out of cards on Saturday and had to leave four display cases empty,” he said. “The crowds were strong. It seemed like the busiest and most crowded Wednesday ever. We asked everyone who came to our booth where they were from and ended up meeting people from 30 different states.”
TRISTAR Productions Vice President Bobby Mintz said, “The lines to get in, particularly on Friday, rival the 1991 National,” in Anaheim, Calif., which attracted more than 100,000 attendees.
Lisa Stellato of New York-based Never Enough Cards, Inc., said the 2026 National “far surpassed what we thought it would be both in crowds and sales.”
“Coming off a strong 2025 [National], we did not expect the attendance and the number of additional sales that occurred this year,” she said. “Our industry is growing and it appears the younger generation has joined in the growth using the platforms of TikTok, Whatnot, eBay Live, and there are many new collectors as well.”
Stellato said she and many other dealers were not expecting the size of the crowds, starting on Wednesday.
“The [strong] attendance continued throughout the week, including a very rainy Saturday,” she said. “Sunday was surprising as the crowd seemed to be the highest I have seen since I have been doing this. I am not sure most National table holders were expecting that.
“It was refreshing to know how many first-time attendees were in attendance and I also noticed how many more young girls and women were attending and collecting. The biggest highlight was to see the amount of young attendees purchasing cards to resell on platforms as well as collecting for themselves. It seems that our industry is seeing a new generation bring us into the future. For a single year, 2025 to 2026, the growth was extremely noticeable and exciting to be a part of.”
