National Sports Collectors Convention a family reunion for hobbyists; here’s how to prepare
To many of us, The National is great for many similar reasons.
It will be the largest and longest card show we attend each year. As many know, that's the simple answer, but it's much more than that.
It's a hobby family reunion. I know a few instances where family members make it an annual tradition to meet at The National, room together, and enjoy the show together. The same can be said even for those of us not related by blood as we gather each year like it's a hobby religious pilgrimage.
Well, it's not Jerusalem or Mecca, but it's the hobby equivalent. The fact that it's usually around the same week every year makes it easier to remember and plan for.
This 45th National Sports Collectors Convention returns to Chicago this year, opening July 30 and running through Aug. 3 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.
While many of us attend the NSCC, how we plan for it may be different.
Can I drive to the show? Too far? I have to fly to Chicago, so how do I bring everything I want to bring since I'm not driving?
If you are fortunate to know someone who lives close to the event, or someone driving to the show who will do you a solid and bring your stuff to the show after shipping it to them, you better buy them dinner one night!
How am I getting to the convention center and surrounding events? Uber, rental car, or relying on friends? There is no wrong answer, but it's something you'll need to plan for ahead of time.
What cards or sets am I looking to acquire? Do I go in with no expectations and purchase what catches my eye and interest?
How much money am I bringing? How much can I spend?
Remember before you buy your first card that you probably spent good coin on flights, hotel, food, gas, tickets, or some combination of such. Be careful here, I've heard a few stories of people getting in trouble running up significant credit card debt. Something like that can turn a great week into a remorseful one and put you in trouble on the home front.
How you tackle those issues is up to you, but here are a few tips for how I save money throughout the year for The National.
I have a dollar envelope and at the end of each day, any $1 bills in my pocket go into that envelope. I wrap them with a band when I get to 50. Two weeks before the NSCC, I turn in the banded ones I've accumulated. I've done this for about 14 years (I started before I even attended my first NSCC). My lowest total has been $200, and my highest has been $1,600.
As a dealer who sets up at card shows, I also have an envelope where my sales tax goes after each show. For the last few years I've started another envelope where I can throw in funds after a show and forget about it. The better I do, the more that goes into it. I never touch it until it's time for The National.
Another thing I've started doing is slowing my bigger hobby purchases for about 90 days before the NSCC.
What do you do to get ready for the big show?
— John Newman is a collector, dealer and the host of the Sports Card Nation podcast. Catch his Hobby Quick Hits on Monday and his guest interviews on Friday on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach him at sportscardnationpc@gmail.com or on Twitter at @sportscardnati1
John Newman is the host of the Sports Card Nation podcast