Chantilly Show ‘pretty fantastic’ as promoters turn attention to The National

Like an airplane circling the airport waiting for the runway to clear, show promoter Joe Drelich made several passes in my general area near the end of the three-day spring sports memorabilia show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Va.

But event duty came first. A phone call here, another one there, and, oh, someone or two or three walked up to him with a question related to the gathering.

About this time Drelich (rhymes with relic) shared the nugget that for a solid chunk of this early-April event he had a 39-hour stretch where sleep was but a dream. But he powered through.

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In addition to playing a key role in promoting and marketing the event, Drelich is part-owner of the Chantilly show, The Collectors’ Showcase of America (CSAshows.com).

“We took over the promotion aspect of the show in 2016 and prior to that I was a vendor at this show,” the New Jersey resident said. “So, I have been around here for quite some time.”

This spring show, the first of three at the venue in a normal year (along with summer and fall shows), Drelich noted “has been pretty fantastic.”

“On Saturday we were jam-packed; at 2:30 we still had a line wrapped around the building to get in,” he said.

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The long lines were due, in part, to the show’s voluminous autograph guest list with about 70 current and former professional athletes from various sports, with a firm emphasis on NFL players.

“Trevor Lawrence had a huge crowd,” he said. Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson also attracted many fans. “As a general rule, the current football players did very well.”

Drelich added there has been “a tremendous uptick [in the hobby] since Covid, but really since 2016 we have seen a surge.”

“Our Friday crowd — and Fridays do not have autograph guests — was our largest in the seven years I have done the show,” he said.

Veteran sports card dealers and Chantilly regulars Larrie Dean (Dean’s House of Cards) and Chandy Greenholt both enjoyed a strong show. Dean said his sales were “well above average,” while Greenholt added, “This Chantilly show has been one of my best in the last 15 years.”

Drelich noted that the modern basketball card market continues to be a hit with collectors.

“And, obviously, the news with Fanatics taking over Topps, there seems to be momentum, some excitement building there,” he said. “They just made the announcement of the Major League Baseball Debut Patches, so I think that is going to spark some interest in some new and creative ways, in which the industry is developing and growing.”

The vintage card market also remains strong, he said. “At our shows we try to push to cover all aspects of the collectibles industry,” Drelich said.

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Scanning the show there were tables for modern and vintage cards, sports memorabilia, auction houses, authentication companies, supplies and the aforementioned platoon of signers.

Additionally, Drelich points to other factors helping the Chantilly show sprout.

“When I came on board I kind of hung up my dealer hat,” he said. “I still collect, but I reached out and tried to connect with the dealers I have been sharing space with, setting up across from around the country for 20 years, and talked to them and convinced them to set up at Chantilly.”

Opening up more floor space for vendors and flexible pricing for dealers also played a part in the growth as well. “We also try to bring in new dealers because not every dealer can do every single show,” he said. “It helps keep the show fresh.”

Then there is also a Trade Night, which came on board a few years ago, in conjunction with the show at Chantilly card shop Blowout Cards.

“It introduces a lot of young collectors on how to trade, how to collect,” Drelich said. “And collectors have given us great feedback that they really enjoy it.”

“Trade Night went great. We had over 100 people here,” Blowout Cards store manager Robert Bovee said, adding they had to turn some away at the four-hour event. “There was a real mix,” Bovee said, “from kids to middle-age collectors.”

The store’s trading floor contained sports and non-sports items. “Pokemon is huge,” he said of the non-sports cards that started in Japan in 1996, a year before the first Chantilly show.

For the summer Chantilly show, the swapping soiree will be shifting gears with Trade Night held at the Dulles Expo Center after the show closes on Saturday night.

In July Drelich, Brian Coppola and Jim Ryan, partners in The JBJ Corporation, will be in Rosemont, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, for the annual National Sports Collectors Convention. Starting in 2024 JBJ takes over management of The National and Drelich and company are looking forward to the challenge, with Cleveland as the 2024 host city.

“Our team is currently working behind the scenes, basically shadowing the existing team of The National,” Drelich said. “We are really excited about things moving forward in 2024.”

JBJ has made multiple trips to the Cleveland facility to prepare for the 2024 event so the experience works best for all.

“Any official announcements, the unveiling from our team, will take place at or close to this year’s National, or soon after,” Drelich said.

He emphasized that he, Coppola and Ryan bring different strengths to the table as a team.

“We plan on bringing a new feel by really being inclusive to the dealers and pulling back the curtain a little bit in terms of what it really takes to run The National,” he said.

— Doug Koztoski is a frequent contributor to Sports Collectors Digest. He can be reached at dkoz3000@gmail.com