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Hot sports town, strong collectibles market should make Cleveland National a winner
Tony Gordon will be making his first appearance at a National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland when the hobby’s showcase event sets up shop at the IX- Center July 24-28.
Gordon, with tens of thousands of vintage cards and more, is a longtime National attendee when it’s held in Chicago, dating back to 1983 when the then-teenager was simply a collector. Now, he’s a friendly, professional dealer with years of experience and knowledge.
A Chicago-area resident and native, Gordon is familiar with the area and excited to tap into the Cleveland collectibles market. He has been a dealer at the renowned Strongsville (Ohio) Sports Collectors Convention, one of the premier vintage card events in the country, for the past 15 years.
“I have met so many great dealers and collectors in Cleveland over the years. I really love [the Cleveland market]. Great sports town. Fans literally wear their allegiance on their sleeve, as you will see by the many Indians, Browns and Cavaliers tattoos at the show,” Gordon said.
This will be the eighth time the show has been held in Cleveland (1997, 2001, ’04, ’07, ’09, ’14, ’18), the first since 2018.
Gordon believes this year’s show will be as successful as the Chicago shows.
“I think this year’s National will be just as successful as last year,” he said. “The sports card hobby continues to be hot. The Strongsville show this past April had an increase in attendance from last year. All the shows I set up at are having incredible attendance. I was just set up at the Midwest Monster in Indianapolis and the place was packed all three days. [Even] the smaller shows I set up at in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan are well-attended. I believe this will be another great National.
“I am always looking for people to walk up to my booth, Number 1144 in Cleveland, with a box of vintage cards,” Gordon said. “I have made some great vintage buys over the years at The National and am hoping for more of the same this year in Cleveland.”
Gordon’s collection includes a program from the 1983 National that the then-high school student attended in downtown Chicago. He also has swag given away at the 1992 National, he said.
“My all-time favorite National story is from the early 2000s,” he said. “I was wandering around the auction house booths and observed that one of them had on display a large number of awards belonging to one of my childhood heroes—Dr. J, Julius Erving. I am standing in front of this large glass display case, admiring all of Dr. J’s awards when I looked to my right and saw that Dr. J was standing right next to me. I was a 10-year-old kid again. It was awesome.”
Everyone has lasting memories from The National, often dubbed the Super Bowl of Sports Memorabilia.
“It should be a blockbuster,” said TRISTAR Productions Vice President Bobby Mintz. “The industry is very hot, and with [Cleveland not hosting] a show like this since 2018, it is poised to be successful.
“The venue is made for a show like ours. The airport is so close and the region is such a sports-minded community, it should be terrific. The Guardians are off to a wonderful start and the Cavaliers had a good year. Ohio State football had a nice season, and the region having such a large population within a six- to eight-hour drive, it is a great spot. Detroit, Pittsburgh and Buffalo all within a two, three-hour drive, plus Canada, so it should be exciting for collectors in this region.”
Mintz attended his first National in Arlington, Texas in 1986. The National, he said, “is a labor of love.”
“Seeing many of the fans who attend each year and the celebrities, it is like we are growing old together, yet it never truly gets old,” he said.
Cleveland, of course, has a rich history in pro sports, with sporting icons Bob Feller and Jim Brown among the legends who have called the city home.
“Cleveland fans and collectors are very loyal,” said collector Mike Breeden.
“I’m glad to have Cleveland back in the rotation because it’s somewhere other than Chicago that is still conveniently located for a large part of the collecting public. I also like the fact that it is near the airport and not downtown.
“I think people will travel to Cleveland just as they would to any other market for The National. I expect the turnout to be strong. The autograph lineup is huge and the dealer tables have drawn big crowds in the post-Covid years. I don’t know if it will be as successful as last year’s show was, but it should be a lot more successful than the last one in Cleveland was. The landscape has changed quite a bit since then.”
Mike Stoner, set for his 32nd National, predicts the Cleveland show will be “a huge success.” He has served on the National board of directors for more than 25 years.
“I feel the buzz about the show, with great autograph guests, more sellers than ever and new interest being expressed on social media, etc.,” Stoner said. “I have always had good shows in Cleveland and expect no less this year. I am loaded with new material for this show and expect plenty of action on the show floor, maybe more than last year, which was great.”
Chad King will make the trek to Cleveland from Frisco, Texas, and plans to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, too.
“Attending the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland is important to collectors and fans alike because there is no other place where one can see the amazing museum-quality pieces on display,” King said.
“There is no greater source for seeing and purchasing cards, jerseys, signed memorabilia, equipment of virtually every sport, and more. The TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion is perhaps the best it has ever been with a wide range of stars and Hall of Famers from multiple sports. It allows collectors to briefly meet these legends, have their item signed, which preserves memories.”
Longtime National dealer Mark Dehem said Chicago and Cleveland have long been the two best cities for The National, with strong attendance and high spending.
“With The National returning [to Cleveland] after a few years, we will see that the market is bigger than ever,” Dehem said. “The National is going to continue to grow as it almost has a mystique of its own—collectors and dealers alike continue to say ‘there’s nothing like The National.’”
Dehem will be at his 43rd National and still recalls a fond memory from the 1985 show.
“This was way before cell phones, in a hotel lobby, where there was a row of pay phones,” Dehem said. “My brother, who is a huge Willie Mays fan, had to call home. With so many people on the phone, he has his head buried in the little cubicle. As I’m standing there waiting for him, here walks in Willie Mays. As I’m trying to get my brother’s attention, the guy on the phone right next to my brother sees Willie and is so excited and says [to Mays], ‘Here talk to my wife.’ Willie grabs the phone, says ‘Hello’ and walks off. The whole time, my brother has his head buried in the cubicle and misses meeting his all-time favorite player. … We still laugh about it.”
Brian Schwartz of Schwartz Sports said the 2024 National should be solid, thanks primarily to the overall strength and interest of the hobby.
“I enjoy walking around, talking to people, dealers who I only see a couple times a year,” Schwartz said. “I get to spend more time on the floor at The National than I do at our Chicago Sports Spectacular shows where I’m running the whole show and being pulled in a hundred directions. So, The National is more fun for me in that regard, less stressful.”
New York-based dealer Lisa Stellato of Never Enough Cards, Inc. doubts Cleveland will top Chicago’s overwhelming success 12 months ago. Still, she says, “It is a strong market, and [the IX Center is] easy to get to, in the middle of the country, and the timing was right for buyers and sellers with plenty of opportunities for both.
“I think last year’s National was in a class by itself and to compare that to future ones might be an injustice.”
Stellato is always buying bulk in all four major sports and is excited about WNBA items, as the league is “super-hot,” she said. “We are putting together a nice array of WNBA cards on display from all years.”
Stellato will be at her 34th National in Cleveland.
“What I really enjoy is seeing customers, dealers, manufacturers and others who I have known for years and only see at The National, sort of like a National Family Reunion,” she said. “That’s a good feeling and makes The National even more special.”
Added dealer Paul Furfaro: “Cleveland was always a slower market for us at The National, but [2018] was much better than usual. The Guardians playing well should help. The show is still going to be well-attended. I would be shocked if it were a complete zoo like last year in Chicago … but it should still be strong.”
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