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National Sports Collectors Convention: Jeter, Jordan and a huge crowd on Day 2 of The National
ROSEMONT, Ill. — The National Sports Collectors Convention is always an overwhelming experience, with the show floor packed with dealers, collectors, card companies, graders and corporate big wigs.
Nowhere are the crowds larger and the buzz more intense than at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont. The 2021 NSCC show attracted the second-largest crowd in the 42-year-history of the event.
Two years later, the swarm of hobbyists has swelled to mammoth proportions. The 43rd show features nearly 200,000 more square feet than in 2021 and it seemed Thursday like nearly every inch and area of it was full and busy.
The opening day crowd for the abbreviated sneak peek on Wednesday was one of the largest ever, with a big crowd flooding the show floor when the doors opened at 3 p.m.
The Day 2 crowd on Thursday was insane, with nearly every isle packed and the massive show floor leaving many attendees overwhelmed and a bit disoriented. Navigating the massive maze was challenging, leaving many confused and referring to the show program to find booths and displays.
The space is so large that many attendees couldn’t even find the popular TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion, which takes up a large section of the show itself. But the convention center floor is so large this year, with more than 700 dealer booths and corporate displays, the autograph pavilion almost seemed like it was tucked into a corner.
The crowds could be even bigger on Friday and Saturday, possibly trending toward an event record. But for many collectors, the size and immensity of the show was a bit too overwhelming.
“It’s too big,” said one prominent collector, reciting a familiar refrain.
It will be interesting to see if the new JBJ Corporation show managers, who take over the show next year, will continue with the bigger is better trend next year, or scale back the biggest card show in the hobby.
BIG FAN(ATIC)
One of the most interesting scenes Thursday was watching billionaire Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin work the show floor. Rubin spent most of the day walking the floor with Fanatics Collectibles CEO Mike Mahan and NBA great Jalen Rose, chatting with collectors, checking out cards and collectibles and posing for photos.
At one point, Rubin greeted a fan wearing a New England Patriots cap. While chatting with him, he dialed up Patriots owner Robert Kraft and did an impromptu video chat with the three of them.
It was interesting watching Rubin work the room. He was engaging, exuberant and clearly enjoying himself. When SCD writer Greg Bates and I stopped him for a brief chat, he welcomed the opportunity to talk about the company’s plans and the future of the hobby. Check out our impromptu interview with him here.
Meanwhile, the Fanatics booth was hopping, with hundreds of collectors, including many kids, stopping by to watch box breaks on Fanatics Live, the company’s new livestream platform.
THE CAPTAIN
Baseball Hall of Famer and Yankees legend Derek Jeter generated some buzz Thursday when he made a brief appearance at the booth of Arena Club, a new grading company and trading card marketplace. Jeter, a founding partner in the company, has been trading cards with dealers and collectors on Instagram. Thursday morning, he chatted with fans and posed for photos at the Arena Club booth.
MUST-SEE
While there are tens of thousands of valuable high-end cards up for sale or auction at The National, two stood out on Thursday.
PWCC Marketplace has on display several cards from a collection of 2,800 highly-graded T206 cards.
Featuring such legendary stars as Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie, the collection is up for bid in a series of auctions over the next few months.
Robert Edward Auctions, meanwhile, has on display one of the most rare cards in the hobby. The 1910 Piedmont Cigarettes T206 Joe Doyle Hands Above Head error card, has no more than 10 known examples in existence. Graded SGC VG+ 3.5, it is expected to sell for more than $1 million. REA had a steady flow of collectors stopping by to look at the card.
REA, meanwhile, is expected to draw a big crowd Friday when well-known Diamond Kings Artist Dick Perez stops by to meet with collectors and fans at the REA booth from 11 a.m. to 1.
NEW TECH DEVELOPMENTS
While PSA was busy grading cards on-site Thursday, its tech team was showing off some of the new technology the grading and authentication giant will be rolling out soon to help streamline its submission process and make it easier for collectors to submit and track their cards. One of the new features will give collectors options for where they would like their graded cards sent — back to the collector, or directly to a storage vault or marketplace.
One the other end of the spectrum, we met with Shaun Rogers of Card Boss, a new, growing company that helps collectors gauge what grade their cards might receive before they send them off to a grading company. The subscription-based Card Boss app allows collectors to submit a card and quickly get a projected grade before deciding whether it’s worth it to have it graded.
Rogers said the app has been about 90 percent accurate based on more than 600 submissions. Greg will have more on Card Boss later this week.
ON DECK
While Topps and Panini both had big crowds at their booths on Thursday, one of the most captivating card company displays was at Upper Deck, which was surrounded by cool Michael Jordan memorabilia and exhibits.
The Upper Deck booth was like a shrine to Jordan, who has an exclusive autograph and memorabilia deal with the company. With autographed sneakers, basketballs, photos and more all on display and for sale, it’s well worth a look and photo. Stay tuned for more on Upper Deck.
— For more live NSCC coverage, check back at sportscollectorsdigest.com.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
