COUNTDOWN TO THE NATIONAL: Tips for navigating the biggest card show of the year

The 43rd annual National Sports Collectors Convention, the Super Bowl for sports memorabilia, is coming to Chicago July 26-30 for the 14th time.

With over 750 vendor tables and 600,000 square feet of exhibit space the NSCC can be a daunting task for even the most experienced collector to navigate. Les Wolff has been collecting and selling sports memorabilia for more than 60 years and has exhibited at more than 35 national conventions. He will be at booth 701-703 at this year’s show.

“If you can’t find it at The National, it probably doesn’t exist,” Wolff said.

“The growth our hobby has experienced over the past few years has brought new collectors into the hobby. New and inexperienced collectors can become overwhelmed by the size of the show floor and amount of things they will see.”

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According to Wolff, collectors and attendees should bring these essential items to the show: bookbag or knapsack; top loaders; a phone charger; bottled water and snacks; Sharpie and pens; cards to sell/trade/get autographed; and cash (some vendors may not take credit cards)

Wolff recommends collectors take these steps to ensure a successful convention.

• Wear comfortable shoes. It’s going to take you a couple of days to walk the entire show floor. Pace yourself. If you wear the wrong shoes, you are setting yourself up for a long show.

• If you see something that catches your eye, buy it. The item you are interested in probably will not be there if you pass it up. Negotiate a price you are comfortable with and make a deal. If you don’t purchase it, then don’t expect it to be there later.

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• Have a plan. Review the show program. Check the autograph signing schedule. Review the dealer list and map out a plan for who you want to visit and what you are looking for.

• Take pictures, lots of pictures.

• Go with a list of items that you need. If you need a Charlie Keller-signed ball to complete the Yankee outfielders of the 1950s, write it down and look for it.

• Use the show program. Write down the booth number and dealer’s name you like and cross off all the booths you have visited.

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• Try to plan out each day. For example, on Day 1, go to booths 100-500. On Day 2, check out booths 600-1000, and so on.

• Make sure you know where the food concessions and bathrooms are located. Eat at off times to avoid long lines. There are usually long lines for lunch between 12-1 p.m., so grab lunch at 11:30 or 2 p.m. to avoid the crowd.

• Buy what you love and have fun. Don’t worry about finding the next big thing or striking it rich. Buy what you love and don’t worry about making the big score. You’ll be much happier in the long run.

Wolff has collected memorabilia from athletes that make up the Mount Rushmore of the collecting universe, including items from Mickey Mantle, Muhammad Ali and other sports and hobby legends. They will be available for purchase in his booth (701-703) at this year’s show.

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— Jeff Baker is a longtime collector and host of the popular TTMCast podcast. You can email him at ttmcast@yahoo.com.