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Sign Here: The National autograph pavilion features star-studded lineup filled with energy, excitement
The TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion at the National Sports Collectors Convention at the IX Center in Cleveland will be star-studded, filled with energy and excitement, and likely a bigger success than last year’s record-setting event.
There will be 154 autograph signers (as of press time) over the five-day extravaganza, including more than 40 first-time signers at The National, the Super Bowl of Sports Memorabilia.
“It is a phenomenal group of legends in one place,” said TRISTAR Productions Vice President Bobby Mintz.
The signing schedule includes:
• 40 Pro Football Hall of Famers.
• 31 Baseball Hall of Famers.
• 14 Basketball Hall of Famers.
• A member of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of all time.
• 14 Olympic gold medalists.
• 11 Heisman Trophy winners.
• 9 Super Bowl MVPs.
• 9 NFL MVPs.
• 8 Cy Young winners.
• 7 World Series MVPs.
• 7 of 16 living members of the 500 Home Run Club (26 total).
• 7 members of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
“More than 100,000 people attended last year’s National, making it one of the highest-attended shows of all time. You always look to exceed that, like a baseball or football player always wanting to have a better season than the year before,” Mintz said. “We have more guests and more hard-to-find guests than ever before.”
Case in point: The list of first-ever National signers includes Sammy Sosa, Bartolo Colon, Omar Vizquel, Doug Flutie, Bob Golic, Edgerrin James, Andy Katzenmoyer, Penny Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Oden, David Thompson, and Dominik Hasek, among others.
The National also includes signing sessions with such sports legends as Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Cal Ripken Jr., Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Rickey Henderson, David Ortiz, Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera, Barry Sanders, Troy Polamalu, Emmitt Smith and Julius Erving. And all, no doubt, will be among the most sought-after signatures.
Among first-time National signers, the top attractions likely will be Sosa, Hasek, Mourning, Hardaway, Calvin Johnson, actor Chevy Chase, and Chauncey Billups.
The TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion is certainly a mix of depth and diversity. It includes eight members of the 1999 U.S. Women’s Soccer team that won the World Cup: Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett, Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly, Carla Overbeck, Tisha Venturini, and Briana Scurry. Oh yeah, you better dig out your Sports Illustrated with Brandi Chastain on the cover; she, too, will be signing.
Cheryl Miller, whose basketball career included a 1984 Olympic gold medal and a 1999 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, also will be signing.
“With all the publicity Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have created, [no doubt many will] remember Cheryl as the greatest women’s basketball player of all time. She is the Babe Ruth of woman’s hoops,” Mintz said.
Hasek also stands out as one of the best ever in the sport of hockey. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators in his 16-season NHL career. “The Dominator” was a two-time Stanley Cup champion (both with the Red Wings) and six-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goaltender.
“We are so lucky this [show] worked for [Hasek’s] schedule,” Mintz said. “He was one of the greatest goaltenders of all-time.”
Two of the best boxers ever also will be in Cleveland: Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather. Jones was a multi-time world champion and considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound. Mayweather finished his career with a 50-0 record.
Sosa and former Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona will undoubtedly be popular signers. Other former baseball players who likely will have long lines include Colon, Pujols, Rivera, and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.
“We are so excited having Sammy at The National. We have been after him for years and have heard he is a terrific guest,” Mintz said.
Collector Ryan Hutchinson said he is most excited to meet Sosa, “a huge name in baseball history [who rarely] does autograph signings.”
“I’m very excited to start a new 500 home run ball with the 1990s/2000s 500 home run hitters attending the show,” Hutchinson said. “This year’s National is easily the strongest baseball lineup I have seen in years. There are some huge names attending that are not regular attendees. The baseball lineup is easily reason enough to attend.”
Mintz is personally excited to see Pujols again, as he was involved with the superstar’s first major signing when he was called up to the majors in 2001.
“After that signing in 2001, he looked me in the eyes and said, ‘You shouldn’t sell any of these [signed] balls. They are going to be worth a lot of money one day.’ He was right,” Mintz said.
Mintz also is looking forward to catching up with Ripken.
“I remember being 13 years old opening 1982 Topps packs, hoping for his rookie card and remember vividly where I was when I popped one out of a pack,” Mintz said.
“I want to thank him for saying what he did about war and strife in the world. He had some famous thoughts that resonated with many people. [I] want to thank him for that.”
Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, was Mintz’s all-time favorite. He also plans to take a group photo with the women’s soccer players.
Houston-based collector Russell Ross plans to add a signature from Colon to his collection.
“I am definitely getting a photo of Big Sexy hitting that famous only home run of his career,” Ross said. “The lineups at the TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion since 2006 have been incredible; this year is no different.”
“The lineup this year is stacked,” Texas-based collector Jim Dougherty said. “I love the celebrities that are being added every year. It adds something for everyone.”
Dougherty is excited to snag a signature from Chevy Chase, specifically a Clark Griswold/Chicago Blackhawks collectible.
“The Christmas tree cannot go up without National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the team,” he said. “TRISTAR does a great job with the Autograph Pavilion and making sure your items are done to the collectors’ satisfaction.”
Chad King, an autograph hound from Frisco, Texas, said this year’s schedule is “the best autograph lineup at the NSCC in the 15 years I’ve attended.”
“[The] quality and breadth of Hall of Famers in baseball, football and basketball, along with the 1999 U.S. Women’s National team, is phenomenal. In addition, there are 40 athletes/celebrities making their debut at this year’s National.”
King is most excited to meet Pujols, no doubt a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“His stats are jaw-dropping when you consider 3,000-plus hits, 700-plus home runs, three-time National League MVP, and the list of accolades goes on and on.
“I am also excited about seeing guys like Edgerrin James, Calvin Johnson and Doug Flutie, each of whom are making their National debut this year. I like to collect multi-signed Hall of Fame and Heisman combination pieces and athletes making their National debuts provide me with an opportunity to get their signatures for the first time.”
Brian Schwartz of Schwartz Sports has attended the past 20 Nationals and has countless memories from the annual show, particularly around Barry Sanders and Andre Dawson.
“My favorite National story took place in Chicago nearly 20 years ago,” Schwartz said. “We were getting [autographs from] Andre Dawson, who was my favorite player as a kid. I was introduced to him and we had about a 20-minute conversation. Since that time, I’ve worked with him dozens of times and even got to play catch with him at a show in Chicago. He’s always a class act.
“So, sometimes it is OK to meet your heroes.”
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