Mint Musings: Notes from the National – As I write it this, the fourth and pivotal day of the 2015 National Sports Collectors Convention is almost at a wrap. As I thought, the crowd today was pretty good. In particular, Tristar’s autograph pavilion was incredibly crowded with the likes of Allen Iverson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Hulk Hogan signing today. Even the lines for the VIP signers this year have been incredible. Nate Archibald alone was signing for well over three hours yesterday. The autograph lineup has definitely been an improvement from Chicago’s show two years ago when the lines seemed to be virtually non-existent.
Topps took time this morning to address well over 100 National attendees for a Q&A session. Some of the 
questions and topics, such as redemption cards, were expected. There were some great points that came up though, including their statement that they fully intend to produce football cards in 2016, despite Panini’s exclusive that will take hold. They also said that while they’ve looked into acquiring NASCAR and WNBA rights, they won’t be pursuing them right now. Also, if you’re not a fan of the Sparkle variations, you’re in luck as the company announced they will be retiring them. This is the first time I’ve attended their session at the National, and I found it to be pretty good. It was definitely a less combative atmosphere than their corporate address at the Industry Summit earlier this year.
The RippingWax.com case breaking pavilion and the Amazon Sports Collectibles main stage were a bustle of activity today as the vintage break was conducted at noon. Several high-end items, including a Babe Ruth autograph, were awarded to those who participated. Overall, the breaking pavilion this year seems to have been considerably more popular than last year. Given that the National had another year to plan it, it’s not entirely surprising, but it seemed like a lot of the breakers were fairly busy throughout the show. Group breaking may not save the hobby, but it’s certainly helping to sell product for now.
Once again, wax seemed to moving pretty well due to the various pack redemptions available from the card companies. Upper Deck also had their expired redemption raffle today. While it stinks not to get the card advertised on your redemption, it’s nice to at least get something if you can attend. I wouldn’t mind seeing Upper Deck expand that more to try and help out the collectors who can’t attend the show.
I had the chance to see more cool memorabilia yesterday and today. You can honestly come to the show and spend a solid two days just looking at stuff. I was especially amused by a Mike Tyson signed video game. Goldin Auctions also had a really cool piece with different checks signed by the first Baseball Hall of Fame class. I collect baseball Hall of Famers, so it might have been my favorite piece at the show.
From the memorabilia side, the spectacle certainly held up this year compared to previous Nationals. There was a lot of good stuff on display, but I can honestly say that I’m most excited to see how Sylvester Stallone’s memorabilia, including several significant “Rocky” pieces, perform later this year for Heritage Auctions.
Dealer response has run across the gamut. I’ve spoken to some who said they’ve had a fantastic show while others will most likely be slashing prices Sunday in order to make some money. Some have commented on it being a strange show this year with what’s been popular.
One comment that I have heard multiple times this year is that the show doesn’t seem to really stand out from previous shows. While I can understand that having attended a number of these now, I can only imagine that the people who have done this year after year have gotten to the point where they’ve seen everything and don’t get surprised by all that much anymore anyways.
It has been encouraging to see a decent amount of younger children here this year. Not as much as one would like
undoubtedly, but still not bad. I think it’s great that the National still continues to let children 12 and under in for free. It helps make for a good bonding event for families and helps reduce some cost of attending. All of the companies, including Topps this morning, have been stressing the importance of getting younger collectors more involved in the hobby. As they’re the ones who will soon be buying the bulk of items out there, it makes all the sense in the world to get them interested in it.
All in all, I’ve enjoyed the show this year. It’s been fun taking everything in once again and getting to meet new people and catch up with old acquaintances. It may not be the greatest National ever, but I do think it was better than last year in Cleveland and even two years ago at this same venue. There’s been a lot of speculation/rumbling about how the show will perform in Atlantic City, with many unhappy about the venue. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how all of it plays out in the hobby over the next year.
Mint Musings: Notes from the National Image Galleries
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan as the producer of ESPN’s Mint Condition has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on the hobby in Mint Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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