"2026 National Wrap Up and Review Hobby Quick Hits E235

0:01 Hobby, not Quick Hits, delivering that breaking hobby nimbs, direct loaders. You want to know those Hot Josh card shop shop. You've got your copy here, Hot John new name name, Hello, everybody, Welcome to episode two thirty five of Hobby Quick Hits, where we're a week late than our normal slot. I apologize for that, but uh, you know, we're gonna talk about why I'm a week late. It's it's the National.

0:43 Came back from the National, and I'm still playing catch up with orders, getting orders shipped, catching up on content, life stuff that's not hobby related. So a lot, a lot to cover, a lot to do. We're not going to do our new segment or our product release segment on this episode, so we can talk more about the forty six National in Chicago. Forty seven will also be in Chicago next year. Start making your reservations and planning your itinerary accordingly. So let's get right into it, and you know, skip sort of the formalities. Right. I got there on Tuesday, had to fly let's say third about a thirteen hour drive. If I was to do that, that's a little bit too much for an old guy like myself, And so flew in Tuesday, you know, got my media badge midday there at noon, you know, hung out with a couple friends. Also had tickets to the White Sox game that night against the Yankees. Traffic was terrible.

1:59 Had a rental car, but thought I left early enough, but traffic was terrible. Was traveling with my friend Brian, and we got there in the bottom of the second inning. You know, pretty low scoring game. Garrett Cole was striking out a lot of White Sox hitters. The Yankees wound up winning it three to two, even though Chase Madrath had a two run homer in the ninth to make it interesting off of David Bednar, but Yankees held on in one, three two. I always try to catch an event outside of the hobby when I'm in a sports town if possible, and did so. Last year was the Phillies White Sox, with the White Sox winning fourteen to five.

2:43 This year was the Yankees White Sox with the Yankee winning three to two. So Tuesday was just sort of, you know, an easy day, pick up your passes, you know, and again attended the game and then get ready for the show on Wednesday, which started me day and no trouble, No trouble there and fairly quite you know, not a crazy Wednesday. Obviously you get into the Friday Saturday part of the show. That's when it's really, really, really busy. And I always go into the National with a less of five to ten cards with the hope to get two to three for the personal collection. I'm always open to buy inventory for my showcases as a dealer for the shows that I set up, and sort of that's kind of my mo and you know, I'll talk about the pickups. I was able to pick up two cards for the personal collection and probably two at the near of that top of that ten card list in a Ernie Banks PSA two rookie and a Pete Rose Rookie PSA three. And they're both, you know, I guess it's easy for me to say, but they're both I appeal wise better than their grade. And I've posted on my social media if you want to get if you want to see what I'm talking about, just check out Sports Cardination, look around National Week and you'll see those. And I bought these cards from the Las Vegas dealer brothers Dave

4:16 and Jim. I've bought a prior purchase I think two years ago from them was a PSA four Bob Gibson rookie. And interesting story how I even made this purchase. So I believe it was Tuesday night or Wednesday night. I went to dinner with some hobby friends to Gioredonald's, a tradition anytime I'm in Chicago, gotta have some deep dish pizza. We don't really have that here in New York for obvious reasons. I like it just the same. And so I was coming out of Giordonald's and Dave and Jim were walking in, and you know, we made some small talk and they asked like, Hey, is there anything you're looking for? And I mentioned some stuff and they're like, you know, we just bought a pretty decent collection and we have, you know, a Rose and a Bank's rookie.

5:08 I told him I wasn't, you know, in the market or in the budget for high high grades. But I gave them kind of a ball park of the grades. And they're like, hey, we think we can help you out. After dinner, we'll text you what we have and we we can go from there. So later, actually the next morning, I got a text with some picks and a price. And I won't go into all the gory price details, but like what I saw at least on picture wise and told them that, you know, I had a main stage the next morning. As soon as that main stage was overright, head over to their tables and see if the cards in person. They're on the second floor along with the Mike Burkis main stage. A little little off tangent here, but the Mike Burkas main stage is now on the second floor of the Donald Steve Convention Center.

6:01 A lot of new stuff, audio equipment, video equipment, and in past years we always you know, if you're on a panel, you were just in some folding chairs and behind kind of a you know, folding tables with table cloths. Well they redid that, Like I said, a lot of new equipment, microphones, and furniture. They have real lounge chairs and couches and so very big difference, you know, more comfortable, feels more profession So I did that main stage with the Sports Collector's Digest group. As soon as that was over, you know, we took some photos, talked, and then I made a bee line over to Dave and Jim's table up on that second floor. Now I will say this, there's more dealers there. Last year was really really tight.

6:54 This year was still tight. It was difficult getting in and out of there, especially when most people have been so hopefully if they continue to do it on the second floor in Chicago and Rosemont, maybe they can make those aisles wider for comfortability, not only for the vendors, but for the consumers as well. So made my way to David Jim's table, saw the Banks and rose rookies in person, and you know, again I'm not a gory detail guy, but you know, we haggled a little bit and finally came to an agreement on price. I paid and cash for those two cards. And those were my two first two purchases of the show, and very pleased with them. You see them if you watch my content on video, you'll see them behind me on those acrylic desks, cases and so. And also, you know, I like to buy.

7:51 I like to do business with people who I like and know and I you know, are good people. David Jim are really good people. If they've been a guest on Sports Carnation and really you know, guys doing it the right way. I know they you know, they missed the National here where they didn't get a table. I think it was last year, but they got a table this year. Good for them and hopefully that continues to be the case. They're from Las Vegas, so definitely a trip for him. You know. In previous episode they mentioned that their luggage got lost momentarily for a few days. Thankfully that didn't happen to them this time. So had my first purchase. Bank's Rookie Rose Rookie. Very pleased with those purchases, and you know, had some time obviously. I try to cover as much ground as you can. You meet people, you talk to people. I've never been short or cut anyone short. It's not my m o. Someone's willing to say hello or talk to me. I try to be courteous in that fashion. Wound up later on just kind of to close out my purchases at the show.

9:01 A few days later, I bought a good, nice stack of vintage stars. I don't know the proprietor's name, but he was having a fifty percent you know, he said, had a great show. My gift to you, remaining inventory fifty percent off, and he had shoe boxes and monster boxes of all sports, nonsports, vintage, some modern, and got quite a bit of vintage stars for my dealer inventory, for my showcase and for my inventory. There got a really great deal. He was priced fairly to begin with, and then when you add the fifty percent off on that, that was very good as well. Now, you know, I think we all know, right, you got to expect some sticker shock at the National. You know, it's expensive to attend, it's expensive to set up as a dealer. When you think of all your expensive travel expenses, your table fee, your hotel, your food. Right, I'm not trying to have a pity party, but you've got to expect a little sticker shock. But I will say this two things. I don't think the sticker shock was as bad as I expected or in past years. And I also felt many of the dealers I spoke to were very reasonable. They were willing to, you know, negotiate and haggle and come down off of price, most of them. So, you know, everyone to each their own, but I think the majority of the room was willing to negotiate that. You know,

10:34 when we think about the modern market, Jordan's stuff was insane, you know, price very well and selling very well. Otani not that he's sneaking up on anybody, but I think people are really starting to realize, like what he's doing is out of this world. And he's still got probably a good, barring an injury, a good double digit years of baseball potential. He's thirty one years old, so he could do some damage in the next two years into his just when he turns forty, and even if he doesn't pitch again, he's just doing some incredible stuff. So Otani stuff was selling, moving and priced high. Griffy Junior was up as well. I'm sure I will leave certain athletes out, but I know his stuff was moving and priced with an upward tick. And that Pinnacle, I think it's ninety seven Pinnacle, the one where he's blown a bubble.

11:34 That card somehow went from being a two dollars card to a fifty plus dollar card. It's mind boggling, to be quite frankly. It reminds me of the Bo Jackson you know, black and white score card, sort of the rise that had all of a sudden, very quickly Billy Ripkin, you know f face error card again, those continued to rise. I think Ricky Henderson rookies were up there. As well with his passing, you know, in the past calendar year, and so you know, some sticker shock, but really there was deals that could be had if you were smart and shopped around. You know, it was crowded, obviously on Saturday was to me the busiest day. You had the sort of finago for to get in front of a table or showcase space. But you could do. It wasn't impossible like it felt like in some years. I will say this a lot of corrections on the positive side.

12:40 Right we've we've been past years of Nashville where it's hot, where you're sweating through your shirt. It was cold, to tell you the truth, and it was warm outside or hot outside, but the National ac was blowing strong. It was chilling in there. And if you give me a choice between sweating my you know what off and being a little little chill, I'll take the chilled over any day. Because you can always wear a hoodie or a light windbreaker when it's hot. You can't walk around shirtless at the National and you probably wouldn't want people to do that, even if it was okay to do so. I will say this definite improvement on the temperature market or department Wi Fi. I didn't have any issues with my phone, you know, looking up things, reading stuff, getting messages, you know, in past years. I remembered I texted my son from the show and he never got the text till like three or four hours later, and it was sort of a time sensitive text. So improvement on Wi Fi, improvement on temperatures. It was a new layout. We had sort of that Breakers and you know live breaking and you know, in all in one section, that what not section. It was like a carnival atmosphere. If you didn't like that stuff or didn't need to be in that area, you could literally avoid that area completely. And they moved again.

14:12 They moved the Mike Burkers main stage up to the second floor. Was nice and quiet, so you didn't you know, in years past, the Burker's main stage was near that Breakers and so you'd get all those let's go and yelling and screaming while you were talking on the main stage, and it became very difficult to hear yourself and others on a panel. So they, you know, power to kudos to the powers that be. They're they're trying to do things. No one's perfect, but they are making some decisions to make the experience better. I felt and again WI FI, the temperature, the breakers all in one area. It felt like a carnival there, and if you didn't want to go to the carnival, you didn't have to go into that room. Going back to the upstairs, there was an international dealer section, so dealers not from the United States who were coming in from abroad with their inventories to sell.

15:08 They had sort of their own section, which I thought was kind of neat. I thought it was neat, you know, I don't like the thought about segregating, but I don't think it was met like that. I think it was to showcase and highlight the worldwide phenomenon which the hobby now or really always is, but we're seeing even more so. So I think it was done in a positive fashion and really glad to see some new wrinkles. Always good like right. They changed the layout, so if you went last year and you thought it would be the same this year, you were pleasantly surprised as I was. Some things I noticed, you know, a lot more kids, and a lot of kids making some really head scratching, big money deals. I remember being at one and there was a young man, I was looking at the showcases and there was a young man to the right of me, and I don't know what he was buying, trying to sort of not be a nosy buddy, but you know, I could hear the negotiation. Whatever he was buying card or multiple cards. It was a thirty thousand dollars deal.

16:20 Like I said, this kid couldn't be more than fourteen, fifteen years old. He was not with his dad, at least at the table with an oh, someone older at the show itself, but his dad was not with him. He was making his own deal and it was for thirty k. And it's just just mind boggling to think when I was fourteen and fifteen and I yes, I was in the hobby. Then in nineteeny six and eighty seven, and I was, you know, if I made one hundred dollars deal or one thousand dollars deal, I thought that was a big deal. But to these kids, now, what they're carrying around in these ion cases and the cash there came around and this was a cash deal. You know, some pet peeves, you know, sometimes with a lot of people were selling, right, they'd go up to the dealer, Hey, are you buying. The dealer would say, well, I'll take a look at what you got, and you know, the Zion case got put down onto the showcases. And again it's free enterprise. This is America. I don't want to state anything to you otherwise. But a lot, a lot of that was going on, and it made like whatever case that that Zion case was on top of, you really couldn't see what cards that dealer had available in that case. So it's sort of, uh, you know, had to navigate around that. Content creation wise. You know, there was people filming, but it seemed less intrusive than in past years, so that a lot of people I didn't recognize doing content creation. Uh. And but with some crazy rigs,

17:54 you know, think cameras where they were around the waist and then it came over their back into their front. They looked like Doctor Octopus from the Spider Man series. But it seemed less intrusive than in past years. And I think some of that might be due to the I think the ops were wider, there was more space to a little more elbow room, and that was always you know, that's always a plus. I did three main stage panels. I did for the first time Sports Collector's Digest had a writer's panel. I was on that with editor Jeff Owens, Greg Bates, writer, and myself and Clemente Leasi writers had a good time, well forty five minutes talking about the year that was, in the future, what's coming for the future of the hobby. Then I did a Sports Carnation panel and I had Nick Jarman from the Certified Trading Card Association up on the stage and we talked about what he's trying to do to make the hobby a better and safer place for everybody, you know, on both sides of the sellers, companies, consumers at the whole hobby as a whole, and it's a worthy endeavor.

19:14 I'm happy to be on the advisory board of that. So me and Nick sort of chopped up what, you know, his course of action and what he wants to make the hobby a safer and better place. On Saturday, in our normal spot ten am Chicago time, we did our Hobby Hotline panel and if you didn't see it live, you can check that out on the Hobby Hotline's YouTube channel. Again forty five minutes. We talked about the national because it was done on a Saturday morning when the show was kind of coming down the home stretch show, we shared some of our observations and thoughts of the current national and where the hobby and the nationals going in the future. So check that out on hobby hot Hobby Hotline YouTube channel. Some pet peeves. You know, it was more than one person, but you know there was almost every table had a buying sign on it, whether it be a little eight x ten you know, a piece of paper or a big bracketed above the table vinyl sign that said buying station or buying. So most a lot of people were buying. You know, probably seventy eighty percent of the people set up. But one thing that bug you know, again, to each their own. You pay for the table, you can put whatever you want in the showcases. One thing which I thought was a weird flex was dealers who put you know, showcases out, those like those metal all state showcases and just fill them

20:44 with one hundred dollars bills and spread them all out, and it's just a flex, like, hey, look at me, I got one hundred dollars bills. Fill in this case, put some cards in there. I don't want to look at your hundred dollar bills. I know you got money. I have money too. Let's let's we've established that for most part, put some cards in there, sell your cards, trade your cards. But just putting one hundred dollar bills in a showcase and spread them all around, and it just screams, look at me, you know I got bank and we don't need it. I don't know. It's just silly to me. You know, I look at my table space as a dealer. Now I'm not setting up at the national, but as precious man, I'm trying to get out as much of my inventory on in sight of potential customer as much as I can. I'm not filling the case with a bunch of money just to flex and show off. So I thought that that that I could live without. What did I see? More of a lot of significant others? Right? Kids? Going back? I can went off with a lot more kids, young and teenagers.

21:47 A lot of big money deals come from that sector. Not surprised, Well, it's not a surprise anymore, right, A lot of wives and significant others. Some seem to be active with their uh you know, male counter parts. Others seem to be sort of hanging back, just sort of along for the ride. Another thing I saw, probably more in my opinion than I should have. And I apologize if I'm being a little crash by young baby like young baby like. I'm not even talking toddlers. I'm talking just a few months old or even younger, or whether it be a dad carrying the infant or the mom.

22:28 I say, a lot of babies and to me, I don't think that's the place. I don't think that's the play. Now I have a twenty zero, so it's easy for me to say, but I'm not bringing if I had a baby, that's not a place I'm bringing a baby. And I was not saying I wouldn't attend, but I'd make arrangements, whether that's a family member that's you know, watching my kid, or maybe if not the point you can't always make the trip. I get, I get fomo I gave. I get wanting to be there, but not a place for to me, young babies like that. Again, saw numerous of that. But and the other thing I want, you know, we know what's gonna happen. Right, happens every year at to Nashville, happens almost at every show. Right DEFs occur well Here's the one thing I want to say as a dealer myself again not doing the national any show I do with my showcases. Those showcases are locked and I have the keys on my hip. If someone wants to see something, I can unlock the case, have them look at it. Or if I make a sale, I can unlock the case, sell the card, relock the case.

23:35 Do not tempt fate if you leave your cases, unlock your I hate to say like this, but your sort of advertising trouble. You're making it easier, just the same as if you leave your front door or your house unlocked, where someone can just walk in and take whatever jewelry, money, your safe, your cards. Don't make it easy. Lock your door. Can someone still break in? Yeah, it happens every day, every minute. I get it. Well, why make it easier? And I will tell you, man, And I know something about insurance. I have it. If your case is unlocked, the insurance could could refute covering your your theft claim. You know, if like you leave your car door unlocked and something in your car, rate, stereo, or something else of value in your car is taken, the insurance will probably refuse to pay that you just made it easy and left your door unlocked. If you lock your door and someone broke in, then you're going to be better.

24:31 Your coverage is probably going to be covered. So I don't understand why dealers are not locking their case. It's a head scratcher to me. I get it. You want to be you want the convenience. You don't want to break out your key every few minutes potentially, but air on the side of caution. Lock your case, lock your case, and someone will say, well, you know, John, I don't lock my cases, but I'm always looking at them. It just takes a distraction. It takes you. You could drop something on the ground, go to pick it up, and someone goes and pull something out of there and and mad dash it away. Just avoid that from a possibility. You know, if someone can pick a lock, sure, but you're going to see that a lot easier than if you leave your cases over it and you know, get distracted and someone can slip a card out without making very much noise or commotion. So when are we gonna learn, Well, I've learned my cases are locked, but dealers, please lock your cases. I hate as a dealer, and it's not even just as a dealer. As someone who loves the hobby, I hate someone get robbed of something they built, right, Uh, and uh, don't make it ease, don't make it easy.

25:42 You can tell them. I'm sort of passionate about that as a dealer as well. So, uh, you know, very good national uh in my opinion. Uh, you know, went to some of the oh you know, real you know, went to the PSA registry party on that was Friday night, great great event. Last year they had hosted Jerry Rice with Scott Hansen from the NFL Network. This year was Barry Sanders, another goat, and you know, everyone got a PSA box handed out to him and in that box was a couple packs and a Barry Sanders SLAB registry card. And your card was either not signed or signed. And there was five hundred cards. Fifty were signed and thankfully and luckily mine was so I got a Barry Sanders certified PSA DNA autographed registry card, which was very cool.

26:41 My friend Tony d who was sitting next to me with his son, his son Anthony, got one as well, So congrats to Anthony. One other person at my table of ten got one, and a few other people I know got one, so I know about five of fifty Barry Sando's auto to be had at the event. PSA. Does you know he can say whatever you want about him? And I do that too. That they did a great job. The food was great, the event was not too short and not too long was the timing. Scott Hanson, You know Barry did some photo opportunities if you pull the Barry Bass card out of your packs. I didn't. I got to Barry Auto, but I didn't get to take a picture with him. Last year I got to take a picture with Jerry Rice, but I thought, well, I'll never forget that. And they just put on a great show of great party for people who enjoy what they do, and gave out some awards to people with like the best sets in sports and non sports. Again, the food was excellent and after the event, even when it was over.

27:49 You know Scott Hanson, former Syracuse Orange Man football player, all of the Red Zone NFL network. He stays in chats with everyone, does videos, pictures, talks, just a great down earth guy. Even at one point someone with his group sort of went up to him and I was close enough to hear to say, hey, you know, you're you're kind of along with people up and hey, these people are waiting online to see me. I'm going to the least I can. Just really cool to hear a celebrity and yes he is a celebrity, say that right and not rush through it. And just great to see that and very appreciative of that. He cut a little promo for me. You might hear it on if you listen to Sports Card Nation podcasts. So that was great, great, you know, great dinners. We had our Hobby Hotline dinner on Saturday night at Harry Carrey's. It's kind of become our Saturday night tradition. We had some of the folks from Hobby Hotline there, small intimate, you know, it wasn't a ton of people, about eight six to eight people.

28:59 We had a couple people even not a part of Hobby Outline, friends of ours to a tend. It's just a good way to decompress, enjoy a great meal with you know, hobby fraternity we're all part of and it's one of the things. As crazy as it sounds, I look forward the Hobby Hotline dinner on Saturday with some ritten dumb just a great event, you know, right now, I'm still just trying to play catch up with content and orders. You know, it never seems to fail. Whenever I go on this trip, I have a stack of or I don't put my stuff on vacation, and I just seem to have a stack of orders catch up on went back home. I'm tired. My order ring says I'm fourteen hours behind in sleep. I probably have to sleep a whole day even to get back on track.

29:48 That's not going to happen. I do have a couple of weeks coming up here with no summer school and no regular school yet, sort of to maybe catch up by some of that. Take some naps, sleep in and hopefully get that fourteen hours sleep deprived number gone or at least a lot lower. So I hope you if you went to the National, I hope you enjoyed the National. If you didn't go this year, I understand it. Sometimes it's hard to go a year. If you didn't go this year, I hope and you want to go. Hope you get to the next again. Thanks everyone that I met there in person, whether it's the first time or I met you already. I enjoy those conversations talking about life. Cards, you know anything, right, I really do appreciate those interactions.

30:40 So with that being said, I think I've sort of covered everything I wanted to cover, and we'll see you next time.