NSCC Recap: Thoughts, Observations and Deeds! Hobby Quick Hits E209

Hobby Got Quick Hits, delivering that breaking hobby news you want to know those Josh card Shaftshafter you've got your copy here, hosts John. New name name, Welcome to episode two oh nine of Hobby Quick Hits. Just got back from the National. Uh.

This episode will be a little bit different. It will be a national recap, share some things I've seen on the show for We're not going to cover any news or news releases like we would do on a normal episode of Hobby Quick Its, just to cut out that time and maybe talk a little bit more about the national So let's get right into it. Truth be Told came in on Wednesday, stayed through Sunday. Wednesday, the plan was to go to the White Sox Phillies game at Rakeefield and then check into the hotel and then go to the show for when it opens at four o'clock to eight o'clock.

And so I got there early. So I went to the show, parked in the circle there, ran in, got my media credential, came out, and had some time to killby for the one ten start for the Socks game, so I couldn't check in early, but I went to the hotel just to see if I could, by any chance find out where it was, find out how close to the Donald Eve Stevens Convention Center it was, and all that fun stuff and good thing I went because the nice lady at the front counter, very apologetics, had have a letter from the general manager. We made a mistake. Not something you want to hear.

And she said, you know, we overbooked a hotel for tonight. You have to go to another hotel. We're we've taken care of everything. You're good there, and then you come back tomorrow for your regular stay.

There's some perks. She validated all my parking dinner, So it was they're mistake and they kind of very apologetic and gave me some perks to make up four So at that point I checked out where the other hotel was and actually was able to check in a little bit early there before the game went to the game again supposed to be one ten start, three hour and forty five minute rain delay, and yes, I stuck it out. And because I stuck it out, not a lot of people at the White Sox game. And then you add in an almost four hour rain delay.

Less people at the White Sox game, and the Ushers I was in the third tier. The ushers are like, hey, everybody, you can go down under the front as close as you want. Open season, so I got a seat ten rows from the field. Excellent game.

The White Sox poured it on and one over the Phillies. My fantasy guy coas in Montgomery with a home run. By the time, because of the rain delay and what time the game ended, the show was over, so I did not get to the show. On Wednesday.

I went back to the hotel, took a shower, watching a little TV, and went to bed to spend the whole day Thursday at the show. Thursday had two main stages, one for Hobby Hotline went very well and one for Sports Carnation. And for the first time of doing these and I'm very privileged in honor to get to the Doom for the first time ever, they were back to back, So Hobby Hoighline was at noon and the Sports Cardination was at one o'clock and Sports Cardination at Southern Collector fourteen. Tony Liebrick and TJ is online.

Tony DiMarzio on stage and we talked a lot about Vinta. Was a heavy vintage discussion, very fun that hour that both hours for that matter, flew by. So that was Thursday. Friday was my first full day really with know nothing scheduled during the show.

Did some shopping there and Friday was the PSA Registry Party. Well done by PSA. Had to introduced Scott Hansen, Syracuse University, former player, but more known for being the host of NFL Red Zone on the NFL Network. He was the MC.

He also let out of the bag that ESPN had bought NFL Network and the Red Zone. He said he wasn't really supposed to, it's now a major sports and he gave out some of the PSA Registry awards and then he said he had a special guest to bring out, and he started readling off some NFL stats which sounded familiar to me, and then he said this, gentleman, I'm about to bring out as the most touchdowns in NFL history. And I knew before he even said the name, We're about to see Jerry Rice right in front of us. And sure enough, Jerry Rice came out.

They did a sort of pseudo interview and cut it up a little bit. We had three packs that we were given to start the night and told not to open them, and before Rice came out, they said we could open the first two and then there was an eighty nine score pack they said save and do not open, and Rice came out to this thing. They said, all right, let's everybody opened the eighty ninth score pack, and of course you're hoping for Barry San Dion Sanders, Troy Aikman, and I pulled at Jerry rice base card. Pretty cool since he was standing pretty much in front of me on stage.

And then they announced anyone that had pulled a Rice Card base cart out of that eighty nine score pack would get a photo app with the goat himself, and so that was very cool. Got to spend a couple of minutes with Jerry Rice. Gave me a cool handshake, a regular handshake, and then he did it where he grabbed sort of the fingertips and said some nice pleasantries and again got some photos that posted those on social media. So that was a cool brush with greatness there.

So that was Friday. Saturday was you know, again a full day, and then we had our hobby Hotline dinner at Harry Carey's. With becoming tradition now when they national isn't Chicago, got a great dinner with folks there. I want to mention two on Thursday, the YouTube content creator dinner.

Many have heard we got kicked out of the lobby of the hotel. Was at pretty bogus, but we made the best of it, you know, not Mike Moynihan's fault. Really, I mean it is what it is, you know, had a gestapo sort of feeling like get out of it, you can't be here. So we basically went on the front lawn after some walking back and forth and a couple other spots didn't pan out and had a great time talking to collectors, met some new folks, talked to some old folks, ate some pizza, way too much pizza, and had a great night.

Think I left at ten o'clock, could not I don't know. Did anyone else have trouble? And if you parked a car in that parking lot, finding your car it was. It was tough. Each day I had trouble, even though I would try to remember, you know what level two, D, three, D four C whatever it was.

That first day Thursday, I spent forty five minutes trying to find my rental car, pressing keyfob to unlock it, lock it, the alarm not hearing anything, get my hopes up when I press it, and as someone else doing the same thing at the same time. It wasn't mine. Then thought I would s where I parked it, the cars not there. I'm thinking, did it get told? Did I park it in the wrong spot, did it get stolen? Did I leave the lights on? In the battery's dad so that's why it's not responding to the keyfob, all these scenarios.

Very nervous and worried. Finally found it after forty five minutes, so got late back to my original first hotel, which I was in a sense checking in for the first time, so got there about after that, probably ten thirty. Was a little worried that the being there so lay would be a problem, but no problem. So Saturday very busy, actually every day was pretty steady.

As we all know, the Saturday in the National is the busy day, and for the first time ever I was able to go for a full day Sunday. I got a late flight back to Syracuse and was able to stay pretty much for the hotel Sunday. Bought more cheaper cards on Sunday, some dollar dollar box stuff which I didn't look through a lot of boxes the first three days that I was there. Some cards I picked up, I'm not going to name them all too many, but some cards of significance.

The big one was that Jimmy Fox nineteen thirty three. Goudy got that in an SGC three. Got it from a gentleman you may know or have heard of, Gordy Bonkers, Gordy Bonker of Bonkers cards, and that was actually a pre arranged before the show online deal and I just met him there to get the Fox, which was kind of the target going into the show. Picking up a card I always wanted in a BVEG slab graded five and a half.

Normally don't buy BVG slabs, but got a really good deal on this card and it's you know, it's sort of it's a goofy card, right we talk about the eighty nine Fleeer Billy Ripkin, Well it's the Star Wars equivalent of that nineteen seventy seven to be exact, the Anthony Daniel C three po where he's excited to be on the tops traded card. Let's put it that way. Always kind of wanted to own one, have had some come through my SGC Bolk subs. I've even told the people subbing it with me, Hey, when this comes back, if you want to sell it, keep me in mind.

No one ever wants to sell. Everyone wants to own a copy of that card. I bought it from a young young kid. I don't know if he's running his dad's table or what.

Doesn't matter. He had three of them, various slabs and grades, and got what I thought was the best one for a pretty good deal. A funny kid, good salesman for his age. So picked up that card, picked up I love the nineteen eighty nine Detroit Police Oscar Meyer sets Barry's first appearance Barry Sanders on cardboard.

I always picked those up. I try to have them in my own show inventory. I got a nice deal, bought four sets, got kind of a package combo deal fairly, so those will be in my cases going at the next show. And then I bought I wanted to at chio Ichiro tops traded with chrome or bass, the one with pools.

Saw a few couldn't you know a little bit over what I thought that I should be paying for him, So I didn't. I didn't pull the trigger, but I did. I did get some other rookies of him that were I got one that was I don't know if it was miss priced, but hard to believe. I got it for that price, so not complaining there.

And then I bought a couple Otani rookies. Again those weren't being given away or anything like that, but I did get a couple of deals on some graded Otani's or what I felt was a fair deal to kind of bring home and kind of put away and sit on it, or as I like to say, marinate. Let's talk about some of the observations. Kudos to the traffic police in front of the Donald E.

Stevens Convention Center. They were doing yeoman's work directing traffic to wait to get in whether the parking lot or or get through was not too bad. They were very fair with how they let one side go then the other was very well done. They were yelling at people to pay attention or to listen, which I thought was pretty funny and again a good job by them being there and whoever had them there as well.

A lot of kids. I was happy to see a lot of younger kids on the show for a lot of a lot of families. If you went, did you notice there's a lot of families there, mom, dad and kids. Not used to seeing that many at a National, So that's always a good sign, right, And a couple of things.

I'm not fond of a few folks with very young babies. And when I say very young, like you know where you have to hold them, when they have to be in a carriage, And I really don't think that environment's good to have a baby in for a whole day or more, you know, maybe playing something where someone watches the baby, or you know, someone stays home. But I guess if you want to go to the show and that's your only way way to go, I get it. But I just thought it was that I just think back to when my son was a baby.

I would definitely not be bringing them to the National. But that's just me. Uh maybe I'm wrong, but that's my opinion. If I'm wrong, tell me I can take it.

A lot of selling going on. You know, some of the booths had uh you know, selling sections of their booth. Those were always full, and you know coms area there were some deals to be had and then there were some tables where you know, things were overcommed. And you know, listen, truth be told.

You go to the National you should always expect there to be slight lever comps or a lot of I'm not trudged. Maybe I'm trustifying a lot of travel expenses for these dealers table fees. I get it. I go in knowing I'm not gonna pay always comp perticker price man.

Let me brag about something that air conditioned was on point. It was all at times. There was one time I'm like, I wish I had my card ladder hoodie thank you to Chris and Christina, which I left at the hotel. You still if you were under one of them blowers, it moved your shirt, it moved your hair, and it was I tell you what, I did not sweat in that building at all.

And if anything, like I said, there was times when I was legit chilly and wish I had a hoodie. I know some people were complaining about the Wi Fi. I didn't have any issues. I didn't use my phone a lot, so maybe I'm not the one too.

But I will say this, I wear a prescription ray band wayfairer metas meta and talk the meta metas. Sorry, I'm recording this. It's late on Sunday night, just got back, so I wear the ray band Metas and all my texts get red into my ear and it things without me touching my phone. But it still runs on obviously on Wi Fi and internet, so it did well enough to work.

Other times I did use my phone, had no issues looking anything up or texting somebody or calling somebody. So AC Wi Fi was on point in my book, AC even more, that thing was blowing some serious cold air. Let's talk about some other things I don't know again. You know, parking lot I had trouble, I mean my car.

Maybe that's a me thing. It could very well, very well be part. It was announced Detroit one to vote for the National twenty twenty eight, So if you're going to the National twenty twenty eight, you'll be headed to Detroit. That's the first National outside of Chicago in the next few years.

The next two are in Chicago. I gotta say I didn't really have a lot of trouble finding space in front of showcases to see people's wares. You know, a few times they're busy. You had the way you turn, the spot would open up your way in there and then move down the line, but not compared to Nationals before.

This seems I know they said they've broke another record. It didn't really feel that way by how chile it was in the building and how open the space was. And no, you didn't have to fight for showcase space. I saw.

I saw a lot more younger people looking at vintage cards, buying vintage cards. I think that's going to be a trend going forward. I think it's a good sign of the hobby. As a vintage guy, so that was good to see the National expanded.

There were dealers on the second floor in another area, but man, that was poorly done. You know, I gotta give credit where credits and I got to criticize when it's time to criticize, I'll criticize this very tight quarters. If you had two collectors both with backpacks on parallel looking at showcases on opposite sides, you could not get through. If you were not one, that became a road big.

It was tight quarters, A little warmer up there, maybe because of that, and they had a lot seemed like they had a lot more space to use. I don't know if that wasn't paid for, it wasn't allowed, But if they're going to expand like that, they need to have the same ample space as the other dealers. And I know there were different stipulations. I think people in the upstairs room could only get one table and things like that, so I know there was some spacing those tables out.

It was hard to walk between tables. I went up there one time and that was it. I had no interest, quite frankly, in going back. And I hope those folks that were set up and had a great national did well, but a little bit the odds against them there, which just the way the setup was.

Overall. You know, it was a great national. Uh. You know, if you don't have fun at a National, you probably did something wrong.

You had a great time meeting people again, uh, you know, and then meeting some new people's. You know, I don't wear a sports Carnation shirt every day, but I tried to do. Occasionally people came up and you know, said hey are you John? And I loved the show and that was always good to hear. Uh.

Sat down at the card laider ladder booth a couple of times just to take a break or talk with somebody. Shout out to Victor. That was kind of our our meeting play. Shout out to Christina and Chris and and and them over there for allowing us luxury and and uh give to me a hoodie as well, which at some point I could used.

And uh not as much carpeting on the floor yours as past Nationals. But I did something I don't always do. I alternated shoes. So I had my Jackie Robinson Nike dunks and I had my cane recoveries.

And if you don't know about cane recovery shoes, they're anywhere from six to eighty bucks. If you don't wear them every day and just kind of wear them when you need it, they are are great for keeping your feet kind of out of pain and healthy. So I would alternate my shoes one day the dunks, one day the canes, and seemed to work better. I didn't have the foot pain, and even now as I'm recording no pain, I didn't have the foot paint.

That my feet didn't hurt in the way that they usually have at the National. So then maybe that's a tip, is to alternate shoes every other day if you can't, you know, I got an extra pair in my luggage and bring two pair you know some peeves if you will. And again I had a great national I'm not really complaining. You know, it's not all and Daisy, as I like to say, right, A lot of the folks selling right, they put their showcases or I should say zion cases or cases that their cards are in on the showcases and you really can't see, you know, what that seller has available.

And there was a lot of that, so a lot of the cases get covered. There's no solution really to it unless a dealer leaves a section of his table sort of opened for like a case, and there were a couple of dealers that actually did that. Obviously, we had buying station which kind of freed up the showcases he's seen. But when that there wasn't the case, you know, that showcase, you couldn't see really what was in it.

And sometimes as those cards came out, it could affect the showcase to the left or the right of a potential for someone who was just shopping for cards, minor pet peeve. There something else that really kind of struck me. I know I'm going to sound like the grumpy gus here, but you know it's something that I know I've talked to spoken to other content creators and private about it. But you know, I'm not shy, so you know, I just think I sometimes I feel, and not everybody.

Again my line that I like to use, right, I don't want to paint when a brush. But I think for this show really to me became a parent that some content creators are more about the content than the cards themselves, And to the point where I even question, do they collect cards or they just content with being a hobby celebrity not a celebrity, you know, actors, musicians, artists, uh, you know, people like that I consider celebrities. You know, even being known in the hobby does not make your celebrity. No one, You're not shopping at your supermarket, I say, And someone says, oh, look at so and so from the hobby, right, unless that person already knows you to begin with, So we're not.

I've always said this it maybe hobby celebrities, but not celebrities. But I just think some of these folks, again, I don't know what if someone asked me, I didn't even really give them if you can, but I think certain ones, right, it's just more now about the content and being on screen and getting like clicked than the cards, and you know, and in some cases I question, like are they even transacting with cards or is it now became sort of just a content creator. Again, I think that percentage small, but I think I think that's I don't want to say it's an issue because it doesn't really affect you or me, but it's, you know, something I think about. You know, I didn't even do on flour interviews this year.

I just I just wanted to kind of buy some cards, walk around. You know, I do a lot of shows locally as a dealer, so not often that I go to a show not as a dealer and just and buy and walk around and not be behind it. And you know this year I did that with the interviews. You know, you usually do a voices from the floor segment.

I just said, you know, I can have whoever I want on after the show, right, not whoever I want on like you know, but I can have people on after the show and ask him about it. You know, sometimes doing those on the floor interview people walk by, it gets loud, it's hard to hear. You know, a lot of times those out on the floor interviews are done with people working or dealers set up and so their time is limited, their availability itself. I didn't do them this year.

Another moment I forgot to mention, as we wind this episode down and keep it quick hits and true to the name. Uh you know it was Chris Carlon gave me a text and say, hey, you're available. You want to come in the PSA studio. Uh you know blez and uh.

I was breaking with Tim Ahan from Fanatics and Ryan Hogue from PSA and then Ken Golden later came in. They broke a box in nineteen eighty Tops pulled one Henderson and they broke a box of twenty eighteen Top Sapphire or Bowman Sire o'conne's a year they did pull a super factor was of a bass player, so nothing to write home about, but fun to watch the rip, fun to watch those guys interact with each other. And later got to speak to Ryan Hogue Hoe should say at the PSA Registry party and remember me seeing me in the earlier actually in day so on there. Maybe you hear him on a Future Sports Coordination podcast that was discussed of me, So hopefully that comes to fruition.

The hobby's very strong. They don't need me, frankly to tell you that I think the vintage market. I know people say, well, I don't really have trouble getting in front of vintage cases, and sometimes they have trouble getting in front of my modern cases. I get it.

There are probably more modern not probably there are more modern collectors than vintage, but I think that segment is also growing too, as more younger learn about vintage cards, transact in vintage cards, and so I feel very hopeful and strong that the area the hobby I love is growing and will continue to grow and continue to be viable. And same thing with the modern even though I don't do as much with that comparatively to vintage, I do. You know, I did pick up stuff for resale or for my showcase, and that's so again. Not that we needed to the national to verify it, but the hobby was strong.

I wasn't on the line, but I want to speak to it, you know. Seemed like that general mission was very long each day. As I walked in, I felt sort of guilty that I didn't have to wait on that line, but sorry, not sorry, but I saw those folks hopefully, you know. I didn't stick around to see how fast the two inside the National.

Hopefully it moved quick for those folks. And so you know, that's that's it, right, that's a wrap twenty twenty five National in the books twenty twenty six, you're on the clock. It's in Chicago again at seven as that's becomes the mids point of the United States and the central location for the National. Apparently many of the dealer's favorite spots a setup shop.

So looks like Chicago will have more National than others and for it, and I get it. For me, it's a little tougher because I can't drive it being fourteen hours and costs me a little bit more money and expensive to get here. But it is what it is. You know, I've done shows right, tell you how I save up for the show.

And that's so, you know, God willing, I will continue to at what I call the super Bowl of the Hobby. So again, thank you to everyone out there listening. Thank you to everyone at the show that made it a great and fun show. If I missed anyone in my recap here, it was completely unintentional and my apology.

So with that being said, we're going to wrap up this episode a little bit different, no news, no new release schedule. We'll get back to our normal hobby quick hits in a couple of weeks, and maybe maybe some other news about some other content involved. Nothing new report officially, So with that being said, you would do hope as well in your neck of woods, and we'll see you next time.