Card shows are neat because at the larger ones, you can find what you're looking for. And I like being able to see up close the condition of cards, instead of taking someone's word for it, like on eBay or a catalog. I also enjoy going to the smaller shows, say 20 tables or so, because usually I can make a deal with the Dealer more easily. But the one that I like above everything is "The National." Held once a year in a different city, it has absolutely anything and everything collectible. It's at The National that only the best and very rare items can be found. Because the rare items are so expensive and most people like me can't afford them, I don't take a lot of money with me when I go to a large show. But it's still a treat to see something up close that I've never seen before, and in some cases I never knew existed. When I attended the 1991 National in Anaheim, California, on display there at the show was the famous T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA-8, owned by Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall. Gretzky & MaNall paid nearly $500,000 for that rare card, but the last time it was sold at auction the price realized was $2,350,000. I'm sure that it will only increase in value as the years go by. The 2008 National is being held in the Donald E. Stevens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. I would love to be there! The dates for the big event are July 30 - August 3, and I'm sure that you will not be able to get hotel reservations the closer the date arrives. If you go to the National, be sure to take a water bottle with you to the Convention Center because you'll spend hours and hours there. Many collectors that attend the larger shows carry a checklist of the cards and memorabilia that they want. If you want to complete any set that you've been working on, then you'll be able to get those hard-to-find commons or whatever, at the National.
"Anybody seen a '65 Bob Uecker?"
Have fun out there!
