I'd rather have it parked in Chicago every time than rotating to Cleveland every other year. Forget the Cleveland jokes for the moment, from a convenience and facility standpoint there is no comparison. An inaccessible dilapidated facility in the boonies just doesn't cut it. At least Rosemont has lots of convenient hotels and good restaurants walking distance from the show floor, a postal annex on the show floor to ship home stuff that isn't readily taken on planes, proximity to a major air hub that can be reached without multiple plane changes and on a variety of flights, and a major metropolitan area close by in case someone feels the need to leave the cards and do something else.

Cleveland is better than AC, which is only an hour limo/taxi ride..............after I fly 4 hours into Philly or NY, etc, Not a direct flight in the book!

The new restaurant area they built (Financial Park ?) has tourist crap restaurants.

Fromthe I-X Center
 

You can get right on the train to go downtown. Downtown Cleveland (Rock and Roll HOF) is actually easier to get to from the show then some of the host hotels

Rich

Las Vegas
 

Las Vegas seems like it would be a logical place for a National. I live 4 hours from Chicago and I can fly to Vegas and stay for 3 days for just a few bucks more than it costs to drive to Chicago and back. They have the convention centers and lots of people to draw from.

I would also love to see one in the twin cities.

Rick

If looking for a city in that area, I'm surprised they don't look at Pittsburgh as an alternative to Cleveland. Newer convention center in a downtown setting that you could pair up with the Pirates in town. I couldn't go to Baltimore last year due to a wedding in CT, but the proximity of the CC to OPACY, the Light Rail to the airport, and the Inner Harbor is great for other things to do. If the Furries can afford to run conventions in Baltimore and Pittsburgh, why can't the National?

I agree with Rich. There's a lot of things to do in downtown Cleveland. If they want to keep the National in Cleveland, they should consider having it in the new Cleveland Convention Center, which is set to open summer 2013. It will be a 750,000-square-foot Convention Center with a view of Lake Erie. That clearly is large enough for the National. I would bet if it was there everyone would love it.

Why schedule the Nationals at the same time every yr? Can't a month later or so work to place us at a venue that would draw a larger crowd?? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I would guess that August is when the most people can take the time off to go.

+1

I agree, just leave it in Chicago every year. It is one non-stop flight from almost anywhere in the country.


From the West coast, AC or Baltimore are a hassle to get to. I am like Leon, I am there for the show and don't really care what is nearby. That said, the venue and set-up in Cleveland is a real armpit. Shuttles from hotels are a pain.
JimB

I prefer Baltimore solely because the location is in "Baltimore" and near decent hotels/trains/airport unlike Chicago which really isn't "Chicago." However, it is adjacent to the airport and the truth is, you're going for the show not the town. AC makes zero sense. I'm in NYC and I can't imagine going to AC for a National -- just too big a pain in the ass.

Why not May, June, or July then. Summer break is in effect all those months also. Plus people with kids won't be stressing money spending since school clothes and tuition are a few months out

As the parent of school-aged children, may and June are not an option and I'm willing to bet a significant percentage of the potential attendees are in the same boat.

National
 

There was a time when the National was held earlier.

If I am not mistaken the 1996 Anaheim National was just before July 4. I have a 1992 Atlanta National program handy and it was held July 9 - 12.

Again I a relying on my memory but I think the 1999 Atlanta National was in middish July.

I am sure other board members has programs from past National shows.

They should hold it in las vegas for at least one year.

I could handle that! Remember going to a large show back in the late 80's and Red Shoendinst was a signer held at one of the casinos.

There WAS a Las Vegas National Sports Collectors Convention...
 

There was a Las Vegas National Sports Collectors Convention proposal. In 1980, at the very first National, the late Will Davis proposed to hold the National in L.V. for 1981. I don't recall the vote totals but Will got several votes among dozens cast. The winner, of course, was Lloyd & Carol Toerpe's proposal for Plymouth, Michigan (Greater Detroit!) - which turned out to be an excellent early show.

It just seems it would be a no brainer.

When I was younger
 

I would have loved to go to Vegas, now I'm not so sure if truly appropriate for a National Convention.

Great location for people who have money to get to, easy enough for dealers to get to, actually not that far for Southern Califonria (drivable distance) BUT,

The hobby is strongest on the east coast then the west coast and there are not a ton of kid driendly things to do on the strip.

However, I would not mind seeing Anaheim at some point back in the rotation and I'm sure Mike Berkus would as well

Rich

The casinos tried to be kid friend a couple decades ago. But if you look, I think you could find something for the kids to do. Atlantic City is casinos too, but they held it there.

Atlantic City also has beaches
 

And the boardwalk which during the day are extremely kid friendly.

I think I've found the ideal location for a show. Its attributes:

--The city unemployment rate has nearly tripled since 2000 and more than double the national average;
--The city's homicide rate is at its highest 40 years and it has become one of the most dangerous cities in America;
--Citizens typically wait nearly an hour for police to respond to call, compared to an 11-minute national average;
--The city's police, fire and ambulances are so old that breakdowns make it impossible to keep the fleet or properly carry out their roles;
--40% of the city street lights were not working in the first quarter of 2013;
--There are approximately 78,000 abandoned homes, businesses and other structures;
--The city is more than $18 billion in debt;
--It filed for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy today.

Has there ever been anywhere more likely to bend over backwards and do whatever it takes to get a commitment for a convention? I think not. A nominal facility deposit? You got it. No minimum hotel room commitment? OK. Hookers and drugs? Hell yes. It's the only business left in the joint.

Everyone give a big, warm collector welcome to Detroit, our future show base!

From what I understand, the Baltimore convention center management was very difficult to deal business wise with the National committee for the selection of 2016, so The National committee decided to give dealers a choice between Anaheim and Atlantic City and AC was chosen for that year. It is unclear if the National may or may not return to Baltimore in future years.

you're pretty knowledgeable on this...is this where you get your hookers and drugs?

hmmm... maybe the only FULL TIME business left in the joint
 

.

. . . the seasonal Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings
still serve a fairly healthy consumer base.

No New Orleans?

Nah...eBay.

No Ferris Wheel and we hear the venue's hot dogs are lousy. Next.

obviously you've never had a Detroit coney from Lafayette Coney Island...one of the couple things the city has going for it :)

Too bad they didn't pick Anaheim. I'm sure us West Coast folks would have loved to have it here for a change.

The only one I've ever been able to attend was St. Louis several years back and it was great (had a baseball card of me in a Cubs Uniform printed :))

Whats up with the Chicago, Cleveland, Chicago, Cleveland thing?

I'm with Leon - a Texas in there somewhere would have been nice as the entire nation is currently migrating towards it.

Yeah, the nation of Mexico.

You know why Texas is so big? Because you can't cram all those trailers into Rhode Island.

Colorado secession is laughable. They are land-locked.

Texas has the Gulf coast with multiple ports. We are good to go.

I 2nd the New Orleans proposal.

You will not get enough people to NO
 

During the peak of the hobby, there were almost no stores or dealers in New Orleans or Louisana. Do you think there are more now? We'd have a nice dealer to dealer show there, but shoot, we're better off in Dallas at the Convention Center or the Market Hall then in New Orleans.

And for the middle days of the show, I'd carpool down with Leon :D

Rich