I went on Friday and Saturday. They started letting the crowds in a few minutes early instead of making them stay out lined up for blocks on the sidewalk in the smokey air and hot sun, so that was nice. Once I got inside, I only stopped moving for about 15 minutes each day; not complaining, but as I get older, my dogs seem to scream louder by the end of the day!
On Day 1, I consigned some items to 3 different auction companies and that was fun and relatively easy. But I wasted some time watching some big name athletes open packs (though a few also told interesting stories) and before I knew it the day was almost over. So I scrambled to check out the tables in the main area and made it down 2 whole rows before the show closed. I took notes about who had the Topps 1955 Banks and Mathews I needed, and actually found a couple of dealers that had these. But at that point I hadn't spotted any dealers that could help complete my 1962 Salada Baseball set.
On Day 2, I picked up with Row 3 and finally had a little luck with my quest for Salada coins. Was able to pick up a couple of regular-issue high number coins. Now when I come to the National, I have no problem paying higher than the comp price, as I appreciate that the dealers have paid a lot to set up at the National. I looked at the comp prices and asked the dealer if he'd accept what I calculated to be a bit more than the comp price. To my pleasant surprise, he said he'd accept even less than I'd offered and less than the comp price. I asked him if he was sure! Then I thanked him profusely and we had a nice chat. It was only a difference of a couple of dollars, but if you are the gentleman that sold me those 2 Salada coins, please know that you made my day! I wish I would have written down your name!
After that, I realized that I needed to pick up the pace or run the risk that for the first time, I might not make it through all the tables. I finished the main room and then hit the second room that also had a lot of vintage dealers. I made careful notes about who had Banks and Mathews cards in or near the condition I was looking for. Then I made my way upstairs. Now that room upstairs was a bit of a nightmare when I was up there. For whatever reason, there was only enough space in the aisles to accommodate folks in one single file lane going in each direction. So it was really difficult to navigate those aisles with some folks stopping to look at the dealer tables. The crazy thing is that there was a lot of space in that big room that was not being used. So they could have made the aisles wider. That was my only gripe, however, and not a biggie for me at that, as it was mostly newer dealers upstairs and them mostly just brought their new shiny stuff that I was able to just pass by without stopping.
With 1 hour to spare, I had finished scoping out all the tables, and was ready to buy my Banks card. I was looking for a G-VG but found an off-centered card that was probably an EX. I asked the price. I was good with it, and that was that! Then off to get a Mathews with 30 minutes left before show close. Went back to look at the one I wanted, but mis-remembered it and it was actually in much better shape. The guy wanted to sell it to me and deeply discounted it, but regrettably, I didn't end up taking it. Part of it was that the deal seemed too good; either he was really letting it go for too low of a price, or maybe the card had been trimmed. So I walked away. And that's how my show ended.
All in all, I had a great time catching up with a few dealers I'd known for awhile, meeting new collectors, and checking out what some of the auction houses were displaying. The venue stayed cool, bathrooms were generally clean and uncrowded, and I had ZERO problems with the internet.
Can't wait to come back next year!
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