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Posted By: bcornell

This National was an improvement over Anaheim in 2006. I had a narrow focus on a few T cards I needed and did okay. It wasn't busy even on Saturday, but that isn't a surprise, as it's hard to draw crowds anywhere now. More money changing hands on fewer deals - that's the new National.

Any of these shows has a few odd moments. I'll pick these 3 from Cleveland:

1. The lonesome "vitamin supplement" table that had a huge jug with a long hose attached... we were wondering if he drew a curtain when you inquired about it.

2. T222's, D311's, Gypsy Queens, and several other obscure issues. Scarce cards you usually never see were scattered across several tables. Probably a fluke, but money has a habit of making things surface.

3. Seeing Don Larsen hanging out in the Sheraton bar. I wanted to ask him for Yogi's number.

Edited to add: this show is gravitating toward being permanently in the Midwest and I doubt anything is going to stop that. The guys running it are focused on not spending money. Anaheim was not successful and most East Coast locations are too expensive (although I did hear that Baltimore is a possibility). NYC, Boston, Philadelphia = not a chance in hell. We will probably wind up with a Chicago/Cleveland rotation.

Bill