The significance of "The Nationals"

[HexsHeroes]

Originally Posted by jcmtiger

I have only attended 1 of the " New National Shows", it was in Cleveland. Anyway the original Nationals were held in the Detroit area years ago, Detroit, Troy and Plymouth Michigan. Great shows, nice drinks and snacks in suites in the hotel. I'm sure Leon's is party is much better, but these were great!!

Not sure if anyone on the Net54 site remembers these shows, but they were something else.

Joe

I, too, went to several of the original Nationals held in Detroit/Troy/Plymouth Michigan, as well as many of the Jim Hawkin's sponsored shows too (no traditional Thanksgiving Black Friday shopping for me ). I miss those days. My count for new Nationals currently stands at five, but hoping to change that next year. Was just in Baltimore afew weeks ago. If only the Mrs. work conference at the Hyatt Regency had been held a month later, what a time I could have had.

[Exhibitman]

Last year there was a Beatles convention in the hotel where the N54 dinner was held. Robert Silverman, Zach Rice and I crashed it. Talk about a crap fest...I've never seen such manufactured dreck for sale. But they did have lots of women--or woman-like creatures--in attendance, unlike the National, which looks like a gay pride parade for the awkward and unkempt. Except for the Olympic area last year, which you could instantly tell wasn't part of the main show because of the many women and thin people in there [the highlight of that pavilion for me was the elderly German dealer with all of the 1936 Nazi Olympics paraphernalia reminiscing in his movie villain accent about the good old days...]. Plus, the Beatles afficionadoes had a sing-along in the hotel lobby--you don't see that very often at the National. Zach, Robert and I ended up looking at some bootleg CDs sold by two dealers who were totally baked and who had boxes of Hostess product [Twinkies, cupcakes, etc.] stacked to the ceiling for the munchies to prove it. I haven't had to execute so many hippie thumb grip handshakes since I attended a party at a collective in Berkeley while I was in law school with this blonde co-ed I was trying to pick up. But I digress...

[ullmandds]

That Beatles thing definitely made last years national more interesting!!!!! Funny observations!!!!!

[jp1216]

Can't wait for 2014 and the return the Cleveland!! 10 minutes away! Baltimore is out this year - family in town . 2013 is a road trip waiting to happen.

[Jewish-collector]

I was thinking of checking that Beatles show out too, but never did... The other section of the hotel was a religious convention of some sort....