Notes from the National

[tbob]

Day 3 and the old legs are getting sore from traipsing around the floor for so many hours each day. One of the hazards of being an "older collector" I guess. To me, the best part of coming to the National is the chance to re-kindle old friendships, meet guys in person who you otherwise only meet through emails, 54 posts or in bidding against them. Meeting new collectors and swapping stories is what I enjoy most. There are pre-war cards here and some dealers will come off their prices if you ask in a cordial and friendly way what the best price they can offer will be. Net 54 dealers, of course, are most receptive to offering deals. I was able to score some nice T210s from series 5,6 and 7 from Ted Z and enjoyed talking cards with Mr. PCL, Mark Macrae who has forgotten more about Zeenuts and West Coast minor league sets than anyone of us will ever know. Every time I talk to Mark I come away with more knowledge of Zeenuts and D310s and D311s and their history in the hobby. No visit to the National is complete with stopping at Leon, Scott B. and Richard M's table. Gary Nucherino and Ed Hans' table is also always a treat, not only for the cards but also for their friendship and kindness.
I met some collectors and dealers for the first time like Al C from Legends of the Fame and guys who I feel I know from the Board and eBay like Bruce Babcock who was always "uffda" to me. There are guys who seemed to have disappeared like Rob Adesso who I was glad to see again and the same old cast of characters who are always so much fun to hang with like Bill C, Robert S, Zach R, Tim N, Mike P, Lyman H, Adam W, Jim B and many more who I apologize for not naming. To me, this is what makes the hobby great.
As far as cards, not many E94s, 97s or 98s. Saw some 95s and 96s, more of the 95s. One dealer had a group of E99s and 100s but he had the 2010 price tags back when they were strong, not the softer nowadays prices. I managed to pick up a lot of T210s from East Coast cards, graded and raw, decent prices. William Chapelle sold me a T213 Matty that was slabbed and gorgeous at a good price. The albatross I chased for 6 years, the rare and elusive red background E98 Lajoie I picked up on eBay thanks to the help of some 54 members who let me know out of kindness, now rests in an SGC holder and looks beautiful. SGC customer service was far superior to PSA, as usual. PSA had more customers but that was no excuse for the boorish attitude of their employers toward collectors who patiently waited in line only to see others waited on first, etc.
The 54 Dinner and Drinks is tonight and I hope to see other 54ers there like David McDonald, Tom Boblitt and others who are here but I keep missing. I did meet a lot of members for the first time like Bubba and Frank Burkett. All in all it's been a great time....