National: Any Seller's perspectives?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I only deal in autographs. If I was setting up at a National, if there were separate sections for vintage cards and autographs/memorabilia, I'd rather have my autograph booth in the vintage card section. There obviously wouldn't be call for separate vintage and modern autographs/memorabilia sections, so I'd rather be found among the prewar cards! Not to mention it's just a nicer feeling being around that side of the hobby.

Perhaps to expand on Steve's Vintage Pavilion idea, how about having it for ALL things vintage, not just cards?

How great would it be if everything was segregated by category? A "Supply Corner" would be awesome, too. One time in Cleveland, I chanced upon a great dealer of supplies, The Baseball Card King out of Chicagoland. I bought some much-needed top loaders and soft sleeves for index cards--the kind that are a snug fit as opposed to having too much extra room. Both of these supplies are really difficult to come by. The next day, I decided that I should stock up more than I did, but do you think I could find the booth again? I'm not sure what happened, as I knew exactly where they were. Having a dedicated hobby supplies area would have avoided this.

[jethrod3]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

How great would it be if everything was segregated by category? A "Supply Corner" would be awesome, too. One time in Cleveland, I chanced upon a great dealer of supplies, ....The next day, I decided that I should stock up more than I did, but do you think I could find the booth again? ... Having a dedicated hobby supplies area would have avoided this.

I would LOVE to see this!! If you've been to Nationals you know that booth numbers are difficult to spot and when there are several folks working a booth, some of them may not even be able to tell you a booth number so you can write it down for easy return. I always stock up on supplies myself---amazingly there are a couple of booths that sell at or slightly even below the best deals I can get on the internet. However, I always wait until the end of the show day to stock up so that I'm not carrying tons of heavy plastic with me...and inevitably, I spend more time than I care to admit just looking for their booth again when I try to do that last-minute shopping!

[Exhibitman]

I'm not saying lose them, Dean, I am saying fix the floor plan so guys like Chris don't get walled off behind a corporate display and card collectors don't have to run all over the place dodging stuff they don't want to see.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

As much as some of us buyers might like a dedicated supplies section, I could see supply dealers disliking being bunched together for the sake of too much competition in the same area.

[Huck]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I'm not saying lose them, Dean, I am saying fix the floor plan so guys like Chris don't get walled off behind a corporate display and card collectors don't have to run all over the place dodging stuff they don't want to see.

No, you did not say lose the corporations. I apologize.

I have attended shows where the dealers complain about all the customers being in the autograph area. Autograph folks have FOMPS syndrome. Fear of Missing Player Signing. With ticket #500 in hand, FOMPS will hover around the autograph entrance until their number is called. PA systems in quite a few of the venues are notoriously awful and few have autograph update boards. So, one can understand why FOMPS hover. At the National, could you wonder the floor and hear which ticket numbers were called for a given player?

I like the idea. Given the reports of how few vintage dealers set up at the National, it might be difficult to fill an area with just vintage dealers. A promoter wants to sell tables, period. The spot could be used to sell fudge. Where does the fudge seller land? Fudge was invented in 1886, so vintage. At Chantilly, I have seen jewelry, window vendors (seriously), a guy hawking beef jerky and some cable thing. I am all for a breaker area. I could careless about that aspect of the hobby. Definitely, an autograph pavilion with a good sound system. Hopefully, the new promoters will listen to the various ideas.

[IndyDave]

Originally Posted by Huck

No, you did not say lose the corporations. I apologize.

I have attended shows where the dealers complain about all the customers being in the autograph area. Autograph folks have FOMPS syndrome. Fear of Missing Player Signing. With ticket #500 in hand, FOMPS will hover around the autograph entrance until their number is called. PA systems in quite a few of the venues are notoriously awful and few have autograph update boards. So, one can understand why FOMPS hover. At the National, could you wonder the floor and hear which ticket numbers were called for a given player?

I like the idea. Given the reports of how few vintage dealers set up at the National, it might be difficult to fill an area with just vintage dealers. A promoter wants to sell tables, period. The spot could be used to sell fudge. Where does the fudge seller land? Fudge was invented in 1886, so vintage. At Chantilly, I have seen jewelry, window vendors (seriously), a guy hawking beef jerky and some cable thing. I am all for a breaker area. I could careless about that aspect of the hobby. Definitely, an autograph pavilion with a good sound system. Hopefully, the new promoters will listen to the various ideas.

I certainly did not think there were "few" vintage dealers set up at the National. I think at least half of the dealer booths were vintage only or had quite a bit of vintage.

It took me three days to find the fudge booth, tucked back where the access to the restaurant used to be, behind the corporate section not anywhere near any other dealers. I think its had more attention on this board than it did among attendees at the show.