NSCC 2023 Recap: The Good, the Bad, and the Sad + pickups

[crac0018]

I took my 12-year-old son with me to the show, which was the first time going for both of us. Overall, we had a good time, but not a great time. I know not everyone will agree with my assessment, but that’s fine. This is just my opinion.

The Good

Parking at the convention: I knew there’d be thousands attending and driving to get to the garage would be hectic but considering the amount of traffic and people walking around I thought getting into the garage was pretty good. It helped having several police on hand to direct traffic and allow pedestrians to cross. The cost to park was a flat fee of $15, which was pretty good considering what I paid to park at Navy Pier.

Dealer/card selection: Was there something for everyone? Most definitely. Of course, if you were targeting very specific, harder-to-find stuff that isn’t always going to generate a ton of interest then you were probably disappointed (like me, to an extent). I couldn’t find any of the cards from the 2011 or 2012 sets I’m trying complete – and not just the cards I need but any cards from the set I was hoping to upgrade. However, I was able to find some beautiful cards I didn’t know existed or that I hadn’t considered before. Some cards look so much better in person. There was so much memorabilia to be seen too. Game used footballs, hockey pucks, catcher masks, old jerseys, chance to purchase for $23 Michael Jordan’s Mercedes from the 90s (with the title that has his signature on it), and plenty of non-sport stuff too. GPK and ET cards from the 80s? Star Wars stuff? Harry Potter and Pokémon? Yup, it's all there.

Promos: Tons of free stuff to find. It’s all relative on if it’s worth anything to you. My kid was happy to get free cinch sacks, squishy balls, and t-shirts, while plenty of other people would just throw their freebies in the trash. Some dealers had tables of free base for the taking. We didn’t get anything super exciting for free, but I did witness a dealer hand a box filled with random loose packs (maybe 12 or so) to a kid. Decent stuff as well. Very cool gesture by the dealer – I made sure to buy a card from him for his generosity. We never stood in line for any of the promo packs/redemption stuff since I wasn’t sure if a purchase had to be made or not. From what I saw many people were genuinely happy with the actual packs, whether they were opening them there, saving them for later, or talking about how much they’re going to sell them for on eBay.

Dealers and most all attendees: Every dealer I spoke to (usually by sticking in their face the piece of paper with the images of cards I’m looking for) was patient and willing to listen/talk. It’s hard work for these dealers to manage their booths with several people gathered all at once. I have an appreciation for the work they put into this. Sure, some dealers were priced a little high, but there’s really nothing wrong with that. These guys know what they must do if they really want/need to move something. I mostly had great encounters with other attendees. If I was in the way of a case someone wanted to look at and vice versa, we simply swapped places with a friendly smile. Yeah, I got bumped countless times, but it’s crowded; I never felt like it was malicious. Except for the teenagers. Everything they do is with evil intent (j/k!). The show is also a terrific place to see old faces or meet new ones. It was great see Mike from Jacksonville Sports Cards again, who I hadn’t seen since I moved to Ohio. It was wonderful meeting John in person (if you’re reading this, sorry we couldn’t meet up after the show on Saturday – I got too chatty and lost track of time – let’s plan to meet again next year). And to all the wonderful people I spoke with, it was great chatting!

Focus on kids: I was very happy to see an emphasis on including kids into the hobby. The kids trading area looks like a hit. Panini did a great job with the Kids Crate. My kid was eyeing one of these the first time we passed the booth so I made sure to swing by just before leaving for the day to grab him one. It's all retail stuff, but for $70 it's a nice treat. Apparently they've been doing this for a few years - excellent concept.

Smells: I read a lot of how stinky it could be at the show in summer and I imagined the worst. However, I think most people were very conscious about their hygiene. I didn’t encounter many offensive smells. Even when I was stuck in some very crowded areas, I didn’t notice too many odors. Maybe the worst smells came from the vintage tables that had trinkets; ya know, when things have that smell of “oldness” to them. Oh yeah, and there was a musty weed smell coming from some folks, especially just outside the convention doors in the drop-off/pick-up area (where the cigarette smoke was bad too). Hmm, maybe the smells were more offensive than I initially remembered.

Chicago: What a fun city! And there’s so much more than just the convention/Rosemont area. Sure, Navy Pier is expensive and touristy, but it is FUN! We had a blast in that fun house/mirror maze in the garage, which took us several times going in circles to figure out. The wheel is expensive but has amazing views. They also had smaller, carnival-type rides there. We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry and had a great time too (which we got in for free, since we have memberships to the Great Lakes Science Center). It's a huge museum with first-class attractions, including an actual WWII U-Boat which can be toured (this thing is HUUUUUGE! Like a football field long!). My son also wanted to check out Chinatown and I’m glad we did – Ken Kee was delicious and another highlight (the Chinatown Parking Lot costs only $2 for 3 hours with a validated ticket!)

The small stuff: Well, this could apply anywhere. Towards the end of the second day, I played an impromptu scavenger hunt game with Nicholas (my son). I could tell he was getting tired and didn’t want to sit on the floor, so I gave him a couple cards to search for (a card with a Blue Jays logo on it, for John; a game used Bobby Mitchell card; etc) He had fun going around to the dealers looking through the cases and asking if they had those cards. I’ll always remember the look of excitement he had when he found one of the cards and came running back to show me. And another instance: To the dealer who let Nicholas sit on your chair when we were all clearly tired – that meant a lot. And to the nice lady with the Tootsie Rolls who gave Nicholas a handful. He was tired of eating my granola bars and mixed nuts. All of these small events and gestures added up and really gave great memories of the show.

The Bad

Driving on Chicago Freeways, especially with heavy traffic: Good gawd, what horror. Anyone who enjoys driving on I55, 90, 290, 294, is a masochist. I don’t think driving laws exist on the freeways – they’re suggestions at best. Not exactly sure what shoulders are used for, but it’s definitely not the place to pull over for a flat tire. TIP: Take public transit or find routes that avoid the freeways; it might take longer but you’ll save years of your life.

Convention Center HVAC: Yeah, it’s been mentioned thousands of times by now, but it needs to be repeated so it gets fixed. Is this an issue for all National shows at this venue? I hope not. It’s a physically exhausting affair so having to deal with the warm air made it even more uncomfortable. We didn’t stand in line for anything really, but for those who did (autograph/redemption/food lines) the warmth in the building probably made waiting in line even more miserable. I'm sorry anyone had to deal with that.

Theft: It happens, and not just to the attendees but to the dealers too. C’mon, don’t steal. Yes, it’s easy to do with all the crowds, but have some integrity. And to the young guy wearing the white t-shirt reading “Dope” on the front I saw you quietly walk off with whatever card you asked to see – I told the dealer and gave him your description. I hope you got caught. For everyone else, please be careful. Especially during trading. I didn’t see anything happen but it’s really chaotic with the amount of people on the floors and everyone with their cards spread out all trying to make trades, which was especially true at the kids trade area. Also, be subtle with your cash. Yeah, I guess some people like to flex cards and cash, so whatever.

Size: Is too much of a good thing possible? In this case for me, yes. I get it, most everyone is going to disagree with me on this one. And yes, it's true, I put "card selection" as a positive for the show but there's a downside to having such a great selection. Even ignoring everything except dealer tables, there were just too many. I was able to only look through a couple value boxes while most of my time was spent focused on the display tables or talking to the dealers. And I still didn’t get to all the tables. Sure, I didn’t spend all five days there, but I don’t think I could have made it 5 days either without falling over. There’s a point when it’s no longer enjoyable since you become just so worn out. You'll feel like you’re missing out on something if you don't keep pushing through and you'll still not see it all. It gnaws at the back of my head what else was there that I didn’t get to see. How big is too big? This must be it.

Media: On two separate days I had encounters with people wearing media badges. First, show some humility, your media badge doesn’t make you a better person than me or my son because we’re wearing GA wrist bands. Accidents happen. Nicholas asked me if there was real money in the cash grab machine so I went to investigate. Sorry for getting in your shot – I didn’t see you were filming 15 feet away from the machine. I realized my mistake after you loudly complained and I apologized, then you, with your recognizable beard (but otherwise will remain nameless), shaking your head in disgust at me and refusing to shake my hand all the while I’m uncomfortably processing why your gaggle of media bros continues to stare at me with looks of contempt. And finally, whoever you were with your condescending “just fkn with you bro” comment to my and my 12-year-old, show some real empathy. I feel like you made that comment because you saw Nicholas was embarrassed and I was humiliated. And how about refraining from dropping the f-bombs in front of my kid. This interaction ruined our first day there, and ultimately made us decide to skip going to the show on Friday and check out Chicago instead. In the end this ordeal did have a silver lining: going to the museum, Navy Pier, and Chinatown was very much a highlight for me and my son. The second media encounter on Saturday wasn’t as intense as the first one, but again involved me accidentally walking into a shot. I do, however, want to clarify my encounters were with media types with their badges and not with any of the live breakers filming (which I also crashed one, not realizing one guy was live, but he didn’t seem bothered by me at all).

The Sad

My ultimate goal for the convention was bonding with Nicholas and hoping he gets a little more interested in collecting. I think collecting has evolved into something different, and it’s less about collecting anymore. Cards feel more like a type of currency without any passion or emotion to the actual chase. They’ve become transactional. For me, I am most certainly a collector at heart, but I seem to be in the minority now. Adding to that a relatively small budget coming into the show, I felt like a fish out of water at times. This part of the review focuses more on Nicholas and how the show impacted him (or how I perceived it) and it's impact on me, as a father.

I could tell Nicholas was watching other fathers dropping several hundred dollars for a single card for their kids (some younger than him). He never said anything, other than “wow, nice card!” and he never asked me for anything more than $20 or so, which still stung since I wanted to get him something more than a kids crate. I’m being very honest about how I feel here – I understand it’s not about what other people are doing nor should I care – but the fact is that it still stung. This is especially true when Nicholas found a reasonably priced Justin Jefferson card he very much liked, which was, unfortunately, well outside our entire budget (he never asked me if we could get it, but I could tell he loved the card and I wished I could have bought it for him). Nicholas never begged or pleaded or acted in any way that a father wouldn’t have been proud of. This part of the show was a painful experience. This isn't about gratitude or being thankful for what you have. This is about me wanting to connect with my kid without feeling like I need to drop thousands to do so and my kid having a genuinely healthy and positive reaction to the overall experience. This was the part of the show I wish I didn't have Nicholas with me; I feel like part of his innocence was lost.

Nicholas doesn’t have a large collection; his highlight card is a Brock Purdy auto from Illusions he pulled from a blaster a few months back. He brought this card to the show in hopes of trading it for something, but there wasn’t much interest. Nicholas can be shy and it was difficult for him to find someone to talk to, especially in the Kids Trading area. All the kids seemed to have their pelican cases filled with high-dollar graded cards. One kid brutally asked, “that’s all you have?” which seemed to suck any interest Nicholas had of hanging out there.

Nicholas didn’t get chosen for anything, nor did he win anything, nor meet anyone famous – if any of this bothered him, he never let on. Towards the end of the day he was asking when we could leave. His feet were tired and I kept going table to table asking dealers if they saw my two chase cards like a frantic mother looking for her lost toddler. Other than that Nicholas soldiered on and acted as my side kick. The toughest part of the trip was when it was over and I asked him if he enjoyed himself and he responded, “Yeah, it was fun hanging out with you, dad. Can we do another trip together soon?” God, that still chokes me up having to type it. In the end I struggled with managing expectations, especially since Nicholas came with me. While the convention did have many fun parts there was always a ‘dog-eat-dog’-like atmosphere that hung over our heads and trickled all the way down to the kids; being “fair” was not and is not a priority for some. I think the show was great if you have an alpha personality. For those of us a bit more reserved, it’s a bit of a challenge to navigate.

In the end I’m glad I went. Being able to spend time with Nicholas was the best part (he has 3 brothers, so it’s hard for me to spend one-on-one time). I’ll certainly check out next year’s show since I live in the greater Cleveland area. But I’m not yet decided if I’d go to another show out of town. Or at least not until the hobby changes from what it is currently. I’m not sure if Nicholas will want to attend another show again, but we most certainly will be coming back to Chicago.


Here are my National pick-ups:




I don’t do much basketball, but I couldn’t pass up the deal for the Artis Gilmore (I moved away from Jacksonville a couple years ago, but it was about time I picked up this great HOFer who went to JU). I love Kelly Tripucka’s signature and with that 80s grey game-worn jersey, I couldn’t resist.


I think these Immaculate cards look so great. I’ve always been hesitant to buy them because they’re player worn (not game worn) but seeing them in person changed my mind.


I haven’t been able to find a Gene Upshaw laundry tag ever and finding multi-color prime patches of his is almost as difficult. Super happy to have found this card with a great piece of the nameplate as well. I several cool cards of Cris Collinsworth, including another one of these from the Limited Jumbo set, but I couldn’t pass up the chance at getting this great piece of nameplate. Too bad that signature falls off the sticker and too bad it’s a sticker to begin with.




And quite possibly my favorite pickup of the show: A game worn/used piece of Bill Parcell’s sweater from Super Bowl XXI. A rare, low numbered piece (10/10) of the Hall of Fame Giants coach. This wasn’t even on my radar – super happy to have found it!

And finally, a picture of Nicholas at the GPK sticker machine, where we had a few great laughs:

[Bunny Hop]

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you got to spend some quality time with your son and see more of the city than the Donald E Stevens Convention Center. It probably doesn't need to be said but keep asking him about his interests, listen to what he has to say, and never stop telling him you're proud of him and that you love him and it'll mean more in the long run than any Justin Jefferson card.

[Dacubs]

Great write up and great pickups...

I agree with your assessment about kids and seeing some with thousands of dollars worth of cards in their cases. I'm definitely an introvert and my daughter was too, but she has gotten better at being out there. My oldest came to her first National when she was 11, we've only gone to the Chicago ones since we live nearby. She has always enjoyed opening packs with me and the thrill of getting a hit. Her brother went with us two years later and didn't really care for it, so it's just been me and her for the last few Nationals in Chicago.

She always enjoyed coming with me and we didn't have a whole lot to spend. I will tell you that my budget is usually around $500 and then maybe more if I sent in cards to blowout for credit...this year I had $98.75 in credit from sending them game used and auto'ed cards. It is definitely getting harder to be in this hobby with how much boxes are going for, so I try to be careful how I spend. Anyway, my daughter loves the time we spend at the National and going to eat afterwards...it's our thing (although we are more geared into non-sports and celebs)...hopefully it can be your thing with your kid as well too.

[byronscott4ever]

Great write-up. I understand the kid angle for sure. I felt the same way as an adult when you see people younger than your child buying or trading cards outside my budget. On the other hand, I feel that the National can be whatever you want it to be.

[Sluggerrr]

Originally Posted by byronscott4ever

Great write-up. I understand the kid angle for sure. I felt the same way as an adult when you see people younger than your child buying or trading cards outside my budget. On the other hand, I feel that the National can be whatever you want it to be.

I saw a kid that couldn't have been older than 13 ask a dealer to see a Henry Aaron rookie. I left the table wondering if that kid was a serious buyer. It was a different environment than what I'm accustomed to.

[Stackfan]

The hobby influencers have definitely skewed the perception of the hobby for a lot of people; myself included. I can easily see why kids or anyone else would feel that way. One thing i do like about the hobby, it's for everyone. There's cool cards at all price ranges. Those are some sweet pick ups!

While i wasn't planning on it, i picked up three graded 7 near mint cards there. I just didn't see many of the cards i was looking for; and they were cards that filled some holes in my collection. The hobby has gotten quite greedy; but i will say at least most of the dealers were open to potential trades/offers.

[Foo3112]

Great write up. I'm sorry those two people ruined on for you on Friday, but it sounds like the rest of the trip was a success. I have no idea of some of these kids have so much money or the cards they have. When I was a kid, simply having $40 cash, I felt rich. Looks like you were conscious of your spending which is smart. Something tells me that a lot of these folks in general will have to sell things off when they get back home in order to pay for a lot of their newest pick-ups.

Glad that you and your soon got to spend time together. Thats all that matters.

[fulltritty]

I had the same stuff from my Son. I can only afford to bring about $500 to the show and usually buy a hobby box or two and some autograph guests all on credit card. My friends spend considerably more than me and my Son kept asking to buy more boxes like them.

[mike1498]

I will say from personal experience,

I got into sports cards at age 15 and I've been doing a mixture of reselling/collecting since. I'm 22 now.

If your son really is into sports cards, I could see this happening.

When your son gets his first high school job, he'll be able to start affording some of the higher priced cards. Since he will likely be making just minimal wage or slightly higher he likely will be very careful about what he starts buying to collect and resell. This is a very valuable lesson that the kids you saw at the national will not understand and at that point probably lost dads money on the overproduced trevor lawrence cards in their pelican cases.

If your son truly enjoys the hobby, there's no doubt in my mind that he will own that jefferson card one day and he'll be proud that he worked for it.

This year I made my biggest national purchase (Peyton Manning 1/1 Capitan Patch) and I'm happy to be able to say I purchased that with money that I earned from reselling.

I never looked at my dad disappointed that he couldn't buy me cards I wanted. I was just happy he spent time with me at national. I appreciated it even more because I know sports cards isn't his cup of tea but he knows I enjoy it.

[mrb842]

Originally Posted by Stackfan

The hobby influencers have definitely skewed the perception of the hobby for a lot of people; myself included. I can easily see why kids or anyone else would feel that way. One thing i do like about the hobby, it's for everyone. There's cool cards at all price ranges. Those are some sweet pick ups!

While i wasn't planning on it, i picked up three graded 7 near mint cards there. I just didn't see many of the cards i was looking for; and they were cards that filled some holes in my collection. The hobby has gotten quite greedy; but i will say at least most of the dealers were open to potential trades/offers.

First of all the op seems like a great parent. We've all been there with budgets and hopefully your child appreciates your support and interest. A lot of us growing up were happy to get a pack once in awhile at the drug store and going to shows and spending $ and time was a dream or something we didn't even think about. In another generation there were those of us whose grandparents threw out their parents collections when they grew up and who had friends whose parents didn't and houses full of stuff which today is probably worth untold $$. It's life.

As for "the influencers". There are shops that usual social media for free marketing which is great for them, collectors, fellow dealers etc. Think burbank, bullpenla etc, I like the santiago sports guy too. Then there are the clowns that try to both be "the local lcs good for the kids" and then get right into the influencer bs on social media and feed the slab weirdos. What was apparent at the show was how little the influencer clowns, rubin, the auction houses, breakers etc mean to this. They had big spaces but the bulk of what people were after were the stuff people have posted about in their hauls, budget type value boxes, sets, stuff of their own they were getting graded, none of which has anything to do with the social media stuff and card companies. I've tried watching and listening to "the social media influencers" who are "card veterans" and "pros" and even as someone who is far down the totem pole in all of this I really felt like I was learning nothing from them other than that they'd hired slick 16 year olds to build them cute online platforms.

I feel bad for your kids that cards aren't on the same playing field for most incomes the way they were a generation ago, but most things aren't these days and there are always ways to make life work.

[MOONBASE1]

Spending time with your children is priceless. When they get older these times are what they will remember.

[abide]

my favorite thread about the NSCC

[KhalDrogo]

I think your kid would have a better time at a local show. Friendlier environment, less overwhelming space, and better proportion of low-end cards.

The hobby has evolved into something else, that’s for sure. When I was a kid in the 90s, I was content with buying a couple of packs a week at TRU, having my top loader box, and going to the local show with my dad every month. I don’t think I purchased a hobby box until 1999, and those were few and far between.

If you treat this as a hobby and consider every dollar spent as a dollar lost, then it can be difficult to figure out what you’re truly happy collecting. Growing up, McNabb was my favorite player. But his best cards were well out of my price range. So I started collecting Todd Pinkston instead. Yes, he was a terrible wide receiver. But I had all of his best cards. And that made me happy.

[tmoore_25]

This was a great write-up about you and your son's experience. For a while, I thought I was reading about my own experience. I took my youngest son who turned 14 at the show with me. It was his first experience at an actual card show and I guess from here on out, all others will not live up to his expectations.

We too didn't have as huge a budget as others from what I saw people dropping on cards. We also didn't bring anything to trade as most of my higher end cards are strictly PC. My son saw lots of cards we couldn't afford but he made it fun by pointing out many of the cards I ultimately ended up buying. We are Braves fans so finding nice cards that we didn't see everywhere turned into success. He even convinced me to buy a couple cards to put on his shelf at home. We bought a Topps Gallery Master & Apprentice card of Acuna/Aaron that was graded a PSA 10. It's a $1 card ungraded but for $35 in a PSA 10, it was a great deal to him and he purchased it with his own money. I did have to remind him to make an offer and not blindly accept what the dealer was asking, but otherwise I think he was happy with the card. We also bought a couple cheaper boxes to rip in the hotel. Didn't get any real hits but he enjoys opening packs so I'm ok with that. We will have to revisit our LCS soon as he even enjoys opening junk wax and that is very affordable for me.

He too was getting tired throughout the day and I could see him sort of trying to rest his feet as I looked through a stack of cards to check off on my list. We took a couple breaks and just sat on the floor against the wall and had an overpriced hotdog or pizza and then went back at it. We were there for three days but I think he was ok with the first two and on day three had had enough. I think he just started to get bored seeing the same cards and was ready to go. We only collect baseball so looking at other sports had no interest to us and honestly we couldn't tell you who the hottest players in basketball and football were if you asked. That's ok thought because he has apparently invited himself to go to Cleveland with me next year. I told him I haven't said yes, yet .....

[crac0018]

Lots of great comments here! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I can't help myself by sharing comments back I read everyone's comments and if I missed yours it's because I made a mistake with the multi-quote.

Originally Posted by Bunny Hop

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you got to spend some quality time with your son and see more of the city than the Donald E Stevens Convention Center. It probably doesn't need to be said but keep asking him about his interests, listen to what he has to say, and never stop telling him you're proud of him and that you love him and it'll mean more in the long run than any Justin Jefferson card.

You're 100% correct. It's tough sometimes for me to remember not all my kids are excited about the same things I was when I was their age. My 14 year-old is a great example - he has no interest in sports. He loves Legos and Minecraft and any Funkos and camping. I gave up trying to get him to watch football with me. I'll listen to him tell me all about Minecraft though I'm not sure exactly what's going on. And for Nicholas, yes, I think we'll both remember this experience far longer than any card we could have picked up.

Originally Posted by Dacubs

Great write up and great pickups...

I agree with your assessment about kids and seeing some with thousands of dollars worth of cards in their cases. I'm definitely an introvert and my daughter was too, but she has gotten better at being out there. My oldest came to her first National when she was 11, we've only gone to the Chicago ones since we live nearby. She has always enjoyed opening packs with me and the thrill of getting a hit. Her brother went with us two years later and didn't really care for it, so it's just been me and her for the last few Nationals in Chicago.

She always enjoyed coming with me and we didn't have a whole lot to spend. I will tell you that my budget is usually around $500 and then maybe more if I sent in cards to blowout for credit...this year I had $98.75 in credit from sending them game used and auto'ed cards. It is definitely getting harder to be in this hobby with how much boxes are going for, so I try to be careful how I spend. Anyway, my daughter loves the time we spend at the National and going to eat afterwards...it's our thing (although we are more geared into non-sports and celebs)...hopefully it can be your thing with your kid as well too.

Thanks for sharing your personal side of the hobby. Our budgets are very similar - we have to really make our dollars stretch. It's been years since I bought hobby for myself (I did buy a hobby box of Legacy FB for Nicholas' birthday last year). I remember buying a CASE of 2011 NT for $1600! That was a pricy splurge, but a splurge I had saved up all year to buy. I can't spend that much on just a box. Retail blasters have been our source of ripping fun, which has suited us fine. And I love that you and your daughter have found a traditional with going out to eat. I think Nicholas and I are going to have a similar traditional with eating out - I let him pick where to eat each night as long as we stayed within our dining budget. Here we are at Ken Kee (which I recommend, but be warned this is more traditional Chinese food with unusual ingredients - like tendon and blood cake. Also, careful with the spice level!)

Originally Posted by Foo3112

Great write up. I'm sorry those two people ruined on for you on Friday, but it sounds like the rest of the trip was a success. I have no idea of some of these kids have so much money or the cards they have. When I was a kid, simply having $40 cash, I felt rich. Looks like you were conscious of your spending which is smart. Something tells me that a lot of these folks in general will have to sell things off when they get back home in order to pay for a lot of their newest pick-ups.

Glad that you and your soon got to spend time together. Thats all that matters.

Thanks! Yes, it was a lousy interaction the first day but the rest of the time was nice. I think you're right that some people are probably spending beyond their means. Finances are a tough subject, even more so when it comes to card collecting. I hope no one ever puts themselves in a tough position financially over cards. If anyone is struggling, I can listen without judgement. I did overhear a teenager telling a dealer when he was 8 he got a box of 2017 Optic for his birthday and pulled a bronze Mahomes auto that he sold just before the last Super Bowl. He didn't say how much he got other than that's how he's funding his crazy National spending. I'm guessing there's a spectrum of how people spend; some being frugal and others reckless and anything else in between.

And ya know, you're absolutely right. Nicholas is growing up so fast that the most important thing was spending time with him and making fond memories. Sometimes we forget that really matters.

Originally Posted by Sluggerrr

I saw a kid that couldn't have been older than 13 ask a dealer to see a Henry Aaron rookie. I left the table wondering if that kid was a serious buyer. It was a different environment than what I'm accustomed to.

When I was that age all I wanted was a '91 UD Griffey Jr and then a Donruss Elite series of anyone, which I never got. Cards like the '52 Mantle or '54 Aaron existed only in my dreams. If I ever had the chance to see them in person I'd probably be afraid of breathing on them wrong. Times are different.

Originally Posted by Stackfan

The hobby influencers have definitely skewed the perception of the hobby for a lot of people; myself included. I can easily see why kids or anyone else would feel that way. One thing i do like about the hobby, it's for everyone. There's cool cards at all price ranges. Those are some sweet pick ups!

While i wasn't planning on it, i picked up three graded 7 near mint cards there. I just didn't see many of the cards i was looking for; and they were cards that filled some holes in my collection. The hobby has gotten quite greedy; but i will say at least most of the dealers were open to potential trades/offers.

Agreed, there really is something there for everyone at any price point. Focusing only on the big and shiny cards means you might miss out on some great finds you might enjoy even more. The Parcells card is one of my favorites; game-used stuff of his is pretty unheard of. I had no idea this card existed nor would I have even thought to have looked for it. Such a cool piece of history! And congrats to you for finding some PC treasures!

Originally Posted by fulltritty

I had the same stuff from my Son. I can only afford to bring about $500 to the show and usually buy a hobby box or two and some autograph guests all on credit card. My friends spend considerably more than me and my Son kept asking to buy more boxes like them.

I understand exactly - we have similar budgets and it's harder to get hobby pieces like it was even 10 years ago. Everything is getting so much more expensive. I remember being a kid; it's tough to understand why your friends can get things you can't. It can be a harsh introduction into how life is.

Originally Posted by mike1498

I will say from personal experience,

I got into sports cards at age 15 and I've been doing a mixture of reselling/collecting since. I'm 22 now.

If your son really is into sports cards, I could see this happening.

When your son gets his first high school job, he'll be able to start affording some of the higher priced cards. Since he will likely be making just minimal wage or slightly higher he likely will be very careful about what he starts buying to collect and resell. This is a very valuable lesson that the kids you saw at the national will not understand and at that point probably lost dads money on the overproduced trevor lawrence cards in their pelican cases.

If your son truly enjoys the hobby, there's no doubt in my mind that he will own that jefferson card one day and he'll be proud that he worked for it.

This year I made my biggest national purchase (Peyton Manning 1/1 Capitan Patch) and I'm happy to be able to say I purchased that with money that I earned from reselling.

I never looked at my dad disappointed that he couldn't buy me cards I wanted. I was just happy he spent time with me at national. I appreciated it even more because I know sports cards isn't his cup of tea but he knows I enjoy it.

Thanks for sharing! Your story gives me hope. I think your approach to collecting is how most parents hope their kids approach it too. I'm ok if Nicholas chooses to not collect or collect to flip or whatever. As long as he's happy doing it, being responsible and honest about it, then I'm good. If he can look back at the time we spent and has the same feelings about it as you do, then it was a success.

Originally Posted by mrb842

First of all the op seems like a great parent. We've all been there with budgets and hopefully your child appreciates your support and interest. A lot of us growing up were happy to get a pack once in awhile at the drug store and going to shows and spending $ and time was a dream or something we didn't even think about. In another generation there were those of us whose grandparents threw out their parents collections when they grew up and who had friends whose parents didn't and houses full of stuff which today is probably worth untold $$. It's life.

As for "the influencers". There are shops that usual social media for free marketing which is great for them, collectors, fellow dealers etc. Think burbank, bullpenla etc, I like the santiago sports guy too. Then there are the clowns that try to both be "the local lcs good for the kids" and then get right into the influencer bs on social media and feed the slab weirdos. What was apparent at the show was how little the influencer clowns, rubin, the auction houses, breakers etc mean to this. They had big spaces but the bulk of what people were after were the stuff people have posted about in their hauls, budget type value boxes, sets, stuff of their own they were getting graded, none of which has anything to do with the social media stuff and card companies. I've tried watching and listening to "the social media influencers" who are "card veterans" and "pros" and even as someone who is far down the totem pole in all of this I really felt like I was learning nothing from them other than that they'd hired slick 16 year olds to build them cute online platforms.

I feel bad for your kids that cards aren't on the same playing field for most incomes the way they were a generation ago, but most things aren't these days and there are always ways to make life work.

Thank you so much. I think we all try to be great parents and it's not always easy. I'm human like everyone else and have made my fair share of mistakes. As for the influencers, I'm still having a hard grasping the concept. I'm not necessarily against any of it, I just don't understand it. One thing I found out is that many dealers are also in Instagram. I'm not! I don't have Twitter or even an active Facebook page. My social media is pretty much limited to LinkedIn and Blowout forums (with some very light YouTube and Flickr). I guess it's time for me to get with the times and join something else, especially if I want to increase my chances of completing these sets. I've seen a lot of marketing for What Not but have no idea what it is. I do still feel like there's a lot of great stuff out there to be collected at reasonable prices. It just takes some time searching. It's funny, apparently Kaboom inserts are all the rage, but they don't do much for me. However, I'm still in love with the basketball Dunkin Go-nuts insert cards from the 90s and the '93 baseball Elite Series inserts. To your point, those inserts were far more affordable back then than what Kaboom goes for now. In any case, Nicholas was able to pick out some cards (I'll have to get those onto Flickr so I can share them here). We'll see if this is the start to his collecting interest.

Originally Posted by MOONBASE1

Spending time with your children is priceless. When they get older these times are what they will remember.

Absolutely. Time is flying by and I need to capitalize on the opportunities I have with my kids. Nicholas may be 12, but he's already talking about going to Ohio State and what car he's saving up for! Just the other day I was teaching him how to ride a bike. But yes, creating memories that last a lifetime is what's important.

Originally Posted by abide

my favorite thread about the NSCC

Thank you! Sometimes I'm not always sure if I should post or not. I tend to be wordy and it takes time for me to get my thoughts written out. It means a lot to me to know you took the time to read my thoughts and that you appreciate them.

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

I think your kid would have a better time at a local show. Friendlier environment, less overwhelming space, and better proportion of low-end cards.

The hobby has evolved into something else, that’s for sure. When I was a kid in the 90s, I was content with buying a couple of packs a week at TRU, having my top loader box, and going to the local show with my dad every month. I don’t think I purchased a hobby box until 1999, and those were few and far between.

If you treat this as a hobby and consider every dollar spent as a dollar lost, then it can be difficult to figure out what you’re truly happy collecting. Growing up, McNabb was my favorite player. But his best cards were well out of my price range. So I started collecting Todd Pinkston instead. Yes, he was a terrible wide receiver. But I had all of his best cards. And that made me happy.

That's great advice. Nicholas has gone with me to the LCS shops around us and seems to have a good time. I really wanted to take him to the Greenies show up here in NE Ohio but couldn't make it work. We haven't tried a local show yet but I think you're right about it being a more manageable experience.

Love the background on your collecting experience. Especially being fans of star players and not being able to afford their top cards. Collect what you love and love what you collect, even if that's Todd Pinkston. I think most of us who were kids in the 90s can relate to getting a pack here and there. When I lived in Brooklyn we lived directly across the street from my elementary school. Each weekend they held a flea market in the playground area at the front of the school. I remember looking for baseball cards (and old LIFE magazines) with my stepdad almost every Saturday. One day he bought me a beat up 1965 Topps Rico Carty for a couple bucks. Usually I'd get cards there between a dime and a quarter each (think lots of 81/82 Fleer). That Rico Carty card made me feel like royalty, not just because the price guide said it was like a $4 card, but because the card was way older than me!

Originally Posted by tmoore_25

This was a great write-up about you and your son's experience. For a while, I thought I was reading about my own experience. I took my youngest son who turned 14 at the show with me. It was his first experience at an actual card show and I guess from here on out, all others will not live up to his expectations.

We too didn't have as huge a budget as others from what I saw people dropping on cards. We also didn't bring anything to trade as most of my higher end cards are strictly PC. My son saw lots of cards we couldn't afford but he made it fun by pointing out many of the cards I ultimately ended up buying. We are Braves fans so finding nice cards that we didn't see everywhere turned into success. He even convinced me to buy a couple cards to put on his shelf at home. We bought a Topps Gallery Master & Apprentice card of Acuna/Aaron that was graded a PSA 10. It's a $1 card ungraded but for $35 in a PSA 10, it was a great deal to him and he purchased it with his own money. I did have to remind him to make an offer and not blindly accept what the dealer was asking, but otherwise I think he was happy with the card. We also bought a couple cheaper boxes to rip in the hotel. Didn't get any real hits but he enjoys opening packs so I'm ok with that. We will have to revisit our LCS soon as he even enjoys opening junk wax and that is very affordable for me.

He too was getting tired throughout the day and I could see him sort of trying to rest his feet as I looked through a stack of cards to check off on my list. We took a couple breaks and just sat on the floor against the wall and had an overpriced hotdog or pizza and then went back at it. We were there for three days but I think he was ok with the first two and on day three had had enough. I think he just started to get bored seeing the same cards and was ready to go. We only collect baseball so looking at other sports had no interest to us and honestly we couldn't tell you who the hottest players in basketball and football were if you asked. That's ok thought because he has apparently invited himself to go to Cleveland with me next year. I told him I haven't said yes, yet .....

One of the best parts of sharing my experience is finding out other people can relate. What really changed the dynamic of the trip for us was taking a break from the show on Friday and exploring Chicago. Nicholas' favorite part was the museum and Navy Pier. I think he did enjoy most of the card show, but we really bonded when I wasn't hunched over display cases. I'm glad you and your son were able to find nice cards at good prices. The best part of what you wrote is the break you took with your son to eat hotdogs and pizza on the floor. There was a point on Saturday afternoon when I was hungry and sick of eating granola bars and I very much wanted one of those hotdogs or a taco. But I promised Nicholas he could pick what we would eat for dinner and he opposed us getting anything at the show in fear we wouldn't go to the restaurant he picked (Stonewood Ale House for anyone curious). But eating a simple hotdog or a slice of pizza can be one of those sources of the fondest memories. And when you do decide to bring him to the Cleveland show next year, make sure to get another hotdog or slice of pizza together

[crac0018]

And here are Nicholas' finds from the show!

[cstan]

You guys should hit up the Strongsville show in Sept. Nice show.

That KP and cowboys triple are sweet.

[Bunny Hop]

Looks like some fun cards. You should check out the box o stuff: https://www.blowoutforums.com/showthread.php?t=1385518

[crac0018]

Originally Posted by cstan

You guys should hit up the Strongsville show in Sept. Nice show.

That KP and cowboys triple are sweet.

https://allevents.in/strongsville/gs...00024778287846
Is this the show you're talking about? The only other Strongsville show I saw was the one back in April. Absolutely, we'll be hitting up more of the local shows. We'll probably start going to the Greenies shows he has in Broadview Heights.


Nicholas was pretty excited to find the KP ball card and for just a few bucks.

I need to give a shout-out to the dealer that sold him the Cowboys triple...he initially asked $60 for it and as Nicholas was handing it back he said, "Nah, how about $20?" Whoever you are, thanks again for giving my kid a nice deal.