It was the ‘Super Bowl’ of sports collectibles shows
- col-aaron-dorksen
- July 31, 2024
- 675
A few thoughts from the week in sports …
Cleveland was the mecca of the sports card and memorabilia world from July 24-28.
The 44th National Sports Collectors Convention, aka The National, was held at the I-X Center.
More than 600 of the biggest dealers and vendors in the country were in attendance, spread out over the 420,000-square-foot I-X Center. Although exact attendance figures have yet to be released, the show was believed to have set the all-time attendance record with more than 100,000 visitors.
It was the second largest show in terms of dealers, according to organizers.
“I’ve done 28 Nationals, and of the 28 Nationals, I’ve never seen a larger crowd than I’ve seen here,” NSCC Board of Directors President Al Durso told Sports Collectors Digest. “It’s been amazing. It’s been everything I hoped for. People have been nice, friendly and spending. I haven’t talked to a dealer who hasn’t had a good show.”
It was a great thrill for me to attend the show with my brother Bryan Dorksen, who traveled from Seattle for a summer vacation. We spent a full day there together, and on another day, I also brought my son Arch, and he brought his twin boys, Mason and Caden.
The National is “The Super Bowl” of sports collectibles shows.
I expected to see amazing things at the 2024 show, but it far exceeded my expectations in terms of quality and quantity.
Everything from the $30 million Babe Ruth “Called Shot” jersey from the 1932 World Series to a Shoeless Joe Jackson game-used bat, Holy Grail graded cards and $1 cards could be found.
Card manufacturers such as Topps, Upper Deck, Panini, Leaf and Fanatics had booths, as did grading companies such as Professional Sports Authenticator, James Spence Authentication, Sports Card Guaranty and Beckett’s Grading Services, and auction houses included Heritage Auctions, Goldin Auctions and Robert Edward Auctions. There were lots of giveaways and promotions for kids, which was great to see.
The autograph guests booked through Tri-Star were incredible, although we did not pay money to get in any of the lines.
The more than 100 visitors to the show to sign autographs included the likes of Cal Ripken Jr., Bo Jackson, Jerry Rice, Pete Rose, Rickey Henderson, Archie Griffin and even actor Randy Quaid.
The most impressive items I saw were at the Heritage Auctions display. In addition to the Babe Ruth jersey, there were game-worn jerseys and bats from the likes of Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Pop culture and historical items such as presidential memorabilia are becoming more and more popular. It was incredible to see Heritage display the ruby slippers worn by actress Judy Garland while portraying Dorothy in the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz.”
A family friend set up a meeting for me with Mike Provenzale, production manager for Heritage Sports. Provenzale was gracious enough to spend about 15 minutes with my son and me on a tour of their booth.
“This show has been great,” Provenzale said. “It’s been so crowded. It has to be the biggest show (The National) has had. The Convention Center has been fantastic, and it makes it easy for us because we have the best material in the show. It’s just a great opportunity to talk to all our clients and meet collectors.”
The Babe Ruth jersey on display has a month left of bidding and is already at $13 million. The jersey will surpass a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, graded at 9.5, which Heritage sold for $12.6 million two years ago.
“The Ruth jersey is the most incredible piece that’s ever come to auction in the history of the industry,” Provenzale said. “We expect it to sell in the neighborhood of $30 million.”
Why collect stuff?
I’ve never quite been able to explain why some people have the collector’s gene and others don’t.
I got the bug in about second grade when I started buying Topps baseball and Star Wars cards. I kept them in shoeboxes, spreading them out on the floor of my bedroom and trading them with friends.
When I got into middle school, price guides were becoming more common including the first Beckett books. I suddenly realized these collectibles can have real value.
I’ve been hooked on collecting ever since, and it’s fun to share stories and knowledge with my son and nephews to this day. We’ve set up tables at a number of local shows and met many great people while enjoying our hobby.
I saw many Wayne and Holmes county friends who were at The National and messaged or talked on the phone with others who attended.
So what was my big haul from Cleveland? I had saved several hundred dollars and was very pleased to come back with what I thought were great deals:
—Jim Thome autographed baseball with a great signature for a great price from a dealer from Hollywood.
—Jim Brown 1964 Philadelphia, graded SGC 4 card from the Browns’ last championship season. Brown’s Cadillac is parked behind him.
—Mickey Mantle 1966 Topps, graded PSA 3 card for a great price.
—A stack of autographed Cleveland Indians cards from the 1970s-’90s from a $3-$4 box. All the fan favorites were there from my time growing up, players like Rick Manning, Len Barker, Joe Charbonneau, Carlos Baerga and more.
The National also was held in Cleveland in 2014, 2009, 2007, 2004, 2001 and 1997.
This was my third National and most enjoyable. The show will be held in Chicago the next three years.
If The National returns to Cleveland, I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a sports fan. It will be a day like none other.
Aaron Dorksen can be emailed at aarondorksen24@gmail.com.