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The National is rapidly approaching. With opening night just two weeks away, sports collectors and vendors from all over the country will convene at the Atlantic City Convention Center for 5 days beginning on July 27th. Here are 11 tips to make your time at the National incredible!

Just Collect and our sister company, , will again be present at this year’s National. Visit us and say hello at booth 936.

At last year's event, attendance figures approached 90,000! Pre-sales to this year’s event have already surpassed the numbers of 2021. Just like last year, when Fox 32 News in Chicago featured our sister company Vintage Breaks in a story about The National, there will be plenty of media coverage.

This event will be huge; not just figuratively, but literally as well as the entire show floor will cover 486,600 square feet! Spoiler alert: that’s a lot of walking. With that in mind, we at Just Collect would like to update our 2019 NSCC blog to offer our 11 tips on attending The 2022 National.

1. Bring Cards to Sell or Trade

The National isn’t just for buying cards, it’s for selling them too. If you are looking to sell some of your cards, The National is the place to do it. Bringing your cards will also be helpful when making trades because if you are in the position where you are close to completing a transaction but don’t want to use your cash, you can trade your cards to seal the deal. If you do bring your cards, decide how much you want for each before you arrive. Researching during the convention can take up a lot of time so it’s best to do it beforehand. 

2. Make Dinner Reservations

If you plan on enjoying some of Atlantic City’s fine dining, make your reservations now. Restaurants like Chef Vola’s and other area restaurants may be fully booked if you decide to wait the week of The National to make a reservation. Reserve your spot immediately.

3. Make a Plan

There will be a lot of activities happening the week of The National. Trade nights and special events will take place during the day and night. It’s impossible to do them all so, before you arrive into town, plan what events you want to attend. Good luck!

4. Make a List of Goals

Every trip requires a to-do list and I’m not talking about what to pack. When you arrive in Atlantic City, you will want to see and experience what the city has to offer in addition to attending The National. You may also want to visit family and friends during the week. Whatever the case may be, plan accordingly because before you know it, the convention will be over and you’ll run out of time.   

5. Prepare a List and Take Notes

Narrow your shopping or want list. Knowing what you want to look for and having a priority of what you want to buy will help you when dealing with the huge amount of material that you will see on the show floor. You can always change plans to something else if you find a great item or fantastic buy, but having a clear direction when you hit the floor will help you stay focused. 

Take notes on which tables you see the cards that you may have interest in, noting the booth number, the card and the asking price. If you are able to, add your shopping list to a note taking app on your smartphone beforehand. This will make the process easier, and faster while trying to navigate your way through a crowded convention center. A notepad and paper will work too, if technology isn’t your thing. However you decide to do it, this will help you to be better able to return quickly if you decide that you want to negotiate or purchase the card.

6. Be Patient and Don’t Rush into Anything

Unless a deal is really too good to pass up (and you know what they say about things that appear too good to be true), make the rounds and comparison shop. There will be plenty of options and opportunities to spend your money. There’s nothing worse than spending all of your money in the first hour. You’ll need time to see the hundreds and hundreds of dealer booths. 

Remember, The National will be open from 10 A.M. - 6 P.M. so take your time. Yes, cards move quickly, but rushing to buy something can make you regret your decision later and going home with a card you overpaid for really stinks. 

7. Buy the Best Material Possible Cards or Memorabilia

If you focus on buying the best card in the highest condition that you can afford, your collection will be easier to manage. You'll probably find that you'll get a better return on your collection if and when you decide to sell. We know we said to be patient, but don't be afraid to pull the trigger if it's something you don't think you'll see again (especially if it's rare AND in great condition).

The cards to look for are high grade vintage cards (1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s), low numbered parallel cards, 1 of 1’s, printing plates, and unique relic cards such as batting helmets, bat knobs, batting gloves, laundry tags, etc.   

8. Don’t Just Buy Something because You “Think” You Have to Have It.

Buy what you want, and in the condition and for the price that you're comfortable paying. There's nothing wrong with being selective and saving your money for another time or for a better purchase if you can't find something that you like at a price that you're comfortable paying.

Plus, there is going to be a lot of positive energy in the room which may make you feel like buying a player you don’t know much about. Specifically, a prospect or rookie, but don’t do it. Remember tip #6 from this article. It applies here as well. 

9. For Easy to Find Cards Make Your Purchases After Visiting Several Different Dealers

Most dealers will negotiate and you should use this to your advantage to get the best price by comparing several dealers. Keep notes on the cards, condition and quoted prices so that you can refer back to them when you're ready to purchase. But at the same time, hit up your top dealers first. Their best stuff tends to go fast.

There will be over 300 dealers to choose from so there will always be opportunities to strike a deal for the card you want. Many sellers may even have duplicates of the card you want so take your time, look around, and you'll be sure to find a great deal.

10. Wear Comfortable Sneakers

The venue is always bigger than you think, and you're going to want to see every table – which means a lot of walking. So I always buy a new pair of sneakers every year for the National and break them in before the show – and I recommend that you do the same!

It’s important to wear comfortable shoes. As mentioned before, The National will be huge which means you will spend all day walking and standing. Without good shoes, being on your feet for hours can cause back pain, blisters, and calluses. Do yourself and your back a favor. 

If you are in need of a motorized mobility device, there is a limited availability of scooters through the UPS Store located on the ground floor level of the Atlantic City Convention Center. To reserve, call 609-449-2480.

11. Bring Healthy Snacks and Phone Chargers

While many of the restaurants in and around Atlantic City are awesome, if we're being totally honest, the food at The National isn't all that great. So while you're inside the convention, having healthy snacks is a life saver. So, sit down, take a break, and recharge. 

Also, there's lots of cool stuff to do on your phone at the event, so don't forget extra chargers. In fact, portable chargers or power banks would be the best way to go. The Atlantic City Convention Center is a large space. While you might get lucky and find an outlet, keep in mind that others will also need their phone charged too which will make finding an open outlet difficult and it is unlikely The National will have charging stations set up. You'll also probably want to check out Cardladder.com, sportscardinvestor.com or vintagecardprices.com while you're roaming around.

Things to bring:

• • Water (don’t forget water)
  • Snacks
    • Jerky
    • Trail Mix
    • Cheese Sticks.
    • Almonds
    • Protein Bars
    • Beef Sticks

We hope you have a great time at the National! See you at booth 936.

WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING

Just Collect is always buying vintage sports and non-sports cards from 1879 to 1979 as well as select modern cards. If you have a collection that you are considering selling, contact us today to discuss or get our industry-leading purchase offer. If you have a collection that you want appraised, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your collection and help you understand the real cash value of your collection in the current marketplace. Check out the Just Collect Buy List.

We always offer a FREE APPRAISAL for your collection here at the Just Collect site. Just click here:

We offer may ways to evaluate your cards other than or using our website, too.

• Come to convention

We keep a LIST of card shows we'll be attending.  Come stop by the Just Collect table and chat.

• Meet in-person

If you have a valuable collection and want us to come to you, we'll hop on the next plane out. We recently took a trip to California to purchase a collection that included three Jackie Robinson 1948 Leaf rookie cards that you can read about here.

• Meet in New York City

We have another location in New York you can meet us at; read all the information here.

• SHIP your collection 

If you choose to mail your cards for an appraisal, we will evaluate your cards for FREE still. If you choose not to sell the cards, we'll ship them back shipping fees paid by us!  We can offer our FedEx account with 2-day shipping, fully insured, all covered by us. Simply contact the office to set up this option.

OUR BUYING PHILOSOPHY

We've run into a wide range of people and collections over the last 25 years. Although Just Collect is known for buying vintage sports cards and especially vintage baseball cards, we are also extremely interested in buying non-sports cards, too!  

Every collection and every collector is different and we treat EVERY collection with the respect and attention that we show for our own collections. We understand that many have put their heart and souls into building their collections. So when you're ready to sell, we understand the feelings that you're going through and will work with you to help you reach a decision that is a WIN/WIN, because if you're not happy, we're not happy.

CONTACT US ANY TIME

Whether you have vintage cards or modern wax you want to sell, you can reach out to us any time! 

• JustCollect.com
• (732) 828-2261
• info@justcollect.com
• Facebook 
• Twitter
• Post right here on the blog!