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Tips For Enjoying the 2023 National Sports Collectors Convention

Let Just Collect Help Make Your Experience Better

June 27, 2023

The National is only one month away. Soon, sports collectors like yourself and vendors from all over the country will convene at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center. We put together tips for you to enjoy the biggest show of the year!

Just Collect will be present at this year’s National, ready to buy your collections as well as offering rare and vintage cards for sale. If you're attending this year, first - come say hello! We would love to meet you. Having been to many National shows, we know the lay of the land and want to help you enjoy every second of the convention. Here are a few tips to enjoy the hobby's biggest spectacle.

1. Wear Comfortable Sneakers

You were probably expecting a different tip here, weren't you? Hear us out: the National is taking place at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center and the size is 840,000 square feet! As we type, there are over 350 dealers, and you'll want to stop by each table which means a ton of walking. Bring your comfortable sneakers to the show or you'll risk hours on your feet that will only lead to back pain and blisters.

2. 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.

3. Make a List of Goals

The moment you walk into the convention, you'll want to do EVERYTHING. We know all about that. Think about which autographs you'd like to obtain, the companies (such as Topps or Fanatics) you want to see, and the dealers you want to visit. Outside of the show, you may want to visit friends and enjoy a meal. Plan out your days accordingly or the the convention will be over and you'll run out of time in the blink of an eye.

4. Prepare a List and Take Notes

Knowing what you would like to buy ahead of time will keep you focused. There will be an overwhelming amount of material on the show floor! If there is a card on your shopping list, it will be at The National. You don't want to lose your focus and spend your entire budget on day one, then see that dream card on day two. You should take notes on where on the floor you find cards you're interested in. By making down the booth number, the card, and the asking price, you'll have a smoother process should you decide to return and make a purchase. We bring a notebook and a pen, but you could also take a photo and send it to yourself in Facebook messenger for a reminder.

5. Be Patient and Don’t Rush into Anything

Making your rounds and comparison shopping will help you find the best deals at the convention. There will be plenty of options the moment you walk into the door, and if you rush into a purchase you could wind up overpaying. The National will be open for nearly 8 hours each day, so take your time and be patient.

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

If you find a card you love in the condition you want for a price you're comfortable with, we hope you go home with that card! However, there is nothing wrong with being selective and saving money for a better purchase later on if you aren't comfortable with the price tag you see. Refer to your list, too. If the buzz around the show is about a rookie card of a player you aren't familiar with, ask yourself - do you have to have that card in your collection?

7. Bring Healthy Snacks and Phone Chargers

There may be phenomenal restaurants around the City, but the food in the convention may not be as stellar. At the 2022 National, the lines were long and the choices are pretty basic. You can only eat so many hotdogs during the week. Bringing water and healthy snacks are the way to go!

Here is what we carry in our backpacks:

- Water (don’t forget water) and packets such as powdered Gatorade
- Snacks
  - Jerky
  - Trail Mix
  - Cheese Sticks.
  - Almonds
  - Protein Bars
  - Beef Sticks
Portable Phone Chargers!

You probably won't find an outlet to charge your phone. Chances are, you'll be looking up values of cards, taking photos, and posting all over your socials. The battery on your phone may run out quickly, so pack portable chargers. At the 2022 National, there was very little Internet service inside, and our phone batteries drained quickly as we tried to find places for a signal.

8. Bring Cards to Sell or Trade

That National is a place to buy and sell! We will certainly be buying collections at the Just Collect booth! During the National, you may also find dealers that are willing to accept both cards and cash for a transaction. If you're close to making a deal, pull out the cards you have to trade. You'd be surprised how many Trade Nights will popup, too. This is the place to make new friends and swap cards to build your collection.

9. Make Dinner Reservations

If you're thinking about dinner, so are the other 60,000 collectors coming to the National. Tables will fill up so make sure to call for reservations ahead of time!

10. Ask. Ask. Ask.

If you have any questions, be it about the price of a card or directions, ask away! Everyone in the room is there for the same thing you are; it never hurts to ask. Don't be stubborn and wander the floor for an hour if you aren't sure where to find a cup of coffee at.

We hope to see you next month!

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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.

Travel to Us

If you can make the trip here like the son from my hometown did for this collection- we can make a deal at the office. We once met a father-son duo that drove eight hours from Virginia to meet us to sell a Michael Jordan rookie card stored in Tupperware since 1986 - great read here.

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.

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.