[kareemowheat]

I'm an avid baseball collector and have decided to drive over to Rosemont next week for the Nationals (from central Iowa). I have never been to one before, and would like to hear your experience as to what it's like. I used to attend small/local card shows when I was a kid (I'm 38 now, and yeah, I'm sure it doesn't compare), but I have been doing much of my collecting as an adult from online (Ebay, etc). Being a HUGE Ryne Sandberg card collector (the current BGS graded registry leader; and I have MANY MANY ungraded high end auto'd, short print, material, etc cards of his and continue to look for specific ones).

Being that the Nationals is in Chicago, do you think there will be more Sandberg cards available, e.g. oddballs, serial #'d shortprints, etc? I'm currently looking to complete my 2005 Leaf Sportscasters set of Sandberg cards as well as the 2005 Throwback Threads Polo Grounds set. Probably a stupid question, but is there a variety and volume enough of collectors present at the Nationals to help with this type of endeavor?

Being that my interest is primarily in Baseball/Sandberg, will attending the Wednesday preview and all day Thursday be enough time to go through all the baseball card oriented tables? How are the crowds (better on the weekdays)? How are the availability of hotels? Is it better/cheaper to stay in some surrounding suburbs and drive in each day and park?

Appreciate everyone's insight, advice, experience, etc. Looking forward to it!

[fulltritty]

Good questions; some of which I have been wondering myself. It will be my first time going to the show too as I will be in town for a work conference. I will be attending all day on Friday before heading back home to Maryland.

I had the same thought on Cubs stuff which is why I am bringing my extra Chris Archer 2010 Bowman Platinum Refractor Autograph card to hopefully trade it for another autograph card.

[kareemowheat]

That sparks a couple more questions I forgot to ask originally....

- how do trades at the Nationals work? Do you just bring in your cards and offer up trades to the dealers/tables there? Can you do trades with other folks at the Nationals or is that frowned upon?

- also, as I mentioned, I'm the current BGS graded registry leader of Ryne Sandberg cards....and I have many, many more I would like to get graded. Any advantage of having cards at the Nationals vs. just the regular mail submission? I can see the turnaround time factor, but that doesn't matter to me. How does the raw card grading/submission work? If a card comes back with an undesirable (or unfair) grade, is it easy enough to remove the card from that particular holder?

thanks again!

[011873]

When u first walk into the show STOP and wipe the drool off your shirt.

Afterwards, continue walking but only after you pick your jaw off the floor.

In other words, you won't know what to do or go to first. That's what it felt like for me the first time there.

[kareemowheat]

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure I will be drooling quite a bit :-) I guess my main mission is to seek out Sandberg collectors to pick up a few more cards. And also, if anyone has any answers/advice on my questions I posted, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[011873]

Check the national website for deals on hotels.
Keep in mind you will have to pay parking at the hotel (if u stay right by the show) or at the show.

Raw card grading is just a sealed semi rigid holder. Any scissor will do the job.

[JASCards]

I always say leave the credit card in the hotel room.....lol....that way when I/you wanna spend a wad o cash you at least have to think about it on yer way to get the plastic... Have a blast man!

[fulltritty]

I always say leave the credit card in the hotel room.....lol....that way when I/you wanna spend a wad o cash you at least have to think about it on yer way to get the plastic... Have a blast man!

I have a feeling that I will find so much to buy there, that I may walk out with next to nothing because I can't make up my mind.

This will be a good time to get the "lay of the land" as I plan on saving for an All-Access VIP Pass and attending every day next year when it comes to Baltimore.

I was wondering about the trading too as I was planning on bringing my extras of 2011 Topps, 2010 Bowman Platinum, and 2010 Topps Chrome to trade and try and complete the cards I need from those sets.

[sonnyday]

I am only attending on Thursday, but what I have learned from conventions, go at closing time for the best deals. So around 4:00 PM on Sunday you can expect the deals to be plentiful.

I would attend Sunday but I am flying in from Cleveland Thursday Afternoon and flying back Saturday Morning. Wife is 8 months preggo so buying a whole weekend away in Chicago was tough.

[1st4040]

I would expect higher than Ebay prices, tons of vintage, and tons of Cubs stuff.. I've been to a few big shows in my life and depending where they are the only thing different from what I said was the state team of where the show was.