I’ll be at the National This Year – But Not as a Dealer
A few weeks back, I got some disappointing news. The vendor that I set up with at the National Sports Collectors Convention over the past four years informed me that they sold their booth space for the upcoming National to another company.
That means that I will not be setting up to sell hockey cards and collectibles at the National this year because it was way too late for me to get a booth on my own.
Initially, I was disappointed. Heck, I was bummed. I jokingly told a friend that it felt like getting dumped, minus the crying.
But then I asked myself, would going to the National as a shopper – not as a seller – this year be such a bad thing?
At the previous four Nationals, I was a dealer. Sometimes, people would bring stuff to my table to sell me. But I didn’t have time to peruse the aisles upon aisles of sports collectibles, hoping to discover some awesome new treasures to add to my collection.
[Photo by Clemente Lisi]I would either buy stuff that caught my eye if it was near my booth or on the way back from the restroom, or if a friend found something that I’d like and pointed it out to me.
The last National I attended as a shopper was in 2019. Back then, I did not have a lot of disposable income. It was lean times for me. I still had a bit of money to spend, but it was on dollar cards and cheap vintage “junk” wax.
[Photo by Clemente Lisi]But back then, I had time to look, time to find some great deals, time to pull out my want list and track down some cards that I needed to fill sets. I had time to hang out with friends, and to talk to people and make new friends. I had time to participate in raffles or redemption programs if I wanted to. I had time to stop at the corporate booths, get free stuff, and hobnob with industry people.
Maybe one day, I will own this card.
A lot of my situation has changed over the past six years, all for the better. While I don’t foresee myself “breaking the bank” on anything — unless I find Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe rookie cards for a great deal — the bottom line is that this is one of those times that I have time and money.
So, while I will be at the National this year, I won’t be at any particular booth. I will be walking around, doing some shopping, and giving away some cool stuff. More details about that soon.
We also give a preview of the 2025 National Sports Collectors Convention in the latest episode of the Puck Junk Podcast.
Are you going to the National this year? Leave a comment below – or hit me up on social media @puckjunk – and let me know.
Note: This article is an updated version of an editorial that originally appeared in Volume 3 – Issue 29 of the Puck Junk Newsletter. For stories like these, plus news and updates about hockey cards and collectibles, subscribe to the newsletter here.
Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk
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