It was the best of shows – but not without its flaws
Last month, I set up to sell at the 2026 National Sports Collectors Convention. I previously set up at this show from 2021 to 2024. For the 2025 National, I could not get a table, so it was nice to be back this year as a seller of hockey cards and hockey memorabilia.
I already spent a lot of time talking about the 2026 NSCC on our most-recent podcast, but I wanted to use this editorial to share some random thoughts about the convention.
Not a Lot of Hockey – Many people told me that they had trouble finding hockey cards at the show. Sometimes, they’d even tell me that my table was the first one they saw with hockey cards – and I was all the way against the wall in one of the big halls on the ground floor.
Early Birds – The long line of people waiting to get into the National necessitated the organizers to let collectors in 15 minutes early – so, at 8:45 am instead of 9:00 am. Of course, this is annoying when you are trying to get set up in the morning, or if you wanted a few extra minutes to look around before throngs of people come pouring in.
Sometimes, it was so crowded that you could not get to certain tables. [Photo by Clemente Lisi]
How Much Will I Make? – Many people who stopped at my table wanted to sell me hockey cards – which is great. I need to restock my inventory to keep things going. However, they’d want 100% of the card’s value. For example, a guy wanted to sell me a $150 card for $150. When I explained to him that I need to make money on cards that I resell – which I really should not have to explain, right? – he then told me he’d “take $140” for the card. I then told him that spending $140 to make $10 on a card of a Buffalo Sabres player was risky and didn’t have a good return on investment. He looked at me like I was speaking ancient Greek. This happened quite a few times over the five-day show.
Not Accepting “Under Comps” – A lot of “card flippers” posted videos on social media of them complaining that dealers wanted the full value for the cards they were selling. Boohoo! Just because a card that I’m selling for $100 sold on eBay for $90 once doesn’t mean I have to match that price. If you can get it cheaper on eBay, buy it on eBay, right? Likewise, I don’t have to give you a discount on my best cards, because they are my best cards. Mind you, it wasn’t the true collectors who were complaining about this, but rather the flippers who wanted to resell later at trade night. I think a lot of dealers were unified in this approach this year, hence the deluge of rants on social media.
Let’s Shake on It – Why? – One thing I noticed is that a lot of younger collectors – say from age 15 to 25 – always want to shake on a deal. They’d throw out a lowball offer (or counteroffer) and then thrust out their right hand, perhaps thinking I would reflexively shake their hand and accept their offer. I found this weird. Even if there was no negotiation involved, they’d want to shake my hand. But keep in mind that a lot of these young fellows grew up watching videos on social media of card influencers negotiating a price and then shaking on the deal. To update an old saying, kids imitate what they see on TikTok.
You Sold Me My First Hockey Card – On a positive note, one nice collector told me that he bought his first hockey card from me at the 2023 National – a Jonathan Marchessault autographed patch card. He bought it after the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. Since then, he has gone all-in on collecting hockey cards. He had a bro case full of high-end, modern, high-grade hockey cards that were probably worth more than everything at my booth. I inspired him to collect hockey cards. You’re welcome, Upper Deck.
I will also say that I’ve been feeling a bit run down since the show ended. It was draining to prepare for and then do a five-day card show for 10 hours a day. But I am also happy to say that I will be back for the 2027 show.
Did you go to the 2026 National? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a reply – or hit me up on social media @puckjunk – and let me know what you think.
Note: This article is an updated version of an editorial that originally appeared in Volume 4 – Issue 32 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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