The last time the National Sports Collectors Convention was held in Rosemont, Ill., the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center was jam packed.
With the 2020 show cancelled due to the pandemic, the 2021 National was the place to be for longtime collectors, newcomers to the industry and investors.
Thirst for the hobby was seemingly at an all-time high.
After attendees came in droves to Atlantic City, N.J. for last year’s show, industry insiders, dealers and collectors are anticipating big numbers again this year for the 43rd annual National, despite a recent downturn in the sports cards market.
“The National’s going to be buzzing and cranking,” said Jesse Craig, vice president, strategic partnerships at PWCC Marketplace.
Derek Grady, Heritage Auctions’ Vice President of Sports Auctions, has watched interest in the hobby stay strong since last year’s successful National.
“The main thing I hear is that the shows are busier than ever, according to several show promoters,” Grady said. “The people buying wax, chasing rookie cards, we still kept a lot of these people, even though they may have bought in at high points on some of this stuff. The hobby base has increased for sure.
“We’re seeing a ton of new faces, a ton of new people, and they enjoy it as a hobby. So, maybe even if they lost some money on some things, they got caught up during the pandemic and after the pandemic, I think they’re adjusting. They realize, you don’t make money on everything, but you still enjoy the hobby. The hobby didn’t burn you,
