Right now the baseball world is focused on wheeling and dealing, as Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is fast approaching.
While neither the Chicago Cubs nor the Chicago White Sox are expected to be a major focal point in any of the major buying and selling, Chicago will be the epicenter for another kind of baseball trading extravaganza this week.
That’s because the 43rd annual National Sports Card Convention is coming to town (suburban Rosemont, actually to be specific).
It’s a chance to really hit the jackpot, should you find the right item, and make sure you have the ability to buy low and sell high. As many recent news stories about the sports card trading hobby have pointed out, return on investment in the trading card biz far outpaced the stock market, during the early 2020s, as a whole.
The National Sports Collectors Convention (The National) is returning to the Donald E Stephens Convention Center, July 26 – July 30, 2023. space that becomes a collector’s paradise utilizing over 400,000 square feet this week.
There will be 650 high-profile exhibitors from all over America who will be buying, selling, and trading sports and entertainment collectibles.
There’s still a tendency to refer to sports cards a whole as “baseball cards,” and many people do this.
That’s because baseball cards came along well before the trading cards for other sports and it’s baseball cards that are still the biggest, best and most valuable cards that are available to buy.
And Chicago, one of just three cities with two MLB teams, is the perfect host.
“We are extremely excited that the 43rd Annual National Sports Collectors Convention is returning to Chicago,” said Ray Schulte, NSCC Director of Communications.
“Chicago has an exceptionally strong sports tradition with very avid and knowledgeable collectors and a diversified sports fan base.”
There is something for everyone to find and obtain at The National, and for me, top priority is 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card (featured image).
Scheduled to sign autographs at The National’s TRISTAR Autograph Pavilion are approximately one-hundred fifty (150) plus superstar athletes including;
Julius Erving, Joe Montana, Floyd Mayweather, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dennis Rodman, Mike Schmidt, Barry Sanders, Dan Marino, Fred McGriff, Jagr Jaromir, Brandon Marshall, Jerry Rice, Angel Reese, to name just a few.
Complete listing at www.tristarproductions.com/
For the full list of requisite FYIs and key pieces of information, go to the official site here.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.