A couple of weeks ago, I and three of my friends took a road trip to Cleveland, Ohio, for the National Sports Collector’s Convention. We all have the card-collecting bug and have had it since the late 1900s (or 1990s to be more precise). When we arrived, we found ourselves surrounded.
On the first day, maybe a thousand people tried to pick up their VIP credentials and goodie bags. Then on the show floor, a few thousand more people were walking around in a giant space for a preview session for VIPs. That was Wednesday.
On Thursday and Friday, the crowd eclipsed 100,000 both days. It went from a busy show floor to some spots where there was barely enough room to move along the aisles. People stood one, two or three deep at different corporate vendors or card dealer booths.
It was madness. Beautiful madness. Not everyone was there to look for the exact same card or set.
Some people were looking for vintage cards. Some were looking for ultra-modern cards. While the prize at the end of the quest might have looked different for all of us, we all spoke the same language.
We all understand the hunt. Looking for that one card you’re willing to spend $10, $100, sometimes thousands of dollars on because you know you might not see it again until the next national. Then there’s the plight when that grail card you’d overspend on was snatched up hours before you showed up at the table.
My budget was very modest — $100, which wasn’t all going to be spent. One potential target was.