FAT DADDY'S SPORTS
  • HOME
    • BIO
    • Reach Me
  • CARD SHOWS
    • Roma Lodge >
      • Photos
    • Oak Creek Show >
      • Smith & Gordon Show Photos 2014
      • 2015 Photos
      • 2016 Photos
    • Wisconsin MegaShow
  • STORE
    • eBay
  • PHOTOS
    • Card Show Photos >
      • 2012 Card Show Photos
      • 2013 Card Show Photos
    • Recent Pick-Ups >
      • Page 2
  • BLOG
  • LINKS
    • YouTube
  • STUFF
    • ARTICLES
    • BOOK REVIEWS
  • FAQ
  • BUYING

2022 National Show Report Day 5

8/12/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sunday, July 31, 2022, NSCC, Atlantic City, NJ

Bittersweet waking up on Sunday. My last look at our glorious view from the 41st floor of the Harrah's Casino Resort. Our last walk around the casino. Our last time getting lost in the casino. 

We left our room then walked around looking for a spot for Bob to pick up a cab to the airport. We had a great time. Bob bought a ton of cards. I love all the T206s he purchased. Cool stuff. We bid farewell to Bob. Dave and I then drove one last time to the convention center.

Pictured above is a partial shot of Harrah's as we drove away for the last time on Sunday morning. What an amazing place!!

We talked all week about how we were going to exit the convention. We essentially had three options. One, wait until the end of the show and move the car to the loading dock at 5 p.m. Two, move the car to the parking garage at 5 p.m. and take a freight elevator down to the garage. Three, load out to the dealer parking lot on the far end of the building and across the street.

We did not see how option one could work with the tiny size of the loading dock and hundreds of cars attempting to fill that tiny space. Dave seemed to like option two but I felt there would be a long line for the freight elevator. Option three seemed like our best bet. It was a bit of a walk but we only had two trips to take.

The show was dead on Sunday. It seemed like all of the air had gone out of the room. We met Matt who grew up in Cicero, Illinois, on Saturday. He purchased just about all of my 1971-72 Topps hockey. He also purchased a pile of cards from Dave. Matt now lives in Houston and we enjoyed talking about all the old hot dog and beef joints in and around Cicero.

Matt came back on Sunday and purchased more cards from Dave. I was shut out Sunday morning. I sat and sat and sat. No customers. A few lookers. Some that I had seen all week but did not make any purchases.

I started to get depressed. I have never been shut out at the National. I was on my way to having my best National ever. It all came to screeching halt on Sunday. Around 1 p.m., I started to pack up my graded cards. Dave packed up all of his cards quicker than you could say Philly Cheesesteak.

Dave loaded all of his stuff onto the cart and set out for the dealer parking lot. I moved my remaining cases to Dave's primo spot in the main aisle. I then attempted to pull my cards out of the display cases but, out of nowhere, I was mobbed with customers. All of the sudden I was helping three, four customers at a time and they were all buying cards. 

In the hour it took Dave to walk his stuff over to the parking lot, unload and return, I sold a TON of cards. I was still selling cards when Dave returned. When Dave saw that I had hardly packed up, he blew a gasket. I was not going to fight with him. We drove all the way out to Atlantic City to sell cards. After being shut out in the morning, I needed these sales.

He kind of pushed me aside and tried to help the customers so I could pack up. I tried to pack up but the customers kept coming. Frustrated, Dave took off. I don't know where he went. I tried to pack up. Gavin, who visited my booth all five days without buying any cards, wanted a deal on a bunch of cards as I was packing up. At this point, I just wanted to pack up. I did not need to give away my cards. We finally agreed on a price which was lower than I wanted but I needed Gavin to go away so I could pack up.

A little after 2 p.m., I was finally able to load the cart and head out. Many other dealers nearby and done the same thing. Dave was still hot and did not accompany me to the car. He sat at the empty booth while I slowly maneuvered out of the building. As Dave warned, it was hotter than Hades outside. That heat sucked.

I made it to the car, no problem. Broke a sweat loading my stuff in. As I was finishing up, Dave came out and we hit the road for home.

A few hours into the drive, we pulled over at some random rest area along the Pennsylvania Turnpike and ran into Jeff Talamantez, also driving home to Chicago.

This was one of only three stops on the way home. Dave, a madman, drove straight through while I slept. We pulled up into my driveway around 5 a.m. on Monday morning. I was and still am amazed that Dave was able to drive all that way. 

My final thoughts on the 2022 National:

The hobby is alive and well. My sales just fell short of 2021 but I am more than pleased with the results. I wish I would have had more time to walk the show. I only saw about a third of it.

As I previously stated, the National is being taken over by the corporate and breaker booths. I feel like something is being lost. There is definitely a need for more vintage shows on a national level. I would like to see a time where vintage dealers make a break from the National and have our own vintage-only shows. However, in the meantime, I will continue to set up at the National, as long as I make it through the dealer lottery alive.

I hope to have my own booth at the 2024 National, wherever that may be. The time has come for me to set up on my own and not deal with the idiosyncrasies of others. The few times I moved my cases to the primo spot in the main aisle, my sales took off. I think my sales will definitely improve with my own booth.

So in 2023, I will be setting up with Dave, Scott and PJ for the last time. It has been a good run but it is time for me to spread my wings and present the full Fat Daddy's Sports experience in my own booth.

I really enjoyed meeting so many people from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the surrounding areas. A lot of great folks attended the show in Atlantic City.

We never came across the crime that so many people warned us about. We were insulated from it thanks our good friend Gregg Klein and his wonderful Harrah's Casino Resort. I cannot say enough about Harrah's. What a wonderful place! The room, the view, the restaurants, the casino, it was all amazing! I hope to head back with my wife for a vacation.

A huge THANK YOU to Gregg Klein and everybody who attended the show and purchased cards from me. Let's do it again in 2023 in Chicago!!

I did not walk around the show on Sunday. I took one photo, below, as I walked to the concession stand. This was an old carnival game used by some outfit called "WhatNot." The kids played the horse race and the winner received a pack of cards.
Picture
Picture
An hour into the drive home, we were stuck in traffic in Philadelphia. I thought it weird that on the way in the GPS took us around Philly while on the way out it took is right through Philly and into traffic. 

​Anyway, thanks for following along on my little adventure!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Tony Gordon

    Vintage Sports Cards Addict

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    RSS Feed

Copyright © Fat Daddy's Sports 2025. All Rights Reserved.