Hobby Quick Hits Ep.74 Pre-National Thoughts

Hey, welcome to another edition of hobby quick. It's today's episode, I'm going to call it the pre National episode. What I'm going to talk about, kind of things, I'm planning to do at the national, some things I want to see at the national not just talking to booths or setups but things going in the hobby you know, where the prices are at, that sort of thing. I'll save it for once we get into the meat of the episode, but It's sort of a precursor to the National things I'm planning to do things. I want to see you know with this terms of current market conditions and sort of a game playing out, do probably a post-national one where we kind of come back and compare notes if you will. But before we get the episode started, what we hear from our awesome sponsor Mojo breaks we'll be back with the show after we hear from Mojo, hey. 

Just wanted to tell you about the best place to get some of your Shields sports card, wax products, great selection. And some of the lowest prices on the web, Mojo brake shop.com is that place whether it's a box or a whole case, they're your guys and they ship around the world right to your door. The Mojo brake name is one of the most trusted in the house from sports cars. The Pokemon, their selection can't be beat, they offer, daily deals and Reorder who won first place at this year's stops wrap party. Now the other than Mojo brake their prices are already great. But here's a way to save even more money. Use the code quick hits. That's q u IC. Ke H iits for 10% off anything on Mojo brake, shop.com. They also have a full service carpet shop in Santa Clara California. So if you're in the area stop by there, open seven days a week so check them out. Mojo back. Shop that. All right, let's talk about the national and Chicago. I don't know about you, but I'm excited for and you know what? We think about it. We think it was cancelled one year, but in a sense, it's two years, it's been two years since a national record. It last occurred obviously 2019 and in Chicago, as well. He landed City one was canceled last year, so it's been two calendar years. Pretty much a little shorter that That between. National to this one and I think like most people will kind of, you know, I think everyone's looking to go right as much as they can and, you know, short is going to be some people a little bit leery with with the pandemic going on. Some might sit it out, that's par for the course and understandable, that criticizes it. Those folks everyone has different opinions on things. Some people Will wear masks even if they're not required. I get that as well to each their sort of own. But I think the Hobby and general is really excited for this as you probably have heard or know many of the five-day VIP and supervised VIP, they're sold out really all that's left are single day passes. And that's that's saying something I believe that's the first time that's ever happened to. So, 

I expect quite a few crowd, a big crowd to be there. I did a poll on the Twitter version of sports coordination and I asked, are you going to the National? And I got a lot more NOS than yes? Is that next sort of surprised me? But again, you know, the hobby is vast and big and it's going to be not short of a tent attendance. Let's put it that way. So, So I'm excited dish. This year I'm going for the full week. The last time I went 2019, it was there for three, three and a half days. So I'll be there longer and I think by going longer for me less urgency to kind of do everything quickly, right? You have some time you don't have to rush, you can be a little bit more loose with the itinerary going to be doing. 

Main stage show with Brody the kid that will be Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time 30 minutes. That'll be fun. I'm also going to appear another couple other podcast as a guest. So always you can time and let's let's let's call a spade a spade, right? And one of the things about the national that a lot of people honestly go for obviously we're going for cards and no one no one goes to the National and doesn't buy some. I mean how How could she do that? But I think most of the time, you know, a lot of times, when you go to Nationals for that socialization, right? Meet people maybe for the first time in person, meet people again, that you haven't, you know, it's the one time of year, you get to see him and be in the same place, but that many hobbies and really think about. I call the national, the Super Bowl The Hobby, and it really, really is. And when you think about it, it's probably the most obvious in one place year. 

Going to have at the same time. And that's that's animals that in itself. You know, you got all your corporate people grading companies, the car manufacturers supply companies, people, who specialty companies who make cases or graded accessories that mean, anything, you know, that's pertaining to the Hobby, is usually going to have a corporate presence. You're going to have giveaways, you're going to have box breaks, you're going to have Social media, you have content creation all in one place at one time for a week. It's going to be you know, Javi overload. And we're going to love every minute of it. Right? And that's that's the beauty of it. That's that's the fun. We're all going to be tired when we get back back home. Even if you live locally, you're probably going to be tired didn't really looking forward to it and looking forward to meeting folks. And I'll say this, not this show. 

Set it on my other shows. If, if you see me, you know, I am and you want to say hello, I'd be more happy to talk to you. I'm a people person. I love to talk hobby, you know, tell me what you like, don't like that sort of thing. Ask me my opinion. That's all you get him. That, you know, there are no experts in this profession. Contrary to what other people will tell you. And so the Nationals, just one big celebration End of the hobby for week, you're going to have You know, autograph gasps you're going to see and this year is going to be interesting because you're going to see some cops 2020 artists there. You can see some celebrities, I think on the floor, Gary Vee, what whether you love them or hate them will be set up again as well. And just going to be just again, one big, huge hobby, presence, of everything that pertains to the Hobby, it's happenings in the hobby, whether its content creation or breaking Eating or anything else, you're going to find it there and you know, you're going to have your auction houses there with some incredible card, you can have your grading card companies there with Incredible long lines. Even with the crazy high submission prices, not going to stop them and so it's just going to be a lot of fun. I don't even know really where to begin. You know I have sort of a few cards I'm specifically looking for 

They're on my list doesn't mean I'll get them off but you got to have some sort of game plan going in and definitely gonna, you know, be wearing some show gear. Have some swag, I've got some T-shirts to give the folks and stickers and business cards, and poker chips and so come up to me. See when I got maybe get some clothes free swag but that, you know, that's the other great thing about the show, a lot of free swag given out like I got a feeling we'll last year's being canceled, there's going to be some extra free swag from some of these companies, that had some stuff that they've planned to give away last year that they were unable to. So it's going to be fun. One of the things I want to see, you know, we know, kind of where the working conditions are some things have went down price-wise, right cards, some cases between 20 and 40 percent that everything would have 

Percentage of stuff even vintage. You know, a lot of people are debating that it hasn't affected the vented side of the house but you know, talking to my friend Mike, Moynihan he showed me a graph or a chart guy does not a liar and heshes show that it's affecting the Vintage niche as well. So nothing got affected. We've seen even wax kind of come down to Latin, want to say normal but more normal than ever, sort of prices and so it's good. To be interesting for me, one of the things I want to look for sure. A bright. Not the only one, but this is how my mind works. I want to see. And maybe my mind works like this folks because I'm a dealer to, right? I set up that shows as well, not set up at this show but I do have a dealer mindset and a be interesting to see what the Dealer's do price-wise through day. Do they match kind of cops which have you know again come down Let's try to price high and then come down figuring people will haggle. So there's a lot of ways to go remember, there's a lot of tables so we don't want to paint with a broad brush. What you know, 50 people might be doing one plan of attack and then you get five sort of doing whatever, but I want to see the General close of the room with comps and what, you know, people are asking for their cars and It's going to be, you know, going to be interesting, be prepared. You know, the V loggers with their selfie sticks and video cams will be tripods. I'm sure we'll be around every corner. It can get monotonous. I'm not gonna lie. I love content, creation, content, creation of the people that do it or putting into work. I'm not a slight to them at all. But, you know, I when I went to Dallas, It's in a half ago you know around every turn it seemed like there was another camera roll and you know, I don't know you know you just film it's looking through boxes or talking to dealers and just looking at the Showcase you know the this for me there's sort of a treshold point right now. If it's a big transaction, a big deal going down and you want to document. I get it or you're doing an interview with a dealer at their table, which, you know, 

Depending on the opinion one person might say, you know, that's not the time or place someone else may say, hey that's that's reality, you know, whatever. Whatever side of the aisle, your Fallout, you know, it's going to be tons of cameras, tons of things going on stuff. It to main stage, which I invite you to see. And I'm not just talking when I'm there and Brody, and everybody gonna be a lot of great people doing some great things, and be very informative. 

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Interactive stuff that you can do again. We'll have to see, you know, the other thing I want to see too is, you know, we're still in the pandemic. Folks. I know, you know, we're maybe out of the best side of it. We've been since since it really, you know, broke out, but it's going to be interesting to see the difference with the national. You know, what might we not? See, you know, I heard somebody's report. There may not be any. Silver or gold packs from Panini. I hope that's not the case. But those kind of things. What are we going to see that were used to? But because of the pandemic it's not going to occur. And you know I want to see that this the someone not, you know, show up a corporate present not show up to the National. I don't know, I think most people will Al even speak to Upper Deck, you know, an initially 

You know, Chris Kyle and mentioned that the upper deck most likely wouldn't be there. This was a few months back and they've announced, they will be there, and they were actually run into summer fall promo, pack that I talked about on Sports Carnation. So, I think 90% of corporate presence will be there. And I see, I suspect, you know, a high percentage of collectors and hobbyists will make The trip as well. I think people, you know, after 16 17, months of quarantine or some freedoms kind of being handcuffed and not being able to certain things are really looking forward to the opportunity to get out there to do a little travel as well. I think that's why you're seeing some of these Regional shows do as well as they have, you know, Dallas, Atlanta, Wisconsin. And we're, you know, our 

First show here in New York happened last month. Really, really small one Ramada. I didn't set up just 30 tables but it was I didn't get to go had some plans that those two days but you know, it's nice to see things sort of kind of picking up again. Even here on a small vocal level small show. The next big show will be here, locally will be September 12th at the New York State Fairgrounds about a hundred table. Event, I will be set up as, as a state tax collector dealer at that show me my first show hasn't dealer in, probably two years now, because it's about six months even before the pandemic hit that, I didn't do a show. So looking forward to seeing how that goes looking forward to seeing where the market is. You know, I talked about hey, let's see what the dealers are going to price their stuff. 

That's a two-sided coin, right? Where is you know, like summer was recently on Sports coronation and made a point that how many people are coming to National two more, socialized and transact writes a great point. We, net weight of sometimes don't even think about that till I heard, I really didn't think of that. So what percentage of people are, they're really just meet people hang out, go to some parties after party trade nights. Right? And how many people are really there with sort of buyers mindset, right? Hey, I want to buy a bunch of stuff and I'll let you in on something. I really didn't advertise this outwardly. But I've actually shut off my bike and I buy a lot of stuff, not the posture or brag or whatever. I'm a big buyer cards. And for the last six weeks leading up to this National, I really didn't buy Still selling some stuff but I really shut off my buy it. I didn't go to any, I take that back. I don't want to phrase it like that when on eBay to complete my sales and print out, you know, packing slips and ship stuff that people purchase off eBay or other platforms. But I have not bought anything in six months and six weeks. One exception, I did buy some of the Jackie Robinson game within the games. What other? 

Maybe a minor exception, I really shut off my buying and why in the premises I want to buy more in person at the national but again, what I'm interested in the sea is, am I going to be able to write? I'm not going to overspend just because of their, maybe some people would fall sorta into that. I know it's a trap but into that category, but I still want to get the best deal. I can write, we all work hard. Hard for our money, whatever you do and as do I. And so I don't want to just over spend over pay for something just because I like it or want it. And so, you know, I'm going to come into the show with with purchasing on my mind and certain things that are on my list or in my head that I'm looking for and would will I be able to get them, will these dealers be at the price level that the market is at? So that that will be the thing. 

Here's the thing, I'll say and I'm all pro dealer. I am a dealer you know, if they don't want to like be in that that cop area, right? We all have that choice, right? We can hate to say it but go to the secondary Market just just get it there. So I hope the dealers do because I want to see transactions happen on the show floor. I want to be part of that process. I want to spend money. I'm bringing money to spend quite frankly. You know, I want to be there five days and, you know, one or two days honestly is going to be me just really looking at stuff with the intent to bring stuff back to New York with me some stuff PC, some stuff, other just inventory purchases, right? Both. And so I'm hoping I get to do that on the level. I would, I would love to and meet interesting. It's one of the things I want to see as I previously mentioned. So, 

Whatever reason you're going to the National, hope I get to meet you, hope I get to see you there. I'm a very approachable guy you know say hi. Come right up. I don't bite. Let's around lunchtime or dinner time. Then all bets are off but off but all joking aside you know I'm a very social person and friendly guy and love to talk to your life hobby, whatever is on your mind. So with that being said, I will see you here in Chicago. Go take care. Enjoy the show. Hey folks. Thanks for listening to the show, wanted to give out or social media links where you can follow the show. Even when you're not listening to it on Twitter, we are at hits hobby at hits a vhi. TS h o BBY on Instagram. We are at Hobby quick hits podcast at Hobby, quickens podcast. All one word. Our website is www.sportscardnationpodcast.com. Look for the link to have a quick hitch or find us there and you can always tax us on our text line area code. 315, 4910 239 case, I don't see you good afternoon, good evening and good night.