We just put our heads down and made our way to the grading stations." As many others did.Īlthough the business of sports collectibles has seen a major resurgence, fueled in part by the COVID shutdowns last year, one aspect of it has remained shackled. When the doors opened Wednesday, Morgensen said, it was "like the running of the Pamplona bulls. "We're selling more Formula 1 cards than any other card on our table right now." Collectors couldn't wait to flood The National "Soccer, F1 and UFC are huge now," Magstadt said. That might also explain why the crowds have grown. "It's all about relationships and getting a better feel for the market for me as a dealer, so the better off my store ( The Sports Cave) is and my customers are."Īmong the more surprising developments in the market, Magstadt said: the popularity of sports outside the big four of football, baseball, basketball and hockey. We're all collectors and investors, even if some people aren't doing it professionally, and this is the best opportunity to see what's happening in our industry right now. But you also want to come and see what the vibe is, what's happening, what's hot. "Everyone's interested in sports cards again," Magstadt said. Attendance for Wednesday and Thursday were, Bismarck, North Dakota, dealer Chris Magstadt estimated, were as strong as you might expect for a typical Saturday or Sunday, which often are the most heavily attended days at most card shows. Even with a slight "market correction" as investors are fond of saying, leveling off huge inflation for what had borne some absurd trading card prices the past 18 months, interest in the hobby remains robust if Day 2 attendance is any indication.Īccording to event organizers, four times as many online general admission tickets were sold for this event than for the 2019 event. The show is among the best known and most attended in the business - and because of the pandemic, business has boomed. It has been already, and it's only Thursday." It's his first National, and we're just soaking it all up. "I've been a collector since I was a kid, and now my kid is into it. We weren't going to miss this year, no way. "Why not?" asked Dusty Morgensen, 46, of Owensboro, Kentucky, whose son was also in the Brady picture. While the Brady winner was being whisked away by a few Pristine employees, the man who got a picture of himself and his son with the Brady-jersey kid was asked why he might want such a photo for his collection. Elsewhere, buyers went back to sorting through wish-list cards, and dealers went back to making deals. He even posed for a few shots with two strangers.
Everyone around him cheered and snapped pictures. He opened the box and - BOOM! - there it was: a signed Brady Buccaneers jersey.Ī buzz rippled through the area. "I want the Tom Brady!" he said, asking for the biggest-name giveaway on the docket. Which autographed jersey did he want, the young man was asked. The lucky raffle winner stepped up to claim the mystery gift.