CLEVELAND, Ohio - Attendance at the National Sports Collectors Convention at the I-X Center "exceeded" organizers' expectations, making the 39th annual show one of the largest ever.
Ray Schulte of Schulte Sports said the show is not releasing specific attendance figures but said "between 40,000 and 45,000" sports-memorabilia fans came to the event.
"That was pretty damn good," he said. "It exceeded our last visit."
In 2014, the last time it was in Cleveland, the show attracted 43,200 people - the third highest attendance to date. All seven shows in Cleveland have been at the I-X Center.
"We're extremely excited to be able to call Cleveland one of our markets," he said. "We always enjoy coming back there - not only for the rich tradition of sports and support we get, but the fans there are great. The hospitality is fantastic. All in all it's a huge success for us."
The five-day show, held Aug. 1-5, attracts all types of fans - baseball-card collectors seeking to finish off particular sets, memorabilia enthusiasts going after everything from old and recent game-used jerseys, photos and equipment. Authors signed sports-themed books, auction houses gave free appraisals, and autograph aficionados were in a sports heaven: The convention hosted more than 150 athletes - the most ever, Schulte said.
The National, as it's known, brought in more than 80 hall of famers in football and baseball alone and also had a strong showing from local and current athletes. Take Clevelanders' love of sports nostalgia with a younger generation's interest in the current crop of professional athletes, and Northeast Ohio makes for a good place to have a collectibles show.
"We were excited to have a good Cleveland connection," he said, from past Browns Jim Brown and Bernie Kosar to current Indians like Corey Kluber and Francisco Lindor, and others. "That means an awful lot to us as well. ... At this point one of the things we're excited about is athletes want to come to this show. We don't have to twist their arms."
In 2019, the show is in Chicago, with Atlantic City, N.J. set to host the 2020 convention.
Exhibitors receive the right to vote on host cities, Schulte said.
"Most likely I have to think, in my humble opinion, Cleveland will be in the mix" for a subsequent show when exhibitors vote next year in Chicago.
"The industry is solid and strong," he said.
Here's a breakdown of the 2018 show:
What went right
Only two venues in Cleveland are spacious enough to hold this show - the I-X Center and the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. That's because space between aisles and elbow room is imperative. With 650 vendors, that's a lot of aisles and tables. And there appeared to be no jam-ups.
Autograph lines also seemed to run smoothly. Multiple lanes funneled people to the person they sought, while other queues were available for VIP ticket holders. Signers are positioned smartly against a far wall, so the autograph areas are not jammed too close to booths.
Having auction houses offer free appraisals turns the show into a sports "Antiques Roadshow" of sorts, making for a great opportunity to dust off that photo, card or ball you've had stashed away. It also gives people a chance to comparison shop.
Nice touch: The convention initiated a local philanthropic endeavor, supporting Ronald McDonald House. It raised $12,000 through auctions, donations and exhibitor support. Ty, Beth, Mason and Addy Fritz of Medina received gift cards for a spending spree at the convention, and they were able to meet Hulk Hogan, Jim Kelly Lindor and others.
The tie-in to the charity "was really meaningful for us," Schulte said.
Let's hope that continues in any city that hosts the convention.
What could be changed
While giant aisle numbers hung, individual booth numbers were not posted at tables. The free brochure did have a map included, but a guide to what types of collectibles vendors brought would be convenient. This way, if a collector just wanted to go after, say, NFL helmets, they would know which booths had them and where they were.
It would be great to see temporary lockers installed for folks to stash purchases. A nominal and optional use-fee, after covering the costs of the lockers, could go to the chosen charity. However, while lockers would help, the show does allow patrons to leave, drop off items in their vehicle, and return - as long as they get a hand stamp.
No female athletes were part of the show's autograph sessions. And while tennis, golf and basketball seasons are under way, making participation difficult, past World Cup soccer stars, boxers, MMA fighters and track and field athletes could have attended.
Cleveland.com had staffers at the I-X Center every day. Here's a look at our coverage:
2018 National Sports Collectors Convention