My views and thoughts

Bigjigglies · 07-29-2024, 09:25 AM

I started going to the National in 1991 I have seen a lot of things, good and bad over the years. I look forward to the show, no matter where it is.

This is my 8th National in Cleveland. Yes, the building is old but it is still viable for hosting a show like this. With the new layout it had less men's restrooms. But, most people did not even know about the one behind the Topps booth. I NEVER saw a line at this one.

Internet / WiFi, phone service was spotty, but also depended on the carrier. T-Mobile worked better than most. The booth I helped in had better luck using devises that were on the T-Mobile network. This may not have been for everyone but was our experience.

Parking: This was an issue at the beginning unless you figured out that there was more than one entrance to the parking lot. Parking also got much easier when they stopped charging and cars did not have to stop and pay.

Entrance: LONG lines, several VIP and 5 day early entry badge holders figured out that if you went to the back of the building to the dealer entrance you could enter with the dealers at 8:30 each day, which gave them an extra hour with hardly anyone on the floor.

"Traders" seeing them spread out almost everywhere inside the show was annoying. I saw security move some (4-5) that were actually setting in an aisle on the show floor in the autograph room. Also saw several set up on the carpet in the Beckett booth blocking people from getting to the "order pick-up" area.

Crowd: Fire inspectors talked about closing the show doors for an hour on Friday to stop letting people in until part of the crowd left. It did not happed but the inspector said that the crowd was beyond capacity for the number of exits that the venue has.

Attendees: Crowd was huge. I was unable to find the booth where you signed up for the slow walking contest. I know there had to be one because I always seemed to be behind someone who was determined to win. Much like coat check places at many venues, I swear there was a manners check area because of the number of people who definitely left their manners outside the venue.

VIP guests: TriStar needs to get better / different guest for the VIP program. The same repeats are stale. There are many others they could put in that are also cheap enough for them to give away. Also the number of VIP passes sols seemed much larger. I heard rumors from a tristar employee that the number of badges sold for VIP and early entry was over 5,000

Booths: The Dell Heyn bargain box booth was always busy. I counted 33 people around it on Friday. 10 cent cards (cheaper in volume) was very poplular.

People: Seeing friends that I sometimes only see once a year is always a bonus.

More I could cover but after two flight delays and a 3AM arrival home I am tired and my head is still in a fog.

These are my perceptions and experiences, I am sure not everyone had the same experinces.

Looking forward to next year. Hilton, Embassy, Doubletree, Lowes and Holiday Inn are all sold out of NSCC blocked rooms for next year. Yes, dealers cant book rooms when they choose their booths for the next year.

07-29-2024, 09:25 AM	#1
Bigjigglies Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Posts: 227	My views and thoughts I started going to the National in 1991 I have seen a lot of things, good and bad over the years. I look forward to the show, no matter where it is. This is my 8th National in Cleveland. Yes, the building is old but it is still viable for hosting a show like this. With the new layout it had less men's restrooms. But, most people did not even know about the one behind the Topps booth. I NEVER saw a line at this one. Internet / WiFi, phone service was spotty, but also depended on the carrier. T-Mobile worked better than most. The booth I helped in had better luck using devises that were on the T-Mobile network. This may not have been for everyone but was our experience. Parking: This was an issue at the beginning unless you figured out that there was more than one entrance to the parking lot. Parking also got much easier when they stopped charging and cars did not have to stop and pay. Entrance: LONG lines, several VIP and 5 day early entry badge holders figured out that if you went to the back of the building to the dealer entrance you could enter with the dealers at 8:30 each day, which gave them an extra hour with hardly anyone on the floor. "Traders" seeing them spread out almost everywhere inside the show was annoying. I saw security move some (4-5) that were actually setting in an aisle on the show floor in the autograph room. Also saw several set up on the carpet in the Beckett booth blocking people from getting to the "order pick-up" area. Crowd: Fire inspectors talked about closing the show doors for an hour on Friday to stop letting people in until part of the crowd left. It did not happed but the inspector said that the crowd was beyond capacity for the number of exits that the venue has. Attendees: Crowd was huge. I was unable to find the booth where you signed up for the slow walking contest. I know there had to be one because I always seemed to be behind someone who was determined to win. Much like coat check places at many venues, I swear there was a manners check area because of the number of people who definitely left their manners outside the venue. VIP guests: TriStar needs to get better / different guest for the VIP program. The same repeats are stale. There are many others they could put in that are also cheap enough for them to give away. Also the number of VIP passes sols seemed much larger. I heard rumors from a tristar employee that the number of badges sold for VIP and early entry was over 5,000 Booths: The Dell Heyn bargain box booth was always busy. I counted 33 people around it on Friday. 10 cent cards (cheaper in volume) was very poplular. People: Seeing friends that I sometimes only see once a year is always a bonus. More I could cover but after two flight delays and a 3AM arrival home I am tired and my head is still in a fog. These are my perceptions and experiences, I am sure not everyone had the same experinces. Looking forward to next year. Hilton, Embassy, Doubletree, Lowes and Holiday Inn are all sold out of NSCC blocked rooms for next year. Yes, dealers cant book rooms when they choose their booths for the next year.