This page has been designed to pay ohmage to the historical National events of the past that have lead the NSCC up to the current.
National Sports Card Convention - The Beginning.
People collected cards since the turn of the century when tobacco companies needed a way to get people to buy their product. But most collectors were not organized, and all the trading of cards were done on the same street. All this began to change in the early 1960’s when like-minded people met each other through various sports trading magazines and start to create local collecting clubs. These clubs were in Boston, Detroit, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and New York to name a few of the more famous ones. It was around 1970 these collector clubs started their own card shows and promoted them. The best clubs created their own convention programs and ran them like family events. It is at these major regional shows where dealers from across the country would travel and participate.
The idea to create a national convention for dealers to get together was discussed across the country but a trio from Los Angeles made it into reality. It took months of planning and promotion, but the event occurred in 1980 at the Los Angeles Marriott Airport hotel. People from many different states came and it became a roaring success. But to make the National a special event it had to be shared with collectors across the country.
First Corporate Sponser
Donruss Corporation - 1981
2nd National Convention
1st Annual National Sports Collectors Convention Program.
First Promotional Item
2nd National Convention
History of the National Sports Collectors Convention
The National Sports Collectors Convention
The largest gathering in the world of sports collectors enthusiasts occurs every year at the Annual National Sports Collectors Convention. It is the largest and one of the oldest gathering of its kind. It originated 10 years after the very first card show in 1970 with a build up of a collectors club across the country crying out for an annual gathering of Sport Card Dealers and collectors to learn, socialize and to buy and sell sports memorabilia. To spread the desire to make this a National event each year collector clubs via a promoter would push for the event to be held in their part of the country. Thus the dealers vote on the next site to host the National. That tradition is still maintained today, and the national has traveled to 13 different locations in 10 different states over 44 years. The “National” as it is referred to, has grown over a hundred fold since its original beginnings of mostly part time hobby dealers with 6 foot tables to the meeting spot of a multi media billion dollar corporate industrial wide event.
The National is such a great tradition that over 50% of the dealers who set up have done 16 or more nationals. The early Nationals we host 4 or 5 sports guests who actually gave speeches. Today we have over 250 guests and many of them are invited to participate in pod casts at the event. One of the unique things about a show devoted to Sports Collectibles is we actually create our own and have given away millions of items. Some of them are captured below in our actual photo library.
Locations of Prior NSCC Shows.
2023 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2022 Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Center
2021 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
2020 Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Center (Cancelled due to the COVID-19)
2019 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2018 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2017 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2016 Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Center
2015 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2014 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2013 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2012 Baltimore (MD) Convention Center
2011 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2010 Baltimore (MD) Convention Center
2009 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2008 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2007 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2006 Anaheim (CA) Convention Center
2005 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2004 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2003 Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Center
2002 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center; Rosemont, IL
2001 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
2000 Anaheim (CA) Convention Center
1999 Georgia World Congress Center; Atlanta
1998 Rosemont (IL) Exposition Center
1997 I-X Center; Cleveland, OH
1996 Anaheim (CA) Convention Center
1995 Cervantes Convention Center; St. Louis
1994 George R. Brown Convention Center; Houston
1993 McCormick Place; Chicago
1992 Georgia World Congress Center; Atlanta
1991 Anaheim (CA) Convention Center
1990 Arlington (TX) Convention Center
1989 Hyatt Regency Hotel; Chicago
1988 Atlantic City (NJ) Convention Hall
1987 Moscone Center; San Francisco
1986 Arlington (TX) Convention Center CA
1985 Disneyland Hotel; Anaheim, CA
1984 Aspen Hotel; Parsippany, NJ
1983 Holiday Inn O'Hare-Kennedy; Chicago IL
1982 St. Louis Marriott
1981 Plymouth (MI) Hilton
1980 Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel
History of the National Sports Collectors Convention Promotional Items
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