So I attended NYCFF and here are a few thoughts. As a card show it was a solid B-. Not having value boxes and really no mid/low tier dealers impacts my grade. The high-end was around but it didn't have the "National feel" where you see everything and anything. It was more like one of these large shows like Dallas or maybe Burbank minus the value boxes and low tier dealers. The crowds got just busy enough to feel like a lot was happening, but it wasn't stupid busy like the past couple Nationals. Wifi, toilets, food, air-conditioning, lack of smelly dudes were all MAJOR upgrades from the National. It was fun seeing some of the athletes on the show floor busting packs. I chatted with a lot of dealers and a few corporate folks I know & trust and heard mixed reviews. I never do the autograph sessions at these sort of shows but the lines were really long. The corporate side was more busy than the National IMO due to the number of activities so that seems like a win. I have no way of truly knowing for sure but the female presence seemed greater than the National but the adult to kid ratio seemed about the same.
Chris here - thanks for the feedback! The better A/C, Wifi and bathroom upgrades are a big deal and definitley something The National should be paying attention to. Smelly dudes are sadly a staple of the National and something that keeps the ratio you mentioned from changing much!!
Thank the unions for the lack of value boxes. The vendors would have had to pay thousands for the union member staff to cart that stuff around. You couldn’t pull your own dolly.
One other under apperciates element of Fanatics fest, they had a stage called the hobby stage and Clay Luraschi did a number of talkes there about product, product development, etc. A real highlight was to talk to card designers and card artists about cards and what theor thought process is. That was a lot of fun.
Chris here - that sounds really interesting! I'd love to sit for that. Maybe they could bring out whoever chooses the images for Topps Chrome SP/SSP so I can berate them and throw tomatoes.
Based on videos of the event I agree with Scott/Phil that the VIP packages were poorly presented this year for the cost. But like it was mentioned, Fanatics will correct that, if not over-correct that, and the VIP packages will be amazing next year. They won’t fail that two years in a row. Great video, as always. You guys deserve a couple media passes.
I liked the activities and the freebies that were being given out at these activities. I think this show will become more like a CES eventually. I dont think the card dealers should have been on the main floor, maybe put them in the "lobby" area. This would allow for more activities from sports leagues... there was no golf, tennis or olympic sports. There is a huge potential for fanatics to grow. There was a bar and club on the floor. This is a nyc experience, a big party. A win for my hometown.
From what I saw it looked like a fanatics fest. If you go to their website you see kids, shirts, backpacks, hats, jersey's. You gotta search for the cards. Also there's like 8 million people in nyc so as for their biz they really didn't need people to travel to it. I didn't attend but looked fun. Maybe they could bump the card tables up a little though.
Chris here - i'd like to attend one and i;ve heard maybe theres one coming to SoCal! Definitely not as card-centric as I'd like. As Phil said, it won't scratch that card show itch!
Hey there Chris. I’d sit down and talk to you about cards any day! You can order a bourbon and I’ll order a whiskey (I’m a single malt enthusiast 🥃). Actually that goes for all of 5 of you. One of the best things about this channel (As well as the Scottie B Cards and Blabbin’ Bout Slabbin’) is that it is a fun, informative and down to earth discussion about the hobby and it has the feel of a bunch of collectors sitting at a round table chatting about current topics as well as where the hobby is heading. Cheers 🍻
I loved how much space there was for for cards. Forget the rest of the stuff, my take away was bringing new people to card hobby and I love how less crowded the tables were. The other sports stuff provided options and distractions. National on socials is looked overwhelming
@@SpitballinCards Yeah, elements of that sound fun. I also love the conversations and education you can get from interacting with other card nerds. When its 3/4 rows deep at a table, it becomes transactional with pressure to "get in and get out" so everyone gets their chance. Exhausting. You end up missing out of cards, at which point you might as well go to a small local show and get vibe you want.
I was a vendor at the fan fest. Worth noting, Sales were very good. I had a lot of the ideal inventory for the casual fan, smaller items, in the $20 to $75 range. A lot of people learning about cards. Had one person want to buy a card from us to get it signed from a player, and break it out of the psa case, and we described to them how the player can just sign the case. They were so overjoyed.
I attended Fanatics Fest on Friday/Saturday as a local in Jersey and went to the East Coast National on Sunday. Some thoughts: I waited in line for the Topps Chrome boxes super early in line... waited about 3.5 hours and was able to finally purchase. Felt bad for the Topps associates bc they seemed a little confused as well, but the lines seemed to move MUCH faster for the chrome boxes on Saturday as they adjusted. Auto lines were well organized on Saturday (got a Barry Sanders auto) - line moved efficiently. Went with my 9 y/o daughter on Saturday and she had a blast. If I took her to the National she'd ask when we could go home 2 hours in. She didn't want to leave at Fanatics Fest. I was able to scope out a Felnin Celestin 1st auto, take a break when she got bored and try a claw machine at the MLB booth to try and win a free MLB player signed ball with my daughter, go back and scope out an Ohtani 2018 bowman chrome 1st refractor, then go see Livvy close in person for my daughter when bored etc etc. This is not the place for pure card guys on a mission or old school vintage collectors. If you have a family and want an excuse to bring them, purchase cards and see famous folks.. this is your event. If they improve NYC FF, I'd go to this event for every 2 nationals... atleast the wifey and fam can attend and have some fun.
Chris here - thanks for the feedback! I think with fits with what I heard from some other people who went and it's exactly what Fanatics was hoping for. Card collectors mixing with sports fans. Im in Socal and I'm hearing rumblings there might be a west coast Fanatics Fest sometime next year. I'd love to check it out! I'm glad to hear you - and more importatnly your daughter - had a good time!
Another great show gentlemen!! Fanatics fest appears to look like a sports fan fest i.e Cubs convention only on a much larger scale and with all the major sports leagues involved.
I'd say it was a fairly successful event. Crowds were strong on Saturday. There are some things to work on. LONG line for Topps. Little info prior to the show. Facility was incredible. I think the dealers were exaggerating the feedback. Card section was never really "busy". The dealers are basically subsidizing the event. Hopefully, they all keep their allocations. The event was on all the local news in NYC. Jeter.
My first impression was overwhelming. After 5 minutes I realized this is more than just a card show. This is a sports fan event which I thought was great. I agree with the team, this is a great way to grow sports cards. However if you re strictly looking for sports cards this event maybe too distracting.
RE: “cost prohibitive nyc”. I get that for people traveling it’s expensive, but one thing you have to realize is that a LOT LOT LOT of people live within a train ride of nyc. Even people as far as Washington DC and Boston can take the Acela train and show up right next to Javitt’s center, and then the commuter rail network gets you New Jersey, Upstate, Connecticut, and Long Island, something like 30-40 million population all told. So maybe it’s not comparable to the national but it makes a great place for regional conferences
Attended 3 days, brought my son one day. This was deffinitly a long game play by fanatics to grow the hobby. Dealers probably lost money, but if they were doing it right they were building a longer term online customer. CGC made a long term customer out of me with the quality of their on site grading offering for PC cards and for TCG. The way they treated kids on site built a ton of loyalty from me as well. I think the long term card collector probably felt the same about this show as the long term comic collector felt about comic con as it expanded.
Where Fanatics desire is to grow the hobby, is there a proverbial glass ceiling for people to be able to attend when the cost is what it is? it was $50.00 per day to attend, plus all other costs. I would be curious to see how the shows in Pittsburg & Orlando do vs this type of event in NY
I live on Long Island and was able to go on Sunday. Went to O’s /Red Sox on Thursday and Friday so wasn’t able to attend other days. Took my 3 teenagers who had a great time participating in the many activities. I am a card collector & autograph collector who buys most card online so just browsed the card tables. Was disappointed that Sorokin, the Islanders goalie, cancelled his appearance ( was emailed on Thursday) so I pivoted and got autographs of Andy Petite( hour long wait) and Thurman Thomas( 5 minute wait). Had the autos graded on site. Others that I wanted were way too expensive. Couldn’t justify spending extra money for the photo ops as well. Niece had gone on Friday for Brunson and Divincenzo for her stepkids. Brunson left early when there were 2 people in front of her disappointing her stepson. That section was poorly organized on Friday but was tweaked for a much better experience when I attended on Sunday. The WWE section was rocking. When I was on line for Pettite you could hear the fans going crazy for Cody Rhodes. All in all I had a great time with my kids and will definitely attend next year, especially since just a train ride away. Watched a little bit of the Best Damn Sports Show. There were a lot of attendees but Javits Center large enough to accommodate. Didn’t eat on site since ended at 4 on Sunday. Restrooms and air conditioning not an issue. Thought WiFi was good overall. There were surprise guests. Able to get auto and pic from Joe Smith from the NBA. Just missed getting CC Sabathia who showed up at Mitchell & Ness right after I walked away ☹️
2 negatives I heard while only watching a couple vids were; little to No Value in goody bags if purchased the VIP & more expensive packages as well as the Lines like in NEOs video.
Jeff here: the lines issue I understand for a first time show, but the lacking VIP bags were shocking to hear about given the vast resources that Fanatics has to make solid SWAG bags!
It feels to me like if Fanatics wants to grow the collecting base of the hobby that this type of show is but a very small part of what they would need to be a much bigger process (colabs, social, website cross, little league concessions, etc etc). Nice content as usual guys!
@@SpitballinCards hey Chris, yeah I would’ve enjoyed the event, will likely wait for it to come to LA. BTW, I’m also close to Burbank SportsCards, in Burbank myself…I believe I heard you say you were close to Burbank in a video recently…had assumed you were in Georgia due to the Atlanta gear!
@@Showcardsusa Yeah i'm in Van Nuys. Jeff and I are usually at the Burbank Shop once a month or so. Very excited for the show this weekend. We'll be there Friday and Saturday
@19:10 Jeff ~I would scan that box ~ ZAP IT! ~NYC is a cluster especially from airport to Manhattan~Ive waited in taxi from South Central Park to LA Guardia an hour ..... Chicago and the National... no problem. Moreover, I don't need to see Tom Brady and his mistresses at a show.... It's kinda like when I've been to a show and run into Geoff Wilson...I'm sure he is a nice guy but I don't need the interaction...I'll take a rain check.
Chris here - those videos were really cringy, for HIM. He was like a barnacle attached to the side of whatever celebrity was walking around. Just a brutal look.
Sounds like it was a little more like a Comic Con, or maybe an All-Star Game festivity. I think there is room for it, and probably hits a different crowd than the big card shows.
Chris’ “I know the look of when people don’t want to talk to me because I am looking at 3 of them right now” was the best line of his this year! Thanks as always Chris, Go Braves!!!
2:30....let me tell you, Daddy Rubin has fantastic form too when throwing a baseball! 6:22 "So it is Dunn?" -Proof Scott's wife watches his YT channel. 🤣🤣
great show as always. Big picture question for all of you. People don't seem interested in "in person" autos as much on cards. My question is what object would hold the most value with an in person auto on it?
Chris here - I'd say a game used jersey is the number one thing to have autographed. Anything game worn, game used really. After that, Baseballs are always popular but I'd love a large photo - like 16x20 or bigger - of a big career moment. Like Freeman catching the last out of the 2021 WS or Acuna holding up 2nd base last year after his 70th steal.
Just more of a cash grab from an absolute monopoly it seems to me. More of the same mentality that the National has by never bringing anything to the West Coast. I don't have shows near me so I'll have to stick to buying my PC cards online. I'm completely out on wax now. It offers no value and Chrome at $45 per blaster is just plain ridiculous.
Chris here - wax prices are just dumb at this point. Pricing most people out entirely. Makes no sense to rip anything. I can't call Fanatics Fest a cash grab becuse I don't think they made much profit from it directly. Hoepfully, they gained some long term collectors though. Heads up, ive heard there may be a Fanatics Fest coming to Los Angeles next spring!
Attended as vendor. I’d give it a C for my group. Not enough folks with card interest. I think they should have focused their advertising more on cards. A few buys, sells and trades but overall very slow compared to other card shows.
Chris here - based on what i've heard, this isn't a surprise. Sorry it wasn;t better for you! Were your costs reasonable? In terms of space rental, etc?
I literally watched a ufc fighter pull his own auto in front of us that i know was not scanned cause i myself opened the box from a case and put it into inventory for the shop, box sat on shelf for god knows how long, and ufc fighter comes in chooses the box out of all the other boxes, and opens it. this stuff happens.
I heard they had tried to buy the rights to take over that 'East Coast National' and that's why they ended up scheduling this on that same weekend. That's interesting to me, if only to see what they'd add to these existing/established shows. All I'm saying is, it's extremely intriguing to consider just how many more collectors that are within an hour or two of any cities that Fanatics starts putting on these kinds of events/shows, would attend. Am I going to New York for that? No. Am I going to Pittsburgh for it? No. If they're the ones that finally rent out the Columbus Convention Center and put on something similar... absolutely, 100%. There's got to be thousands of other collectors with similar, like minded, positions on attending something like this.
If we’re talking cards and nothing more, WWE getting a tremendous response for their space over the weekend…. And in the aftermath of 2024 Prizm WWE (the first 2024 WWE card product) having just been released giving Panini a small W. 😝
Fanatics is a giant with some monopolistic tendencies. Sports cards are big, but not the biggest piece of the pie now or likely in the future. I do plan to attend the Fan Fest in Orlando in November. The National never comes to the Sunshine State. Kudos to Fanatics for recognizing this sporty state. I haven't gone to The National for a few years as I have enjoyed other summer events. Apparently, I have missed some slightly irritating ones. Lately, The National seems focused on the Mid-West. Perhaps the National could use a tiny refresh. Gooooooo 'Canes! Beat the Gators! - Heather
@Blabbin_Bout_Slabbin starting at 1:52 i imagine Phil saying his is average then describing what he thinks average is, lol. Chris starts with grin and a blush straight into a eyebrow lift of intrigue. then a quick double brow lift back to a single brow lift to signal keep going. a full face smile to a chhek press with the tongue, that part worries me 😂. quick camera adjust in the direction of the topic, then a full look of surprise straight into worry and back to a smile. your boy chris is a crotch man through and through 😂😅
The National needs to do away with some of the vendors…especially the ones do sell the same dusty pennants for the past 10 years. That will free up some room for fan fest type of activities.
Jeff here: this makes sense to me, but when Scott or Ty suggested something similar in a recent video, they got roasted in the comments, so not sure what direction the National is going to go.
Chris I don't believe you that cardboard would be more interesting if you saw Livvy holding a SSP Freeman, I think you might pay more attention to her.
The NT box was definitely not scanned not sure what you guys are talking about. You can see the dealers that sold it to him in the video and they looked so upset that they just sold that box lol.
Being in NYC, I'm guessing renting that space for the long weekend, plus whatever the celebrities/athletes fees were added up to a lot. But I don;t know. I hope they do it again!
This is early 80s coin shows all over again. It's not gonna work. More rah rah and cheerleading than anything else. It failed. Collectors are collectors. Sports fans are not. There's no converting. Either you collect or you dont.
Gotta Love when people get on talking about things where they weren’t there and have their facts wrong. The super premium tickets ($1k +) got access to special seating in theater for panels (first three rows) and meeting of Rubin with a few other perks. There was no $8k or $9k single ticket. That $8k was for a bundle of 4 premium tickets.
you guys are going a little too far down the conspiracy rabbit hole. Why would Mojo sell a NT box for $10k if they knew it had a $100k++ card in it?? Please don't say "advertising" or to influence people that they are trustworthy and don't scan boxes.
Chris here - I don't know, the timing just makes it seem so questionable. Probably just me being cynical, though. If it was me and I knew it was in there, I'd just rip it and sell the card.
Fanatics is spending topps money like a drunken sailor within 2 years.Topps We'll be up for sale and the athletes.Pulling one of the ones it's laughable
So I attended NYCFF and here are a few thoughts. As a card show it was a solid B-. Not having value boxes and really no mid/low tier dealers impacts my grade. The high-end was around but it didn't have the "National feel" where you see everything and anything. It was more like one of these large shows like Dallas or maybe Burbank minus the value boxes and low tier dealers. The crowds got just busy enough to feel like a lot was happening, but it wasn't stupid busy like the past couple Nationals. Wifi, toilets, food, air-conditioning, lack of smelly dudes were all MAJOR upgrades from the National. It was fun seeing some of the athletes on the show floor busting packs. I chatted with a lot of dealers and a few corporate folks I know & trust and heard mixed reviews. I never do the autograph sessions at these sort of shows but the lines were really long. The corporate side was more busy than the National IMO due to the number of activities so that seems like a win. I have no way of truly knowing for sure but the female presence seemed greater than the National but the adult to kid ratio seemed about the same.
Thanks so much for the thorough, first person review of the show!
Chris here - thanks for the feedback! The better A/C, Wifi and bathroom upgrades are a big deal and definitley something The National should be paying attention to. Smelly dudes are sadly a staple of the National and something that keeps the ratio you mentioned from changing much!!
Thank the unions for the lack of value boxes. The vendors would have had to pay thousands for the union member staff to cart that stuff around. You couldn’t pull your own dolly.
One other under apperciates element of Fanatics fest, they had a stage called the hobby stage and Clay Luraschi did a number of talkes there about product, product development, etc. A real highlight was to talk to card designers and card artists about cards and what theor thought process is. That was a lot of fun.
Chris here - that sounds really interesting! I'd love to sit for that. Maybe they could bring out whoever chooses the images for Topps Chrome SP/SSP so I can berate them and throw tomatoes.
Based on videos of the event I agree with Scott/Phil that the VIP packages were poorly presented this year for the cost. But like it was mentioned, Fanatics will correct that, if not over-correct that, and the VIP packages will be amazing next year. They won’t fail that two years in a row. Great video, as always. You guys deserve a couple media passes.
Thanks for watching!
Incredible work by Chris to call Scott out for pretending to not know who Livvy Dunne is. 😂😂😂
hahahaha - no way I'm letting him get away with that!!
I liked the activities and the freebies that were being given out at these activities. I think this show will become more like a CES eventually. I dont think the card dealers should have been on the main floor, maybe put them in the "lobby" area. This would allow for more activities from sports leagues... there was no golf, tennis or olympic sports. There is a huge potential for fanatics to grow. There was a bar and club on the floor. This is a nyc experience, a big party. A win for my hometown.
From what I saw it looked like a fanatics fest. If you go to their website you see kids, shirts, backpacks, hats, jersey's. You gotta search for the cards. Also there's like 8 million people in nyc so as for their biz they really didn't need people to travel to it. I didn't attend but looked fun. Maybe they could bump the card tables up a little though.
Chris here - i'd like to attend one and i;ve heard maybe theres one coming to SoCal! Definitely not as card-centric as I'd like. As Phil said, it won't scratch that card show itch!
Hey there Chris. I’d sit down and talk to you about cards any day! You can order a bourbon and I’ll order a whiskey (I’m a single malt enthusiast 🥃). Actually that goes for all of 5 of you. One of the best things about this channel (As well as the Scottie B Cards and Blabbin’ Bout Slabbin’) is that it is a fun, informative and down to earth discussion about the hobby and it has the feel of a bunch of collectors sitting at a round table chatting about current topics as well as where the hobby is heading. Cheers 🍻
I loved how much space there was for for cards. Forget the rest of the stuff, my take away was bringing new people to card hobby and I love how less crowded the tables were. The other sports stuff provided options and distractions. National on socials is looked overwhelming
Chris here - the biggest shows can be crazy overwhelming. Just cards everywhere and its like a casino - easy to get lost and forget where things are.
@@SpitballinCards Yeah, elements of that sound fun. I also love the conversations and education you can get from interacting with other card nerds. When its 3/4 rows deep at a table, it becomes transactional with pressure to "get in and get out" so everyone gets their chance. Exhausting. You end up missing out of cards, at which point you might as well go to a small local show and get vibe you want.
I was a vendor at the fan fest. Worth noting, Sales were very good. I had a lot of the ideal inventory for the casual fan, smaller items, in the $20 to $75 range. A lot of people learning about cards. Had one person want to buy a card from us to get it signed from a player, and break it out of the psa case, and we described to them how the player can just sign the case. They were so overjoyed.
👍 thanks for sharing!
I attended Fanatics Fest on Friday/Saturday as a local in Jersey and went to the East Coast National on Sunday. Some thoughts: I waited in line for the Topps Chrome boxes super early in line... waited about 3.5 hours and was able to finally purchase. Felt bad for the Topps associates bc they seemed a little confused as well, but the lines seemed to move MUCH faster for the chrome boxes on Saturday as they adjusted. Auto lines were well organized on Saturday (got a Barry Sanders auto) - line moved efficiently. Went with my 9 y/o daughter on Saturday and she had a blast. If I took her to the National she'd ask when we could go home 2 hours in. She didn't want to leave at Fanatics Fest. I was able to scope out a Felnin Celestin 1st auto, take a break when she got bored and try a claw machine at the MLB booth to try and win a free MLB player signed ball with my daughter, go back and scope out an Ohtani 2018 bowman chrome 1st refractor, then go see Livvy close in person for my daughter when bored etc etc. This is not the place for pure card guys on a mission or old school vintage collectors. If you have a family and want an excuse to bring them, purchase cards and see famous folks.. this is your event. If they improve NYC FF, I'd go to this event for every 2 nationals... atleast the wifey and fam can attend and have some fun.
Chris here - thanks for the feedback! I think with fits with what I heard from some other people who went and it's exactly what Fanatics was hoping for. Card collectors mixing with sports fans.
Im in Socal and I'm hearing rumblings there might be a west coast Fanatics Fest sometime next year. I'd love to check it out! I'm glad to hear you - and more importatnly your daughter - had a good time!
Another great show gentlemen!! Fanatics fest appears to look like a sports fan fest i.e Cubs convention only on a much larger scale and with all the major sports leagues involved.
Thanks for watching! And it does seem like a bigger version of a team-fest. I wonder if that will be the vibe with the more regional shows, too?
100%
I'd say it was a fairly successful event. Crowds were strong on Saturday. There are some things to work on. LONG line for Topps. Little info prior to the show. Facility was incredible.
I think the dealers were exaggerating the feedback. Card section was never really "busy". The dealers are basically subsidizing the event. Hopefully, they all keep their allocations.
The event was on all the local news in NYC. Jeter.
Chris here - I definitely want to check it out next year
My first impression was overwhelming. After 5 minutes I realized this is more than just a card show. This is a sports fan event which I thought was great. I agree with the team, this is a great way to grow sports cards. However if you re strictly looking for sports cards this event maybe too distracting.
RE: “cost prohibitive nyc”. I get that for people traveling it’s expensive, but one thing you have to realize is that a LOT LOT LOT of people live within a train ride of nyc. Even people as far as Washington DC and Boston can take the Acela train and show up right next to Javitt’s center, and then the commuter rail network gets you New Jersey, Upstate, Connecticut, and Long Island, something like 30-40 million population all told. So maybe it’s not comparable to the national but it makes a great place for regional conferences
Good point👍. Especially for a one-day trip it can be done on a tight budget.
Absolutely! Youre exactly right!
Attended 3 days, brought my son one day. This was deffinitly a long game play by fanatics to grow the hobby. Dealers probably lost money, but if they were doing it right they were building a longer term online customer. CGC made a long term customer out of me with the quality of their on site grading offering for PC cards and for TCG. The way they treated kids on site built a ton of loyalty from me as well. I think the long term card collector probably felt the same about this show as the long term comic collector felt about comic con as it expanded.
Chris here - that makes a lot of sense! Thanks for the feedback! Relationships are so important in this hobby.
Where Fanatics desire is to grow the hobby, is there a proverbial glass ceiling for people to be able to attend when the cost is what it is? it was $50.00 per day to attend, plus all other costs. I would be curious to see how the shows in Pittsburg & Orlando do vs this type of event in NY
Agreed. Chris here - i've heard rumblings there might be a fanatics fest in Los ANgeles next year and I shudder to think what it will cost me.
I read the room incorrectly it seems - not for the first time. Four thumbs up for the Fanatics honey pot.
Yep!
I live on Long Island and was able to go on Sunday. Went to O’s /Red Sox on Thursday and Friday so wasn’t able to attend other days. Took my 3 teenagers who had a great time participating in the many activities. I am a card collector & autograph collector who buys most card online so just browsed the card tables. Was disappointed that Sorokin, the Islanders goalie, cancelled his appearance ( was emailed on Thursday) so I pivoted and got autographs of Andy Petite( hour long wait) and Thurman Thomas( 5 minute wait). Had the autos graded on site. Others that I wanted were way too expensive. Couldn’t justify spending extra money for the photo ops as well. Niece had gone on Friday for Brunson and Divincenzo for her stepkids. Brunson left early when there were 2 people in front of her disappointing her stepson. That section was poorly organized on Friday but was tweaked for a much better experience when I attended on Sunday. The WWE section was rocking. When I was on line for Pettite you could hear the fans going crazy for Cody Rhodes. All in all I had a great time with my kids and will definitely attend next year, especially since just a train ride away. Watched a little bit of the Best Damn Sports Show. There were a lot of attendees but Javits Center large enough to accommodate. Didn’t eat on site since ended at 4 on Sunday. Restrooms and air conditioning not an issue. Thought WiFi was good overall. There were surprise guests. Able to get auto and pic from Joe Smith from the NBA. Just missed getting CC Sabathia who showed up at Mitchell & Ness right after I walked away ☹️
Additionally I purchased my 4 tickets through StubHub for 80 shipped as opposed to the $232 stated price for general admission
@@metjetisle2huge W on the StubHub buy 💪🏼
Sounds like a good time! Several people have told me their kids really enjoyed it - great to hear!
2 negatives I heard while only watching a couple vids were; little to No Value in goody bags if purchased the VIP & more expensive packages as well as the Lines like in NEOs video.
Jeff here: the lines issue I understand for a first time show, but the lacking VIP bags were shocking to hear about given the vast resources that Fanatics has to make solid SWAG bags!
Chris here - you have to think those bags will be upgraded for the next one. They were an embarrassment for fantatics and an avoidable one at that!
It feels to me like if Fanatics wants to grow the collecting base of the hobby that this type of show is but a very small part of what they would need to be a much bigger process (colabs, social, website cross, little league concessions, etc etc). Nice content as usual guys!
Thanks for watching! Yeah, you wonder if they do have some kind of strategy around the growth plan. Hope so!
Chris here - seems like theyre off to a good start if this is just part of the strategy. Thanks for watching!
@@SpitballinCards hey Chris, yeah I would’ve enjoyed the event, will likely wait for it to come to LA. BTW, I’m also close to Burbank SportsCards, in Burbank myself…I believe I heard you say you were close to Burbank in a video recently…had assumed you were in Georgia due to the Atlanta gear!
@@Showcardsusa Yeah i'm in Van Nuys. Jeff and I are usually at the Burbank Shop once a month or so. Very excited for the show this weekend. We'll be there Friday and Saturday
I was glad to see that they made some adjustments after the first day. I think a family would enjoy that experience more than they would the National.
Chris here - absolutely!
@19:10 Jeff ~I would scan that box ~ ZAP IT! ~NYC is a cluster especially from airport to Manhattan~Ive waited in taxi from South Central Park to LA Guardia an hour ..... Chicago and the National... no problem. Moreover, I don't need to see Tom Brady and his mistresses at a show.... It's kinda like when I've been to a show and run into Geoff Wilson...I'm sure he is a nice guy but I don't need the interaction...I'll take a rain check.
Haha! Might cost more than the box is worth! 🤣
Haha - chris here and yeah those interactions seem better on paper than they probably are in real life...
Yep! Just give me a well centered '38 Goudey Dimaggio and I'll be on my way... no frills needed.
Well said gents. Topic is open till 2025 for sure
100%
VIP bags with retail Heritage? That's interesting.
It was dog shit. Not any benefits to getting VIP
Chris here - I laughed out loud when I saw that on instagram!
Rubin's not going anywhere unless there's celebrities or "lesser" people kissing his butt. Celebrities and autographs do nothing for me so I'll pass.
Chris here - those videos were really cringy, for HIM. He was like a barnacle attached to the side of whatever celebrity was walking around. Just a brutal look.
I think they have to have a venue with excellent air conditioning for the CT scanner in the back to work properly...🤔
Good point! I hear those things suck a lot of electric!
Chris here - maybe thats why the wi-fi and AC at the National is so often a problem. Too many scanners eating up the power!
10X the hobby!!! Whatever it takes!!
Whatever it takes is right!
Sounds like it was a little more like a Comic Con, or maybe an All-Star Game festivity. I think there is room for it, and probably hits a different crowd than the big card shows.
Jeff here: that’s kind of the vibe I got, as well. Kind of excited to see where Fanatics takes this.
How long was the hot dog line?
Probably similar to the mens room line
The trout opening looked pretty bad especially with all the CT scanning going on but supposedly he opened 4 boxes etc. don’t think I believe it tho.
Chris here - I enjoyed that video with his son Regardless. But come on...
Chris’ “I know the look of when people don’t want to talk to me because I am looking at 3 of them right now” was the best line of his this year! Thanks as always Chris, Go Braves!!!
2:30....let me tell you, Daddy Rubin has fantastic form too when throwing a baseball! 6:22 "So it is Dunn?" -Proof Scott's wife watches his YT channel. 🤣🤣
Chris here - 💯💯💯💯
great show as always. Big picture question for all of you. People don't seem interested in "in person" autos as much on cards. My question is what object would hold the most value with an in person auto on it?
Chris here - I'd say a game used jersey is the number one thing to have autographed.
Anything game worn, game used really.
After that, Baseballs are always popular but I'd love a large photo - like 16x20 or bigger - of a big career moment. Like Freeman catching the last out of the 2021 WS or Acuna holding up 2nd base last year after his 70th steal.
@@SpitballinCards great answers! I'd go jersey unless the photo was personalized to me
Just more of a cash grab from an absolute monopoly it seems to me. More of the same mentality that the National has by never bringing anything to the West Coast. I don't have shows near me so I'll have to stick to buying my PC cards online. I'm completely out on wax now. It offers no value and Chrome at $45 per blaster is just plain ridiculous.
Chris here - wax prices are just dumb at this point. Pricing most people out entirely. Makes no sense to rip anything.
I can't call Fanatics Fest a cash grab becuse I don't think they made much profit from it directly. Hoepfully, they gained some long term collectors though.
Heads up, ive heard there may be a Fanatics Fest coming to Los Angeles next spring!
@@SpitballinCards okay that's good to know even though right now I'm mainly looking for PC guys like Kobe
Attended as vendor. I’d give it a C for my group. Not enough folks with card interest. I think they should have focused their advertising more on cards. A few buys, sells and trades but overall very slow compared to other card shows.
Chris here - based on what i've heard, this isn't a surprise. Sorry it wasn;t better for you! Were your costs reasonable? In terms of space rental, etc?
Thanks for a vendor POV, sorry it wasn’t better for you.
I literally watched a ufc fighter pull his own auto in front of us that i know was not scanned cause i myself opened the box from a case and put it into inventory for the shop, box sat on shelf for god knows how long, and ufc fighter comes in chooses the box out of all the other boxes, and opens it. this stuff happens.
Yes but not as much as it has happened with Fanatics products time and time again
Chris here - that's amazing!! I hope you got it on camera!
Awesome story! Sad that now the default is to think there WAS some funny business. There’s no going back 🤷🏻♂️
@@SpitballinCards We did! Check out Awesome Breaking Interviews! Episode is Matthew (Something)
@@Blabbin_Bout_Slabbin Unfortunately, very true.
Can’t believe Chris’ hypothetical would you rather didn’t involve Livvy Dunne!
Chris here - PG show!!!
Plus, he wanted to make me actually think!
The huge Luka card came from Mojo Break. Cost of the box was 12k.
That's a lot of money. And that rip sure got a lot of attention for the seller as well...
Like first and watch after
Thanks for watching!
It wasn't a card show - Fan Fest w a card show. Fanatics will have thier own card shows.
From watching the footage it seemed to be a comic con type event. More on promotion and display advertising rather than on the card hobby.
Chris here - yeah that's the impression i got as well. I like the idea and it sounds like it was very well executed.
I think to myself either of theses events 1k isn’t enough to buy cards.
Never enough!
I heard they had tried to buy the rights to take over that 'East Coast National' and that's why they ended up scheduling this on that same weekend. That's interesting to me, if only to see what they'd add to these existing/established shows. All I'm saying is, it's extremely intriguing to consider just how many more collectors that are within an hour or two of any cities that Fanatics starts putting on these kinds of events/shows, would attend. Am I going to New York for that? No. Am I going to Pittsburgh for it? No. If they're the ones that finally rent out the Columbus Convention Center and put on something similar... absolutely, 100%. There's got to be thousands of other collectors with similar, like minded, positions on attending something like this.
Chris here - I hadnt heard that.
Boston Phil ready to tee off on NYC, lol. I didn't see much, but it looked flashy and gaudy. I doubt it will hold a candle to the National - ever.
Not for the hardcore card guys, no way. But for more casual collectors and sports fans, families, etc this was probably better.
If we’re talking cards and nothing more, WWE getting a tremendous response for their space over the weekend…. And in the aftermath of 2024 Prizm WWE (the first 2024 WWE card product) having just been released giving Panini a small W. 😝
Haha - yeah iheard the WWE section was insane.
Fanatics is a giant with some monopolistic tendencies. Sports cards are big, but not the biggest piece of the pie now or likely in the future. I do plan to attend the Fan Fest in Orlando in November. The National never comes to the Sunshine State. Kudos to Fanatics for recognizing this sporty state. I haven't gone to The National for a few years as I have enjoyed other summer events. Apparently, I have missed some slightly irritating ones. Lately, The National seems focused on the Mid-West. Perhaps the National could use a tiny refresh. Gooooooo 'Canes! Beat the Gators! - Heather
sometimes i watch the video with the volume all the way down and just watch chris' face and try and guess whats being said. 😂
Jeff here: Sounds like an excellent drinking game!
@Blabbin_Bout_Slabbin starting at 1:52 i imagine Phil saying his is average then describing what he thinks average is, lol.
Chris starts with grin and a blush straight into a eyebrow lift of intrigue. then a quick double brow lift back to a single brow lift to signal keep going. a full face smile to a chhek press with the tongue, that part worries me 😂. quick camera adjust in the direction of the topic, then a full look of surprise straight into worry and back to a smile. your boy chris is a crotch man through and through 😂😅
@@forpetesake20 hahaha - I am who i am lol!! And your play by play sounds almost entirely accurate.
@SpitballinCards I'm not the legendary orator that Jeff is but i can spin a yarn from time to time, lol.
Yeah boy
Thanks for watching!
I wonder if Livvy Dune knows only Bowman Draft is out with Skeens cards currently lol
Don’t forget Cactus Jack Chrome!? 😂
@@Blabbin_Bout_Slabbin HaHa🤣😂Im lookin up the Cactus Jack topps chrome, there Selling like hot cakes out the gate early
Get Up from ESPN did a morning show from FanaticsFest
Very cool! Stuff like that can really help grow the hobby
The National needs to do away with some of the vendors…especially the ones do sell the same dusty pennants for the past 10 years. That will free up some room for fan fest type of activities.
Jeff here: this makes sense to me, but when Scott or Ty suggested something similar in a recent video, they got roasted in the comments, so not sure what direction the National is going to go.
What jeff said above. Some very different opinions on those specific vendors at the National. I'm not sure what exactly is in it for them??
Credit cards. Goodness. There's a fair bit of drug money that needs to get laundered at a card show. Cash only guys.
😅
I’m gonna say it again, Bartle Hall in downtown Kansas City.
Yeah Scott, we believe you didn't know Livvie's last name.?.?.? I think the only person you might've fooled is your wife, but probably NOT!!!!!!!
😂
🤣🤣🤣
Great show, first
Appreciate the support! 💪🏼
Thanks!! 🍻🍻
It appears that the Fanatic’s show in Orlando in November is geared more towards collecting. Maybe a totally different experience??
Jeff here: interesting! I look forward to hearing more about it as it gets closer.
😮
There were over 300 card dealers at the NYC Fanatics show.
Grant Williams had never collected anything, that was his 1st box. He bought it from Mojo Break (the TH-camr) think he paid 10,800 for the box
CT Scanners on fire
Chris here - I;d love to have that kind of card money around, especially for my FIRST BOX
@Chris - for sure, seems a bit too lucky.
Chris I don't believe you that cardboard would be more interesting if you saw Livvy holding a SSP Freeman, I think you might pay more attention to her.
I've seen an armless person throw a ceremonial first pitch with their foot better than any of Michael Rubin's throws
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The NT box was definitely not scanned not sure what you guys are talking about. You can see the dealers that sold it to him in the video and they looked so upset that they just sold that box lol.
It was $50 entry fee for regular admission.....there's no way they didn't make money unless the attendance really was super low.
Being in NYC, I'm guessing renting that space for the long weekend, plus whatever the celebrities/athletes fees were added up to a lot. But I don;t know. I hope they do it again!
Cincinnati has Skyline chili though
I love chili 🌶️
The Luka was not scanned. Layton sold the box and had the box for years.
Chris here - just playing devil's advocate here: What does that prove?
@@SpitballinCards why would you sell a box with a Luka RPA that could be worth a half million if you knew the card was in the box.
@@ericstanley5512 That's a fair question. I wonder what the new owner will do with it.
This is early 80s coin shows all over again. It's not gonna work. More rah rah and cheerleading than anything else. It failed.
Collectors are collectors. Sports fans are not. There's no converting. Either you collect or you dont.
Chris here - if you're right, then Fanatics entire business model might be in trouble.
Gotta Love when people get on talking about things where they weren’t there and have their facts wrong. The super premium tickets ($1k +) got access to special seating in theater for panels (first three rows) and meeting of Rubin with a few other perks. There was no $8k or $9k single ticket. That $8k was for a bundle of 4 premium tickets.
you guys are going a little too far down the conspiracy rabbit hole. Why would Mojo sell a NT box for $10k if they knew it had a $100k++ card in it?? Please don't say "advertising" or to influence people that they are trustworthy and don't scan boxes.
Chris here - I don't know, the timing just makes it seem so questionable. Probably just me being cynical, though.
If it was me and I knew it was in there, I'd just rip it and sell the card.
Fanatics is spending topps money like a drunken sailor within 2 years.Topps We'll be up for sale and the athletes.Pulling one of the ones it's laughable