On the last Friday of July for a few hours we went fishing in Atlantic City. Not out in the water, but at the Atlantic City Convention Center. We went to check out the National Sports Collectors Convention, a massive treasure trove of memorabilia new, unique and pretty much what you would expect.
So what did we actually find? Well lots.
First of all it was fun and refreshing to see for all the innovative and buzzworthy elements of sport today, the appeal of the tangible…autographs, mementos big and small, still has both an appeal and a market. The collectable business crosses boldly with tech in authentication companies, futures markets, streaming video and some virtual content creation, but for the most part, the things you can, touch, feel and take away are what rules the day with this crowd…which was largely male, slightly older (although as the day went along it was great to see moms and dads with their kids huddled around the Panini or the Topps displays opening cards and collecting items) and not overly diverse.
Second, while there was some tech mixed with the tangible…one of the best examples was NBA and Golden State Warriors Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond hyping a combination of traditional cards with a hologram package that brings them into your living room…the idea that NFT’s would be mixed into this collectible show was not that prominent at all. There was a smattering of tech, but it is obvious that this massive crowd was here for the old school, even some current players were there signing during the day, but the only content capture on phones were pictures, few if any were there trading cloud based collectibles, so the market there is very early stage still.
Third, it was interesting to see the lack of league presence and senior officials coming, at least on Friday, to sample and see the crowd. This is the core of the sports business, these are the die hards who listen to sports radio, buy the latest jersey and celebrate fandom. For all of that there were few executives coming to walk and see the goings on, although the presence of Gary Vaynerchuck drew a legion of followers, and it was also nice to see Fanatics head Michael Rubin just walking around and watching and listening. That type of insight reminded me of the movie big, where Robert Loggia’s character, the head of McMillan Toys, wandered into Tom Hank’s character on a Saturday morning at FAO Schwartz, just so he could see and feel what was going on in the industry. There was no better way to get that feel than at the National on Friday.
Fourth, ticket stubs and other collectibles of events. There were not many on display. We found maybe one or two booths with ticket stubs with many people asking for where they could also be found. It remains a sore spot we have touched on before…while the need for paperless is a premium and the data and utility remain high, teams need to give fans the option, even at a price, to be able to print and hold their stubs. For this crowd, paperless is not premium. Give fans the choice, it has value still.
Fifth and last, here is the blue ocean. There is so much momentum in women’s sports these days…attendance, broadcast, sponsorship, team sales prices, marketing deals…yet on the entire floor, thousands of feet of space, hundreds of booths…there was ONE small booth dedicated to promoting women’s sports. Of all the autograph signees for the weekend…the number of women? Zero. Of all the merchandise on display, there was ONE WNBA jersey. No Mia Hamm, no Lisa Leslie, no Serena Williams, no Anika Sorenstam, no Cami Granato. None. Not a space.
That tells us something, actually a few things. Maybe the market is not there yet because the audience is not yet mature enough. Maybe the organizers and collectors are not hearing the demand just yet. Maybe the mindset for women’s sport is still leaning forward where the tangible collectible is not needed, it is much more cloud based. Maybe those interested in women’s sport would rather be out and about than in a convention hall of a sunny weekend in the summer. Or maybe, just maybe, in a risk averse traditional business, those at the top don’t yet see the opportunity.
Our opinion, if you can start the business geared towards the women’s stars past, present and future, you bring in an new demo to these shows, you show inclusivity, and you drive a new revenue stream. It wasn’t like people weren’t asking for women’s swag, they were, it just was not present.
So what did we walk away with? The tangible is viable, and in big numbers. We have to keep the balance of the digital and the virtual with what we as humans can hold and feel and touch, it evokes memories and humanity. There is always room for growth, and the women’s area, as well as sports like soccer and lacrosse and even Olympic sports, has appeal that is still simmering. And lastly, the memorabilia business may have gotten a massive reboot during the Pandemic, but it is vibrant and still growing, regardless of the demo.
Worthwhile summer Friday trip down the Parkway? For sure. Lots of learning and thought collecting. Opportunities abound.
