The National Preview I by Altan Insights: July 27, 2021

To prepare for The National, Altan Insights’ sat down with some of the top names in the space to discuss the event, their opinion on the overall card market, and more! We kick-off this week with an interview featuring two of the top social media accounts in the space: @OldTownCards and @CardPurchaser.

Be on the lookout for more content around The National with additional interviews and coverage this week!

Are you attending the national and how many have you attended?

@Card Purchaser: This year will be my first time attending and I am excited! I plan to attend as a collector and see what I want to buy. It will be fun to finally meet some of the people that I've interacted with in the sports card Twitter world.

@OldTownCards: This will be my first one ever!

Do you have a booth or anything you'd like to plug such as sales or giveaways at the national?

CP: I won't be selling anything but will be tweeting about my experience at National on my Twitter feed @CardPurchaser 

OTC: I've got nothing to plug. Just going there as a collector with some friends. Funny enough, the guys I'm going with, I met on hobby Twitter and we've never met in real life. The three of us will be meeting up there.

Are there any players or sports you feel are underrated and overrated today?

CP: There are players that I don't feel are talked about as much as they should be. Albert Pujols, Nelson Cruz, and a few other guys have impressive careers that are still going. Nelson Cruz seems to be playing better with age. I think a lot of serial numbered baseball rookies from Topps flagship are overlooked and under-appreciated. 

OTC: It fluctuates so much. Soccer cards go really hot and then cooled a bit. NBA was a monster and has cooled a ton. F1 the same. Marvel. Everything goes through its spurts. Trea Turner is incredibly underrated. I see him as a top 3 SS in baseball.

​​

If attending the national is there anything specific you're targeting? 

CP: As it's my first time attending I'm going to take it slow. I'd love to grab some graded vintage cards if the price is right!

OTC: Trea Turner and Juan Soto. Turner is underrated and Soto just had a dip. I'll be buying both of them.

If you have attended in the past, do you have any advice for a first-time attendee?

CP: I have not attended National before but common card show advice is to bring cash and a backpack or bag to carry your purchases. Dealers might consider it rude to check eBay prices on your phone while negotiating so do your research in advance or step away for a minute!