We're Getting Ready for the National... Here's What We're Cooking Up

Every year, there are a handful of dates that get circled on my calendar.

For anyone involved in the hobby, The National Sports Collectors Convention is one of those dates.

This year marks my fifth National representing Reclaim Customs, and I can honestly say the excitement hasn't worn off. Every year brings new conversations, new opportunities, and new memories, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this year's show has in store.

One of my favorite parts of attending the National is reconnecting with familiar faces.

Over the years, we've built relationships with incredible customers, collectors, athletes, business owners, and friends throughout the hobby. It's always fun to walk the show floor, stop by booths we've come to know, catch up with people we haven't seen in a year, and, if I'm being honest, probably buy a few things along the way. There are certain dealers and companies I make it a point to visit every year because you never know what they'll have waiting in their display cases.

Speaking of display cases...

The National is one of the few places on earth where you'll regularly find items you never imagined you'd see in person.

Whether it's an ultra-rare trading card you've only seen online, a one-of-a-kind game-used artifact, or a museum-quality display assembled by companies like Goldin, Heritage Auctions, or other major auction houses, there's always something that stops you in your tracks. Even after attending several Nationals, I still find myself saying, "I can't believe I'm looking at this."

It's one of the things that makes this show so special.

Another thing I genuinely enjoy is the conversations.

One moment, someone recognizes Reclaim Customs from Instagram, YouTube, or one of our other social media channels and wants to tell us about a project we've worked on. The next moment, we're introducing ourselves to someone who's never heard of us before.

Those conversations are some of my favorites.

It's an opportunity to hear people's stories, learn about their collections, answer questions about custom cards, and share why we're so passionate about what we do. We always keep examples of our work with us, so when someone asks, "What exactly is Reclaim Customs?" we don't just have to explain it... we can put it directly into their hands.

Pictures are great.

Holding one in person is even better.

This year's trip is especially exciting because we're bringing several projects with us.

For the second year in a row, we've had the incredible honor of creating the awards for the PSA Set Registry Awards Banquet. That's something we don't take lightly. We've poured a lot into this year's pieces, and we have a few surprises up our sleeve that we can't quite reveal yet. Once the awards have been presented, you can expect plenty of behind-the-scenes videos and content showcasing what we've been working on.

We're also bringing a special batch of custom cards for Olympic gold medalist Megan Keller to sign during her autograph sessions at the show. Knowing that fans will leave with something unique that we had the privilege of creating is incredibly rewarding.

In addition, we'll be meeting up with several customers to hand-deliver custom projects we've completed for them.

There's something special about those moments.

Most of the time we ship our work all over the country, so getting to hand someone their finished piece, watching them see it for the first time, and hearing their reaction is an experience that never gets old.

Of course, while we're there, we'll also be networking, exploring new opportunities, browsing the incredible inventory on the show floor, and seeing where the hobby continues to evolve.

And if history repeats itself, we'll probably run into a few unexpected faces.

Last year, we happened to see Rob Gronkowski walking through the convention, and Tom Brady made an appearance as well. That's part of the fun. You never know who's going to be around the next corner.

If you're attending the National this year, don't hesitate to stop us and say hello.

Whether you've been following Reclaim Customs for years or you're just hearing about us for the first time, we'd love to meet you, hear your story, and show you some of what we've been creating.

Fred, Aaron, and I will be at the show Wednesday through Friday, making the most of every minute.

Safe travels to everyone making the trip.

We'll see you in Rosemont.