National ?'s

CdnOsfan

Have not been to a National before. A few questions....

1. Is there not a family rate? My wife and 15 and 18 year old daughters want to come so that'll be 80 bucks/day just to get in.

2. Are all the autograph signings assembly line speed? Can you take a quick picture with the signer (Brooks Robinson for example) or forget it?

3. How many hours will we be in line for an autograph?

Thanks

1957Braves

I’ve been to three in Chicago. I assume other locations are the same. Others please correct me where I am wrong.

I don’t think there are discounted tickets. Looks like you can buy online and save a few bucks, but no multi-entry passes or group admissions.

Depends on the signer. Some guys will chat with you for a minute, others just sign and want to move the line along. I think you can have someone in line with you and take a quick picture while the signer is signing, however the staff my grumble about that because picture ops are a separate category for a separate fee. Ive noticed a handful of various athletes who have some time at the end of their autograph window where they are just sitting there alone or with a representative. If you go a bit later in their session, you may have some additional interaction time. I don’t think they hang around after their time slot is done, so don’t miss your window.

Depends on the signer again. Universally popular or very popular local athletes will tend to have the biggest draw. People may also have multiple items to sign. Also the above applies; some guys will chat a few sentences with everyone. This adds a bit to line time, obviously. Others are just sign and move.

Additionally; the shows are exponentially bigger than anything else I’d ever been to. All sorts of dealers with all sorts of stuff. My favorite part is just walking around and seeing some stuff you’d never see. Really great experiences. When I go, I go for one day/all day with a friend and don’t feel like I’ve seen everything. I would suggest discussing that with your family to make sure they know what they’re getting in to in case some people would want to stay longer than others. Nationals aren’t like local (in my area) shows where you’re in and out in half an hour. If your legs/back aren’t sore from all the walking and bending over to look at stuff, you haven’t done it right.

Hope this helps. I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Make sure you respond on this thread and let the group know what your favorite parts were.

vols1

The autograph tickets are numbered, they call your number when it's time for autograph to limit line time. You can take a quick pic of the athlete signing your item, but if you want a pic with the athlete yourself then you have to pay separate fee.