liveUpdated 59s agoFollow live coverage of the 46th National Sports Collectors Convention from Rosemont, IllinoisThe Athletic Live Team and moreJuly 30, 2026 at 9:10 AM EDTThe 46th National Sports Collectors Convention is taking place in Rosemont, Illinois. Getty ImagesLive updates from the NationalIf the lines outside the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Wednesday were any indication, plenty of you have already arrived in the Chicago area for the National Sports Collectors Convention. But for collectors who couldn’t make it — or anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s largest gatherings of sports memorabilia collectors — we’re here for you.For the uninitiated, the National is an annual convention now in its 46th year. What began with a few hobbyists setting up folding tables at a Marriott near a Los Angeles airport is now billed by organizers as the world’s largest gathering of sports collectors, dealers, athletes, breakers and media members. More than 100,000 people attended last year’s event.Our team on the show floor will guide you through Thursday with videos, photos, regular updates and conversations with attendees. Senior writer Larry Holder and collectibles editors Brooks Peck and David Betancourt will provide the expertise, while I’ll be your host and bring you as much of the scene as possible.If you have any questions you want answered, interviews you want conducted or videos you want captured, email me at craig@theathletic.com. Otherwise, I might just go shopping.To get you ready, here’s some background reading and more information:$10 million bounty placed on new Shohei Ohtani card as the search intensifiesSports memorabilia FAQs, answered: Are my old cards worth anything? How do I get them graded?2026 Topps Chrome Baseball odds sheet analysis: Print run estimates and format recommendationsChasing Michael Rubin throughout the day Justin Bieber shocked Fanatics FesteBay Live streaming from the show floor with special guests and dealsSubscribe to The Athletic today The Athletic The Athletic has a dedicated Sports Memorabilia & Collectibles team that regularly publishes news, analysis and features from across the hobby.You can find all of our coverage here. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can also take advantage of our latest exclusive offer by visiting this link.What to expect Getty ImagesThe scale of the National Sports Collectors Convention is mind-boggling.According to the event’s website, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center offers 500,000 square feet of continuous floor space and features more than 600 of the country’s most prolific dealers.More than 100,000 people attended last year’s event, and this year’s edition promises to be even bigger.What time does the convention start? Getty ImagesThe show floor opens to the general public at 10 a.m. local time (9 a.m. EDT). Those with VIP credentials can enter 60 minutes earlier each day of the National.You can find a full list of events and speakers here.Welcome to our live coverage Getty ImagesHello and welcome to our live coverage of the National Sports Collectors Convention, America’s best-known sports card and memorabilia trade show.The 46th edition of the event is taking place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Il.Our team on the show floor will use this space to guide you through Thursday’s action with videos, photos, regular updates and conversations with those attending the event.We’d love to hear from you, too. You can leave a comment in the discussion tab at the top of the page or email us at live@theathletic.com.