CLEVELAND — Thousands of sports and pop culture fans are expected at the IX Center this week for the National Sports Collectors Convention.
The convention is one of the largest trade shows in the country. Over 600 vendors will be at the center to sell sports trading cards, jerseys and other memorabilia to fellow fans. Athletes like Hines Ward, Jerry Rice, and Barry Sanders will also drop by for autograph signings.
Collecting has become a profitable passion for vendors like Gary Vaynerchuk with VeeFriends. Vaynerchuck started collecting baseball cards as a kid. Once he got older, he decided to turn that passion into a business called VeeFriends, a line of trading cards for kids that teaches good traits and habits.
"At the time," he said. "I didn't realize that I loved business and that I was an entrepreneur, so those two things together became a perfect match."
Vaynerchuk isn't the only one finding out how powerful pop culture is. Heritage Auction has set up a booth at the convention is bringing along some of the priciest pieces of pop culture to the convention, including Babe Ruth's jersey from the called shot, Dorothy's ruby red slippers, and signed memorabilia from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Everybody can walk into this booth and say I had this piece of artwork," Joe Maddalena with Heritage Auction said. "I had that toy. That's my favorite athlete."
That's what the convention is all about: celebrating a love that is shared with a whole community of people.
"Humans love to congregate around things," Vaynerchuk said. "Church, sports, and collectibles happens to be one of them."
For a full schedule of events, click here.
