The National to be held Detroit in 2028
This is a big damn deal. The National Sports Collectors Convention announced that the convention will be held at Huntington Place in 2028. Yes, The National is coming to Detroit……
Joel adds to his sticker collection at A-Z Cards, Comics & Coins! Everyone is pumped for the The National Card Collector Show coming to Detroit in 2028!
This is a big damn deal. The National Sports Collectors Convention announced that the convention will be held at Huntington Place in 2028. Yes, The National is coming to Detroit... this is the Superbowl of card collectors. Start shining up your rookie cards and brushing the dust off that Ken Griffey Jr. binder, because Detroit just hit the collecting big leagues.
Huntington Place is undergoing a $125 million expansion. They are adding 20,000 square feet and a pedestrian bridge to connect with the JW Marriott Hotel that is set to open on the former Joe Louis Arena site. This is more amazing news for the growth of Detroit.
The National Sports Collectors Convention organizer asked people to vote on where the 2028 should be held. It was between Detroit and Atlanta. The Huntington Place team traveled to the the 2025 show and gave a formal presentation to help bring this event to Detroit. Q&A... everything. Way to go, team HP!
Here's a video from the 2025 National in Chicago. I love seeing people open old or rare cards.
What The National is All About
The National. The Super Bowl of card shows. The Comic-Con of sports memorabilia. The event that turns trading cards into currency, turns collectors into dealmakers, and turns kids-at-heart back into wide-eyed fans.
The announcement dropped like a ‘52 Mantle at a garage sale, unexpected but thrilling. While the convention has made repeat stops in places like Chicago and Cleveland, this will be the first time Detroit proper has hosted the massive event, and only the second time ever in Michigan. The first was back in 1981, at a Hilton in Plymouth. That show had 60 dealers and about 5,000 attendees. Today? The National brings in tens of thousands of collectors from around the globe and fills up 750,000+ square feet of floor space.
Huntington Place, formerly Cobo, is set to transform into a collector’s paradise in summer 2028. Think walls of vintage cards, autographs from hall-of-famers, memorabilia that'll make your jaw drop, and yes… lines that stretch longer than a Topps checklist. It’s not just about baseball cards anymore—expect Pokémon, Marvel, wrestling, NFTs, and pop culture galore.
This is a huge win for Detroit. The National is a magnet for tourism and hobby buzz, and local dealers, collectors, and fans. I believe in living life in the moment, but man, 2028 is giving us something amazing to look forward to!
