STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — The three-day Strongsville Sports Collectors Convention scheduled for this month will feature dozens of collectors, appearances by former professional athletes — including many who played for Cleveland — and thousands of cards, artifacts and more.
The event is Friday through Sunday, April 14-16. It attracts thousands of people from all over the world buying and selling an array of sports memorabilia, everything from modern cards to vintage ones.
The show — which began in 1978 as the Ohio Sports Collectors Convention — is at the Best Western Conference Center. Sixty dealers from various states and Canada are expected to attend.
Scheduled appearances
Former Cavaliers:
• Larry Nance
Former Brown:
• Joe De Lamielur
• Bernie Kosar
• Dave Logan
• Clay Matthews Jr
• Ozzy Newsom
• Greg Pruitt
• Mike Pruitt
• Reggie Rucker
• Brian Sipe
Former Indians:
• Carlos Baerga
• Bartolo Colon
• David Justice
• Corey Snyder
Others:
• Rickey Henderson, Baseball Hall of Famer
• Former boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini
• Baseball’s Daryl Strawberry
• Former Cincinnati Bengal Ikki Woods
Representatives from several auction houses (Lelands, Heritage Auctions) and authenticators (James Spence Authentication, card grading firm Certified Sports Guaranty) – must appear for “on-site” appraisals. Attendees should plan to bring their own items.
Former Cleveland pitcher Sam McDowell is also scheduled to be there with author Marty Gitlin. McDowell’s autobiography, The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell, was released in 2022.
The show is a good chance to browse sports memorabilia, even if you’re not buying or selling. The larger National Sports Collectors Convention, which rotates between several cities and was last held in Cleveland in 2018, is slated to return in 2024.
If you go: Sports Collectors Convention in Strongsville
Where: Best Western, 15471 Royalton Road, Strongsville.
O’clock:
• 2 to 7 p.m., Friday, April 14 (early entry: noon).
• 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 15 (early entry: 9:30 a.m.)
• 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, April 16 (early entry: 9:30 a.m.)
One day admission:
Online price (door access in brackets)
• Friday – $7.95 ($12)
• Saturday – $11.95 ($17)
• Sunday – $7.95 ($12)
Also: Ages 10 and under enter free with paid adult admission. Early bird and weekend passes are also available. Autographs are paid extra; check the website for hours and prices. Parking is free.
Related coverage: The National Sports Collectors Convention returns to Cleveland
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