Collectorfest In Syracuse Has Something For Every Sports Fan Collectorfest In Syracuse Has Something For Every Sports Fan

For some, collecting baseball cards is just a childhood hobby. But for the people at Collectorfest at the State Fair Grounds in Syracuse, collecting cards and sports memorabilia is a lifelong passion. If you’re looking for a rare trading card, an autographed bat or jersey from your favorite player, or any other interesting collectibles, odds are you might be able to find it at Collectorfest. The semi-annual event has been going on since 1986 and is put on by CNY Promotions, whose owner, Lyn Lake, says collector shows like this are much more customer-friendly than buying online.

Because here you can work out deals with the vendors and create relationships where not only can they buy stuff here but they can buy stuff down the road from them through the mail or meet them in person.

Customers can get to know vendors like Eric Biletzky, who says helping collectors find rare items they’ve been searching for months or years always puts a smile on his face.

Just seeing their faces when they find that card they haven’t found before. That one-off card that’s like one of ten or one of one type of thing.

While some are here for the love of collecting, others are here for a cause. Syracuse native Mark Ridall is the founder of Cards for a Cure and travels around the state and country selling sports memorabilia to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes research after his son was diagnosed nearly 16 years ago. Mark loves that he found a way to turn his passion for collecting into a way to support his son.

This was just a natural progression. I love doing this. I love getting out and being part of the hobby. I coached for 33 years but I don’t coach anymore so this becomes my passion. So to be able to do something that’s going to benefit my son, that’s what it’s all about for me.

If you’re looking for something cool to hang on the wall or just want to browse and take a trip down memory lane, Collectorfest has something for everybody, and you never know what you might find, or who you might meet.

Regular legacies are five. The orange is ten and the chrome is ten.

In Syracuse, I’m Mike Adzima, NCC News.