Curious what the general opinion on E4 is for card shows? Do you like going? Avoid them like the plague? Do you ever vend, and do you enjoy it? I feel like card shows have become a major part of the hobby and I rarely see them talked about on here.
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There isnt a lot for me there. My collection goals are niche, i dislike being made into content, and collect for fun not finances. These things pretty much make modern cardshows 90% uninteresting
I do plan to check out a few more this year to see the 10% of things i do like at them, if my schedule allows.
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oh god is this common?
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I thought they were cool at first, but its kind of awkward now as each year passes. Prices increase exponentially versus organically like they used to, and its usually marked up higher than that so they make a big profit to continue vending, so going in with a budget of lets say $5k couldve completed a few sets 10 years ago, now youd be lucky to buy a couple single slabs which kind of makes me feel like not attending unless I make 100k+ a year.
I felt like attending a few of them at first to see what they were like, but I truly think that the card shows will cool off within the next decade and people will be attending Labubufest in 2036. I suppose thats my 2026 hot take,
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Hopefully not terribly common but there are some vendors who record their booths for security and post their more interesting interactions for content.
Im not interested casually flipping through a binder while a guy with a gopro strapped to his chest, talking to another camera setup, and still tries to hustle me into buying things i dont necessarily want (that specifically does happen). Whether they post the content later or not, not certain.
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this is good intel, thank you!!!
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In my opinion, card shows are a net positive and serve a purpose like every other aspect of the hobby, whether it’s something I regularly interact with or not. I do not vend, but I attended probably 5-6 shows this past year here in SoCal.
Positives:
- Allows for actual human to human interaction instead of just staring at a screen or looking at your cards in your room by yourself (I think this is a positive anyways; I think sharing a hobby you love with other people who are interested in it makes it infinitely more fulfilling).
- Helps you see cards you may not have seen before (last show I was at one of the vendors had an entire graded set of Fossil Cosmos holos which was super cool to see…I wish I had $15k in my pocket then
) - Helps you get an understanding of what a card looks like in person rather than trying to decipher what it looks like in pictures. This is particularly helpful for both holographic cards and checking condition in general.
- Some card shows have grading company representatives available if you would like to submit items in person for grading and avoid shipping fees.
- If you’re looking to sell, it’s a potential way to make quick money (likely at a percentage unless you have a really popular item).
- If you have cash on hand, shows can sometimes be a way to snag a deal (particularly towards the end of the last day…yes, I’m a penny pincher at times).
Negatives:
- I despise when vendors/influencers are constantly trying to create content. I get that that is part of their engagement and business model a lot of the time, I personally just don’t want to be constantly under the microscope of their viewers while interacting at a table.
- While some vendors do collect, their focus isn’t necessarily collecting or collections, but rather ascribing a dollar sign to cards. If someone is vending, they are running a business at some level, and thus their goal is to make money. This may dissuade people who are less interested in the monetary and transactional aspect of Pokemon and more interested in collecting in general.
- Overpriced inventory. Related to the above, vendors need to account for making money, paying for vending/rental fees, travel costs, etc. So while deals can occur, don’t expect everything to be a bargain.
- Inconvenience. There is something to be said about just clicking “buy now” on my computer in my PJs while I sip coffee versus wading through noise and crowds to try and negotiate a price on a card with a busy vendor. Sometimes it’s worth paying a little more for convenience alone.
If you’ve never been to a card show, I’d recommend going to a bigger one (Collect a Con, Front Row, etc.) and one smaller/local one so you can see for yourself!
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I’ve never been to a card show but I am considering going to one this year. But I plan to make it just part of a broader vacation at that same destination. That way regardless of how good/bad the show is there will still be other things to see/do in the area.
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Probably a net positive overall from more overall exposure to the hobby. In my area, their is typically 2 fairly big local TCG shows per month.
I personally am introverted and find them a bit awkward when each sale or trade a vendor makes is “logged” on camera/instagram. I will say the big positive for me personally is doing trades. I was able to get rid of some modern sealed/trade into cards that I’ve wanted. Fairly surprised by the selection a lot of vendors had…just from the few I’ve been to this year locally had Masaki’s and other old back Japanese promos.
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The only reason I would consider going to a card show would be to vend, and hopefully it would be a one time deal. Not a fan of modern, near mint vintage and light packs priced with the casual speculator in mind, not a fan of body odor as weaponized aerosols or getting thwacked with selfie tripods.
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i think its more common at the big shows like collect-a-con, where vendors try to offset costs with youtube ad revenue. u can always ask to be edited out of the video if you make a deal, but i don’t like how i can end up on youtube as an accidental background actor browsing while someone else is doing a deal
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I’d love to attend a card show one day just for the experience but I haven’t heard of any on my side of Australia.
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i’m hoping to go to a newish local one next weekend and i’m crossing my fingers that it’s too “small pond” for that sort of thing. but i might chicken out and skip it lol who knows.
it’s not so much the act of appearing in videos that bugs me but the vampiric effect that filming for content has on human interaction. it’s hard enough talking to friends or family while they have half an eye on their phone, much less a stranger who is actively making content of the conversation for the benefit of other strangers on the internet. i’ve dressed up for conventions before and it is a miserable experience when people won’t actually talk to you but they’ll talk to their camera
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Card shows are great for finding hidden treasures. I always go to shows with the hopes of finding something vintage and niche I wouldn’t find online. Also you get the luxury of looking at things first hand before buying. Negotiating is also pretty cool being that it’s in the moment instead of via emails or messages. I also feel like you can pretty much find anything and everything at a large enough card show like collect a con. Let’s not forget being able to get cash from selling on the spot. The last show I went to I found a mint condition carddass Charizard town map card for the price of a damaged one on eBay just because the vendor was in a great mood!
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I personlly love cards shows. I recently went to Card Party (as im also a big fan of DeepPocketMonster) and had a really fun time. While reading some of these i do agree that, alot of the vendors just use that time to vlog and make you become the content, however it is fun when you ignore that. The prices can be absurd, but if you bargain just right you can still make it fun, however its NOT a place to save money. Overall card shows are fun when you know how to enjoy them
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Ive only been to smaller shows (under 50 vendors, some less than 10). I enjoy them. Ive always found cards I wanted and felt comfortable buying. Are the deals there? Meh. Its more about the thrill of the hunt and seeing the variety of whats out there, in person. If you are expecting to find cards to grade, dont even bother going. If its worth grading, its already been graded. If you just wanna see lots of cool cards and maybe find a deal or two, go.
I havent been to one where youtubers are there. Those are usually 100+ vendor shows
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I stopped going because there kept being high value theft at them all near me. Not worth it anymore. Had a nice time before that though. Met a cool guy who was a genuine player. But who knows now.
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Its very common. You will generally end up in dozens of different videos walking/shopping around a large card show.
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Glad I’m not the only one who finds this type thing very odd. Truthfully I can understand the security camera angle. I get it. You gotta protect yourself nowadays I suppose.
Lately I’ve seen too much of this:
-Female introduces herself to vendors
-Vendors collect donations from thirsty chat (why is a chat constantly running on a damn card booth anyways?)
-Hey chat donated $38 for you to get a Misty card!!!
-Her omg.jpg
-She gets a free card and the vendor congratulates her for her bravery of stopping by
it’s all super cringe…
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It’s not stupid if it works.
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