Is It Worth Going to Local Card Shows?
Card shows are the lifeblood of the hobby. While major shows often steal the spotlight, smaller events can deliver just as much excitement for collectors. This is the story of how I came across one of my grail cards, a European sticker, at a local show outside Richmond, Virginia. Never sleep on your local card show - you never know what cards will surface.
We have several card show promoters In central Virginia, so I’m fortunate to have access to a local show every few weeks. Some are better than others, but I’m regularly reminded of the importance of local shows for the hobby. Not only do they help bring buyers and sellers together under one roof, but more importantly they strengthen the local collector community.
It was the combination of the two that allowed me to acquire a grail card of mine.
I was driving down the interstate to a show outside Richmond when a feeling hit me. I’d probably been to over 20 local shows that year, but for some reason I just had a sense something was going to be different about this particular one.
I walked into the hotel lobby expecting the morning to transpire like any other show morning. I’d do a lap around the floor, say hello to hobby friends, then eventually approach certain tables in hopes of working out a few deals before the drive home.
A couple hours went by and I eventually decided to make my way towards the exit. Little did I know that the walk out would be such a memorable hobby experience.
As I was walking past a friend’s booth I happened to notice a couple unexpected cards lying on top of a box by his feet. While you would expect to see plenty of cards of players like Jayden Daniels or Victor Wembanyama at shows like that, lying on the box were actually soccer cards from the 90s and early 00s. Not something I’d expect to stumble across in Richmond, Va.
A thought crossed my mind. Could a certain card be in that stack.
While the majority of my collection is 90s basketball cards, I also collect certain soccer cards, including Ronaldo Nazario, one of the most electric playera from the early 2000s. Like most global superstars from that era, their earliest “cards” actually tend to be stickers that were printed and distributed in Europe.
I’d been looking for one in particular - the 1994 Voetbal 95 sticker. Something I’d been keeping my eyes peeled for at regional shows the past year without any luck.
I anxiously asked if I could flip through the box at my friend’s feet.
Those moments immediately after picking up that box felt like a blur. I couldn’t believe it - there it was - the 1994 Voetbal Ronaldo 95 sticker was sitting in a cardboard box at my local show.
I’ll never know the full story on how a European sticker made it to Richmond Virginia, but what I do know is that the entire experience stemmed from a simple interaction with a hobby friend.
Local card shows are more than just marketplaces, they are a key element of the hobby ethos bringing together collectors and dealers with a common passion. Finding that Ronaldo sticker is a reminder that treasures can be found at events of all sizes, so the next time a local card show pops up in your area, don’t overlook it. You never know what cards may be out there waiting for you.
