PHOENIX — Collect cards, and build memories at the Phoenix Convention Center this month! The founder of the Arizona State Card Show lays out what’s on deck for the three-day event running from March 21-23.
“We pretty much have 450 tables. It ranges from basketball, football, baseball, soccer, trading cards. They have UFC nowadays, and then there's Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, and all the other trading card games they have out there,” shared Cole McAuliff, founder of the Arizona State Card Show, to ABC15. “About 40% of them, or 30% of them [vendors] come from out of state. So, there's a lot of new faces and high-end dealers, too. Some of these cards could range from $5, $100 and some collections range from $1,000 to $10,000 cards. So, it's really wild.”
Hundreds of dealer tables are set to showcase sports card collections, sports memorabilia, Funko-Pops, comics and more!
This isn’t a convention just to shop for trading cards- you can also trade and sell.
“If you have cards that are sitting up in an attic, some old Pokémon cards that you're looking to cash out, this is a place to bring it. Or if you want to get back into the hobby and learn a little bit more, everybody's again, super inclusive and friendly. And very willing to give information and help a new collector,” said McAuliff.
This three-day event is also being called the ‘spring training spectacular,’ and for a good reason! Current and former MLB players that have confirmed to make an appearance and sign autographs include Luis Gonzalez, Kyle Nelson, Blake Walston, James Triantos, and others.
“We pretty much have autograph signers lined up throughout the whole weekend,” said McAuliff. Other big names to be in attendance include ASU Stars Sam Leavitt & Jordan Tyson.
IF YOU GO
- Event venue: Phoenix Convention Center [West Exhibition Halls 1 & 2 located in the Lower Level] 100 N. 3rd Street.
- Dates to save: March 21-23
- Friday, March 21: 1 p.m.-8/9 p.m.
- Saturday, March 22: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Keep this mind: “We also have a after hours, kind of a social event. They call them Trade Nights and […] its kind of just gets down to the roots of like collecting. So, people make trades and swaps, and there's drinks, and it's kind of like a social cocktail hour,” shared McAuliff. “We also do one for kids during the show -that the Kids Trade Day, Saturday, the 22nd from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and that's where we'll give them […] different goody bags, some packs and free stuff to give away. And they'll have two hours just for kids make deals and kind of be their own little mini vendor.
- Sunday, March 23: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
- On Sunday there will a live auction where items will start at $5. "It happens Sunday around 4pm and it's in the showroom by the autograph stage, where all the autograph guests appear. And our sponsor, Hot Corner Sports Card Shop there in Mesa, they bring items out, and then we'll bring some of our items out, and everything starts at $5 and it's kind of fun. Just the bidding process. Everyone has, like, a bidding paddle, and it's, it's new, but it's actually grown pretty strongly. So we have normally about 5060, bidders. So I'd recommend people checking that out if they're there Sunday.
- Event cost: Tickets start at $15 + fees. Veterans and kids 10 and under receive free admission. Click here for a full breakdown of the ticket information.
The video in the player above showcases some of the best things to do in the Valley this March- read more about it right here.
