Card Show Weekend August 14-16: Collect-A-Con San Antonio, Vegas, Seattle, and MTG The Hobbit Release Day
Four multi-day shows across four states plus the paper release of MTG The Hobbit on Friday. Here is what each event is actually good for, whether you are buying TCG singles, hunting high-end sports, or selling out of a collection.
This is a heavy weekend. Four multi-day shows across four states, plus the paper release of the biggest Magic set of the year on Friday. Here is the full rundown, with what each event is actually good for.
Friday, August 14 — MTG The Hobbit Hits Shelves
The Universes Beyond Hobbit set releases worldwide in paper on Friday, alongside the Secret Lair Drop Series: A Marvelous Mathoms Superdrop. Prerelease weekend ran August 7 through 13, so Friday is the first day product is available for general sale.
What to know if you are heading to a local game store:
- New mechanics in the set are recruit and storied
- Box toppers include reprints of Tom Bombadil and The One Ring
- The Marvelous Mathoms Superdrop includes food tokens laid out as a hobbit's meal plan and alternate treatments in styles including claymation
Release-day allocation at local stores is usually tighter than people expect. Call ahead.
Saturday and Sunday, August 15-16 — The Big Shows
Collect-A-Con San Antonio
Freeman Coliseum, Halls A-B-C, 3201 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX
Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm
Over 900 vendor tables. Collect-A-Con is the anime-and-TCG-forward show on the national circuit, so expect Pokemon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic to dominate the floor, with a meaningful sports card presence alongside. If you are hunting Japanese Pokemon or One Piece singles, this is the best room in the country this weekend.
Front Row Card Show — Las Vegas
August 15-16
A genuine mixed-category show: sports cards, Pokemon, Magic, and other collectibles under one roof. Las Vegas shows tend to draw sellers with high-end inventory because of the travel economics, so this is a better room for buying big than the attendance numbers suggest.
Cards and More Tour — Seattle, WA
August 14-16 (three days, starting Friday)
The extra Friday session is the differentiator. Friday floors at regional shows are quieter, dealers are still setting up, and prices are often more negotiable before the weekend crowd arrives.
Cards and More Tour — Savannah, GA
August 15-16
The Southeast option this weekend, and the smaller of the two Cards and More stops. Regional shows like this are where undervalued vintage tends to surface, because the seller pool is local rather than national.
Sunday, August 16 — Single-Day Shows
A wide spread of one-day shows are running Sunday, including events in Parsippany, NJ, Cedar Rapids, IA, and San Diego, CA, among others.
Sunday one-day shows are the most underrated value in the hobby. Dealers who have already covered their table cost on Saturday are noticeably more willing to move inventory.
How to Plan Your Weekend
If you are buying TCG singles
Collect-A-Con San Antonio, no contest. Bring a want list sorted by set, and walk the entire floor once before buying anything. Prices on the same card can vary 30 percent between tables at a show that size.
If you are buying high-end sports
Las Vegas. The dealer mix skews toward six-figure inventory, and the room is small enough to actually negotiate.
If you are selling
The regional shows. Seattle and Savannah both have Friday or early-Saturday windows where dealers are actively buying to fill their cases, which is when you get the best offers.
If you are new
Sunday single-day shows. Lower stakes, smaller crowds, and dealers with more time to talk. Bring cash and a modest budget.
Find shows and shops near you. Use The Card Shop Finder to search card shops and upcoming events in your area.