Card Show Weekend Preview July 11-12: Collect-A-Con New Jersey and Front Row Seattle Before the July Crunch
Collect-A-Con brings 900-plus vendor tables to Edison, New Jersey while Front Row runs Seattle/Tacoma out west. It is the last big show weekend before Fanatics Fest and the Pitch Black launch take over the hobby.
The Calm Before the Storm — Sort Of
With Fanatics Fest and the Pitch Black launch both landing the following week, July 11-12 is the last chance this month to work a show floor without fighting a headline event. Two shows anchor the weekend, one on each coast.
Collect-A-Con New Jersey — Edison, NJ
The nation's largest trading card and pop culture convention brings its traveling show to the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. The scale is serious: 900-plus vendor tables spanning sports cards, Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh, Lorcana, comics, vintage toys, and video games, plus celebrity guests, live box breaks, and concerts.
Collect-A-Con's signature strength is the sports-card-meets-TCG blend — it is one of the few show floors where you can move a stack of basketball slabs and spend the proceeds on sealed Pokemon without leaving the building. With Pitch Black launching five days later, expect heavy presale action on Mega Evolution product and aggressive buylist prices on Mega Darkrai ex hype.
Front Row Card Show — Seattle/Tacoma
On the West Coast, Front Row runs its Seattle/Tacoma show July 11-12. Front Row has been expanding fast — its takeover of State Farm Stadium in Arizona last month showed the ambition — and the Pacific Northwest stop is a strong regional show with a dealer mix that leans sports but increasingly makes room for TCG tables.
How to Work This Weekend
- Sell into strength: dealers are stocking up ahead of Fanatics Fest and the National later this month — it is a good weekend to move inventory they need
- Ask about Pitch Black presales: many TCG vendors will take launch-week orders at show pricing
- Watch World Cup soccer tables: with the tournament heading into its final week, soccer singles are the most active they will ever be
Not near either show? Local card shops run weekend events year-round — use our directory to find trade nights and shows near you.