Card Show Weekend Preview May 1 to 3: Dallas Card Show Hits Santa Clara, Philly Non-Sports Returns, Fort Lauderdale and Toronto Bring the Crowds

It is a stacked card show weekend across the country. Three of the largest regional shows in North America are running Friday through Sunday, and the Toronto Sport Card Expo wraps up its run today. Whether you are flipping retail Topps Chrome Football boxes, hunting vintage at a dealer table, or running a personal Pokemon want list, May 1–3 is one of the most active weekends of the spring hobby calendar.

Dallas Card Show — Bay Area Edition

The traveling juggernaut that is the Dallas Card Show sets up at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California, May 1–3, 2026. This is the show's biggest Bay Area appearance to date, and the table count, autograph guest list, and breaker presence are all expected to rival the Dallas flagship show.

What to Expect

• 200-plus dealer tables across vintage, modern, sealed wax, Pokemon, MTG, and TCG.
• A scheduled autograph guest lineup heavy on Bay Area sports legends — 49ers, Warriors, Giants alumni typically headline this stop.
• On-site PSA submission booth and CGC representation, plus typical breaker setups from major Whatnot and Fanatics Live sellers.
• Show hours: Friday May 1 (4:00 PM – 9:00 PM), Saturday May 2 (9:00 AM – 6:00 PM), Sunday May 3 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM).

Philly Non-Sports Card Show

The Philly Non-Sports Card Show returns to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA from May 1–3. This is the longest-running and most prestigious non-sports card show in the United States, and it is the single best weekend of the year for collectors of Garbage Pail Kids, Mars Attacks, Star Wars vintage, Marvel and DC trading cards, horror sets, and tobacco-era non-sport cards.

Why It Matters

Non-sports collecting has been quietly outperforming a lot of sports card segments in 2026. Vintage Garbage Pail Kids singles in PSA 10 have run up 25–40% in the last twelve months, and a strong Mars Attacks original-run sealed wax box has crossed \$10,000 at private sale in the last quarter. The Philly show is where that market actually transacts in person.

Fort Lauderdale Card Show

The Fort Lauderdale Card Show runs Friday May 1 (4:00 PM – 9:00 PM) and Saturday May 2 (8:00 AM – 4:00 PM). South Florida has been one of the fastest-growing show markets in the country, and Fort Lauderdale typically pulls a strong vintage baseball and Pokemon crossover crowd.

Toronto Sport Card Expo Wraps Up

The Toronto Sport Card Expo in Mississauga, ON, which opened April 30, runs through May 3. If you are within driving distance of the Greater Toronto Area, this is the biggest show in Canada and routinely features dealers from across North America with strong hockey representation that is hard to find at U.S. shows.

Other Notable May 2 Shows

If you are not heading to one of the marquee shows, May 2 is loaded with regional events:

• Citrus County Trading Card and Memorabilia Expo — Hernando, FL
• Miami TCG Invades West Palm — Palm Springs, FL
• Port Saint Lucie Card Show — Port St. Lucie, FL
• Seminole Sports Card Show — Seminole, FL
• The Coral Springs Trading Card Show — Deerfield Beach, FL
• Ultimate Banger Card Show — Altamonte Springs, FL

What to Bring

If you are planning to flip Topps Chrome Football boxes that just released today, check dealer table prices before pulling the trigger — early hobby box pricing is volatile in the first 48 hours after a major release. If you are buying singles, the table-to-table pricing spread on rookie autos can be 20–30% on the same card, so walk the room twice before committing.

For the casual collector, this is the perfect weekend to find a deal on vintage. Dealers tend to discount slow-moving inventory at the end of Sunday to avoid hauling it home — show up at 2:00 PM Sunday with cash and a polite attitude and you will leave happy.