Card Shows for September 26-27: The 520 Show in Tucson, Five Shows in Arizona, Charlotte, Lake Conroe and More

The Last Show Weekend of September

September 26 and 27 is a busy weekend on the show calendar, and it lands with the NFL in Week 3, MLB's final week of the regular season, Magic's Reality Fracture prerelease running in game stores, and Pokemon's 30th Celebration a week and a half old. Here is where the crowds will be.

The 520 Card Show, September Edition (Tucson, AZ)

Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27, Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. The largest monthly show in Southern Arizona returns with more than 100 vendor tables covering sports, Pokemon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, One Piece, Lorcana and Dragon Ball, plus locked cases of PSA, BGS, SGC and CGC slabs. The show advertises over $3,000 in giveaways across the weekend, food trucks, face painters, and a kids' trading zone. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (VIP early entry at 10, sensory-friendly hour earlier) and 11 to 5 Sunday. General admission is around $5, kids 12 and under are free with an adult, and VIP weekend passes are sold online in advance. Details at 520cardshow.com.

The Phoenix Quadruple Header

Arizona collectors who cannot make Tucson have four options in the Valley the same weekend:

• West Valley Card Rally X, Glendale, Saturday September 26. Sports and TCG.
• The Cactus TCG Show at the Shrine Auditorium, Phoenix, Saturday September 26. TCG-focused.
• TCG Con Phoenix (Cards and More Tour), Mesa, September 26-27. Two-day TCG convention.
• Diamond in the Ruff Sports Card and Collectibles Show, Sun City West, Sunday September 27.

That is five shows in one state on one weekend, which says something about how much Arizona's hobby has grown.

Charlotte Card Show (Charlotte, NC)

September 26-27. Charlotte's recurring show returns a month after Collect-A-Con came through town. Expect a heavy football presence with the Panthers in season and a strong TCG vendor mix. Check the organizer's page for the venue and hours before you go, as the show has used both the Metrolina Expo and the Charlotte Convention Center.

TX Card Shows at Margaritaville Lake Resort (Montgomery, TX)

September 26-27, Lake Conroe. A resort-hosted show north of Houston that makes for an easy overnight trip. Texas has more listed card shops than any state except California, and the Lake Conroe show pulls dealers from Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Saturday, September 26: One-Day Shows

• Collector's Vault, Wheeling, IL, Westin Chicago North Shore, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Willamette Card Show, Cottage Grove, OR, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Woodbridge Card Show, Woodbridge, NJ, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Yakima Sports Cards and Collectibles Show, Yakima, WA, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cardichu Aventura, North Miami Beach, FL.

Sunday, September 27: One-Day Shows

• Union Hall Show, Terre Haute, IN, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Aggieland Card Show, College Station, TX, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• All in One Collectibles Expo, San Jose, CA, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Orlando Cardichu, Boca Raton Card Show, and Miami Springs Mad Decks Card Show, all in Florida.

What Will Be Moving on the Floor

• Football rookies, with a twist. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were both injured on September 20. Dealers will have repriced by the weekend; buyers who did their homework on the MRI results will find the best deals of the month.
• Playoff baseball. The regular season ends the following weekend, so contenders' stars and the Rookie of the Year candidates will be priced for October.
• 30th Celebration singles. The set launched September 16 and every pack is foil. By the 26th, dealers will have the 30 Pikachu illustration rares and the Futuristic Rare Mew and Mewtwo priced with real comps.
• Reality Fracture. The prerelease starts September 25, so Magic tables will have early singles from the new Standard set for the first time.

Show Basics

• Bring cash plus a payment app. Many dealers discount for cash.
• Carry a written want list with the prices you are willing to pay.
• Pack penny sleeves and top loaders for anything you buy raw.
• Walk the whole floor before buying. Prices on the same card can vary 20 percent from table to table.
• The last hour of the last day is when dealers cut prices to avoid packing product.

See every upcoming show on our events calendar, and use our directory to find a card shop near any of these cities.