The Collectors Choice Card Show sets up at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center on Saturday, September 5, 2026, opening the South Sound's fall show season inside the largest event venue in Pierce County. Moving a card show into a full convention center changes what is possible: dealers get real table depth, aisles stay wide even when attendance peaks, and the floor can carry a much broader inventory range than a hotel ballroom allows. For collectors, that means more chances to find the specific card you came for rather than settling for what happens to be out.
The September date is well positioned. NFL season kicks off the same week, college football is underway, baseball is in its final month, and fall trading card game releases are landing — so nearly every collecting lane has something current driving it. Sports dealers bring MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, soccer, and racing inventory across the full historical span: 1950s and 1960s Topps and Bowman vintage, 1970s and 1980s rookies and stars, cheap and plentiful junk-wax-era boxes, and modern Panini Prizm, Select, Donruss Optic, Topps Chrome, Bowman, Bowman Draft, and premium National Treasures and Immaculate in locked cases. Seattle Mariners, Seahawks, Kraken, Sounders, Storm, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars, Gonzaga, and Tacoma Rainiers material is consistently well stocked given the location.
Trading card game tables cover Pokémon singles and sealed from Wizards of the Coast vintage through current Scarlet and Violet sets, alternate arts, special illustration rares, and Japanese imports, plus Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, and Star Wars Unlimited. Additional tables carry autographed memorabilia, comics, Funko Pops, action figures, and full hobby supply lines, and graded material from PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC appears throughout the floor.
Hours run 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time — a generous seven-hour single-day window that lets you work the floor methodically instead of racing a short session. Admission is a door charge with children typically free or discounted alongside a paying adult; some Collectors Choice dates offer advance tickets or an early-entry option, so check the show listing and the convention center events calendar before you go.
The Greater Tacoma Convention Center is at 1500 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA 98402, in downtown Tacoma directly off I-705 with I-5 access minutes away and Tacoma Link light rail steps from the door. The building is climate-controlled, fully ADA-accessible, and laid out on spacious level floors. Paid parking is available in the attached garage and nearby downtown lots. Downtown Tacoma's restaurants, the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, and the waterfront are all within walking distance, which makes it easy to build a full day around the show.
Who should attend: serious buyers who want inventory volume, football collectors ahead of the season, TCG players and collectors, families, and first-timers who will appreciate the space and the range of price points from dollar boxes to display cases.
For the best experience, arrive at the 10:00 AM open, bring cash plus Venmo and Zelle, and carry a detailed want list sorted by sport and set. Pack penny sleeves, top loaders, and a sturdy box, plan a real lunch break, and walk the entire floor once before spending. Check the venue calendar for future Collectors Choice Tacoma dates.