Halloween morning belongs to the Grab a Centerpiece Card Show on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at VFW Post 1060 in Newark. Promoter Don Jones brings his monthly 60-table show back to the Moundbuilders VFW hall, and the Halloween date has become a fun tradition: get your card hunting done in the morning, then head home for trick-or-treat. Expect the usual $100 show-cash giveaway and a dealer table raffle for a future date.
What you will find: the tables are packed with sports cards from modern to vintage. Late October means football is in full swing, so look for current-season NFL rookies, Ohio State alumni, Browns and Bengals stars and vintage NFL from the 1960s and 1970s. Basketball tables carry the new-season releases. Baseball collectors will find World Series-era cards, graded vintage and modern parallels. Sealed wax boxes and packs are always plentiful for anyone who wants to rip at the table. Pokémon and other TCG dealers have a growing presence, and memorabilia, supplies and a few comic and toy sellers fill out the room.
Hours: Saturday, October 31, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Some aggregators list a 10:00 AM start; the promoter's listing says 9:00 AM, so early birds should plan on that.
Admission is free. Enter the $100 show-cash drawing at the door. Kids are welcome and admitted free; costumes are encouraged on the Halloween date. Cash is recommended for the best deals.
Venue and parking: VFW Post 1060 is at 469 Forry Street, Newark, OH 43055, just south of downtown Newark, a few minutes from State Route 16 and Route 79. Parking is free in the VFW lot and on nearby streets. The hall has restrooms and a canteen.
Who should attend: Licking County and east-side Columbus collectors, football and basketball fans chasing in-season cards, vintage hunters, wax breakers, families and first-timers. The friendly dealer-to-attendee ratio makes it easy to learn and negotiate.
Tips: be there at 9:00 AM for first pick, bring a want list and cash in mixed bills, and register for the show-cash drawing as soon as you walk in. If you are selling, bring cards sorted by sport and year. Dealers wanting a table should call early because the room sells out most months.
The Halloween date also has a reputation for surprise inventory. With the holidays approaching, several regular dealers use late October to move collections they bought over the summer, which means fresh vintage boxes and new binders that have not been picked over. It is a good day to ask what is under the table. The VFW canteen keeps the coffee going all morning, so an early arrival is painless even if the kids are up late for trick-or-treat.
Contact promoter Don Jones at 614-592-0458 for tables or questions, or see the All Ohio Card Shows schedule.