Mr Cigar's Card and Collectibles Show sets up at the Holiday Inn Chicago North in Gurnee on Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Seven hours is a long run for a one-day hotel show, and it gives you room to work the floor properly instead of sprinting through it. For collectors in far northern Lake County — Gurnee, Waukegan, Libertyville, Grayslake, Antioch, Zion and the Wisconsin border towns — this is the closest full card show in either direction.
The format is classic hotel-ballroom: rows of eight-foot tables, dealers working from binders, boxes and locked showcases, and enough aisle room to stop and look without holding up traffic. The name says cards and collectibles, and the floor reflects that broader remit. Sports cards anchor the room, with baseball, football, basketball and hockey across every era — vintage Topps and Bowman, 1980s and 1990s wax product, modern Panini and Topps inserts, numbered parallels and rookie cards. Blackhawks and Bears material moves well in Lake County, and there is usually a stronger hockey presence at northern-suburb shows than at ones on the south side. Graded slabs sit in showcases; raw stars sit in top loaders; commons sit in dime and dollar boxes.
Beyond cards, expect a genuine collectibles component. Tables typically carry autographed baseballs, pucks, jerseys and photographs, unopened wax boxes, vintage programs and ticket stubs, Funko Pops, comics and card supplies. Trading card game vendors bring Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece singles and sealed product, though the sports side is larger.
Admission at Gurnee hotel shows is typically free or a few dollars at the door, with kids admitted free alongside a paying adult; confirm the current door price with the promoter. Parking is free in the hotel's own surface lot, which is a real advantage over city and convention shows. The Holiday Inn sits just off I-94 near Grand Avenue and Gurnee Mills, so the trip is a straight highway run for most of Lake County, and roughly an hour from downtown Chicago.
This is a good show for a wide mix. Casual collectors and families will find dollar boxes and plenty of affordable singles, and the Gurnee Mills and Six Flags corridor gives you something to do with the rest of the day. Set builders should bring want lists — hotel shows in Lake County often surface older regional collections. Serious buyers should plan to open showcases and ask questions; the best material at a show like this is usually behind glass, not in the boxes. Sellers will find several dealers actively buying.
Strategy: come at 9:00 AM if you want first look, or come after 2:00 PM if you want the best chance at a negotiated price, since dealers facing a 4:00 PM teardown get flexible. Bring cash in mixed denominations, and bring a payment app as a backup. Carry penny sleeves, top loaders and a rigid case or small box for pickups. Write your want list down with set names and card numbers so you can ask directly rather than browsing blind, and check the promoter's social channels for the confirmed vendor lineup the week of the show.