Road to the National 2026, presented by GAS Card Shows, takes over the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs Friday through Sunday, July 24-26, 2026 for one of the largest trading card weekends of the year in the entire Midwest. Billed as the official lead-in to the National Sports Collectors Convention, this 400-plus table mega-show pulls dealers and collectors from across Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and beyond — and the Mid-America Center floor reliably fills with everything from vintage T206 and pre-war tobacco runs to brand-new wax product and ultra-modern Panini and Topps premium hits.
The vendor footprint is enormous. Sports tables stock deep MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, MMA, soccer, and college football across every era — vintage Topps, Bowman, Fleer, Goudey, Play Ball, and pre-war tobacco issues from the early 1900s, 1950s and 60s mid-century rookie runs, 1970s through 1980s set-builders, the 1990s junk-wax explosion (still a goldmine for stars and inserts at fair prices), and modern Panini Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Mosaic, Topps Chrome, Bowman Draft, and premium Topps Dynasty, National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate. Nebraska Cornhuskers, Creighton Bluejays, Omaha Storm Chasers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, and Minnesota Vikings inventory is heavily represented. TCG dealers fill an entire section with Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Star Wars Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. Slab walls of PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC graded cards run deep, autographed memorabilia and game-used items anchor the perimeter, and grading drop-off booths, wax breakers, and live break operators round out the floor.
Hours run Friday 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM with VIP early entry at 2:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central. General admission is $5 daily or $10 for the full weekend. VIP early-entry runs roughly $40 and includes the full weekend pass plus 2:00 PM Friday access for first-look picking — the VIP pre-show window is the single most valuable hour of the weekend for serious buyers chasing fresh inventory. Kids 12 and under enter free with a paid adult. Buy weekend or VIP passes in advance on gas-shows.com to skip the box-office line on Friday.
The Mid-America Center sits at 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs, IA 51501, five minutes from downtown Omaha via I-480 or I-80 and directly off I-29 in Council Bluffs. The arena is climate-controlled, ADA-accessible, and built for trade-show flow with wide aisles. Free on-site parking covers the surrounding lot. The Horseshoe and Ameristar casinos, the Hilton Garden Inn Council Bluffs, and Holiday Inn Express are all within walking or shuttle distance, and the Council Bluffs riverfront has plenty of restaurants for lunch and dinner breaks. GAS Card Shows typically posts a hotel discount block on their site closer to the show.
Road to the National 2026 is a must-attend stop for serious collectors, dealers, and anyone planning to attend the National Sports Collectors Convention later in the summer — many of the dealers who run Council Bluffs are headed straight to the National, and their pre-National inventory typically lands here first. For the best experience, buy a VIP pass for Friday 2:00 PM entry, plan for all three days, bring cash plus Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, and a credit card backup, and carry a written want list with target prices. Pack a wheeled cart for vintage hunters and a slab case for graded buyers. Check gas-shows.com for the latest 2026 vendor list, hotel discount codes, and any schedule updates.