The Baltimore Card Show — Spring returns to UMBC Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 2026 for the largest dedicated trading-card and collectibles event of the entire spring season in the Mid-Atlantic. Hosted at 1000 Hilltop Circle on the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus, this two-day flagship turns the arena floor into a full hobby destination — 250-plus vendor tables, on-site PSA, Beckett, SGC, and CGC grading and authentication submission booths, celebrity autograph guests, and dealer-direct buying, selling, and trading across sports, TCG, and pop-culture collectibles. The show pulls collectors, players, and dealers from across Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington DC. Mid-May timing drops the show right into the heart of MLB hobby release season — 2026 Topps Series 2 Baseball, Topps Chrome, and Bowman Draft are stacking up — and on top of NBA Conference Finals, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the early Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals divisional races.
The vendor floor packs together every corner of the trading card hobby. Sports tables stock deep MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, MMA, soccer, and college football inventory across every era — vintage Topps, Bowman, Fleer, Goudey, Play Ball, and pre-war tobacco runs from the early 1900s through the 1980s, junk-wax 1990s monster boxes, and modern Panini Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Mosaic, Topps Chrome, Bowman Draft, and premium Topps Dynasty, National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate. Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Nationals, DC United, Maryland Terrapins, Navy, Johns Hopkins lacrosse, Loyola Greyhounds, and Towson Tigers inventory moves consistently and is a Mid-Atlantic signature dealers stock heavy for this show. TCG tables stock Pokémon singles and sealed from vintage WOTC Base through modern Scarlet & Violet and Japanese exclusives, Magic: The Gathering Commander and Standard staples, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, Star Wars Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. Locked cases display PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC graded slabs from low-end commons to grail-level vintage and modern, alongside autographed memorabilia, vintage comics, Star Wars and Marvel artwork, action figures, Funko Pops, and hobby supplies.
Doors open Saturday, May 16 from 9:00 AM EDT to 5:00 PM EDT for the main show floor. Sunday, May 17 wraps the weekend from 10:00 AM EDT to 3:00 PM EDT with the deepest dealer-cut deals of the show. General admission is $10 at the door for both days, with two-day passes available in advance through Eventbrite and Ticketmaster. VIP early-entry packages are sold separately for first-hour priority access. Kids 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult, and on-site giveaways and door-prize raffles run hourly throughout each day.
UMBC Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena is at 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, on the UMBC campus just off Interstate 95 at Exit 47B (Wilkens Avenue) with quick access from Interstate 695 (the Baltimore Beltway). Climate-controlled, ADA-accessible, and laid out with very wide aisles. Free parking is plentiful in the surrounding UMBC campus lots, and BWI Airport sits just five miles south for out-of-state collectors flying in.
This show fits every collector type — first-timers, families, casual fans, modern flippers, breakers, prospect hunters, vintage buyers, and competitive tournament players. For the best experience, buy the VIP early-entry pass online in advance, arrive at 9:00 AM Saturday sharp, bring cash plus Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal backups, and carry a sorted want list. Pack penny sleeves, top loaders, and a hard-sided slab case. Follow @thebaltimorecardshow on Instagram for vendor previews and special-guest announcements.