VENDORCON 2026 is the biggest single-day collector marketplace between Tampa and Orlando this fall, bringing more than 250 vendors into the RP Funding Center at 701 W. Lime Street, Lakeland, FL 33815 on Saturday, September 5, 2026. It sits right off Interstate 4, which makes it a genuinely central stop for collectors from Tampa, St. Petersburg, Winter Haven, and the Orlando side alike. What separates VENDORCON from a straight card show is scope: card dealers share the floor with creators, makers, specialty sellers, artists, and local businesses, so the event works for a mixed group where not everybody collects cards.
General admission runs 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and is free. Early Bird entry costs $12 and gets you in at 10:00 AM, a full hour ahead of the general crowd and first crack at vendor deals. The raffle structure is worth understanding before you go: a walk-up general admission includes one raffle ticket, a free general admission reserved online includes two, and the paid Early Bird ticket includes three. Ticket holders must be present at check-in to collect raffle tickets, so do not send someone else to grab yours. Parking at the RP Funding Center is paid and cashless, currently listed at $12 per entry with cards and mobile wallets accepted — check the venue's parking page before you leave, since event pricing can vary.
On the card side, the organizer highlights Pokemon, sports cards, and Magic: The Gathering, with other TCG and collectible categories filling in around them. Because this is a mixed marketplace rather than a dedicated card show, the exact card selection depends on which dealers book, and it tends to be broad rather than deep in any one niche. Major card and collectible dealers are part of the advertised mix, so expect display cases, graded slabs, raw singles, sealed product, and binders — just do not count on any specific inventory. Bring a short want list to keep you anchored on the players, teams, sets, or deck pieces you actually need, then let yourself wander.
The non-card programming is substantial and genuinely family-oriented: a kids zone, free face painting, a Pokemon scavenger hunt, live music and entertainment, photo opportunities, raffles, and giveaways. Concessions operate through the day. A special guest has been teased but not named publicly, so treat that as a possible bonus rather than a reason to buy a ticket.
With 250-plus vendors in a convention hall, pacing matters. Do a full circuit before you spend anything, note the three or four tables worth returning to, then double back. Comfortable shoes and a charged phone are not optional at a show this size. Establish a meeting point with your group before you split up, because finding each other in a hall this big without one is miserable.
New collectors should use the scale to their advantage: seeing the same card at four different tables at four different prices teaches you more about the market in an hour than weeks of scrolling. Ask dealers how they assess centering, corners, and surface, and compare a raw copy against a graded one side by side. Experienced buyers should carry recent comparable sales and a firm walk-away number. If you are trading, organize before you arrive, ask permission before removing cards from cases, and confirm the full terms out loud before anything changes hands.
