Card shows
US Card Show Statistics 2026: Admission, Size, and Frequency
Updated Wednesday, September 16, 2026 · by the CardsNearby team
CardsNearby maintains a verified directory of recurring US card shows — each listing checked against promoter or venue sources. That gives us something the hobby otherwise lacks: measurable numbers on what the show circuit actually looks like. All figures below are computed from the live directory as of September 2026 (459 shows with confirmed upcoming dates, across 47 states, spanning 1,000+ scheduled dates).
Cite freely — these statistics update as the directory grows, and this page carries its last-verified date above.
Key facts
- ▸52% of US card shows are free to attend (CardsNearby directory, Sept 2026, n=286 shows with known admission).
- ▸Median paid admission at a US card show is $5.00; 61% of paid shows cost $5 or less.
- ▸The median card show lists about 120 vendor tables (n=165 shows with published counts).
- ▸459 recurring shows currently hold confirmed upcoming dates across 47 states — 1,000+ scheduled dates.
- ▸About 26% of recurring card shows run monthly.
Admission: half of all card shows are free
Of active shows with known admission policies (286), 52% charge nothing at the door. Among shows that do charge, the median general admission is $5.00, and 61% of paid shows cost $5 or less. Big convention-style shows with $15–40 tickets are real but rare — the everyday card show is a free or five-dollar event at a hotel ballroom, Elks lodge, or mall corridor.
CardsNearby directory, September 2026 (n = 286 shows with known admission)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shows with free admission | 52% |
| Median paid admission | $5.00 |
| Paid shows at $5 or less | 61% |
| Typical premium-show range | $10–40 (early entry/VIP higher) |
Size: the median show runs about 120 tables
Across shows publishing vendor counts (165), the median is 120 tables. The distribution is wide: recurring monthly shows commonly run 30–60 tables, regional shows 100–300, and national-tier events like the Dallas Card Show or The National run 400 to over 1,000.
Frequency: monthly is the backbone of the circuit
Among shows with a known recurrence pattern, 26% run monthly — the classic first-Saturday-of-the-month format — with most of the rest running several times a year. The monthly shows are the hobby's connective tissue: low-cost, dealer-driven, and the most reliable place to sell a collection face to face.
Geography: 47 states have an active show
Shows with confirmed upcoming dates currently run in 47 states. Texas, California, and Florida lead in volume, but per-capita hotspots skew toward the Midwest and Northeast, where legion halls and fairgrounds host long-running monthly shows — several have operated continuously for decades (Rochester's CollectorFest has run monthly since 2001; Syracuse's Collectorsfest series dates to the 1980s).
Good to know
FAQ
How much does it cost to attend a card show?
Usually nothing or almost nothing: 52% of US card shows are free, and the median paid admission is $5. Large convention-style shows charge $10–40 with premium early-entry tiers.
How big is a typical card show?
The median show in the CardsNearby directory lists about 120 vendor tables; monthly local shows often run 30–60 tables while national events exceed 400.
How often do card shows happen?
Constantly — the directory tracks 1,000+ confirmed upcoming dates across 459 active shows, with about a quarter of recurring shows running monthly.
Where does this data come from?
The CardsNearby show directory — every listing verified against promoter or venue sources, with per-show dates, admission, and table counts published on each show's page.
Put it to use
Near you
Cite this page
CardsNearby, “US Card Show Statistics 2026: Admission, Size, and Frequency,” updated Wednesday, September 16, 2026. https://www.cardsnearby.com/guides/card-show-statistics
Free to cite with attribution and a link. Data pages update as the CardsNearby directory grows.