If you grew up during the 80s and 90s, you probably have memories of going to your local gas station and buying a pack of baseball or Pokémon trading cards, then proceeding to go home and open the pack, hoping to pull your favorite player or character’s card. For most people, this hobby ended with throwing cards in a shoebox and forgetting about them. But for others, their collections grew, and so did their love for collecting. At the turn of the century, the memorabilia collecting hobby began to lessen in popularity, leaving those boxes of cards sitting in the back of closets, collecting dust, for decades.  

Fast forward to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the hobby exploded with more people becoming interested in collecting. But with the growth, also came rising card prices. This benefited the resellers but made it hard for the true collectors to stay involved with the growing hobby. Due to the pandemic, transactions happened almost exclusively online. However, once the country began to open again, card shows grew in popularity, with collectors going out to these shows to buy, sell and trade with vendors.  

For many years in Washington, the only card shows were held by Twin Oaks Shows. These shows typically took place in shopping malls all around Washington state. But as the hobby grew, a new competitor emerged. 

Every three months, hundreds of vendors and thousands of collectors come together at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center for the Front Row Card Show. Over two days, collectors gather to buy, sell and trade various types of memorabilia, ranging from sports cards to Pokémon cards, to comic books, along with so much more. The company first came to Washington in August 2024. This was the first Front Row Card Show in the Pacific Northwest, with previous shows being in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Pasadena, Calif.  

Since August, there have been three Front Row Card Shows in Washington, with each show having a consistent growth in popularity. The first show in August had significantly less vendors than the two that proceeded in November and January.  

These shows also brought collectors from all around the country to Tacoma, ranging from just hours away in Ferndale, all the way to Chicago. Sam Lee began collecting as a child and is a vendor at Front Row Card Shows.  

“This show was like 200 tables eight months ago and now it’s 275, next time I wouldn’t be surprised if it was like three hundred plus… It’s cool to see a show with a couple hundred tables and see the community really come out,” Lee said.

A large attraction to the Front Row Card Shows, as opposed to just purchasing memorabilia online, is the unique social aspect and the community that the shows create. These shows allow collectors from all walks of life to come together and bond over their shared interests. Logan Sosa, also known as “ThatSportsCardGuy” on YouTube, has been collecting since he was just 10 years old.  

“It’s a great place to just meet other collectors and just enjoy the hobby with everyone. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about,” Sosa said.  

The growth of collecting can partially be credited to many older collectors coming back to the hobby, but with this also comes a new generation of collectors. Many younger children are starting to become involved in the trading card hobby, a lot of which are tagging along with their parents who were once previous collectors. Aaron Volkman has been collecting sports cards for almost 25 years and began going out to shows with his dad when he was a child.  

“It kind of reminds me of when I started… I think a lot of parents that are late 30s, early 40s, remember when they did it in the late 90s. It’s cool to see dads and sons coming to [trade and sell cards], because that’s how I started doing it,” Volkman said.  

The next Front Row Card Show in Washington is set to take place once again at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center April 12-13 and just like the previous show, Front Row will host 275 vendors and thousands of collectors. As the hobby goes on to grow in the state, the popularity of Front Row Card Shows will continue to rise, drawing in both newcomers and seasoned collectors. These shows provide an inclusive and unique environment for collectors and whether you have been collecting for years, or you are interested in getting started, this is an event that you do not want to miss.