South Florida’s Hobby Card Show attracts big crowd with old-school feel
FORT LAUDERDALE—Walking into The Hobby Card Show Saturday, Aug. 23 for the second annual collectibles event at the Broward County Convention Center, it was a flashback to an older card-show scene, with a present-day feel.
The large room had an old-school vibe of a card show held inside a hotel ballroom. I have attended countless hotel card shows over the years, particularly in the Chicagoland area. There’s a generation of collectors, particularly in the Midwest, who when they hear “Hillside Holiday Inn” (which has since changed names), it is an immediate flashback to card shows decades ago.
Many who attend the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Ill. remember the hotels about a mile away on Mannheim Road, next to the Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon) that featured card shows run by Jeff Blatt and Bruce Paynter, among others.
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As I walked into the well-lit convention center in South Florida, there were a lot of collectors looking for that perfect deal—to buy, sell, trade, or all of the above.
One vendor had a golf station in front of his table with a sign: “SINK A PUTT, WIN A PRIZE.” I watched as a youngster attempted, but missed. The dealer still gave the kid a free pack of cards. The kid walked away smiling and seconds later returned and asked if he could open the pack in front of the dealer.
I stopped by a table with hundreds of factory-sealed hobby boxes of all sports. I asked a simple question: What is the hottest product at the show? The dealer replied, “I don’t know … Bowman is hot.”
While there were plenty of vintage gems available, the show also had a strong modern-card presence. A 2007-08 Upper Deck SP Rookie Threads SP Marks card of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan, graded 9 with 10 autographs, was for sale for $115,000, while a 2009-2010 Exquisite Collection LeBron James Auto Patch card (8.5) was available for $24,500, and a 2018 Donruss Optic Lamar Jackson card with a signature and swatch (8) was showcased for $25,000.
The first dealer table on my left as I entered the show brought me back to 2025, without question.
It was all Pokémon collectibles—with multiple sellers and many buyers.
“I don’t fully understand [the Pokémon craze], but it brings people to the show, so I’m all for it,” said show promotor Andrew Hoffman, who admits he’s more into sports collectibles.
About 42 percent of the vendors at The Hobby Card Show were Pokémon dealers, with only 58 percent showcasing sports cards and sports collectibles.
The two-day show drew more than 6,000 collectors.
Autograph signers included Andre Dawson, Dwight Gooden, Brad Marchand, Jim Kelly Bob Beamon, and Udonis Haslem, among others.
“I’m amazed,” Hoffman said. “We put our heart and soul into this thing for a year. We did a ton of marketing [on] social media, radio and simple word of mouth. Seeing the crowd, it’s pretty cool … better than I expected.”
The Hobby Card Show featured 287 dealer tables with 125 vendors and more than twice as many attended in 2025 as opposed to the inaugural event last summer.
Hoffman is shooting for 10,000 attendees in 2026 when he’s expanding into a 65,000 square-feet showroom.
“Word is getting out on this show,” said Hoffman, who did not buy any collectibles at the show but did get autographs from each signer.
Zach Gaither of Bros with Big Decks in Stuart, Fla. was thrilled with The Hobby Card Show and he is all TCG, particularly, Pokémon, which he believes “is here to stay, 100 percent.” Gaither added that Pokémon cards are a “safe investment … [demand] doesn’t seem like it’s ever going to stop.”
Here’s a look at the sports collectibles for sale at The Hobby Card Show:
• 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan card, graded 8, for $12,000.
• A 2022 Playoff Absolute card of Tua Tagovailoa, Explosive Green 1/1, graded 9, for $10,000.
• Factory-sealed box of 2024-24 Panini Select Basketball: $530.
• Factory-sealed box of 2023-24 Panini National Treasures: $3,200.
• Michael Jordan cover of the Beckett Basketball Magazine (September 1993), now selling for $5.
• 2024 WWE Legends action figure of Hulk Hogan: $20.
• Hogan-signed Funko: $1,000.
• Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair autographed turnbuckles: $1,000 each.
• AEW MJF action figure: $10.
• 1982 Nebraska vs. Clemson Orange Bowl program: $30.
• Florida Panthers hoodie sweatshirts: $25.
• 8-by-10 signed photos of pro wrestling stars: Seth Rollins ($60), Razor Ramon ($80) or Sable ($150).
• 2024 Credentials card, dual signed by Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, graded 9: $5,000.
• Roger Maris cut signature card: $1,250.
• Perfect for traveling: the rolling bag from Case-It that holds about 150 slabbed cards: $280.
• Graded cards: 1956 Topps Ted Williams (8) $4,700; 1965 Topps Casey Stengel (8) $100; and 1967 Topps Joe Namath (8) $500.
• Factory-sealed box of 2024 Panini Prizm Football: $115.
• 1986 Topps Jerry Rice card, with a graded 10 autograph: $450.
• 2008 Ultimate Collection card, graded 9 and signed by Fran Tarkenton, Joe Theismann and Ken Anderson: $250.
• 2003-04 Upper Deck SP Signature Series Kobe Bryant card, with 10 autograph grade: $15,000.
• 1968 Topps Manager’s Dream card with Tony Oliva, Chico Cardenas and Bob Clemente, graded 9: $375.
• 2000 Upper Deck SP Authentic Signature Tom Brady card, numbered to 821/1250 and graded 8.5: $8,000.
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, graded 1.5 still carries a $7,500 price tag.
• 1957 Topps Don Drysdale, graded 9: $28,000.
• 2025 factory-sealed box of Scooby-Doo! Cards: $175. Moments later, at another dealer’s table, that same box was selling for $189.99.
• Leaf Lacrosse factory-sealed box: $69.99.
• Autographed mini helmets: Dan Marino ($299.99), Zach Thomas ($199.99), Tyreke Hill ($175), Frank Gore ($50), Ricky Williams ($75), Michael Vick ($50) and Mercury Morris ($50).
• Joe Namath-signed New York Jets jersey: $299.99.
• 1954 Topps Hank Aaron, graded 3: $3,250.
• 1967 Topps Roger Maris card, autographed with an Auto 9: $800.
• Grover Cleveland Alexander cut signature, graded 10: $1,500.
• Giancarlo Stanton-signed baseball: $250.
• 2025 Topps Chrome jumbo hobby box, baseball: $550.
• Mercury Morris autographed jersey: ($40), with 17-0 inscription.
• Aaron Ekblad autograph puck ($30) or 8-by-10 photo ($25).
• Justin Herbert fans would like the framed, signed 8-by-10 photo coupled with his 2020 Donruss Optic card, graded 10: $300
• University of Miami Pipeline To The Pros football poster featuring Bubba Franks, Sean Taylor, Clinton Portis and other Hurricanes stars: $15 or $275 framed.