Collect-A-Con 2026: The Shows Every Serious Collector Should Attend
The Collect-A-Con national tour is reshaping the hobby. Here's what to know before you go.
Collect-A-Con has grown from a regional event to one of the most influential touring conventions in the hobby. The 2026 national tour spans 20+ cities and features 900+ vendor tables at each stop. For serious collectors and dealers, understanding the show circuit is as important as understanding the market.
The 2026 Collect-A-Con Schedule (Key Dates) - Dallas, TX — October 24-25, 2026 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (900+ tables) - Houston, TX, Orlando, FL, Chicago, IL, Phoenix, AZ, New Jersey — dates TBA on official calendar - Check collect-a-con.com for the complete schedule as additional 2026 dates are announced
What Makes Collect-A-Con Different Collect-A-Con skews younger and heavier toward TCG (trading card games) than traditional sports card shows. Pokémon, One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh collectors are well-represented alongside sports cards and comics. The influencer presence is also heavier than at traditional shows — major hobby YouTube creators and Whatnot streamers frequently attend and stream from the floor.
That influencer concentration creates both opportunity and risk. Celebrity dealer appearances drive buying pressure. Live streams from the floor create time-compressed purchasing decisions. And the younger audience skews toward collectors who may have less experience spotting fakes.
Buying Smart at Collect-A-Con - Verify cert numbers before completing any significant transaction — the floor will be moving fast - Ask about SlabProof registration on high-value purchases — verified provenance is the fastest fraud check - Don't let influencer presence or crowd energy compress your due diligence on large buys - For Pokémon and other TCG high-value cards, the 125% YoY counterfeit surge means extra scrutiny is warranted
SlabProof at Collect-A-Con SlabProof will be participating in Collect-A-Con stops throughout the 2026 tour. Look for the SlabProof Verified Dealer presence on the show floor. We'll be running live provenance demos, first registration free for all attendees, and onboarding dealers for Verified Dealer status on-site.
If you're a dealer who plans to exhibit at Collect-A-Con, apply for SlabProof Verified Dealer status before the show at slabproof.com/dealers. Display the credential at your table and signal to serious buyers that your inventory is provenance-verified.