Inside the Card Show Business + What Promoters Get Wrong + The Future of Strongsville
About this episode
What does the explosion of card shows tell us about the health and future of the hobby? Steve Menzie, owner and operator of the Sport Card Expo and co-operator of the legendary Strongsville Sports Collectors Convention, joins Jeremy Lee and David Chase for an inside look at the card show business and just how dramatically it has changed over the past decade. Card shows aren't simply places to buy and sell anymore. They've become social gatherings, entertainment experiences and an important place where online hobby relationships become real-world friendships. Steve discusses the growth he's witnessed, the influx of younger collectors and families, and why fans who may initially come for autographs or other attractions are increasingly becoming card collectors themselves. They also tackle the massive growth of TCG at shows and whether sports cards and TCG should be separated, the challenge of curating the right mix of dealers and inventory, and why buying has become as important as selling for many vendors. Then David puts Steve on the spot with ideas borrowed from Comic Cons and other major fan events. Why can't card shows offer better food, easier access to water, more places to sit, carpeted floors and a smoother entry experience? Steve explains which improvements promoters can actually control, which ones venues make surprisingly difficult, and where he believes card shows still need to level up. Security is becoming another major concern. With increasingly valuable cards and large amounts of cash changing hands, Steve discusses theft, counterfeit currency, parking-lot safety, increased police presence and mandatory collector insurance for dealers at his shows. Plus, we get an update on the future of Strongsville, why maintaining its vintage identity matters so much, and the search for the right long-term home for one of the hobby's most beloved vintage shows. And we find out what happens when a longtime card-show promoter becomes a collector himself, as Steve shares the vintage baseball cards that have pulled him deeper into the hobby. Subscribe to Sports Cards Live on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. Take the Hobby Spectrum Assessment and learn more at thehobbyspectrum.com. Discover cards across multiple auction platforms with AuctionWire at auctionwire.ai and use promo code SCL for 60 days free. Check out Card Ladder for sports card sales history, market data and research. And pick up Jeremy Lee's book, Pops and Comps: Truths, Insights, and Psychology Behind the Numbers That Drive the Sports Card Market, available on Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is published by Sports Cards Live.