It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I'm not referring to the holiday season. I’m talking about the Toronto Sport Card Expo – the Disneyland of sports collectibles.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
No, I'm not referring to the holiday season. I’m talking about the Fall Toronto Sport Card Expo, the Disneyland of sports collectibles.
It truly is a magical weekend for hobbyists as thousands of like-minded sports enthusiasts gather together for Canada's largest card and collectibles show. There are well over 300 vendors with millions of sports cards and collectibles on display, showcasing some of the best cards and memorabilia across all sports and TCGs.
“Anyone who’s a collector or a sports fan should be at the Expo,” event organizer Steve Menzie said.
The event takes place the weekend of November 9th–12th at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. The show will stretch across three different halls at the venue for the first time in its existence as the card and collectibles hobby has grown exponentially over the last few years.
“The growth has been huge... and this year is expected to be bigger and better than ever,” Menzie said. “We added another hall to the event this year, and now we’re looking at nearly 200,000 square feet of space for the show.”
Taking up the majority of the new hall this year is the on-site grading pavilion.
“For the first time ever, PSA is doing on-site grading somewhere other than The National,” Menzie said, "and that’s a super big deal.”
As a fellow collector in the hobby, I agree. It is a big deal.
Getting PSA on site was a goal that Menzie set out for himself when he took over the coordination of this event back in 2016. PSA is considered the leading card grading service in the sports card hobby, and the company will be accepting submissions at the Expo this weekend starting at $129.
Other grading services, such as BGS, TAG, MNT, and KSA, will also be in attendance doing on-site grading.
Another great thing about the Expo is the family inclusiveness. The amount of child-parent duos walking the floor each year is remarkable. Menzie believes that kids are the backbone of the hobby and wants the event to be even more family-friendly.
Thus, this year the the Expo will unveil the ‘Kids Trading Zone’ for the young hobbyists to mingle and make trades with one another while establishing friendships and connections within the collecting world.
One of the other big features every year is the Upper Deck wrapper redemption program where you can obtain extra Expo-exclusive packs of hockey cards with the purchase of certain hobby boxes from qualified diamond dealers at the event. These packs could contain rookies, short prints, or even autographs of the NHL's biggest stars.
Cards and collectibles certainly make up the majority of the space at the Expo, but another prominent feature at the show is the Ultra Pro Autograph Pavilion. This year is expected to be the most star-studded lineup to date, with stars like Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, and Carey Price holding paid autograph sessions.
“It’s become the de facto place for people to come sign,” said Menzie. “Carey Price’s VIP ticket package sold out in four hours.”
There will also be a trio of current Maple Leafs in attendance (Max Domi, Matthew Knies, Joseph Woll), along with many other Toronto sports legends. You can find the full list and schedule of signees below or on the ‘Sport Card Expo’ app.
So whether you’re a card collector, sports memorabilia enthusiast, or an autograph seeker, there’s something for everyone at the Toronto Expo.
“If you are looking for something in this space, you will find it here. Guaranteed,” said Mikey Singer, another one of the show organizers.
Hopefully, the Expo will have another massive turnout, with hobbyists across the country uniting once again for Canada's biggest sports cards and collectibles event of the year.
Singer also had two solid pieces of advice for those planning on going to the show this weekend: "Cash is king, and wear comfortable shoes."