RipsChart data · Updated November 12, 2026
The card show boom, in attendance figures
Reported attendance for the biggest trading card shows in the US, Canada and the UK. Almost none of these shows publish audited counts, so every figure here is a claim by an organizer, a venue or a reporter, and we say whose.
200,000
reported attendance at Fanatics Fest NYC in 2026, up from about 70,000 at the first edition in 2024
Figure as reported by amNewYork, which did not say who supplied it. Not independently verified.
Logos: National Sports Collectors Convention; Fanatics, Inc; Collect-A-Con; Dallas Card Show. All credits
What the claims say
- The National Sports Collectors Convention does not release official attendance. Organizers have announced record crowds in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026; reporters' estimates rose from more than 100,000 (2023) to at least 135,000–145,000 (2026).
- Fanatics Fest NYC has been reported at about 70,000 (2024), just over 125,000 (2025) and 200,000 (2026).
- Collect-A-Con's new owner says its shows average 25,000 attendees, with over 500,000 a year across 24 shows planned for 2026, up from three shows in 2021.
- In the UK, ExCeL London says the London Card Show drew 24,000 visitors from 70 countries in 2026. In Canada, the Toronto Expo's owner said its fall 2023 show beat the previous record of 25,000 but gave no total.
The National vs Fanatics Fest
Reported attendance, 2022–2026. National figures are lower bounds ("more than", "at least") from organizers or reporters. Hover a point for the exact figure; the table below gives who said it.
- The National
- Fanatics Fest
All attendance claims
| Show | Year | Where | Figure used | What was claimed | Who said it | Published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collect-A-Con (all shows) | 2026 | Multiple (US) | 25,000 | average of 25,000 per show; over 500,000 a year; 24 shows planned for 2026 (3 in 2021) | Owner claim (press release): MARI, on acquiring Collect-A-Con | Apr 30, 2026 | marigrp.com |
| Dallas Card Show (Allen) | 2026 | Allen, TX (US) | 23,000 | 23,000, a record (January show, 700 tables) | Organizer claim: Owner Kyle Robertson, via Sports Collectors Digest | Feb 10, 2026 | sportscollectorsdigest.com |
| Fanatics Fest NYC | 2026 | New York, NY (US) | 200,000 | 200,000 | Media report (attribution not given): amNewYork | Jul 22, 2026 | amny.com |
| Fanatics Fest NYC | 2025 | New York, NY (US) | 125,000 | just over 125,000 over three days | Media report (attribution not given): amNewYork | Jun 24, 2025 | amny.com |
| Fanatics Fest NYC | 2024 | New York, NY (US) | 70,000 | about 70,000 | Media report (attribution not given): amNewYork | Jun 24, 2025 | amny.com |
| London Card Show (ExCeL London) | 2026 | London (UK) | 24,000 | 24,000 visitors from 70 countries | Venue claim: ExCeL London | Aug 17, 2026 | excel.london |
| London Card Show (Sandown Park) | 2026 | Esher, Surrey (UK) | 10,000 | more than 10,000 collectors over three days (pre-event wording) | Media report (attribution not given): Shortlist | Feb 2, 2026 | shortlist.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2026 | Rosemont, IL (US) | 135,000 | at least 135,000–145,000 (reporter's estimate); organizers said record crowds and double-digit growth in ticket buyers | Media estimate: Sports Collectors Daily | Aug 5, 2026 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2025 | Rosemont, IL (US) | 125,000 | over 125,000 (reporter's estimate); organizers announced a third straight record with double-digit growth | Media estimate: Sports Collectors Daily | Aug 4, 2025 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2024 | Cleveland, OH (US) | 100,000 | more than 100,000 over five days (based on promoter's 20,000–25,000 per day estimate) | Media estimate from promoter figures: Sports Collectors Digest, citing JBJ | Aug 2, 2024 | sportscollectorsdigest.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2023 | Chicago, IL (US) | 100,000 | believed to be more than 100,000; promoter confirmed a record | Organizer claim / media estimate: Promoter John Broggi, via Sports Collectors Digest | Jul 29, 2023 | sportscollectorsdigest.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2022 | Atlantic City, NJ (US) | 60,000 | more than 60,000 (estimate) | Organizer estimate: Event organizers | Aug 4, 2022 | wpgtalkradio.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2021 | Chicago, IL (US) | No number | No headcount; promoters called it the second-best attended National after 1991 | Organizer claim (no number): NSCC promoters | Aug 10, 2021 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 2019 | Chicago, IL (US) | No number | No figure released; organizers said biggest crowds since 1991 | Organizer claim (no number): Show organizers | Aug 13, 2019 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
| The National (NSCC) | 1991 | Anaheim, CA (US) | 90,000 | over 90,000 attended (over 64,000 tickets sold) | Reported figure, source not named: Cited by Sports Collectors Daily | Aug 13, 2019 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
| Toronto Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo | 2023 | Toronto, ON (CA) | No number | No official total; owner said the previous record of 25,000 was beaten easily | Organizer claim (no number): Owner Steve Menzie | Nov 13, 2023 | sportscollectorsdaily.com |
Methodology
We searched news coverage, organizer press releases and venue announcements for attendance figures and kept only those we could link to. "Figure used" is the number in the claim, taking the lower bound where the claim is "more than" or a range. It is what we chart; the claim itself is in the next column.
These are not audited numbers. Shows count differently: some count tickets sold, some count unique visitors, some count each day's entry separately, and multi-day passes can be counted more than once. Treat year-on-year changes as a direction, not a precise growth rate. The 1991 National figure is included for historical context because it is the benchmark organizers still compare against.
Not included yet: per-show figures for Collect-A-Con cities, the Dallas Card Show before 2026, and the Toronto Expo's spring shows, because we could not find published numbers. If you run a show and publish attendance, send it to [email protected].
Looking for a show to visit? See our card show calendar. Organizers can list a show free via For shops & shows.
Sources
All links checked November 12, 2026.
- The National (NSCC) 1991 (sportscollectorsdaily.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2021 (sportscollectorsdaily.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2022 (wpgtalkradio.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2023 (sportscollectorsdigest.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2024 (sportscollectorsdigest.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2025 (sportscollectorsdaily.com)
- The National (NSCC) 2026 (sportscollectorsdaily.com)
- Fanatics Fest NYC 2024 (amny.com)
- Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 (amny.com)
- Collect-A-Con (all shows) 2026 (marigrp.com)
- Dallas Card Show (Allen) 2026 (sportscollectorsdigest.com)
- Toronto Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo 2023 (sportscollectorsdaily.com)
- London Card Show (Sandown Park) 2026 (shortlist.com)
- London Card Show (ExCeL London) 2026 (excel.london)
More RipsChart data
- Card grading tracker Cards graded each month at PSA, CGC, Beckett, SGC and TAG since January 2024, plus annual totals.
- Card shop growth Store counts for CardVault, Replay Sports Cards, Hobbiesville and Fanatics, plus US Census hobby store counts 2012–2023.
- Release line tracker A dated log of reported queues and campouts for card releases in the US, Canada and UK.
- Card price index Planned: a per-game price index. Until then, the best public references.
- FOI investigations Public-records requests on card thefts, scams and counterfeit seizures across the US, Canada and UK.