In the modern era, sports cards are more relevant than ever, as shown at The Front Row Card Show in the Rio Hotel & Casino. The two-day event was over the weekend of Jan. 6-7.
Las Vegas does not have a reputation for having big-card shows. The biggest card shows most popular host cities are Dallas, Los Angeles, and Florida. Las Vegas has had multiple card shows throughout 2023, but nothing compared to the record-setting turnout of people at the 2024 Front Row Card Show.
The show features over 300 vendors and hundreds of collectors over the West Coast gathering together for the exclusive event. Different vendors look to sell cards, boxes of cards, and top loaders for cards, along with buying cards from various collectors.
The Scarlet & Gray Free Press interviewed Alex Norwod who tabled for Legacy Sports Cards at the show.
“It’s such a diverse city right now and like a big sports boom going on right now,” Norwod said. “I feel like every league wants to be here. As well as not just Pokemon, Magic Gathering. You do all that stuff that just makes it a very big inclusive town.”
Diversity is what makes sports cards so unique. Not only do card collectors collect sports cards, but collectors also collect anime and magic cards. The ability to collect cards from different eras makes card collecting so unique. Modern and vintage cards separate the card world based on what collectors want in their collections.
Along with the different types of trading cards, the new social media generation has had a massive impact on sports cards. Collectors can post sports cards on social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, or X. It allows different collectors to collaborate and build connections through sports cards.
Harry, one of the vendors at the show, told the Scarlet & Gray Free Press the importance of the new generation of collectors.
“I think it’s really good because you have that infusion of young blood—young guys and gals. It has helped. It helps the industry a lot,” Harry said.
Social media influencers have had a significant impact on the hobby. Hundreds of videos on YouTube teach young collectors how to buy, sell, and trade sports cards.
Vendor Joe Pammarielllo, a local of Las Vegas, talked to the Scarlet & Gray Free Press about the growth of the card market in Las Vegas.
“This is one of the biggest shows in Vegas right now,” said Pammarielllo. “I heard they wanted to bring the National here sometime in the near future, but I don’t know how that’s going to go.”
The National Sports Collectors Convention is the largest sports card convention in the world. The event attracts thousands of collectors and dealers worldwide to share their love for card collecting.
Having the National come to Vegas would be the biggest event in the sports card world. Thousands of people from all over the world travel to this card show to get their hands on some of the most expensive cards in the world. Another big reason the Front Row Card Show was such a success was the number of young entrepreneurs doing deals with different vendors.
The National Sports Collectors Convention usually meets in the east; however, with the Super Bowl coming to Vegas this year and Formula 1 under contract for the next ten years, Vegas could not be in a better position to host the National Sports Collectors Convention.
Sports cards are growing daily, and sports cards could not be hotter in Las Vegas. Collectors invested in the hobby and were willing to share their knowledge with the younger generation. It will only grow the hobby and open more doors to how big sports cards can be.
The Front Row Cards show will be back in Las Vegas on the weekend of April 20-21.
Great article…very informative and well done!