There is no single official listing of card shows in the Mid-South, which is why people keep asking where they are. Shows in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama are announced through Facebook groups, individual promoter pages, and flyers taped up in card shops — and dates move. So the useful thing is not a list that goes stale between updates. It is knowing which channels carry the announcements for your area, and how to confirm a show before you drive to it.
If you are looking for card shows near you in Tennessee specifically, the four metros that host them most regularly are Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, with smaller monthly shows in mid-size towns in between. Arkansas activity centers on Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas, Mississippi on Jackson and the Gulf Coast, and Alabama on Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile.
Where Mid-South shows happen, and where the dates get posted
Regional shows repeat in the same kinds of venues, and each metro has its own announcement channel. Find your area, then use the search terms in the last column.
| Area | Venues that host shows | Where to look for dates |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis and DeSoto County, MS | Expo halls, hotel ballrooms, church and community gyms | Facebook: “Memphis sports cards”, “Mid-South card show”; any Memphis-area shop counter |
| Nashville and Middle Tennessee | Fairground buildings, expo centers, hotel conference space | Facebook: “Nashville sports cards”, “Middle Tennessee card show”; promoter pages post flyers first |
| Knoxville, Chattanooga, Tri-Cities | Civic centers, armories, VFW halls | Facebook groups named for the city plus “card collectors”; venue event calendars list recurring bookings |
| Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas | Fairgrounds buildings, convention centers, shop-hosted events | Facebook: “Arkansas sports cards”; ask at shops in either metro |
| Jackson and the Mississippi Gulf Coast | Coliseums, community centers, hotel conference space | Facebook: “Mississippi sports cards”, “Gulf Coast card show” |
| Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile | Civic centers, expo halls, larger shop backrooms | Facebook groups named for each metro; shops in each usually know the dealer list |
Admission, hours and table prices are set per show by the promoter and printed on the flyer. There is no standard rate for the region, so read the flyer for that date, and message the promoter if it does not say — the ones running real shows answer.
How to find shows the promoters do not advertise widely
Most regional shows are run by one person with a day job. Marketing is thin by necessity. These are the channels that actually carry the announcements:
- Regional Facebook groups. Search for your metro plus “sports cards,” “card show,” or “card collectors.” Promoters post flyers there first, usually two to four weeks out. Turn on notifications for the groups that post real dates.
- Your local card shop’s counter and Instagram. Shops know every show within driving distance because they either set up at it or run it.
- Show-calendar sites run by the hobby’s card databases and price guides. Coverage of small Southern shows is patchy but improving.
- The venue. Many recurring shows use the same civic center, VFW hall, church gym, expo center or hotel ballroom every time. Once you know the venue, its event calendar tells you the next date before the promoter posts.
- Ask a dealer at a show. Dealers work a circuit. The person across the table can usually name the next four shows within three hours’ drive, and this is by far the fastest way in.
Confirming a show is actually happening
Flyers circulate for years, and canceled shows do not always get an announcement. Before you drive:
- Find a post about the show dated within the last three weeks.
- Check that the post names the venue and the hours, not just “this weekend.”
- Message the promoter or call the venue. A one-line reply confirming the date is worth the tank of gas.
- Confirm the admission price and whether there is an early-bird ticket, so you arrive with the right cash in hand.
- Note setup and public hours separately. Dealers get in early; if you show up at the dealer time you may be waiting outside.
What to expect at a regional show
A typical Mid-South show is somewhere between fifteen and eighty tables in a hall, running one or two days on a weekend. You will find:
- Dime, quarter and dollar boxes — the best value in the room for set builders and kids.
- Showcase dealers with graded cards, vintage and high-end modern.
- Buyers who will make offers on what you bring, often with a sign that says so.
- Supply sellers — sleeves, toploaders, boxes, usually cheaper than shipping supplies to your door.
- Occasionally a grading company taking submissions on site at larger shows, and sometimes an autograph guest.
Bring cash. Many dealers take payment apps, but cash is faster and gives you leverage on price. Bring a small bag, a penny sleeve stack, and a list of what you are hunting — it is very easy to get to the end of the room and realize you forgot the one card you came for. Buying in person lets you inspect a card under the lights instead of trusting a photo, so it is worth knowing what a counterfeit or trimmed card looks like in hand before you pay cash at a table.
Selling at a show
You do not need a table to sell. Walking the room with a small binder of your better cards and asking dealers “are you buying?” gets you several competing offers in one afternoon, which is the main advantage over selling to a single shop. Know roughly what your better cards are worth first, so you can tell a fair offer from a hopeful one. Some dealers take cards on consignment instead of buying outright — worth asking, though the split and who pays fees should be in writing before anything changes hands.
If you do want a table:
- Contact the promoter early. Recurring shows fill their tables with the same dealers every month; you are usually joining a waitlist.
- Ask the table price up front, and whether it includes admission for a helper and whether electricity is extra. Then work out how much you need to sell just to cover it.
- Bring change — a lot of it, in small bills.
- Price things visibly. Unpriced cases slow everything down and cost you sales from people who will not ask.
- Bring dollar boxes. They pay for the table more often than the showcase does.
Eric from Mellenade works this circuit across all four states and is usually buying as well as selling, so that is one more offer to collect — along with every other dealer in the room, which is the point of going. If the collection is too big to carry in, selling a full collection is a different conversation from a show table.
Show etiquette that makes the day go better
- Ask before handling anything out of a case. Handle by the edges.
- Offers are normal, especially on multiple cards. Lowballing a single priced card is not.
- “What’s your best on these five?” works better than haggling card by card.
- If you are selling, let the dealer make the first number, then decide.
- Do not block a table while you sort your own binder.
Your next step
Join the two largest card collecting Facebook groups for your metro and search them for the word “show.” That usually surfaces the next three months of dates in ten minutes. Then message the promoter to confirm and put it in your calendar — that reply is more reliable than any published list, including this one.
Common questions
How do I find card shows near me in Tennessee?
Start with regional Facebook groups for your metro, then ask at your nearest card shop, then check the venue calendars for the civic centers and expo halls that host recurring shows. Dealers at any show can also name the rest of the circuit.
Do I need to pay to get in?
Usually a small admission fee, often with an early-bird tier that lets you in ahead of the general public for more. Some shows are free. The price is on the flyer for that specific date; if it is not, ask the promoter before you go.
Can I sell my collection at a show without renting a table?
Yes. Many dealers buy on the spot. Bring your better cards in sleeves and toploaders, leave bulk at home unless a dealer has said they want it, and collect several offers before accepting one.
Are shows a better deal than buying online?
For low and mid-value cards, often yes — you avoid shipping, you can inspect condition in person, and dime and dollar boxes have no online equivalent. For specific high-value cards, online usually has more supply and better price discovery.
