Friday, Saturday or Sunday? When Card Shows Actually Happen

We looked at the start day of all 311 upcoming shows listed on Card Shows Nearby as of Oct 11 to see when card shows actually happen. Here is what the calendar looks like, and what it means for planning your weekend.

Saturday is the main event

165 of the 311 shows (53%) start on a Saturday. Counting multi-day shows that run through it, 199 shows are open on a Saturday. Saturday is also where the biggest rooms are: among Saturday-start shows that list a table count, the average is 135 tables, and 39 of the 141 have 150 or more. Among single-day Saturday shows, the most common hours are 9am to 3pm (39 shows), followed by 9am to 2pm (18).

Sunday shows run smaller

89 shows (29%) start on a Sunday, and 146 are open on a Sunday once you include multi-day events. Sunday shows tend to be smaller: of the 76 Sunday-start shows that list tables, the average is 78 and only 5 have 150 or more. The most common Sunday hours are 9am to 2pm (26 shows), ahead of 9am to 3pm (18). Sunday shows turn up in 18 of the 39 states with shows listed.

Admission differs a little too. Half of the Saturday-start shows (83 of 165) list free admission, compared with 34 of 89 (38%) on Sunday.

Friday is mostly an evening add-on

44 shows (14%) start on a Friday, and 31 of those are multi-day shows that continue into the weekend. Friday hours are usually in the evening. The Sports Factory of the Lehigh Valley show in Allentown, PA runs Friday 5pm to 9pm before its Saturday session, the North Jersey Card Show in Wayne, NJ runs Friday 5pm to 10pm, and the SD Card Show in San Diego runs Friday 5pm to 9pm. Friday-start shows that list tables average 118, and 12 of the 41 have 150 or more, so a Friday evening can be a way to see a big show before its main Saturday session.

Multi-day shows

76 shows (24%) run more than one day. By far the most common pattern is Saturday into Sunday (42 shows), followed by Friday into Saturday (19), Friday through Sunday (11) and Thursday through Sunday (3). Hours often change from day to day. The Dallas Card Show in Allen, TX (Nov 5 to 8) runs Thursday 6pm to 9pm, Friday 2pm to 8pm, Saturday 9:30am to 6pm and Sunday 9:30am to 4pm.

Weeknight shows

A small group skips the weekend entirely: 13 shows start Monday through Thursday. Most are evening events. Examples include Thursday Night Live in Birdsboro, PA (Thursday, Nov 5, 5pm to 9pm), Tuesday Night Card & Pokemon in Colts Neck, NJ (Tuesday, Nov 10, 5pm to 9pm), the Shoreline Card Show in Madison, CT (Wednesday, Nov 11, 3pm to 9pm) and a Third Thursday show in Woonsocket, RI (5pm to 9pm on Oct 15 and Nov 19).

How to use this

If you want the widest selection, aim for a Saturday show, since that is where the big rooms are. If you prefer a smaller floor and an earlier finish, a Sunday show may suit you. If a show opens Friday evening, that session is an option when your weekend is tight. Whichever day you pick, check the hours for each day on the show page, because organizers set them individually and they can change.