Who would’ve guessed that a hockey team would captivate the Coachella Valley, creating a total sports frenzy?
Thanks to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, that happened—so it’s the perfect time for a new local trading-card event.
The Palm Springs Card Show is a two-day exhibition and sale of sports cards, Pokémon action figures and more, happening Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and Sept. 17, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Tickets start at $10, available at palmspringscardshow.com.
“The impetus for the show is just really that the hobby, I’d say, has been on fire the last couple of years, whether it’s people collecting sports cards, autographs, Pokémon or Funko Pops,” said show organizer Brad Berdow. “It’s exciting to see everyone who’s collecting and how much passion there is for it, and the sense of community and the fun and enthusiasm about it.
“While there might be other great shows around the country, no one was doing it in the Coachella Valley. It was great to see the Firebirds this year, and how the whole community really got behind the team, and it led us to think that there’d be a lot of enthusiasm and excitement if you could do a card show.”
Berdow said he wants the show to provide a fun experience for amateur collectors and serious hunters alike.
“There’s a real sense of community and passion and fun, whether it’s fathers and sons or grandfathers or mothers and daughters,” Berdow said. “People right now are collecting so many different things. It’s not just sports or baseball cards anymore; it’s so much broader, whether it’s comics, Pokémon or all sorts of TCG (trading card games). What people recognize is a like-minded community, and a sense of enthusiasm and passion. … We thought it would be a great thing to do in the valley.”
All types of collectibles will be sold, bought and even traded—so if you think you may have something to offer, bring it!
“Folks can certainly come and bring their cards in,” Berdow said. “I expect a lot of people will be looking to show the cards to dealers to see if they’re interested. Oftentimes, you also see people just trading among themselves sitting outside in the foyer or the lobby.”
“People right now are collecting so many different things. It’s not just sports or baseball cards anymore; it’s so much broader, whether it’s comics, Pokémon or all sorts of TCG (trading card games).”
Brad Berdow, show organizer
Hockey legend Grant Fuhr and baseball icon Jose Canseco will be signing autographs on Saturday, at prices to be determined.
“Part of the fun of growing up and collecting autographs was the opportunity to meet some of the athletes that you’re watching,” Berdow said. “We have Grant Fuhr, who is a Hockey Hall of Famer, hockey legend, voice of the Firebirds and five-time Stanley Cup champion. We also have Jose Canseco, a baseball superstar who’s a huge personality. Even outside of sports, tons of people know him, so we’re excited to have both of them in the desert.”
Andy Madec, of Andy Buys Cards, will have a booth at the Palm Springs Card Show. During a recent phone interview, he said he was excited to take part—and hopes to perhaps make a big find.
“I’m set up right in front, with the hope to buy some stuff and maybe have some material come in the door, like vintage material,” he said. “I’m also taking an ad out in The Desert Sun, just a small classified, trying to beat the bushes and maybe drum some fresh stuff up. Palm Springs was a big retirement community for people from the Midwest and East Coast, and also a playground for wealthy people and celebrities during the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. I’ve seen stuff come out of there. … It’s exciting for me; it’s a nice hang. It’s an easy vibe. It’s just a couple of hours away from my house, and I’m trying to support local shows and whatnot. I think that could be a great place for a regular show, so I’m all about it.”
Madec deals in high-end collectibles, and he will bring some special items to the show.
“I have some killer stuff out, and I’ll make it look like a jewelry store,” said Madec. “I’ll bring out really high-end stuff and show people what I’m buying and what I’m interested in. Not only do I buy stuff, but I think most people who are involved in the hobby or industry as a collector or investor, they’re looking to people like me to show them what to buy, or what they should be doing. … I’m dealing in a lot of one-of-a-kind, unique items, where the demand is higher than the supply. It’s not like I can just go break another case and open it up. There are some other big things going on with authentication and grading, so I have a couple of people I work closely with hanging out with me, and I have an autograph expert who’s going to be with me over the weekend. His parents live in Palm Springs, and he’s a tremendous source for material for me. I’m really hoping some action happens.”
Madec said he thinks the Coachella Valley is “ripe for the picking.”
“The bigger the show, the more chance you have of a little bit of everything,” Madec said. “I think that this is a big pool to tap into that nobody has been tapping into. … I think there are a lot of people who are going to be there who are interested in what we’re doing, and there are going to be people who have what I’m looking for. Hopefully I’m right, but you can’t win if you don’t enter. … It’s a crapshoot sometimes. You just get a feeling, and Palm Springs is a place that I’ve advertised a few times over the years, many years ago, and I was successful.”
Madec wants this Palm Springs Card Show to be the first of many.
“I’m hoping that it’s successful, and we can make it a regular thing,” he said.
The Palm Springs Card Show will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, in Palm Springs. Advance tickets are $10; or $15 at the door; children 12 and younger are admitted for free. For more information, visit palmspringscardshow.com.