Sports cards are a million-dollar business, and a convention for enthusiasts is on the cards this February.
The 2024 New Jersey Sports Card Convention will be held soon in Freehold, at the Event Center at iPlay America. The convention will bring together dealers and collectors, as well as vendors with memorabilia, novelties, and more.
Sports trading cards, or sports cards for short, first appeared around 1886 in a set released by Goodwin Tobacco, which tucked the cards into packages of cigarettes. The chewing gum company Topps is probably the best known of the major manufacturers that issued trading cards.
When they first appeared, the cards were easy to collect, as they were given away or sold in packs in stores. The sports cards usually featured a picture of the player and the team on the front, with additional biographical information and statistics on the back.
The market for these items has soared, and what is probably the most popular and sought-after card of all time, featuring Mickey Mantle in his Yankees uniform, sold in 2022 for $12.6 million.
The convention is set for February 2, from 3.00 pm until 8.00 pm and February 3, from 9.00 am until 5.00 pm. Tickets are good only for the day purchased, and are priced at $12.00 for adults. Children under ten will be admitted free if an adult accompanies them. Organizers of events like this will often use flyer printing to create maps of the venue for attendees.
Location
48 Thoreau Drive
Freehold Twp, NJ 07728
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Phone
Hours
Mon: 9:00 - 5:00
Tue: 9:00 - 5:00
Wed: 9:00 - 5:00
Thu: 9:00 - 5:00
Fri: 9:00 - 5:00
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed