The Border City Card Show is set to return to Lloydminster this weekend for its biggest event yet.
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The eighth edition of the popular collectibles show takes place Saturday, March 7, at the Lloyd Ex’s WLS Convention Centre from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for teenagers and free for young children. Organizers say all proceeds from the door and autograph donations will support I Love Alberta Boobs, a non-profit that raises funds for breast cancer initiatives. A formal presentation of the funds will take place at Rock for the Cure later this month.
“This is show eight,” said organizer Chris Brinklow. “I was pretty content hosting the event at the casino, but we just had such a long waiting list, show after show, that it only made sense to grow and expand.”
The move to the larger space at the Lloyd Ex comes as demand for vendor tables continues to climb. The show is sold out with 77 tables and roughly 40 vendors — the most in the event’s history.
“We are literally maxed out,” said Brinklow, noting some regular vendors are attending a competing show in Saskatoon this weekend. “But by word of mouth, this show has sold out again.”
More than 70 tables will feature hundreds of sports cards and collectibles, with interest in the hobby continuing to surge. Brinklow said everything from hockey cards to Pokémon has seen renewed demand.
“The hobby has grown,” he said. “Whether it’s hockey, Bedard, Celebrini — now it’s Pokémon. If anybody has cards from back in the day, this is the place to bring them because they’re top dollar right now.”
A special guest is expected to draw additional hockey fans. Ladislav Smid, an alumnus of the Edmonton Oilers, will be at the show from 1 to 3 p.m. signing cards. Organizers are asking for a $20 donation per autograph, with proceeds also going to I Love Alberta Boobs.
“That’s the asking donation, and I say donation because we’re not keeping any of it,” said Brinklow, adding Smid was eager to take part after learning more about the cause.
In addition to the card show, Border City Games will host a Magic: The Gathering tournament during the event, with proceeds also supporting the non-profit.
With multiple events happening at the Lloyd Ex this weekend, organizers are asking attendees to enter through the south entrance on the Civic Centre side of the building.
“The bigger you get, the more headaches come with it,” said Brinklow. “But we’re rolling with the punches, and we’re really excited for this weekend.”
Brinklow added organizers have stepped up security measures amid reports of theft at larger shows.
“With the cost of some of these cards, it’s easy for someone to slip something into a pocket,” he said. “We’ve spoken to vendors to make sure they’re aware and protecting their assets.”
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