The Card Con return to Mesquite brings North Texas collectors together for a full Saturday built around trading cards, collectibles, and face-to-face hobby connections. Its 250+ tables make this a sizable stop for anyone interested in browsing inventory, comparing cards in hand, negotiating purchases, or bringing a focused trade list.
The Hampton Inn & Suites Dallas-Mesquite sits just off I-635 and is connected to the Mesquite Convention Center, giving the event a familiar DFW gathering place near the Mesquite Arena. The show is designed for a mixed collecting audience, with confirmed categories ranging from sports cards and Pokémon to One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana, Dragon Ball, anime-related items, and other collectibles.
A Full Day of Cards & Collectibles
The primary attraction is the vendor hall. Across 250+ tables, attendees can explore a broad card-and-collectibles marketplace while buying, selling, trading, and talking with other collectors. A room of this size makes it practical to compare several copies of a card, look at different price points, and inspect condition before deciding whether a purchase fits your collection.
Collectors interested in sports cards can arrive with a list organized by player, team, set, or era. That makes it easier to move through cases efficiently and keep an eye out for raw singles, graded cards, inserts, parallels, or lower-cost box finds. Because inventory varies from table to table, it helps to note recent prices before the show and leave some room in the budget for an unexpected find.
The announced TCG mix is especially broad. Fans of Pokémon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, Lorcana, and Dragon Ball have multiple confirmed categories to explore. Depending on individual vendor inventory, you may encounter singles, slabs, sealed products, accessories, trade binders, and deck-building pieces. Specific sets and products are never guaranteed, so a concise want list can make the search more productive.
More Than Just a Card Show
Card Con emphasizes the community side of collecting as much as the merchandise. In-person browsing creates space to ask questions, discuss condition, compare collecting goals, and work through possible trades without relying only on photos or marketplace descriptions. The organizer describes the event as a place to buy, sell, trade, and connect, which gives both active hobbyists and first-time attendees an easy framework for the day.
There are two attendee-entry options. General admission begins after the VIP early-entry window, and purchasing online currently saves $5 compared with the stated door price for either tier. VIP also includes entry into an exclusive VIP-only giveaway and the other event giveaways described in the active checkout. Anyone choosing between tiers can decide whether an extra hour on the floor is worth the difference for a more focused first pass through the room.
Parking deserves a quick check before departure. Hilton’s current property page lists self-parking at $10 per day, but no Card Con-specific rate, validation, or free-parking arrangement is confirmed. Attendees driving to Mesquite should review the organizer’s latest update or the "Official Source" shortly before the event so they are prepared for the venue’s event-day policy.
A Show for All Levels of Collectors
New collectors can use Card Con to learn through comparison. Looking at cards in several cases can make differences in centering, corners, edges, surface quality, and grading more visible. It is also easier to ask a seller how a card’s set, rarity, language, or condition affects its price when the card is directly in front of you.
Casual collectors and families can build the visit around favorite characters, players, teams, or affordable singles instead of trying to cover the entire hall. Agreeing on a spending limit before entering can keep the day relaxed, while photos or notes on a phone can help prevent duplicate purchases. Since no current free-child policy has been confirmed, every attendee should be included when planning the ticket budget.
Experienced collectors may want to arrive early within their chosen admission tier with recent sales context and a clearly separated trade case. For higher-value raw cards, take enough time to inspect surfaces under good light and ask before removing anything from a case. If proposing a trade, explaining what you value each side at can make the conversation faster and clearer. Cashless and cash payment options may differ by vendor, so it is sensible to plan for more than one payment method without assuming every table accepts the same options.
Final Thoughts
The Card Con is shaping up to be a great day for collectors in Mesquite and the surrounding area. If you attend, let the organizer or other attendees know you found the show on Card Show Dex, and stay tuned for more upcoming events across Texas.
Check the full Dallas card show schedule for upcoming dates.