The First Friday Trade Show is a four-hour evening event for Tampa Bay collectors who want to buy, sell, trade, and spend time around the local card community. Organized by Personal Pitstop Express in partnership with Charlie’s TCG Con, it combines a compact trading-card show with raffles, food, music, and several practical attendee perks.
The event takes place in a large, lighted, cooled party tent at Personal Pitstop Express. That setting is worth knowing before arrival: this is not a conventional hotel ballroom or convention-center floor, but a tented event space at the organizer’s Tampa property. All ages are welcome, making it approachable for families, newer collectors, and established hobbyists alike.
A Full Day of Cards & Collectibles
Although the show runs during a Friday evening rather than a full day, its four-hour format gives collectors time to browse up to 19 vendor tables, compare cards, discuss trades, and revisit tables before the night ends. The confirmed card mix includes Pokémon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Riftbound, Dragon Ball, and Lorcana, along with related collectibles.
A smaller table count can make the floor easier to navigate for a first visit. Start with a complete pass to see the available selection, then return to the tables that best match your collecting goals. Depending on individual vendor inventory, you may encounter binders, display cases, graded cards, sealed products, or other common show-floor formats, but specific inventory is not guaranteed.
Buying in person also makes it easier to inspect condition, centering, surfaces, and packaging before making a decision. If you plan to trade, organize your cards before leaving home and know which pieces are available. Keeping higher-value cards protected and bringing a clear idea of what you want can make conversations at busy tables more efficient.
More Than Just a Card Show
The First Friday Trade Show adds several confirmed features beyond the vendor area. Hourly raffles give attendees recurring activities throughout the evening, and each purchased admission includes one raffle ticket distributed at the entrance. Keep that ticket secure after checking in so it is available when drawings are announced.
A food truck is scheduled, along with music and event lighting. Event participants are also offered a complimentary car wash. These details give the night more of a community-event atmosphere while still keeping buying, selling, and trading at the center of the experience.
Parking requires a little advance planning. The designated free event lot is at 10061 W Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33625, not at the show’s 9401 W Hillsborough Ave address. The organizer describes the walk as approximately eight minutes and says complimentary limo shuttles will run about every 10 minutes between the lot and Personal Pitstop Express. Allow extra time to park, gather anything you are bringing to trade, and reach the entrance before starting your first pass through the show.
Tickets can be purchased before the event through the official page. Advance purchasers should keep their receipt ready to show at the door. Because parking and entry use separate steps, saving the receipt somewhere easy to retrieve can make arrival smoother.
A Show for All Levels of Collectors
New collectors can use the evening to see different card categories in person and ask vendors how they evaluate condition or organize inventory. Families can explore recognizable trading card games and collectibles without committing to a full convention weekend. Casual collectors may enjoy browsing affordable cards or filling gaps in a set, while more experienced buyers can compare multiple copies and negotiate face to face.
The ability to inspect cards before buying is especially useful across games such as Pokémon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Riftbound, Dragon Ball, and Lorcana. Photos can hide surface wear, edge damage, or small packaging issues, while an in-person look provides more context. Trading directly also gives both sides a chance to discuss value and condition before agreeing to an exchange.
For a comfortable visit, bring only the cards and supplies you can manage through the parking and shuttle process. A compact trade binder, secure storage for purchases, and a simple want list can be more practical than carrying an entire collection. Since the event is held in a cooled tent, checking the organizer’s latest instructions before leaving is still sensible if weather could affect arrival or operations.
Final Thoughts
The First Friday Trade Show is shaping up to be a lively evening for collectors in Tampa 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 Florida.
Find another local stop on the Tampa card show calendar.