Windsor, Ont. trading card enthusiasts get back to in-person shows

Robbie Durling holds up a Patrick Mahomes rookie card at the Rad Sports Card and Collectibles Show at the Optimist Centre in Windsor, Ont. on September 25, 2022. (Rich Garton/CTV News Windsor)

Sports card enthusiasts are back in business in Windsor this weekend at an in-person show in South Walkerville.

Robbie Durling organized the Rad Sports Card and Collectibles Show, which took place at the Optimist Centre Sunday morning.

“Anything in life is really a gamble and sports cards are just another gamble, right? You can drop $100 and turn that into $1,000 and you can drop $100 and it'll turn into nothing,” says Durling.

Trading cards of all sorts — baseball, hockey, football and even Pokémon — were on offer for those either looking to get into the hobby, or swipe a rare rookie card.

Durling said his biggest sale of the day was a Vladimir Guerrero rookie card, which he sold for $50.

He points out he hasn’t been to a show since before the COVID-19 pandemic and there’s an appetite for traders to meet in person, because there’s nothing like scoping out cards and collectibles to add to your collection.

“There's something in everyone's price range, right?” says Durling.

“Some people come here, they want to collect the high end stuff. They want the LeBron’s. They want the Gretzky's and some people just want you know, a cool collection to go through,” he adds. “So whether you have like $1 or $100, you're going to be able to find something that satisfies you.”