FRONT ROW CARD SHOW

Front Row Card Show is a touring trading card and collectibles convention that stops in Las Vegas at the Rio Hotel & Casino. The Las Vegas stop runs 600 tables of sports cards, trading card games, comics, autographs and other collectibles over a two-day weekend, with grading and authentication on the floor. It suits collectors who want a big, browseable hall and vendors who want one of the larger table counts on a multi-city circuit.

What you'll find on the floor

The vendor mix covers sports cards (baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, racing, boxing and UFC), Pokémon, Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Disney Lorcana, comic books from Marvel, DC and independent publishers, Star Wars, original artwork, action figures, Funko Pops, toys, video games, pop culture, sports memorabilia and autographs. Many vendors buy, sell and trade, so bringing your own cards to sell or swap is welcome.

Grading and authentication are part of the draw. CGC, JSA and Beckett accept submissions at the Las Vegas show, and Paradise Breaks takes PSA grading submissions. JSA authenticates autographs on-site, so bring signed items to them early in the day to leave time for the work.

The extras run through the weekend:

• Swag bags: the first 200 ticket holders each day get a free bag with a comic book, packs of cards and other items.
• Prize drawings: all attendees can enter drawings, and Sunday adds four $250 shopping sprees plus a $200 voucher.
• Learn the Hobby workshops: free sessions from hobby experts on Saturday, with free prizes for the first 20 people at each one.
• Hobby Hunt: kids 10 and under can run a scavenger hunt through the vendor hall and trade their completed sticker card for a prize.
• Trade Night: Saturday evening, 5 PM to 9 PM, an event outside the vendor hall where attendees and vendors show off cards, trade and win prizes. Entry is free for ticket holders and vendors.

Dates and tickets

The show runs Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM, with VIP early entry at 10 AM.

VIP early entry for the October dates costs $20 for one day or $25 for two days in advance, and kids 10 and under are free with an adult.

Tickets are scanned from a phone or a printout and exchanged for a wristband, which allows in-and-out privileges all day. The quietest stretch is usually Saturday afternoon and Sunday. A limited number of full-price tickets are sold at the show, and online sales for October close at midnight on Friday, October 23.

A season-long VIP pass covers every Front Row Card Show for the year, with early admission, line-skipping and a numbered aluminum badge.

Vendor tables

Vendor tables for a given location open for booking the Wednesday after the previous show there ends. The shows sell out quickly, and sold-out dates keep a waitlist. Anyone selling cards, comics or collectibles must book a vendor table. Original artists, including comic, sports and anime artists, work in a dedicated artist area. Only pre-approved vendors may set up inside the hall or directly outside it. Discounted rooms at the Rio are available to vendors traveling in.

Getting there

The show is held in the Rio Convention Center at the Rio Hotel & Casino, 3700 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, where parking is free and plentiful. Concessions are available through the venue. Handcarts, wagons, oversized strollers and rolling luggage are not allowed in the vendor hall because they are a trip hazard, and weapons are banned. Pets are not permitted except service animals, and smoking and vaping are not allowed indoors. The venue is ADA-compliant, with reserved seating in the lobby, and lost items go to the registration desk.

Who it suits

The Las Vegas stop fits collectors who want a large hall with a mix of sports, trading card games and comics, anyone who wants grading drop-offs and same-day autograph authentication in one trip, and families, given the free admission for kids and the Hobby Hunt. Vendors get a high-capacity show on a circuit that sells out its tables.