Card Shows in Europe: What to Expect
Hobby Basics · Beginner Guide · Part 19
For years, collectors in Europe only knew card shows from American YouTube videos. That has changed. Germany alone now has shows with hundreds of tables, from Düsseldorf to Berlin and Hamburg. Here is the calendar, what to expect on the day, how prices compare, and how trading etiquette works here.
The short answer: The biggest shows in Germany are CardMadness in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt with several hundred tables. Shows like the Airport Card Show in Berlin, the Tradingcard Convention Hamburg, the Heide Cardshow in Lüneburg or the Hanami Convention in Cologne are smaller and more relaxed. If you collect sports, Frankfurt is the best pick so far, while Berlin and Hamburg lean heavily towards TCG. Expect cash at most tables, prices close to European online prices and better deals late on the last day.
Karl's take
It depends on what you are looking for. For sports cards, Frankfurt is the best German show so far. Düsseldorf is nice, but for sports it felt smaller. Berlin had a great location with pop up shops in the old Tempelhof terminal, but the majority of tables were TCG, so it is not the first pick if you collect sports. Hamburg in April was similar: a mixed show with just a couple of sports tables, and honestly that got boring fast. That is exactly why we are bringing a full table of NFL singles, rookies and slabs to Hamburg in October.
Card show calendar Germany
Upcoming shows
Source: cardpulse.club card show calendar, October 2026. Dates can change, check the organizer's site before you travel.
Earlier in 2026 there were CardMadness Frankfurt (2 May, 400+ tables), the Heide Cardshow in Lüneburg (5 September, 80+ tables), CardMadness Düsseldorf (26 September, 800+ tables), the biggest show in the calendar, and the Airport Card Show in Berlin Tempelhof (10 and 11 October).
What to expect on the day
- A mix of sports and TCG. At most German shows Pokémon and other trading card games take a big part of the tables. At some shows, like Berlin, TCG is the clear majority and sports dealers are only a handful, so check the vendor list before you travel and walk the hall once to note where the sports tables are.
- Entry fee at the bigger shows. Small regional shows are often free or cheap. Some shows sell early entry tickets, which only make sense if you hunt specific cards.
- Cash at most tables. Some dealers take card or PayPal, many prefer cash. Small notes help, and ask about payment before you build a big deal.
- Bad reception. Big halls and old buildings swallow mobile data. Save your sold prices offline before you go.
- Grading on site. At some big shows, grading companies take submissions directly. CGC has taken submissions at CardMadness, for example.
- Busy mornings, relaxed afternoons. The best selection is early, the best deals are late on the last day.
Two kinds of tables
Big booths with banners, several showcases and staff have the widest selection. They are often less flexible on price and usually pay less when you sell to them, because they carry more costs.
Small tables with one or two showcases are where you negotiate. They want to move cards, they often take trades, and they remember you at the next show. Look at both, but do your bundle deals at the small tables first.
Prices at European shows
Do not expect American show prices. Most dealers here price close to European online prices, because their stock also came through import, shipping and VAT. What you save is shipping, fees and the risk of buying blind. What you gain is seeing the card in hand before you pay.
A quick test saves you time: ask a dealer for prices on three cards you have already comped. Close to sold prices means this table is worth a bundle deal. Far above means move on, without a discussion. Bring your want list with sold prices, as explained in How to Prepare for Your First Card Show.
Etiquette: what dealers wish you knew
- Say hello first. If the dealer is busy, wait until they look up.
- Ask before you touch a card, never open a showcase yourself, and hold cards over the table.
- Keep your case between your feet, not next to your leg.
- Do not block a table to chat with friends.
- Make an offer instead of asking for the lowest price, and base it on the last few sales, not on one outlier.
- Agree on values out loud before you swap. Dealers usually want a trade slightly in their favour, ask whether they prefer cash or trade.
- Do not jump into someone else's deal, and put value box cards back where they came from.
- "No" is a full answer, from both sides.
Meet Haus of Sportscards
Find us at the Tradingcard Convention Hamburg on 23 and 24 October 2026, Inselpark Arena. Buy, sell and trade, bring your stack. Can't make it? Everything we bring is also in the shop, and you can sell your cards to us online.
Buy the card because you want it, not because everyone else does. At a show, where everyone seems to be buying, that matters twice.
Beginner Guide, Part 19 of the series. Before you go: How to Prepare for Your First Card Show · How to Spot Fakes · How to Protect Your Cards
Sources: cardpulse.club: Card shows in Germany 2026, berlin.de: Airport Card Show, Flughafen Tempelhof, CGC: CardMadness Frankfurt 2026. As of October 2026.
Karl Klammer