Article by Ben Shlesinger
Growing up in Montgomery County in the 1980s it seemed as if there was a sports card show every weekend. Reading the back of Beckett you’d see listings for events in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Rockville and a few other places. But now there is just one. The Mid-Atlantic Sports Card Show is a semi-annual one-day show created by Ryan McCormick. The next one is this Saturday, May 18th from 9:30 AM to 3 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building.
McCormick wanted to host an event for the strong DMV card collecting community to get together in-person to buy, sell and trade. Accessibility was also important so the Civic Building location was chosen in-part because it is just about half a mile from the Silver Spring Metro stop. Past shows have been packed so McCormick has a good thing going right now and continuing to improve. The last show was the first to include in-person autographs.
“Dexter Manley was phenomenal—friendly, outgoing, and full of stories from the Redskins’ glory years,” McCormick said. “Show attendees have made it very clear that they enjoy the opportunity to meet professional athletes and want to see autograph guests at the shows. We are committed to providing this experience and have several ideas for future signers.”
Denny McLain, a famed former Detroit Tigers pitcher who in 1968 was an All-Star, Cy Young Winner, MVP and World Series champion, will be signing on Saturday. But if autos aren’t your thing, there will be plenty of tables selling packs, graded cards, Pokemon, Disney Lorcana, memorabilia and other collectibles.
“We are continually looking for creative ways to grow our shows and improve the experience. We have a tremendous partnership with the Montgomery County government and the extremely professional team that runs the Silver Spring Civic Building (SSCB),” McCormick added. “For example, we will have a new 1,000 SF trading area in the interior courtyard on Saturday. We worked with Denny Cards on a trade night after the February show. Ideas we are kicking around include potential use of additional rooms at the SSCB, use of the outdoor space, multi-day shows, and partnering with other show promoters on larger projects.”
The next five shows in Silver Spring after Saturday are September 15 and November 23, 2024; then next year February 8, (Super Bowl Saturday); May 3, and September 6.