Over 200 people attended the Archive Day Trading Card Show at West Hempstead’s Cherry Valley Sports last Sunday.
With over 30 vendors, attendees had the opportunity to buy, sell and trade cards related to sports, Pokémon, Yugioh, Magic the Gathering, Lorcana and more. Tickets to the event were $5 with early admission costing $10 and kids under 12 received free entry.
“I love collecting Pokémon card,” Sabbir Ahmed, Archive Day organizer, said. “I used to be a vendor myself, attending local card shows, and I realized they’re a little expensive for vendors and pretty crowded as well.”
Ahmed wanted to create an event that was more affordable for both vendors and attendees. He also wanted to create something in Nassau County, closer to his home in New Hyde Park than the majority of shows, which he said take place in Suffolk County.
By hosting his event at Cherry Valley Sports, the card show was a reasonable drive for local attendees and received foot traffic from simultaneous corn hole and bucket golf tournaments happening in the space.
“We have a great crowd coming in today,” Ahmed said. “I have a lot of friends that are in this hobby and they came through today to vend.”
Alongside cards, from noon to 5 p.m., clothes, shoes, plushes, games and more were available to purchase at the event.
Noah Browser worked a vendor booth with friends from Chaos Collective, a Commack-based group selling Pokémon cards, art and more. “We’re just a bunch of friends, having a good time, and selling some cards,” he said. “Events like this bring the community together to do an activity with a common bond, it gets people engaged and doing something special.”
A highlight of the event was when one attendee pulled a mega lucario gold card estimated to be worth over $400.
Antonia Macchia-Barba was vending for her parents Levittown store, Retro Games and Toys of LI. “I’ve been collecting Pokémon since I was a little kid,” she said. “There’s something special about Pokémon cards, from the sportsman ship, to collecting, and the community. It just brings people together.”
