London is Epicenter of Events in Europe
When Harry Reynolds organized the first London Card Show in July 2021, it featured ten tables and 40 attendees.
It didn’t take collectors in Europe long to latch onto the quarterly show. At the most recent London Card Show, held in mid-May of this year, the two-day event had 275 tables per day, and attendance topped 4,400.
“The growth has been quite substantial,” said Reynolds, a 27-year-old entrepreneur.
London has become the epicenter for card shows in Europe. Under the direction of its founder and CEO, Reynolds, the London Card Show has become the largest card-related event overseas. Shows are becoming quite popular over the pond.
“Three years ago, they were just simple tables with a tablecloth and cards,” said Ian Foster, Topps’ senior director for marketing and digital content in London. “The guys selling are probably in their mid-20s to mid-30s, which is very different from what we saw at The National in the United States.”
Taking Advantage of the Boom
The growth in The Hobby overseas — similar to the United States — really boomed during the pandemic. When everything started opening back up in England, the London Card Show became the go-to place for card collectors.
“There was absolutely nothing like it in the UK,” Reynolds said. “Maybe there were local fairs with one or two tables. But in terms of shows, there was nothing.”
The London Card Show has received a great response from the European card community. The more collectors hear about the event, the more newcomers are flooding into the space.
“The good thing is, this past show, we had more new people coming than returners,” Reynolds said. “I think it was 55/45 in terms of attendees. Vendors as well. We’re always getting more and more vendors saying they’d love to come along or they’re new. We don’t just get vendors from the UK. We get vendors from Germany, Belgium, and Holland. We had a few from Hungary, Switzerland, all over Europe.”
The second-largest show in Europe pales in comparison to the London Card Show. The German Cards & Collectibles Show features around 125 tables. The Scotland Card Show has also become a hotspot for collectors.
“The mature shows are in London and Germany; they are very well advanced,” said Patrick Rausch, Topps’ chief marketing officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
According to Rausch, Topps will attend 40 European card shows this year.
Show for All Ages
The London Card Show, which utilizes 29,000 square feet for its venue, attracts dealers and collectors of all ages. But, in general, the young population is making their way out to the shows.
“The average age at the London shows is about 32,” Foster said. “There’s a range between 21 and 51, you could argue. People are prepared to travel from Europe. So, guys from, say, Germany will come over to London, and vice versa. People will go to Budapest. It’s fairly close and fairly easy to do. They’re quite keen to see other cultures and other card shows. They might find a hidden gem of a card that they’d love to invest in.”
The London Card Show is held at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, an outer suburb of London. It’s the perfect location in Reynolds’ eyes. Since it’s outside of London, it avoids congestion. Also, parking is free. The venue is just 20 miles from Heathrow Airport, there are plenty of hotels in the area, and it’s just a 10-minute walk into town to grab food.
Along with pulling in collectors and dealers from all over Europe, corporate presence at the London Card Show is picking up. At the last show, third-party grading giant PSA took on-site submissions for the first time in the history of European card shows.
“I think that’s kind of a sign of where we are as a business, the kind of reach we are getting,” Reynolds said. “It’s not just local businesses, it’s these monsters of the hobby. We’ve got Topps setting up at every single show. Goldin now said they don’t want to miss a show because they’re so happy how it’s been.”
Reynolds wants to continue growing the London Card Show at a sustainable rate. Even with 4,400 attendees at the last show, there were collectors who couldn’t make it through the doors.
“I think selling a show out is far better than having it too big and people thinking, ‘Oh, there’s still tickets available. Why are there still tickets available?’” Reynolds said. “I can tell you this for certain: as soon as we say that it’s sold out, we get the most questions. ‘Oh, can you put us on the waiting list? Is there any chance we can have a table?’ People feel like they’re missing out now.”
Putting on the London Card Show is quite a large undertaking. Reynolds has two full-time employees who assist him: his sister is the COO, and his brother-in-law is the marketing director. A move to a larger venue could be in store down the line, but Reynolds is being cautious.
“We just want to make sure what we’re doing is good and to the best of our ability,” Reynolds said.
