Collectors packed the El Paso County Coliseum on Saturday for the 2026 edition of the Hobby Havoc Card Show, a free-to-attend event stacked with sports cards, Pokémon cards, Funko Pops, and signed sports memorabilia. The show ran from noon until 7 p.m., filling the historic venue's floor with vendors and hobbyists digging through boxes and binders.
According to KVIA, event officials described the show as featuring cards and other collectible items spread across the Coliseum floor. Organizers enforced a clear bag policy and prohibited any bag larger than 12 inches by 12 inches inside the venue, a restriction the station reported was in effect for the entire event. Admission itself was free, though the same report noted anyone driving in had to deal with the venue's parking arrangement separately.
Free Admission, But Bring Cash for Parking
While getting through the doors cost nothing, attendees who drove to the Coliseum faced a $5 cash-only parking fee for access to the venue's 850-space lot, according to CardShopFinder. The show was officially presented by Reliable Financial Services, an El Paso tax and accounting firm serving as the event's headline sponsor, per Visit El Paso.
The show, organized by Brandon Beltran under the 915 Cards & Collectibles banner, served as a direct follow-up to the promoter's sold-out Summer Bash card event held at the same venue in July, CardShopFinder reports. That continuity reflects a promoter that has expanded its card show footprint across El Paso venues throughout the year.
Borderland Flavor on the Vendor Floor
The Borderland show's vendor mix leaned into the region's binational fan base, drawing sellers from across Texas and New Mexico offering Liga MX soccer gear, Canelo Alvarez boxing memorabilia, and lucha libre collectibles alongside local UTEP Miners and El Paso Chihuahuas merchandise, per CardShopFinder. That inventory mirrors what organizers elsewhere have described as a distinctly regional approach to sports card conventions along the border.
The event's host venue carries its own long history. Built originally as a rodeo and livestock facility and dedicated on May 21, 1942, for $321,000, the El Paso County Coliseum features a fixed seating capacity of 6,500, according to the El Paso Sports Commission. Owned by El Paso County, the Coliseum has been operated under a management contract by the nonprofit Sports Commission since 2003, as Hoodline has previously reported.
A Coliseum Facing Its Own Future
County capital planning documents released this year outline a $104.7 million Revitalize Coliseum master plan that proposes a new event center, festival plaza, and expanded parking facilities for the aging venue. That proposal comes as county leaders weigh major capital investments alongside separate discussions about the facility's long-term management structure.
The card show's popularity also lines up with broader industry momentum. The global trading card game market is forecast to grow from $13.28 billion in 2025 to $15.11 billion in 2026, and toward $24.36 billion by 2031, driven by adult investment interest and entertainment licensing partnerships, according to Mordor Intelligence. In North America alone, the collectible card game market reached $7.02 billion in 2025, fueled by expanding competitive tournament programs and core releases from franchises like Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Disney Lorcana, per Straits Research.
Secondary market valuation for sports and collectible cards climbed to an estimated $15.8 billion globally in 2024, bolstered by professional grading services like PSA and Beckett, along with livestreamed box-breaking events, according to Strategic Market Research reports. That growth has helped turn local weekend shows like Hobby Havoc into stops for both casual collectors and serious investors browsing the same folding tables.
