Card shows give collectors the ability to buy, trade, and sell, and that was all on display in Superior this past weekend at the Twin Ports card and memorabilia show.

Major League Baseball, the NHL, the NBA, and so many more leagues are in action each night but there’s a bit of a game outside the lines too.

The trading card was believed to first exist in the 1600’s, and throughout history, has transformed.

In 1868, the first baseball cards were believed to have been invented, and since then, the industry has boomed, with help of the modern game. But not all cards are sports cards.

“They literally make cards for everything,” said Corey McCauley, a collector and vendor. “They make Marvel cards, they make wrestling, they make a little bit of everything. When it comes to trading cards, no matter what you’re into you can find your little niche. I think that’s what I love about cards so much.”

Plenty of cards were on display at the Twin Ports card and memorabilia show this weekend in Superior, from Pokémon to women’s college basketball, each vendor showing the ins and outs of their collection.

Because of the diversity in cards, it made the room, and the card community as a whole, much more inclusive.

“Everybody comes from a different place of collecting but we’re all collectors,” said Jonah Bow, a collector and vendor. “I think everybody likes something different. So it’s nice to be able to have an eclectic variety of things for people to be able to check out and choose between.”

The card industry is a multi-million dollar one, and it can be an intimidating activity to get into. McCauley detailed what the best tips are to joining the community.

“Just buy what you like. Because otherwise you’re going to spend a whole bunch of time what is even worth buying. And don’t be afraid to make bad buys I think is the other thing. I think every collector does it, where you have some of those cards where maybe you were high on a rookie and he didn’t pan out, and it just kind of goes with the game, you just write it off as part of the game.”

“It’s hard to decide what to hold and what to sell,” added Bow. “I just try to pick people that I love and believe in and if I really believe in them, I just keep them. I love watching my value skyrocket, but I’m more excited to just have the card, because later on I couldn’t afford the card at the price point its at now.”

With cards and smiles galore, it’s safe to say the event was a success – and the industry is in good hands.