Published June 22, 2026
The Nashville Card Show, appropriately dubbed the “Nash-ional,” just wrapped up the second of its three annual events, and in my opinion, it was the best one yet.
This edition of the show attracted well over 15,000 visitors across the three-day event and featured more than 1,400 tables. The mix was roughly 70% sports cards and 30% Pokémon cards and other collectibles and memorabilia.
The show offered something for nearly every corner of the hobby. Families sold cards together, flippers worked the room, repack businesses sourced inventory in volume, and collectors searched for grails or the final cards needed to complete their sets. The inventory ranged from vintage issues and iconic cards from the 1980s and 1990s to modern and ultra-modern releases.
Some of the hobby’s most iconic and hard-to-find cards were available, giving collectors a chance to acquire their grails in person without worrying about the shipping concerns that have plagued online purchases in recent years. I also made a couple of purchases that I will share later in the article.
I arrived at about 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, which meant I had to park a little farther from the entrance than usual. However, it also saved me from waiting in the long line out front. The show opened at 10 a.m., and by the time I arrived, the line had cleared.
One of the first dealers I caught up with was the owner of Hi5 Cards, who told me that buying and selling actually began on Thursday, the day before the show opened to the public. Many dealers had already sold a significant amount of inventory before the doors officially opened. If you are looking for a specific grail card, it is best to arrive at these larger shows as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of finding it.
That did not stop me from seeing some incredible cards, though. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the phenomenal display cases and individual cards from the show.
Grails on Display at the Nash-ional Card Show
The first case I want to highlight featured several impressive pieces, including an autographed 2009 Topps Stephen Curry rookie graded PSA 7 and a number of notable Fleer and Star Michael Jordan cards. The Star issues, in particular, are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
The Curry was definitely on my radar, but it was difficult for me to justify paying roughly $4,300 above the value of an unsigned copy for the autograph. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful card that would make an impressive addition to any collection.
I also saw this impressive example of the 1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant rookie card. With four 9.5 subgrades, it caught my eye almost immediately and could potentially be a strong crossover candidate.
Below is a closer look at the recent sales activity and PSA population data for the 1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant rookie.
Another table filled with grails belonged to Evan of Sports Card Society. Among the highlights was the complete 20-card set of 2013 Panini Innovation Kabooms. These were the first Kaboom cards Panini produced, and their much smaller print runs make them considerably scarcer and more valuable than the Kabooms commonly seen in showcases today.
Evan also had a couple of impressive examples of the 2000 Bowman Tom Brady rookie, including a Chrome Refractor graded PSA 7. It is also worth noting that Evan is one of the most polite vendors I have encountered at a show. He patiently took the time to examine my Bowman Chrome Brady rookie and offer his opinion on whether it is worth attempting a crossover at the National in July.
Another vendor with a table full of grails was Breakers Rowe Sports Cards. They had some of the most impressive cards I saw from any single vendor, including one case dedicated solely to 1986 Fleer Michael Jordans.
Joel and his wife had another display case filled with jaw-dropping cards, including a triple autograph featuring Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. They also had several dual autographs, with multiple examples pairing Kobe with LeBron and LeBron with Jordan.
Before getting to my pickup, let’s look at another case that baseball fans are sure to appreciate. This vendor displayed the most impressive collection of Shohei Ohtani BBM cards I have encountered in person.
Many of Ohtani’s most desirable BBM cards date to 2013, his rookie season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and five years before his MLB debut. BBM’s 2013 Rookie Edition even included separate pitching and batting versions of card No. 42, offering an early look at the two-way career that would eventually make him a global star. Their Japanese origin, early-career significance and limited availability outside Japan have made high-grade examples especially desirable among Ohtani collectors. The asking prices were equally eye-catching.
House of Collectibles brought an impressive selection of Michael Jordan cards, including three game-worn memorabilia cards, a 1997-98 Topps Chrome Topps 40 Refractor graded PSA 10 and my personal favorite, a 1993-94 Topps Finest Jordan graded PSA 10. They also had an unopened box of 1993-94 Topps Finest Basketball that is not pictured below, and I had a difficult time leaving that one behind.
If any of the cards pictured in this article catch your eye, follow the links to the dealers’ Instagram pages to contact them directly.
I would also like to give a nod to Matt and Eli from Key Cards. Although I did not pick anything up from them at this show, I have done plenty of business with them at their shop, and they are always warm and welcoming. Visiting their booth feels like stopping by a home away from home. Collectors can visit their shop in Jeffersonville, Indiana, or check out their live eBay streams for deals on iconic cards and sealed products.
My Pickup at the Nash-ional
It had been several months since I added a card to my personal collection, which aligns with the strategy I have followed over the past five years: fewer, more intentional purchases centered on iconic cards. That patience paid off when one of my all-time favorites surfaced at a fair price: the 1997-98 Bowman’s Best Techniques Michael Jordan Atomic Refractor in a PSA 8.
Issued during Jordan’s final championship season with the Chicago Bulls, the card belongs to a 10-card Atomic Refractor insert set that appeared just once every 96 packs. PSA has graded roughly 365 examples across all grades, making it a scarce yet immediately recognizable Jordan refractor. I am also drawn to Atomic Refractors because, in my experience, they are less prone to the greening seen on some standard refractors, while their added scarcity provides another nice bonus.
I picked up this example from the fine folks at House of Collectibles for a very fair price.
I also picked up a PSA 9 Topps Chrome SpongeBob card numbered to 50 for my wife from House of Collectibles. It was the least I could do after she spent the day taking photos for the article and handling the GPS while I drove.
The Other Side of Selling
Several vendors told me they were having excellent shows in terms of moving product, but there is another side to selling that often goes overlooked. Not every deal is a winner, and sometimes it is best to cut bait and move on to the next one.
One vendor, who wished to remain unnamed, had a table full of soccer cards. With the World Cup currently taking place across North America, I was interested to hear how they were selling, and his answer surprised me.
He purchased most of his soccer inventory following the 2022 World Cup and intentionally held it until this show. Outside of his Messi and Ronaldo cards, however, he said he “took a beating” on the rest. He was selling the remaining cards at fire-sale prices simply to clear the inventory and move on.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a fantastic show and well worth the trip from Louisville, even if only to browse the museum-like collections displayed at many of the tables. The crowd was sizable and occasionally made it difficult to see everything, but there was still enough room to get a good look at the cards that interested me.
The drive home up I-65 would have been faster than the scenic route my wife and I chose, but the extra time was well spent. Along the way, we passed several old restaurants housed in buildings that looked like time capsules and saw plenty of wildlife, including a pair of deer grazing in a field just north of Bowling Green.
If you missed this edition of the Nash-ional, you will have another opportunity when the show returns to the Nashville Fairgrounds from October 30 – November 1.