What to bring to a card show: a checklist
Forgetting toploaders means carrying a card you just paid for in your shirt pocket. Here is what experienced collectors pack, and why each item earns its place.
Cash, in small bills
Cash in small bills is the single most important thing to bring to a card show, because every dealer accepts it, it works without cell signal, and it makes negotiated prices easy to close.
Ones, fives, tens and twenties are more useful than hundreds. Dealers run low on change early in the day, and "I've got exact cash" is a strong closer on an offer. Decide your budget before you arrive and bring roughly that amount; it is a lot harder to overspend from a wallet than from a phone.
Keep larger bills separate from your spending cash so you are not flashing a stack at every table. A front pocket or a zipped pouch is safer than a back pocket in a crowded aisle.
A payment app, set up before you leave
Have at least one payment app such as Venmo, PayPal, Cash App or Zelle installed, logged in and tested before you get to the show, as a backup for when your cash runs out.
Many dealers take app payments now, but setting up an account or resetting a password in a basement with one bar of signal is miserable. Check your daily sending limit too, especially if you might buy a bigger card. If you are paying a stranger, confirm the handle by having them show you their profile, and show them your completed payment before you leave the table.
A charged phone and a battery pack
Bring your phone fully charged plus a small battery pack and cable, because looking up sold prices, paying through apps and taking photos will drain a battery faster than a normal day.
Before you go, bookmark the sites you use for comps (eBay sold listings, 130point, Card Ladder or PriceCharting) and the grading companies' certification lookup pages. That turns a price check into a few taps. If the venue has bad signal, step outside or near a door to load a page.
Sleeves, toploaders, team bags and a box
Bring your own penny sleeves, toploaders, team bags and a small card box so every card you buy is protected the moment it leaves the dealer's table.
Dealers usually hand over cards in whatever they were displayed in, which might be a toploader, might be a bare sleeve, and for cheap-box cards might be nothing at all. A pack of penny sleeves and a stack of toploaders weigh almost nothing. A small cardboard storage box or a plastic case keeps a day's buys from bending in your bag. If you collect graded cards, a slab case or a padded sleeve keeps them from scratching against each other.
A want list
A written want list of specific cards, with year, set, card number and the most you will pay, keeps you focused in a room where everything is tempting.
Keep it in a notes app or on an index card. Being specific helps dealers help you: "2003 Topps Chrome LeBron rookie, refractor, raw, up to my number" gets a real answer, while "any LeBron" gets you pointed at a long box. Writing your max price next to each card before the show is the best defense against overpaying in the moment.
A trade binder or trade box
If you plan to trade, bring the cards you are willing to part with in a binder or box that is separate from your keepers, so there is never confusion about what is on offer.
Use nine-pocket pages or individually sleeved cards in a box. Pencil a price or a note on a small sticker if you know roughly what each card is worth; it speeds up every conversation. Never mix cards you would not trade into the same binder. It leads to awkward moments when someone falls in love with the one card you were not offering.
A bag with a hard side or a backpack
A backpack or a messenger bag with some structure leaves both hands free to flip through boxes and keeps purchases from getting crushed.
Put your card box or a rigid folder in the bag so purchases have something firm around them. Keep the bag in front of you or between your feet at tables. In tight aisles, take a backpack off rather than turning around and sweeping someone's display.
Water and a snack
Bring a bottle of water and a snack, because venue food is often limited, lines can be long, and a few hours on your feet in a warm room adds up.
Keep both well away from the tables. Eat and drink in a hallway or at a seating area, never over someone's display case, and wipe your hands before you handle cards. Comfortable shoes belong on this list too; most halls are concrete.
ID, parking and the show details
Carry a photo ID, since some venues such as hotels, casinos and event centers ask for it at entry, and check the listing for parking and admission details before you leave home.
A screenshot of the show listing with the address, hours and admission is handy when signal drops. Some shows are cash-only at the door even if dealers inside take apps. If you are selling to dealers, some may ask for ID on larger purchases.
The quick checklist
The short version: cash in small bills, a tested payment app, a charged phone and battery pack, sleeves, toploaders, team bags, a card box, a want list with max prices, a separate trade binder, a sturdy bag, water, a snack, comfortable shoes and a photo ID.
Pack the night before. The best cards go early, and the first hour of a show is a bad time to realize the toploaders are still on your desk.