02/10/2023
Cranston Sports Card Show™
Coming Home after 30+ Years; Our 50th Show Since 1976
If 1976 is going to be remembered for something it’s not going to be a pleasant memory for Yankee fans because they got swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series but if we as sports card and memorabilia collectors have been around for almost a half century the Cranston Sports Card Show™ launched its inaugural venue and has emerged itself as the oldest Charity run Sports Card show in North America. “If you were there in 1976 and coming back today like some dealers and fans you are now eligible for a senior admission discount and I was one of them that was there,” chuckled promoter Mike Mangasarian. The times have changed and so has the hobby but the core experience of having fun has not been lost since the show started. Back then you could buy an autograph of Babe Ruth for $100 and a Ty Cobb for $15 from legendary dealer Conrad Anderson from Billerica, MA who was a yearly participant in the show. You can still find these autographs at the show but your pockets just need to be a little deeper and you more than likely will be buying them from a younger generation of dealers who are keeping the hobby vibrant with enthusiasm and excitement. “They add the modern era of collecting with stars such as Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Ronald Acuna, Jr. to make the show a near even mix of vintage and modern offerings,” stated Promoter Mike. At the February show we had a few super collectors that flew in from the West Coast from the state of Washington. It was exciting to know the boundaries of the shows reach in the collector base have no limitation.
The show’s popularity has risen where dealers at the annual February Show asked if it would be possible to add a few more shows annually and because the show has always been about the dealers and the collectors the promoter obliged with adding the Columbus Day Weekend (2nd time) and a summer outdoor show to its calendar which was received with great success.
This Columbus Day Weekend marks the 50th show in the show's history because it wasn’t until 2022 that the annual Super Bowl show turned into a semiannual event and what is the headline for this celebration? “For the last 2 years I have been trying to find a location in Cranston where the show's roots are to celebrate because the Cranston Sports Card Show™ has gotten so big to 150 tables that it’s hard to find a location that can accommodate its needs,” Mike said. So for the first time in 30+ years the show is coming home to Cranston and will be held at the Cranston West High School Gymnasium, 80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston RI 02920. The February Show will be back in Coventry because it is a bigger facility for a bigger show.
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The show now supports 4 charities which are the 2 churches in the Immaculate Conception Church in Cranston, Sts Vartanantz Armenian Church, in Providence, RI, The Cranston School Dept Athletic Fund, and the Sisters of the Poor, Pawtucket, RI. On top of all this is another charity run business present at the show from Buffalo, NY called Cards for a Cure LLC that gives you a chance to buy into a high end collectible pack of cards called "Charity Packs" at a below market cost that supports cancer and diabetic patients. The pack is sealed but the possible contents of a pack are printed and made visible to the collector in different sport categories such as baseball, football, basketball, etc. More often than not you get to pull an autographed jersey or cap redemption card and the redemption is made immediately at their booth which is run by Mark Ridall. No wait and nothing to mail in. All of these charities benefit from the oldest charity run sports card show in North America.
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Letter from one of the many charities acknowledging the financial
support the show gives to those in need.
There is no sport collecting show in New England that comes near the longevity of this sports collecting classic. It is older than the National and it still maintains its theme as an affordable destination event for collectors and dealers as a fun hobby experience. The Cranston Sports Card Show™ still remains through its rapid growth a fun family hobby experience for everyone where prices are affordable for everything from concessions, sports memorabilia, admissions, and tables. The wait list is long but the contained growth pattern is key to our vendor success and the growth of our show which is consistently steady.
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Keeping the family tradition alive at the Cranston Sports Card Show is the Zolli family with Dad (John) and
his 2 sons from Cranston, RI who are longtime participants. Jay handles the social media responsibilities
for the show. L to R Jay, John, & Mike
What you can expect to see for purchase besides modern and vintage sports cards will be RI Reds hockey memorabilia, incredible autographs, vintage equipment in all sports, graded cards, Pokémon, pennants, sports figurines, sports games, non sports cards, to***co cards, wax boxes and packs, hobby supplies, vintage photo’s, yearbooks, programs, ticket stubs, regional issues, comic books, Lego’s and a whole lot more
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Various collectible items at the Cranston Sports card Show feature bats, wooden Golf clubs,
tennis rackets, boxing autographs, gloves, score cards, advertising, postcards,and to***co cards.
Continued features of the show will be the Silent Auction were dealers that do not have enough space on top of their table get an opportunity to put a few items into the silent auction with a minimum bid and a “Buy it now” option for the collector. It has become a very popular event at the show. Another exciting feature is the newly refined charity raffle where dealers have donated a various assortment of collectibles such as autographed items and at the February Show there were 21 items. You can buy 1 ticket for $1, 10 tickets for $5, twenty tickets for $10 or 50 tickets for $20. One ticket gives you as many chances to win as there are prizes on the 8’ table. If your number is called you get to go up to the table and pick the item you like. A few collectors won more than once at the last show so the more you buy the better your chances.
A program introduced at our last October Show with much success was our dealer “I Don’t Want to go Home With It” blowout specials feature which, throughout the day, a vendor submits a form about merchandise to be announced over the loudspeaker system of a special he was having that described the item, the new low price, and his table number. The vendor was given 10 minutes exclusively for his announcement before another special was announced so to not cause collector chaos on the show floor for specials. It was a first come first served situation for buyers and could not include regular priced merchandise on the dealers table and was a popular feature in its debut and will be continued in October.
Another unique offering at the show that very few shows do if any will be an event program offered to each paid admission for free that will list every dealer by what they sell and where they are so if you collect only graded cards they will all be listed as who has them and where you can find every one of these dealers on the floor. In the back of the program is a coupon for guests to fill in one name of a dealer who gave them a positive show experience that made their visit memorable. When they exit the show they drop the ballot in a box and when tallied on Sunday 3 different vendors will get one free table to the next Cranston Sports Card Show™. At the Cranston Show™ it pays to be nice to your customers!
Keep in mind that the good time that you have at the Cranston Sports Card Show this Oct. 7 & 8 will assist 6 charities financially so everyone wins! This has to be a card show record and we like setting them and breaking them.
Entrance to the show and show hours are as follows;
Date: Sat. Oct. 7 & Sun. Oct. 8, 2023.
Time: Saturday 9-5 (Early Bird admission 8am), Sunday 8:30 – 2:30
Where: Cranston High School West Gymnasium, 80 Metropolitan Ave, Cranston, RI 02920
Admission: is $6 each day & $8 for a 2 day pass. Say, "Put me on your mailing list" and get a $1 discount off your admission on non discounted pricing. Discounted admission for seniors 65 & older, Veterans, and children 12 and under is $3, Children 5 and under are free. Discounted 2 day admission tickets are $5 for both days. A very special popular feature being offered for the fifth time will be a $20 early bird admission for 8a.m. on Saturday for collectors who would like to get on the show floor before the doors open to the public. A collector will have early entry to collectibles for one hour before the general public has access. “I believe this was an industry first when we first did it 5 years ago and it will continue because of its popularity” said Mike Mangasarian. Attendance is expected to exceed the 1,100 admissions paid in 2022 Exceeding these numbers is not out of the question for our Columbus Day Weekend show.
To stay up to date on show happenings and updates visit us at:
Facebook: The Cranston Sports Card Show,
Instagram: CranstonSportsCardShow
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With Very Best Wishes Always,
Mike Mangasarian
Cranston Sports Card Show™ Promoter
401-601-5703
Facebook: Cranston Sports Card Show™
Instagram: cranstonsportscardshow
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