CGC Trading Cards Attending Trading Card Game Con in Tampa, Florida

It’s no exaggeration that trading cards are hot, hot, hot right now! So, card enthusiasts get ready, because CGC® Trading Cards is attending the Tampa Trading Card Game Con at the Florida Fairgrounds on June 26 and 27, 2021. Submit your Pokémon and Magic cards for grading and talk to representatives from CGC Trading Cards, who will be on hand to answer questions, explain services and benefits and accept submissions.

CGC Trading Cards will also be conducting a card grading contest with prizes! See below for information on how to participate.

CGC Trading Cards launched in July 2020 to provide certification services for Pokémon and Magic cards. Already, CGC Trading Cards has certified many impressive collections and numerous rarities, with collectors praising its expert grading, use of advanced technology and best-in-class holder.

Preparing Submissions for the Show

To streamline submissions at the show and increase safety, please take the following steps before arriving:

1. Become a CGC Collectors Society member. To join CGC, click here.
2. Complete the CGC Trading Cards Online Submission Form and print the packing slip. Make sure your account number, shipping address, return shipping method and requested services are included on the paperwork.
3. Carefully insert each of your cards in a CGC Trading Cards Sleeve or similar product and then within a CGC Trading Cards Semi-Rigid Card Holder or similar product. Find out more about CGC Trading Cards Card Sleeves and Semi-Rigid Holders here.
4. Place your cards in the exact order that they are listed on the packing slip.
5. Protect your cards with bubble wrap, and pack them in a sturdy cardboard box.

If there are 10 or fewer cards in your submission, CGC Trading Cards will check them in front of you at the show. If the submission has more than 10 cards, it will be placed in a tamper-proof container and then opened later under security cameras.

CGC Trading Cards will provide tablets at the booth for submitters to use for sign-up and submission purposes.

All submissions will be transported to CGC Trading Cards headquarters in nearby Sarasota, Florida for authentication, grading and encapsulation. To learn more about CGC Trading Cards services and fees, click here.

Questions should be directed to CGC Trading Cards at [email protected] or 1-877-662-6642.

Interested in applying for a job at CGC Trading Cards’ Sarasota, Florida, headquarters? There are openings for all skill levels. Learn more at collectiblesgroup.com/careers.

Card Grading Contest

CGC Trading Cards is excited to hold a card grading contest at the Tampa TCG-CON. Each participant will be given 30 minutes to grade 14 holdered trading cards at the CGC Trading Cards booth without any outside assistance. The cards will be a mix of types and grades. Each contestant will be given an instruction sheet and a test sheet to enter their grades, including sub-grades.

Contestants will be scored based on how close their grades are to the CGC Trading Cards’ grades. Prizes will be given for first, second and third place for the top sports card contestants and the top trading card contestants:

• First place – $500 grading credit
• Second place – Free Premium membership (a $149 value), or if already a member, a $150 grading credit
• Third place – Free Associate membership (a $25 value), or if already a member, a $25 grading credit

Plus, CGC Trading Cards are actively recruiting new talent, which means participation in the card grading contest could lead to the opportunity for an interview and a card grader position!

The grading contest will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 26 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 27 on a first-come-first-served basis. Simply visit the CGC Trading Cards booth, provide your name and contact information and grade the cards! Gloves and hand sanitizer will be provided, and all holdered cards will be wiped with sanitizer between contestants. Sanitizer does not damage the crystal-clear CGC Trading Cards holders.

CGC Trading Cards will contact the winners via email the following week. In the event of a tie, the prize amounts will be split evenly between the winners. (For example, if two contestants tie for first place, each will receive a $250 grading credit, and no second-place prize will be awarded.)

Certified Collectibles Group® employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate. CGC Trading Cards reserve the right of final interpretation of this promotion, including the right to disqualify any contestant.

To learn more about the CGC Trading Cards Grading Scale, click here.

About CGC Trading Cards

CGC Trading Cards is the division of Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) that provides expert and impartial authentication, grading and encapsulation services for virtually all Pokémon TCG and Magic: The Gathering cards. Its graders use a highly accurate, industry-standard 10-point grading scale and evaluate cards using advanced equipment, including devices that perform ultra-microscopic inspections and precisely calculate centering. After cards have been authenticated and graded, they are encapsulated in the CGC Trading Cards holder, which combines crystal-clear optics and advanced archival materials for the best in display and protection.