Collectibles, Autographs, Trading Cards: Where To Find Holiday Deals

CONNECTICUT/MASSACHUSETTS — With just over three weeks remaining in the holiday shopping season, consider getting a piece of memorabilia for the sports fan on your list. The sports collectibles industry has exploded in recent years, estimated at $26 billion annually, with the emergence of Funko Pops generating around $700 million on its own.

Whether it be trading cards of a favorite player or team, an autographed photo or mini-helmet, or non-sports items such as Pokemon or Magic the Gathering cards, there are a number of brick-and-mortar outlets in the northern and central Connecticut area, as well as some shows and conventions in Massachusetts that are within reasonable driving distance.

You want to say, "Online shopping is so much easier," which may be true, but actually getting to browse through items, whether they be carefully arranged on a shelf or tossed into a random box (the old "plow through everything to find anything" routine, which I love doing), usually leaves one buying something they wouldn't have planned on acquiring prior to walking in (trust me from first-hand experience).

Here is a partial listing of some of these shops, as well as a few upcoming shows in the region where shoppers can scope out items from 30 to 80 vendors at a time. Some autograph signings scheduled before Christmas are also included.

Alpha CT Celebrity Signings

• Meet WWE Hall of Famer Madusa
• Saturday, Dec. 14
• Courtyard By Marriott, 63 Grand St., Waterbury
• Snap a photo, get an autograph, create lasting memories

Cardboard Promotions

• Sports Card and Memorabilia Show
• Sunday, Dec. 15
• Holiday Inn, 55 Ariadne Rd., Dedham MA
• Autograph guests: Red Sox legend Rico Petrocelli, former Patriot Tony Franklin

Fearless Sports Cards & Collectibles

• 3 Turkey Hills Rd., East Granby
• 79 Enfield St., Enfield
• 360 N. Westfield St., Feeding Hills MA
• Sports cards, Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, autographed memorabilia

Galaxy Pops and Beyond

• Enfield Square, 90 Elm St., Enfield
• Funko Pops, Pokemon, Lorcana, One Piece, Magic the Gathering
• WWE memorabilia, celebrity signings

Hartford Wolf Pack

• Postgame autographs - All ticketed fans will be able to stay on the concourse postgame to get some of their favorite players’ signatures
• Saturday, Dec. 7
• XL Center, One Civic Center Plaza, Hartford

Ideal Cards and Memorabilia

• Enfield Sports Card Show
• Saturday, Dec. 7
• American Legion, 566 Enfield St., Enfield
• Autograph guest: former N.Y. Yankee Ruben Sierra
• Plainville Sports Card Show
• Saturday, Dec. 21
• VFW, 7 Northwest Dr., Plainville

Ken's Cards and Collectibles

• 27 Mill St., Berlin
• Sports cards, autographed memorabilia
• World-famous Rasslin' Room with thousands of cards, autographs, DVDs, magazines
• Celebrity signings

Kev's Barnyard

• Multi-dealer flea market
• 185 W. State St., Granby MA
• Sports cards, memorabilia

M & J Video Games and Collectibles

• 1049 Queen St., Southington
• Retro video games, DVDs, wrestling collectibles
• Sports cards, autographed memorabilia
• Celebrity signings

Matt's Sportscards & Comics

• 348 Hazard Ave., Enfield
• Cards, comics, games, figures, books
• Funko Pops, anime, book signings

Simsbury Cards & Comics

• 518 Salmon Brook St., Granby
• Hobby and booster boxes, autographed cards
• YuGiOh, Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Chaos

Zombie Hideout

• Five Town Plaza, 364 Cooley St., Springfield MA
• Sport and non-sport cards, autographs, Funko Pops
• Comic books, action figures, horror statues, records
• Zombie's Brain Freeze (freeze-dried candy)
• Celebrity meet-and-greets