Hashed, a global venture capital firm focused on blockchain, artificial intelligence, and content, and Shard Lab, a subsidiary of Thailand’s CP Group, are partnering with The Concept Labs to bring Collectible Con to South Korea for the first time.
The event is designed to bring collectors, sellers, brands, creators, and distributors together around trading cards and other collectible products. More than 50 sellers are expected to participate, creating a marketplace for both established and emerging collections.
The Seoul event aims to build a major meeting point for collectors and industry participants by combining physical trading, authentication services, educational sessions and direct access to global collectible brands and products.
The exhibition will feature trading card games and collectibles associated with Pokémon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana. Sports cards, designer toys, animation merchandise and artworks will also be available.
Collectors will have opportunities to inspect and trade rare individual cards, unopened vintage products, graded cards and limited-edition items. Organizers are also planning live pack-opening sessions, card appraisal and authenticity certification services, along with dedicated spaces for collectors to exchange products directly.
Eight Sessions to Examine Collectibles Industry
Beyond buying and selling, Collectible Con Seoul will include panel discussions and lectures focused on the wider collectibles industry. Eight sessions are expected to bring together sellers, grading companies, brands and community representatives.
The sessions will cover subjects including market trends, card valuation, storage, transactions and the future development of collector communities. The format is intended to provide participants with information about both the commercial and community aspects of the rapidly expanding collectibles market.
The event will also attract domestic and international collectors, overseas brands, distributors, artists and creators. Their participation is expected to give Korean collectors greater exposure to international products while providing global participants with access to one of Asia’s increasingly active collectible markets.
Korea Emerges as Major Trading Card Market
Collectible Con was first held in Bangkok, Thailand, in May and drew about 4,000 visitors. Seoul has been selected as the second location as organizers seek to expand the event into a market where demand for trading cards and collectibles has accelerated.
As per reports, South Korea ranked third globally in eBay trading card sales during the first quarter of the year, rising from 10th place in 2024. The increase highlights the country’s growing importance within the international trading-card market.
Domestic trading activity has also expanded sharply. Data from Korean secondhand marketplace Carrot indicated that transactions involving Pokémon and One Piece cards increased by 1,114% and 10,605%, respectively, during the three months from June through August compared with the same period a year earlier.
Activity has also surged on limited-edition marketplace Cream. Trading-card transactions on the platform reportedly increased about 208 times between January and July compared with the corresponding period last year.
The sharp increase in trading activity across domestic and international platforms suggests that collectible cards are developing from a niche hobby into a larger consumer and alternative-asset market in South Korea.
Seoul Event to Coincide With East Point: Seoul 2026
Collectible Con Seoul is scheduled to take place at Seoul Stage X Seongsu Chabot from Oct. 2 to Oct. 3, alongside East Point: Seoul 2026. The venue will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with free admission for registered visitors.
Participants will be able to enter using a QR code issued after completing preregistration through the event’s official website.
The Seoul edition comes as collectible markets increasingly combine physical communities, digital marketplaces, authentication services and professional trading infrastructure. By bringing sellers, brands, creators and collectors into a single venue, the organizers are positioning Collectible Con as more than a conventional trading event.
For collectors and industry participants, the event could provide greater access to rare products, professional authentication, market information and direct trading opportunities while strengthening connections between Korea’s growing collector community and international brands.
