Families look at trading cards being sold at the Shepherdstown Sports & Trading Card Game Expo on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The banquet hall by the Rumsey Tavern was bustling with life on Saturday morning, as local residents gathered together to participate in the first ever Shepherdstown Sports & Trading Card Game Expo.

The expo was created by two Eastern Panhandle businesses, VaultTrove in Inwood and The Hobbies Shop in Charles Town. According to VaultTrove owner Amy Springer, there has long been a need for an event like this in the area. She and her husband, Devon, became increasingly aware of that fact, after establishing their small business and finding themselves having to travel well over an hour to sell Pokemon, One Piece, Gundam and Lorcana cards at any trading card game event.

“We just started our small business, due to my unemployment at the time, as an extra income,” Springer said, mentioning she has since found a full-time job. “We’ve been doing shows around Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania since February. That led us to thinking about doing our own show here locally, because there’s not too many shows here in West Virginia, especially in the Eastern Panhandle.”

From there, the couple approached The Hobbies Shop about collaborating together on developing the event. They agreed that, unlike with some similar trading card games events, their expo would allow more sales diversity.

“Here, we decided to let other people be involved, who sell things other than trading cards and sports cards. We have a baker and a Pokemon artist here today,” Springer said.

A group of trading card game enthusiasts examine items on sale at the Shepherdstown Sports & Trading Card Game Expo on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

The expo also featured raffles for items related to, as well as those not related to, trading card games — including two tickets to a ghost tour with Shepherdstown Mystery Walks.

“We wanted to make this more fun for people,” Springer said.

What added even more to the attendee experience, was creating a dedicated kids zone — something the mother of two said she has wished was available at more sports and trading card game events.

“You don’t see a lot of generalized kids areas at other events like this,” Springer said. “We made sure there would be a number of fun activities there to entertain our younger attendees — there’s coloring stuff and the craft supplies to make little Thanksgiving masks.”

For Kelly Taylor, of Martinsburg, the kids zone was a welcome addition — especially since the reason she got into trading cards herself, was to bond with her fiancé — a lifelong enthusiast — and her daughter.

Trading card game enthusiasts buy and sell at tables set up in the banquet hall by Rumsey Tavern on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

“I just started recently collecting and playing trading card games, and have found the community to be so welcoming,” Taylor said. “For a long time, my only hobby was reading, but I’ve enjoyed adding on this new hobby. It’s become a nice way to spend time with my family.”

The expo will be held on a monthly basis. To learn more, follow VaultTrove and The Hobbies Shop on Facebook or call 281-710-2603.

Martinsburg resident Kelly Taylor, left, hands out raffle tickets and admission bracelets to attendees of the Shepherdstown Sports & Trading Card Game Expo on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston