Flip. Haggle. Swap. And be ready to Pull at the upcoming Bangalore Card Show 2.0. Launched on June 14, 2026, the first ever edition of this trading card gaming event saw such an overwhelming response, the founders are bringing it back for one more edition before the year ends.
The Bangalore Card Show (BCS) was conceptualised and fleshed into reality by Sagar S and Ryan Satish, both avid collectors based out of Bengaluru. As India does not have an official platform for the distribution of Trading Card Games (TCG), enthusiasts today, often find like-minded souls via social media.
“Someone reached out to me and I found out that there is a community of collectors in Bengaluru; we got in touch and I got added to groups,” says Ryan, a wildlife biologist. “In 2021, I met Sagar on one of these groups and we started meeting regularly. There were about 20 of us in the city then, with about 100-150 collectors in different parts of the country.”
The group would end up spending weekends at each other’s places “just sharing our love for Pokemon”. “I realised we did not have a platform where collectors could meet or where vendors from across the country could come together under one roof, and give people a chance to buy whatever they want,” says Sagar, a paediatrician by profession.
They worked out the logistics and between the two of them, Sagar and Ryan put together the first edition of the Bangalore Card Show. Held on June 14, 2026, the duo say they did not realise how many enthusiasts would show up for the event which saw an attendance of close to 1,200.
At the debut edition of the Bangalore Card Show
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“In India, we did not have a platform, which would bring the community together — give beginners an opportunity to learn, and allow for enthusiasts to connect with each other. The reason we built the Bangalore Card Show was for the community to connect with each other,” Ryan adds.
Both Ryan and Sagar were clear that creating a safe environment was of utmost importance to them. “Trading cards can get competitive and costly; you can end up meeting people who are not trustworthy. We did not want parents to worry if their children were collectors. That is one aspect we wanted to control from the very get-go,” says Sagar.
For the curious, there are two parts to Trading Card Games — playing and collecting. Trading cards are collected to build a deck and owners use them to battle opponents in a tournament. While the most well-known trading card game is Pokemon, names such as One Piece, Magic: The Gathering, and sports cards are quite popular too. Companies such as Disney, Norton and Vanguard have their own card games and conduct tournaments and events.
What to expect
BCS 2.0 has an array of events lined up for the weekend, from Pokemon art contests and game tournaments to a Beyblade experience zone and teaching sessions, among other things.
At the first edition of BCS, a custom-made card was gifted to registered participants. Ideated by Ryan and Sagar, it was created by Ravi Jambhekar, a wildlife illustrator and is quintessentially Bengalurean.
BCS’ custom-made card
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“The landmarks as well as the animals and birds are indigenous to the city. We wanted to create something unique and we hope it will be a collectible in its own right,” says Sagar.
All registered participants will get this custom card bearing a second edition stamp along with a welcome pack and different trading cards at BCS 2.0 too.
Ryan believes playing Pokemon as a child ignited an interest in wildlife and nudged him towards making it a profession. “Whenever I am out in the field, I think of it as Pokemon in real life. I maintain a list of all the birds I want to see and where I can find them, which is how one would play the game too. I have been trying to create awareness in children by comparing the game and real-life animals and how they are important to the ecosystem; it is something I am quite passionate about.”
“Growing up, the games improved my math and analytical skills too, courtesy riddles, puzzles and mysteries,” he says, recalling a game that needed the use of Braille to decipher a code to get to the next level. “Such steps require players to use their brains and I believe it played a huge part in keeping me sharp and on my feet.”
What next
The founders want to build the playing community in the city and to this end, they have been organising tournaments. “In the past year, we have been teaching people how to play, moving them away from the collecting aspect. You play with other collectors and that is how you make connections,” says Sagar.
At the debut edition of the Bangalore Card Show
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“We’ve met a lot of people from different walks of life through this community. At BCS, you will find all age groups from pre-tweens to 40-year olds,” adds Ryan.
Sagar and Ryan hope to take BCS to Mumbai in February next year, followed by Hyderabad and other major cities.
The Bangalore Card Show will take place at the Shubh Convention Centre, JP Nagar on November 14 and 15 from 10am. Tickets starting from ₹499 available on BookMyShow.
Prized possessions
Pokémon’s Pikachu Illustrator (1998) was awarded to winners of a Japanese illustration contest. With about 40 copies in existence, they are highly coveted, and the single copy having a PSA 10 Gem Mint grade, was sold for a record $16.5 million at an auction in February 2026.
The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 is a vintage baseball sports card. A high-grade copy of this card fetched around $12.6 million in 2021.
(Source: Internet)
Published – November 09, 2026 01:11 pm IST
