The day after Valentine’s Day will bring the debut of a new event in Marshalltown, and the return of a hometown boy.

Steve Sprague and his wife Paula are the owners of P.S. Cards and Collectibles Events and will host the Valentine Edition Cards and Collectible Show at Midnight Ballroom on Feb. 15. This will be the first show he has hosted in Marshalltown.

“Not only did I choose Marshalltown because it is the place I grew up and I have great memories there, but it is also half an hour away from Ames, and an hour away from Des Moines, Waterloo and Cedar Rapids,” he said. “It’s a great spot for vendors and customers.”

The vendors are not limited to locals, either. Sprague has five coming from Missouri, three from Minnesota and two from Omaha. He estimates that at least 600 people will attend, with 60 to 70 percent of them being Marshalltown visitors.

Sprague grew up in Marshalltown but moved in 2018 after he and Paula lost their downtown Lost and Finned Pet Supply store to the tornado. Living in Waterloo, he felt a desire to return to his old stomping grounds with a card show, and at the same time honor the memory of his father Fred, who died in May. His mother, Carole, unfortunately also died in December, not long after her husband.

During the last three years, Sprague has hosted card shows in Waterloo and the Amana Colonies, and he has another scheduled in Cresco. Thus far, his shows have gone over very well. One reason is he likes to get children engaged in his events.

They have the option to participate in a black out bingo game, sponsored by Shaines Sports Cards, as the show is ongoing.

“They will go to different vendors, and they may have to find or do different things, such as a fist bump,” Sprague said. “Different things will bring the customers to as many vendors as possible. I’m also trying to bring the hobby back to the kids, because many can’t afford to collect cards.”

At previous shows, he has had up to 110 kids play in the black out bingo, and the winners received three packs of National Football League cards, toploaders and penny sleeves.

“There is no admission charge,” Sprague said. “We just like people to fill out information to get a free door prize ticket, so we can keep a head count of people coming through the door.”

He is still looking for vendors and would like to get 100 tables booked. Beyond giving youth some activities, Sprague also likes to make his card shows stand out for having roughly 60 percent of those tables dedicated to sports cards.

“Usually at shows, there’s a struggle to get more sports because of the Pokemon craze,” he said.

So far, Sprague has 50 vendor tables reserved at the show for vintage and modern sports cards and another 25 reserved for non-sports cards, such as Pokemon and Magic the Gathering.

“If it goes well, we will be returning in July, just not in the same week as RAGBRAI,” he said with a laugh.

EVENT INFORMATION:

Name: Valentine Edition Cards and CollectibleShow

Location: Midnight Ballroom

Address: 1700 S. Center St.

Date: Feb. 15

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.