BTL Is Back at SoCo Expo: More Tables, More Deals, and More Community

When I walked into the inaugural SoCo Expo last year in Cleveland, I knew right away this wasn’t just another card show. It was something different; there was a community here. The entire soccer card collecting community, all in one room, surrounded by the soccer cards we love. At most sports card shows, including the one SoCo Expo is scheduled around, soccer cards are an afterthought. Finding a table filled with soccer at those shows is like finding buried treasure. The SoCo Expo represented a totally different experience. An entire show filled up with soccer cards and all of my favorite people in the soccer card collecting community under one roof. For me, that’s what this hobby is about. It’s not just the chase, the breaks, or the cards (I♥️CARDS). It’s the connections, real relationships built over time, conversation by conversation.

That’s why I’m excited to announce that BTL (Breaking the Law) is returning as a sponsor of the 2025 SoCo Expo, and we’re showing up bigger and better. 

Last year, I had a single table. This year, I’ve expanded to three, bringing eight full showcases of slabbed cards, multiple value boxes, and a wide range of wax for sale. From hunting for deals in $1 boxes to high-end Messi rookies and more Lamine Yamal than I’d like to admit, I try to have something for everyone. But more than just selling cards, I’m trying to set the tone for what I believe a soccer card booth should feel like: welcoming, energized, and built for deals. 

Building Space for Community (and Trades) 

One new feature I’m especially excited about is our dedicated trade/sell zone. I’m devoting an entire table where collectors can put their cases down, take a seat, and work something out. Whether you’re looking to sell, trade up, or just talk soccer cards, this table is yours. I’ve been on both sides of the deal table over the years, and I know how important it is to have space where deals can happen without pressure or pretension. I want to encourage that same kind of energy here—face-to-face, collecting the way it’s meant to be. 

I’ve also been putting in the work behind the scenes. Every single card in our showcases is individually priced and labeled with our custom BTL stickers, which include population count for graded cards. It’s a small detail, but I love working on the small details. It makes browsing easy, pricing transparent, and helps create the kind of organized chaos collectors actually enjoy flipping through. 

The I♥️CARDS Movement 

Last year at the SoCo Expo, we debuted our “BUY LOW, SELL LOWER” shirts, a tongue-in-cheek jab at so many experiences we had as collectors who sometimes mis-time the market. Throughout the winter, chatting with our hobby friend Adot, we were working to come up with a new shirt idea that could put a more positive spin on our collecting experience. From these chats, the I♥️CARDS movement was born. 

Now you’ll see I♥️CARDS referenced in Whatnot streams, Instagram posts, and in Discord chats. It’s the true moniker for people who really love cards. I’m excited to announce that we produced a limited edition run of I♥️CARDS hats, which we are giving away in the weeks leading up to the SoCo Expo. We will have a special activation throughout the show for giveaways for folks who are wearing their hats. Also, we will be debuting a line of new I♥️CARDS t-shirts and merchandise for sale at The SoCo Expo. 

For the collector who truly I♥️CARDS.

The Year-Round Grind 

Preparing for SoCo doesn’t start the week before the show. It’s been a year-round process for us inside the BTL Discord. We created a dedicated SoCo channel to keep the momentum going: answering questions, promoting the show, helping new collectors get connected, and even coordinating travel and room shares for those attending. That community thread has been a constant reminder that SoCo is more than just a weekend event—it’s the annual summit for this growing soccer card movement. 

Since getting back into the hobby in late 2021, I’ve always believed the best part of collecting isn’t the cards, it’s the people. Whether it’s a five-minute conversation about a prospect or a late-night trade that somehow works out perfectly for both sides, these are the moments that keep me in the game. SoCo is where that energy lives in real time.

What to Expect at the BTL Booth 

Here’s a quick breakdown of what I’ll have at the booth: 

• 8 Showcases of mid to high-end slabbed cards 

• Multiple value boxes, with cards starting at just $1, and everything labeled and organized by price 

• Trade/sell table with open space for deals to happen organically 

• A few surprise giveaways and pop-up deals for those who hang out a while

Whether you're coming to buy, sell, trade, or just talk shop, I hope you’ll stop by the BTL setup. Let’s keep building the hobby one deal and one connection at a time.

See you in Chicago.

I♥️CARDS,

BTL 

Join the BTL Discord → bit.ly/btldiscord