100,000-square-feet Exhibition Brings Together More than 300 Exhibitors
As China’s Trading Card Market Heads Beyond RMB 44 Billion, Demand for Card Shows and Related Professional Services Continues to Grow
HONG KONG, CHINA, 15 September 2026 ——Grade10, Asia’s premier trading-card venture and a division of MemeStrategy Inc. (HKEX: 2440), and POKECOLOR, a leading trading card enterprise in China, jointly staged the CARDJOY x Grade10 card show in Guangzhou, China. Following successful stops in Hangzhou and Shanghai earlier this year, the show made its Guangzhou debut at the Canton Fair Complex over the weekend of 12-13 September.
Spanning 100,000 square feet, the Guangzhou event brought together more than 300 exhibitors from around the world. Combining collectible card displays, trading, competitive play, creative exchange and professional services under one roof, welcoming more than 20,000 collectors, players, dealers and creators from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and overseas.
Guided by the theme “Joy in Collecting, Connecting through Cards”, CARDJOY x Grade10 Guangzhou provided a platform for the card community to share the pleasure of collecting and exchanging knowledge. Event’s highlights included an expanded JOYCon card exhibition, live interactions with accredited card artists, a large-scale Trading Card Game (TCG) tournament zone created in partnership with Kayou, and on-site grading and authentication services provided by leading domestic and international companies.
Collecting, Art, Competition and Authentication Come Together in a Multi-Dimensional Card Experience
The JOYCon exhibition, the largest in the event’s history, showcased nearly 100 rare cards. Beyond rarity and provenance, the exhibits demonstrated the breadth of contemporary card craftsmanship and aesthetics, giving visitors the opportunity to view some of the most exceptional collectibles at close range. Featured highlights included:
1998 Pokémon Illustrator (Japanese CoroCoro Comics Illustration Contest) — CGC Gem Mint 10. Originating from a CoroCoro Comics-related illustration contest, the Pokémon Illustrator card is an important record of Pokémon’s early competitive and illustration culture. The CGC Gem Mint 10 example on display combined historical significance with exceptional condition. The card type has repeatedly achieved notable results at major auctions, underscoring its iconic standing among Pokémon collectors worldwide.
2014–15 Panini Flawless Greats Dual Memorabilia Autographs Emerald — Kobe Bryant. Limited to just five copies worldwide, this Emerald edition pairs Kobe Bryant’s autograph with two multicolored game-worn jersey patches and is graded BGS MINT 9 with an autograph grade of 10. The combination of game-used memorabilia, low serial numbering and an on-card signature exemplifies the craftsmanship and narrative appeal of premium sports cards.
2016 Panini Flawless Dual Patch Au–Emerald Auto — Kobe Bryant (5/5). Serial-numbered 5/5, this Emerald dual-patch autograph edition is likewise limited to five copies worldwide. It features two multicolored patches and is labelled with PSA/DNA certification, a GEM MT 10 card grade and an AUTO 10 signature grade. Its rarity, signature and embedded memorabilia offered attendees a close look at how elite sports cards combine sporting history, craftsmanship and condition standards.
In addition to the exhibition, CARDJOY x Grade10 Guangzhou invited two internationally accredited card artists to engage with attendees. KEYUN, the first artist in the Chinese Mainland to receive accreditation by PSA, CGC and BGS, and Karnaa, a CGC-accredited artist, took part in live signing sessions, artwork displays and fan meet-and-greets. Their participation highlighted the creative potential of trading cards as a medium for illustration, character design and visual storytelling. KEYUN also created a dedicated promotional film for the Guangzhou event, combining an Ukiyo-e-inspired visual approach with Pokémon and iconic local landmarks, including Canton Tower and the Sacred Heart Cathedral.
On the competitive side, the event partnered with Kayou to establish a large-scale TCG tournament zone, hosting a series of official tournaments across the two days that enabled players to compete and connect in person. Leading grading organizations from the Chinese Mainland and overseas also provided dedicated on-site services, addressing collectors’ needs in authentication, grading and collection management. Complemented by a free trading area for players, the event offered an integrated experience spanning exhibition, competition, exchange and trading.
Hanru Tang, Founder of POKECOLOR and CARDJOY, said, “From Hangzhou to Shanghai and now Guangzhou, we have witnessed not only growing exhibitors and attendance numbers, but also strong demand from the card community for high-quality, in-person experiences and connection. CARDJOY aims to bring collecting, trading, competition, creativity and professional services together on one open platform, where every participant can engage in their own way. Our partnership with Grade10 further expands access to a broader network of industry resources in China and around the world, enabling us to continue advancing card culture and the wider industry ecosystem in a more professional and diversified direction.”
Ray Chan, Chief Executive Officer of MemeStrategy and Grade10, said, “The success of CARDJOY x Grade10 Guangzhou underscores the rapid growth of the collectible card market in the Chinese Mainland and reflects the increasing important role of cards as a bridge connecting IP culture, artistic creation and offline communities. Grade10 will continue to deepen its collaboration with POKECOLOR, leveraging its network across Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and overseas markets to create more professional and globally connected platforms for collectors, creators, dealers and players. Together, we will further establish CARDJOY x Grade10 as a flagship card event with growing international influence.”
China’s Collectible Card Market Continues to Expand, Supporting Demand for Events and Professional Services
The continued expansion of China’s collectible card market is driving demand for physical card shows and related professional services. According to a China Insights Consultancy report, China’s trading card industry grew from RMB2.8 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2019 to RMB26.3 billion in 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate of 56.6%. The market is projected to reach RMB44.6 billion by 2029.
Cards sit at the interaction of collecting, gaming, art and social engagement. As IP-driven content, creative expression, offline tournaments, authentication and grading, and secondary-market services become increasingly sophisticated, market participants are placing greater value on trusted in-person environments and professional services.
Since the beginning of the year, the CARDJOY x Grade10 tour has expanded from Hangzhou to Shanghai and now Guangzhou, with both its scale and programme continuing to evolve. This progression reflects the vitality of China’s collectible card market and player community. Card shows are no longer simply venues for buying and selling cards. They are increasingly serving as hubs where enthusiasts gather, collections are displayed, creators gain exposure, competitive play takes place, professional services are accessed, and cross-regional exchange is fostered.
Looking ahead, CARDJOY and Grade10 will continue to connect card communities across China and international markets through high-quality events, building increasingly open, professional and globally minded platforms for collectors, players, dealers and creators.
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CARDJOY x Grade10 Guangzhou Card Show: Photo Highlights
 | The CARDJOY x Grade10 Guangzhou Card Show expanded to a 100,000-square-feet venue, bringing together more than 300 exhibitors from around the world, attracting over 20,000 attendees. |
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 | The JOYCon exhibition zone was the largest in CARDJOY x Grade10 history, showcasing nearly 100 rare cards and allowing attendees to view exceptional Pokémon and sports cards up close. |
 | Highlights of the JOYCon exhibition zone included the 1998 Pokémon Illustrator (CGC Gem Mint 10), a legendary Pokémon card originating from Japan’s CoroCoro Comics illustration contest, combining top-grade condition with historical significance. |
 | Highlights of the JOYCon exhibition zone included the 2014-15 Panini Flawless Greats Dual Memorabilia Autographs Emerald — Kobe Bryant (BGS 9 / Auto 10), limited to just five copies worldwide and featuring Kobe Bryant’s autograph with two multicolored game-worn jersey patches. |
 | Highlights of the JOYCon exhibition zone included the 2016 Panini Flawless Dual Patch Autographs Kobe Bryant Emerald (#5/5) (PSA GEM MT 10 / Auto 10), also limited to five copies worldwide and combining an autograph with dual patches. |
 | CARDJOY x Grade10 worked with Kayou to create a large-scale TCG tournament zone, where the packed competition area drew strong player participation and lively exchanges. |
 | KEYUN, the first artist in the Chinese Mainland accredited by PSA, CGC and BGS, and Karnaa, a CGC-accredited artist, engaged with fans onsite through live signings and artwork displays, showcasing the creative appeal of card art. |
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 | Different zones across CARDJOY x Grade10 attracted many card enthusiasts, with attendees viewing top-tier Pokémon cards and artworks throughout the show floor. |
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 | International grading authority CGC joined CARDJOY x Grade10 and launched an authentication challenge activity, attracting strong participation from attendees. |
 | Major exhibitors participated in CARDJOY x Grade10, drawing collectors and players to exchange insights and explore the latest offerings in the trading card community. |
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About Grade10
Grade10 is Asia's premier trading card venture — backed by MemeStrategy (HKEX:2440), a Hong Kong Listed Company and led by the team behind 9GAG, whose global community spans over 200 million users. As host of the largest TCG shows in the Chinese Mainland and the largest trading card show in Hong Kong, Grade10 is pioneering a new era of cultural asset investment across Asia, headlined by the launch of the world's first tokenized Pokémon card fund for institutional investors. With rapid expansion into the Chinese Mainland, Korea, and beyond, Grade10 is fast becoming an international powerhouse — setting new industry standards and elevating the experience for collectors everywhere. Bringing together card shows, retail, vaulting, production and distribution, grading submissions, and financing, Grade10 offers a connected, one-stop-shop ecosystem designed to serve collectors and the wider industry.
About MemeStrategy
MemeStrategy (HKEX: 2440) is an Asia-listed company building a technology-enabled cultural collectibles and IP business. Managed by the team behind 9GAG, the global meme platform with more than 200 million users, MemeStrategy draws on its experience in internet culture and community building to develop trading cards, collectibles and IP-related merchandise. Its cultural-collectibles activities span collector events and exhibition, production and distribution, IP licensing and distribution for trading card, toys and collectibles. Through Grade10 and its broader cultural-collectibles platform, MemeStrategy is expanding its presence across Asia and building an integrated ecosystem for collectors, cultural properties and related merchandise.
Media Contact
MemeStrategy (HKEX: 2440) & Grade10
Eva Lee
Email: media@memestrategy.com