The show is  full of new and exciting artists, vendors of: vintage  and modern Toys, Video Games, Comic Books, Pokémon cards, & Collectibles of every kind inspired by Anime, Cartoons, Super-Heroes, Television, Movies, and other Pop Culture.

Hobbies that will be highlighted a lot at KC RETRO include:

-Sega, Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation collecting

-Arcade gaming, collecting, and restoration

-Magic the Gathering

-Pokémon

Activities include:

• Large Vendor Floor
• Free-play retro arcade
• video game tournaments
• cos-play
• game hunting

History of KC RETRO

KC Retro started as a Swap Meet for Collectibles and Retro Video Games.  At its core, a grassroots movement to unite the collectors and sellers of the rare hard to find merchandise, and grow Kansas City’s retro gaming market.  An event to keep the retro gaming culture alive, and at the same time mix in modern art and modern gaming. To bridge the gap between generations of gamers and collectors alike.

The goal was to develop a way to help our friends, the retro gamers of Kansas City, connect with one another.  We hoped these swaps would help us find ways to sustain the pathways of local vending for valuable retro collectibles. 

We want collecting in Kansas City as a place people can see a future.  That they see their collection as an investment.  An investment in joy and happiness, and an investment in financial value and independence. The reason many of us got into collecting was to recapture fond memories of playing video games with buds, watching old VHS tapes with your family, memories and feelings of nostalgia that stay with you and comfort you in hard times.

If you’re just now hearing about Kansas City Retro the event at Overland Park Convention Center in December, maybe that’s by design.

We have several shows under our belt, several small shows.  Our beginnings, a small group of like-minded nerds in a  parking lot at a KC retro video gaming landmark, A-game in Independence, Missouri. (Sadly, it is no longer in Missouri.)  

Before that, a field in Kansas.

March of 2021, kickstarted a series of parking lot swap events that have quickly grown to be well attended and fun retro video game, comic book, and toy swap meets.  There were now places to trade, buy, and swap retro video games and collectibles in KC.  These swaps were the testing grounds for our theory, that if there was a way to sell and market our games and collections to local collectors and gaming enthusiasts we could help our retro communities grow and keep the hobby alive and thriving.

The creators and team members that plan and operate the show (Nathan Walker and Derek Smith) aim to provide a space for fans of all ages who enjoy these multitudes of nerdiness to grow and connect.

The full weekend experience will include opportunities to dress in your favorite cosplay, finding that collectible or rare video game you remember playing as a kid, connecting with fellow collectors and friends, and finding your inner competitive side by competing in a video game tournament.

Come join the producers of the event and hundreds of video game players, collectors, and nerds alike as we take over Kansas City.  Let's build the community in KC and celebrate retro video games.