Gameshop Downstairs

Downtown San Jose basement spot known for retro video games but secretly hiding a sharp Pokemon and sports card collection.

Gameshop Downstairs lives, as advertised, downstairs — in the basement of a Santa Clara Street storefront in downtown San Jose. The shop earned its name from a deep retro video game inventory, and that's still the headline draw, but the trading cards San Jose collectors come downtown for fill a meaningful chunk of the floor.

Pokemon is the strongest TCG category. Singles run in a glass case along the back wall, sealed product (ETBs, booster bundles, the occasional sealed booster box) sits behind the counter, and the prices stay reasonable relative to the downtown rent the shop is paying. Sports cards have a smaller but curated presence — graded baseball, football, and basketball slabs in a locked case, plus a flip box of raw vintage near the register.

The vibe is unmistakably downtown — exposed brick basement, tight aisles, the sort of shop you stumble into and then stay an hour. Retro video game collectors and TCG players cross paths regularly, which makes for a unique customer mix versus the pure-TCG shops elsewhere in San Jose. The staff are deep on game history and will happily talk through what's worth picking up.

Location-wise this is the easiest San Jose card shop for downtown workers and SJSU students. Walking distance from the convention center, Diridon, and most downtown lunch spots. Parking is street meters or one of the city garages; transit drops you within a block. Hours skew midday-to-evening, so plan around a lunch or after-work window.

A genuinely fun stop whether you came for cards, cartridges, or both.