The Bay Area Collectors Expo takes over the Santa Clara Convention Center the weekend of July 18–19, 2026, delivering one of Northern California's biggest trading card and pop-culture conventions right in the middle of Silicon Valley. This is a true convention experience rather than a simple card show: hundreds of vendor tables, special guests, free-to-play arcades, giveaways, and a buzzing floor that pulls collectors and players from across the entire Bay Area. Your ticket also covers admission to the co-located Anime Impulse and K-Play! Fest — three shows under one roof on a single badge.
The trading card scene is the heart of it. Expect hundreds of tables loaded with Pokemon, One Piece, Riftbound, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana, Magic: The Gathering, and more — singles, sealed product, vintage chase cards, and graded PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC slabs in locked cases. Sports collectors will find MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, and soccer cards mixed across the floor too, from modern Prizm and Chrome to vintage Topps and Bowman. Beyond cards, the show floor spills into collectible figures, blind boxes, Pop Mart, Funko Pops, K-pop collectibles, plushies, retro video games, and anime merchandise — plus food vendors and a free arcade to recharge between purchases.
A major draw is the lineup of special guests, including voice actors from popular games and anime who appear for meet-and-greets, photo ops, and autographs across the weekend. There are also tournaments and side events — past Bay Area editions have featured competitive play and even a Beyblade X tournament — giving competitive players and casual fans something to do beyond shopping.
Hours run 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM both Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19. The Santa Clara Convention Center sits at 5001 Great America Parkway, with the parking entrance at 5166 Stars and Stripes Drive, directly across from Levi's Stadium and California's Great America. There is abundant on-site and nearby parking, full air conditioning, and easy access from Highway 101 and the 49ers/Great America area, drawing attendees from San Jose, Santa Clara, the Peninsula, and the East Bay. A discounted host-hotel block at the nearby Hyatt makes it easy to turn the weekend into a destination trip.
Admission is ticketed through the official Eventim page; buy in advance to lock in the best price and skip lines, and check the listing for single-day versus weekend options and any child or family pricing. Because one badge covers three co-located shows, it is strong value for families and groups with mixed interests.
Who should attend? Pokemon and TCG players and collectors will feel most at home, but the Expo is genuinely built for everyone — sports collectors, anime and gaming fans, families with kids, figure and blind-box hunters, and first-timers who want a lively, all-ages convention atmosphere. The arcades, guests, and giveaways make it as much an experience as a shopping trip.
To get the most out of it, buy your badge in advance, arrive near opening for the freshest inventory and shortest autograph lines, and map out which guests or tournaments you want to hit. Bring cash for the quickest deals, a want list with target prices, and sleeves plus a slab case for your pulls. For tickets, guest announcements, and full details, visit collectorsexpo.com/bay-area and follow Collectors Expo on Instagram.