The Cards and Coffee Pokemon Trade Night returns to Santee on Friday, September 18, 2026, hosted by SD Card Club and cardsandcollectors.com at Kaffee Meister. This is East County's most laid-back trading card meetup, a coffeehouse gathering where collectors pull up a chair, crack open their binders, and spend the evening swapping cards and stories. It is less a vendor show and more a community night, and that is exactly why regulars love it.
Pokemon is the focus. Expect trade binders full of modern chase cards, special illustration rares, vintage holos, and graded slabs, along with sealed product changing hands between collectors. Because the room is filled with active traders rather than dealers, prices tend to be fair and trades are negotiated card for card. Other trading card games show up too, with Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, and Lorcana players often bringing binders. A few attendees bring sports cards across MLB, NBA, and NFL, but if you are hunting football rookies this is not the primary venue.
The event runs from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. That early-evening slot makes it easy to stop by after work or school, and the three-hour window keeps things focused. Most of the trading happens in the first two hours, so arrive early if you have specific cards to move.
Admission is free and the event is open to all ages. There are no tickets and no vendor tables to book; just show up with your cards. Kaffee Meister serves coffee, espresso drinks, and pastries throughout the evening, so grab a drink and settle in. Supporting the shop with a purchase is a nice way to say thanks for hosting.
Kaffee Meister is located in Santee, just off Highway 52 and Mission Gorge Road, with free parking in the shopping center lot. The coffeehouse setting means the space is comfortable but not huge, so expect a cozy, packed room on a busy night.
This trade night is ideal for collectors who prefer trading over buying, families with kids who are just getting into Pokemon, and newcomers who want to meet the local community without the pressure of a big convention. Serious dealers looking to buy collections will find fewer opportunities here than at a full show, but plenty of regulars are open to cash offers on individual cards.
A few tips: sort your binder by set or by value before you arrive so trades go quickly, bring a small stack of sleeves and toploaders for anything you pick up, and set a rough value on your trade bait ahead of time. Bring cash in small bills in case a trade needs a little balancing. Keep your phone handy to check comps, but do not let it slow the conversation down; the point of trade night is the people.
For updates, follow SD Card Club on Instagram at @sdcardclub or visit cardsandcollectors.com, where the full monthly calendar of Santee, La Mesa, and El Cajon events is posted. Contact Ryan at [email protected] with questions.