The East Bay Card Show returns to the Santa Clara Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, August 29–30, 2026 for the late-summer edition of the Bay Area's flagship recurring sports and TCG show. The timing is uniquely electric — this show runs concurrent with the final day of the Pokémon World Championships at Moscone Center and Chase Center, which means the Bay Area is overflowing with international Pokémon collectors and competitive TCG players that exact weekend. Out-of-town dealers and buyers regularly extend their Worlds trip to hit this show, and the vendor floor reliably fills with rare Japanese Pokémon and Worlds-adjacent inventory you don't see at any other Bay Area show.
The vendor floor brings the broad cross-section that has made the East Bay Card Show a Bay Area institution, with the Pokémon presence boosted significantly by the Worlds-weekend overlap. Sports card dealers stock deep MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC, boxing, and soccer inventory across every era — vintage Topps, Bowman, Fleer, and Goudey runs from the 1950s through the 1980s, junk-wax 1990s staples, and modern Panini Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Topps Chrome, Bowman Draft, and premium National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate. San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, Oakland Athletics, Stanford, and Cal-Berkeley inventory is reliably deep. TCG tables run heavy on Pokémon — vintage WOTC, EX-era and Diamond & Pearl-era nostalgia, modern Scarlet & Violet hits, Japanese exclusives, promos, jumbo cards, alt-arts, Worlds-promo cards, and graded slabs — alongside Magic: The Gathering Commander and Standard, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece TCG, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Z Fusion World, Digimon, Star Wars Unlimited, and Flesh and Blood. Locked cases display PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC graded slabs, and additional tables stock autographed memorabilia, vintage comics, Funko Pops, anime figures, plushies, video games, and hobby supplies.
Saturday hours run 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM PDT and Sunday runs 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM PDT. General admission is sold through the East Bay Card Show website and at the door, with VIP early-access bundles available for collectors who want first pick before the public hour each day. Kids 12 and under enter free with a paying adult. Door prizes and pack giveaways are distributed throughout the weekend while supplies last.
The Santa Clara Convention Center is located at 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054, just off US-101 and adjacent to Levi's Stadium and California's Great America. The venue is climate-controlled, ADA-accessible, and laid out on a single level with wide aisles. Paid parking is plentiful on-site, and Levi's Stadium, the Mercado, and Great America's nearby restaurants are perfect for lunch breaks.
This show fits every Bay Area collector type but is especially attractive to Pokémon collectors who want to extend their Worlds weekend by a day. Serious buyers use VIP early-entry to cherry-pick rare Japanese exclusives, sealed wax, and graded slabs that visiting Worlds attendees liquidate before flying home. Flippers and breakers restock binders, swap case-break hits, and live-stream from the floor. Families love the kid-friendly environment and broad inventory mix. Competitive Pokémon players use the show to scout post-Worlds singles and decklist staples.
For the best experience, buy VIP early-entry, arrive right at 9:30 AM Saturday, bring cash plus Venmo and Zelle backups, and carry a detailed Pokémon want list. Pack penny sleeves, top loaders, and a sturdy carrying box. Follow @eastbaycardshow on Instagram and eastbaycardshow.com for vendor previews, ticket links, and 2026 schedule updates.