The Maximum Card Show brings its Bay Area edition to the Santa Clara Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2026. Maximum runs one of the larger regional circuits on the West Coast, and its Santa Clara dates consistently draw a heavy dealer roster from across California, Nevada, and Arizona. Late November is prime buying season — collectors are shopping ahead of the holidays and dealers stock accordingly — which makes this one of the deeper inventory weekends on the fall Bay Area calendar.
The vendor hall covers everything. Sports dealers bring NFL at the heart of the season, NBA a month in, NHL in full swing, plus MLB in the offseason when prices historically soften, along with UFC, boxing, and soccer. Product runs from pre-war and 1950s Topps and Bowman vintage at the high-end tables, through 1960s and 1970s stars, 1980s and 1990s set-builder runs, and junk-wax dollar boxes, to current Panini Prizm, Donruss Optic, Select, Mosaic, Contenders, Topps Chrome, Bowman Draft, Stadium Club, and premium National Treasures, Immaculate, and Flawless. San Francisco 49ers material peaks in November, with Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics inventory close behind. Trading card game vendors carry Pokémon raw singles, graded illustration rares, Japanese exclusives, and sealed booster boxes and elite trainer boxes spanning vintage WOTC through Scarlet and Violet, plus Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Dragon Ball Super, Digimon, and Flesh and Blood. Locked cases hold PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC slabs; expect on-site grading submission drop-offs, live case breaks, and autograph guests, plus memorabilia, comics, Funko Pops, and retro video games.
Hours run 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific on both Saturday and Sunday. Maximum typically sells general admission and VIP early-entry tickets online in advance, with VIP granting access ahead of public hours each day; day-of tickets are generally available at the door at a higher price. Children under a stated age enter free with a ticketed adult. Buy in advance — VIP two-day passes sell out first at Santa Clara.
The Santa Clara Convention Center is at 5001 Great America Parkway, next to Levi's Stadium, directly off US-101 and Highway 237. Extensive on-site paid parking is available, and VTA light rail plus the Santa Clara Caltrain station serve the area. The hall is climate-controlled, ADA-accessible, and laid out in wide, well-lit aisles, with hotels, restaurants, and coffee within walking distance.
The crowd covers everyone: high-end buyers working VIP early entry, breakers streaming from the floor, holiday shoppers buying gifts, families with kids chasing Pokémon, competitive TCG players, and dealers restocking before winter.
Best advice — buy VIP if you are targeting specific cards, and walk the entire floor once before spending anything, since prices on identical cards vary widely between tables at a show this size. Bring cash for leverage plus Venmo and Zelle, a want list by sport and set, sleeves, top loaders, a carrying case, and comfortable shoes. Sunday afternoon is the strongest bargaining window of the weekend.