Five Card Shows Hit San Diego in Four Weeks, and the El Cajon One Is the Big Finish

Overview

The East County Card Show runs Sunday, November 22, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in El Cajon.

And here's the thing most people don't know about card collecting in San Diego: this is not a once-a-year event.

There are five card shows in the county between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Five, in four weeks, across five different venues:

• Friday, October 30 — Halloween Card Show, 5–10 p.m., BNS Brewing & Distilling
• Tuesday, November 3 — Dave & Buster's Card Show, 5–10 p.m.
• Friday, November 6 — Courtside Card Show, 6:30–10 p.m., Hoops HQ
• Sunday, November 8 — Sura Card Show, noon–4 p.m., Sura BBQ in Otay
• Sunday, November 22 — East County Card Show, noon–5 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott El Cajon

That's a working circuit, not a convention. Weeknight shows in breweries and barbecue restaurants, weekend shows in hotels. If you collect, this is a scene you can turn up to most weeks.

The El Cajon one on the 22nd is the longest of the five at five hours, and it's the last before Thanksgiving.

What's Actually Traded

Pokémon is the dominant category at these shows, and has been for a few years now. Alongside it:

• Sports cards — rookies, autographs, Panini and Topps
• Graded slabs — PSA and BGS
• Vintage and sealed wax
• Magic: The Gathering · Yu-Gi-Oh! · One Piece · Lorcana
• Funko Pops
• Supplies — sleeves, toploaders, cases

Not comics. If you're looking for back issues, these aren't the shows.

The organisers also run an online shop, and the shows are promoted in partnership with a rotating cast of local groups — SD Card Club, 619 Card Sharks, SoCal Collectors, BallinZC, Alolan Shack, Dezidex and VAYA have all appeared on recent events. So the vendor mix changes show to show.

How to Go

• When: Sunday, November 22, 2026, 12–5 p.m.
• Where: Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon
• Admission: not published for this show — see below
• Contact: Ryan, (619) 734-6771, or ryan@cardsandcollectors.com
• Vendor tables: cost not published — email or call

Good to Know

• Five hours is the longest window of the five shows, so there's no rush to be there at noon.
• Admission isn't published for this one. The organisers' other shows have been free — see the note below.
• Bring cash. Card shows run on it, whatever the vendors say about apps.
• It's Pokémon-heavy. If you're hunting vintage sports, go but ask around first.
• No comics.
• If you want a table, call Ryan. The price isn't published anywhere and tables at these shows do sell out.
• Four other shows come first, from October 30 onwards — see the list above.
• El Cajon is a genuine drive from the coast. Budget 25–35 minutes from central San Diego.

Why It's Worth It

Card collecting has quietly become one of the biggest hobbies in San Diego, and almost none of it happens in shops.

It happens like this — in a hotel conference room on a Sunday, or in the back of a brewery on a Tuesday night, organised by half a dozen local groups who know each other. Five shows in four weeks is the actual shape of the scene, and nobody writes it down.

If you've got a shoebox from 1991 in a closet, or a kid who's suddenly deeply invested in Pokémon, this is where you find out what any of it is worth and who to talk to.

Noon to five, Sunday the 22nd, El Cajon.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the East County Card Show? Sunday, November 22, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m.

Where is it? The Courtyard by Marriott San Diego El Cajon.

How much is admission? No admission price is published for this particular show. The same organisers' other San Diego shows have been free to enter, but we'd confirm before going.

What's traded there? Pokémon TCG is the dominant category, plus sports cards, graded slabs, vintage and sealed wax, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Lorcana, Funko Pops and supplies. Comics are not part of these shows.

Are there other card shows in San Diego? Yes — four others between October 30 and November 8, at BNS Brewing, Dave & Buster's, Hoops HQ and Sura BBQ in Otay.

How do I get a vendor table? Contact Ryan on (619) 734-6771 or ryan@cardsandcollectors.com. Table prices aren't published.

Is there parking? Not published for this show. It's a hotel venue, so hotel parking applies.