New trading card store opens in El Dorado Hills, creates new gathering space
A new business hopes to bring trading card enthusiasts together in El Dorado Hills.
The G.O.A.T. Sports Cards opened its doors May 4. It offers merchandise from sports to Pokémon to Star Wars. Cards range in price from $1 to more than $3,000, according to owner Mike Roberts, who said multiple factors play into a card’s price.
When it comes to sports cards, new players on a winning streak tend to cost more, Roberts said, while cards of injured players tend to sell at a lower price. It takes speed to get the best outcome when selling cards, he said, requiring him to pay attention to sports news, similar to the stock market with current events.
“You can make a lot of money if you’re quick and stay up with everything that’s going on,” Roberts said.
Roberts started selling sports cards online about two decades ago, and while there’s a business component to the new shop, he wants to create a community space as well. Roberts opened up the space by taking down office partitions in the roughly 1,500-square-foot store, 3941 Park Drive, Suite 80.
The back half of the store includes showcases of cards while two tables, seating and video games are in the front. That’s where, he said, parents can gather while their children look at cards and people of all ages can bond with each other.
“They’d buy boxes and then just go sit over there ... cutting these boxes open and laughing,” Roberts said of his customers.
It took about two years for Roberts to find the perfect spot, he said, saying he almost gave up before discovering the current location. He said the rent at El Dorado Hills Town Center was too expensive and there wasn’t enough traffic on Francisco Drive near the Safeway.
Roberts, 48, is still figuring out the store’s permanent hours, but he said he’s excited to start the business in El Dorado Hills.
“Guys my age loved buying cards when we were kids ... and that’s just what I ended up doing,” Roberts said.
