The best hobby shops do more than sell cards — they create connection. The Best Hobby Shop category celebrates the storefronts that have become pillars of the community, where collectors trade stories as often as they trade cards. These nominees represent the heart of the hobby, blending old-school service with modern innovation and shaping how collectors experience the culture, both locally and globally.
Nominees
AA Mint Cards
AA Mint Cards was founded by Aaron Amarant, who turned a rediscovered Wayne Gretzky rookie into a full-time business during the pandemic. What began as an eBay store quickly grew into one of the top-rated sellers in the hobby, evolving into a modern retail destination for collectors.
Based in Florida, AA Mint Cards operates a state-of-the-art showroom that merges digital innovation with traditional collecting. Each wall of the store features transparent card grids with scannable QR codes, giving customers instant access to images, pricing, and population data. The shop offers buying, selling, grading submissions, and consignment services, catering to both seasoned collectors and newcomers.
With an inventory spanning sports, Pokémon, Magic, and pop culture cards, AA Mint Cards has become a true one-stop shop for the modern hobbyist — bridging online convenience with in-person community through trade nights, athlete appearances and their famous “Breaking Bar.”
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Bleecker Trading
Bleecker Trading is the premier New York City card shop and cultural hub with storefronts in the West Village and on the Upper West Side. The shop defines itself as “a home for cards, culture, and community,” merging retail, events, and collector ethos into its core identity.
In 2025, Matt Winkelried, a longtime collector turned operator, acquired Bleecker Trading, ushering in a new era while affirming the continuity of its mission.
Under Matt’s leadership, the shop continues to host Trade Nights, the Bleecker Card Show, collaborate on celebrity drop events, and offer grading drop-off services. Winkelried describes Bleecker as a hospitality business first, aiming to make every visitor — whether a seasoned collector or newcomer — feel at home.
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Burbank
Burbank Sportscards is a Southern California landmark and one of the most recognized hobby shops in the world. Founded in 1987 and family-run across three generations, the shop has grown from a small storefront into a full-scale retail and fulfillment center with one of the deepest card inventories in existence.
In 2025, Burbank opened its 14,000-square-foot flagship at 935 N Hollywood Way, pairing a showroom with an on-site fulfillment engine and digital reach. The new space was designed to create an unparalleled experience — immersing visitors in the world of cards, whether it’s their first visit or they’re seasoned collectors.
Known for its efficiency, organization, and customer-first approach, Burbank continues to set the standard for modern hobby retail — blending scale, innovation, and a lifelong passion for collecting.
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CardVault by Tom Brady
CardVault by Tom Brady is a premier destination for collectors and enthusiasts, delivering a first-of-its-kind retail experience focused on buying, selling, trading, and grading sports cards and memorabilia.
Founded in 2020, the company reimagines the modern collectibles experience through curated inventory of all price points, grading and authentication services, and live box breaking — all within retail environments that create unique experiences bridging history, sports, and culture.
After Tom Brady acquired a 50% ownership stake in early 2025, the company rebranded to CardVault by Tom Brady and entered a new phase of national growth. Its flagship locations — including TD Garden in Boston, Patriot’s Place in Foxborough, Foxwoods in CT, American Dream in New Jersey, Wrigleyville in Chicago, SoHo in NYC, and East Hampton, NY — serve as dynamic destinations where collectors and fans can buy, sell, trade, and connect over the hobby in person.
Building on this foundation, CardVault announced plans to open six additional U.S. stores in Las Vegas, Dallas, San Francisco, Sacramento, Palo Alto, and at the Mall of America. With Brady’s backing and rapid expansion, CardVault has become one of the most visible new retail brands in the modern hobby.
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CardsHQ
CardsHQ, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has become one of the largest modern card shops in the U.S. Co-founded by Geoff Wilson, Carter Musgrave, and Ryan Van Oost, the 14,000-square-foot space sits near Truist Park and blends retail, livestream studios, and an event venue — creating a destination that merges collecting, content, and community.
Branded as the “World’s Local Card Shop,” CardsHQ offers 24/7 access to inventory spanning sports, TCG, and memorabilia, combining the feel of a neighborhood shop with the scale of a national platform.
In 2025, CardsHQ partnered with PSA to launch Graded Grails, the first release under PSA’s Repack Certification Program, setting a new transparency standard for repacks. By uniting retail, media, and innovation under one roof, CardsHQ represents a next-generation model for how hobby shops engage collectors.
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Grand Slam Collectibles
Grand Slam Collectibles, known as Long Island’s premier hobby shop since 1999, positions itself as a full-service destination for trading cards and memorabilia. The shop offers a wide variety of products — from sealed boxes and singles to memorabilia across brands such as Fanatics, Topps, Upper Deck, Leaf, Pokémon, and Panini.
With a dedicated team that collectively brings over 100 years of hobby experience, Grand Slam emphasizes knowledge, service, and selection. Buy-Sell-Trade is at its core: if they don’t have something in stock, they’ll try to find it for you.
Through its physical storefront and comprehensive inventory, Grand Slam aims to serve collectors locally and beyond as a reliable, community-oriented hobby source.
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Lucky 7 Cards
Based in Austin, Texas, Lucky 7 Cards & Collectibles has grown into a trusted destination for sports cards, trading card games, and memorabilia. The family-owned shop blends a physical storefront with a strong eBay and Whatnot presence, where it has sold thousands of items and built a track record of positive feedback from collectors nationwide.
Lucky 7 serves its local community through live events, trade nights, local team sponsorships, and a retail environment designed to welcome families and new hobbyists alike. At the same time, its online presence allows it to reach buyers across the country, balancing the intimacy of a local card shop with the scale of online distribution. In doing so, Lucky 7 has become both a community anchor and a national seller recognized for reliability and collector service.
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Mintink
Mintink is a Canadian hobby destination that combines a retail showroom, live-streaming studio, and community-driven experience. Based in Vaughan, Ontario, Mintink serves as both a storefront and a hub for collectors through regular Trade Nights, live streaming shows such as Breaks After Dark, and a curated inventory of sealed boxes, raw singles, and vintage cards.
The shop also provides grading submissions for major grading houses and offers consignment services through its partnership with Slab Sharks. Building on its success in the Greater Toronto Area, Mintink plans to expand across Ontario in 2025, adding new locations and event programming.
By blending retail, content, and community engagement, Mintink has positioned itself as a modern, full-service hobby space where collectors buy, trade, and connect.
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Roadshow Cards
Roadshow Cards has grown into one of the hobby’s most recognized retail networks, uniting locations across Kentucky, Texas, New York, California, and Colombia. Built on a mission to bring premium hobby experiences to collectors everywhere, Roadshow combines traditional card shop warmth with modern innovation.
Each store delivers a full-service experience — group breaks, graded inventory, and community events — while maintaining a shared culture of accessibility and trust. By expanding into new markets and investing in local engagement, Roadshow has redefined what a modern card shop can be: part retail destination, part community hub, and a symbol of how collecting connects people across generations and geography.
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These nominees represent the best of the hobby at its ground level — where collections begin, friendships form, and the culture thrives. From flagship destinations to local anchors, each shop redefines what it means to serve collectors today.
Voting for Best Hobby Shop is now open. Vote Here.
All registered Mantel users who vote will automatically be entered to win a limited /50 Ghostwrite Hobby Awards Trophy.
To see all categories and nominees, visit TheHobbyAwards.com.
