One of America’s Oldest Hobbies Comes to Westport

Trading cards have experienced a renaissance in popularity – and one might connect the recent opening of The World’s Greatest Card Shop (“WGCS”) to the current mania – and discount it as a trend that is unlikely to continue.

But Zach Merrill (who has been a collector of trading cards since childhood) would note that “when people say we might be at the top of a cycle – assuming they are even correct – they miss the point that card collecting has been around long enough to have experienced many cycles, and it isn’t going anywhere. It is not only one of the oldest hobbies (dating back to the 1860s), but also tons of fun and offers many options for many different types of collectors”.

Having seen some of the headlines, most recently a card featuring both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant selling for nearly $13 million (a record price for a single sports card), I asked Zach who WGCS’s target audience is: “Sure, there are many people spending many millions of dollars on cards, but it can also be a shopping experience that is a great form of entertainment, and a fun family activity that is accessible, convenient, and affordable”. And while much of the hobby at the very high-end occurs online (WGCS also operates an online store), having a physical presence is as important as ever according to Merrill. “This multi-faceted hobby is one that is only more enjoyable in-person”.

With that in mind, WGCS opened their Westport retail store in August of last year, with the goal of catering to all types of collectors. “A lot of hobby stores focus on the higher-value end of the hobby (and lean away from lower dollar-value items), and specialize in one niche,” notes Merrill. “WGCS aims to offer all types of collectors a world class product selection alongside a great customer experience”.

During a recent visit, I was struck by that diversity. Next to a rare $700 card of the well-known Pokémon character Pikachu drawn in the style of Van Gogh was a $10,000 autographed Stephen Curry card that is the only one in existence, authenticated and graded as being in “perfect condition” by a third-party. In display cases and boxes with cards starting at $5 there were boxes with thousands of cards that ranged from 1 cent to a few dollars, with one customer digging through a box of “penny cards” looking to complete a full set of all the players from a series. A couple was standing at the counter with store manager Michael Patafio sifting through a box of vintage baseball cards that was sitting in their attic, identifying the current market values, with Michael explaining the levels and dispersions in values amongst them. Behind the counter were individual packs and boxes, some dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, with one having been released just that day (I was particularly into a set focused on SpongeBob SquarePants). At a table, a teen was opening 20 packs from a box of baseball cards, packaged to include 3 autographed cards, and hoping that 1 of the 3 he would “pull” would be from the player Shohei Ohtani. At another counter, a customer was submitting one of her soccer cards for third-party grading that had an actual swatch of the player’s jersey that was worn in a game.

In addition to hunting through the company’s constantly rotating inventory of single cards and hobby boxes, WGCS hosts social events (listed on their website) where collectors can watch sporting events in their lounge area, on one of 5 big screen televisions, or attend game nights and trade nights to meet, compete and/or trade with other collectors.

The company was also fortunate to find a space in the Greens Farms neighborhood that replaced an undesirable vape shop, with Zach noting, “we are so grateful for the support Westport has shown us so far, and we look forward to being part of the community for many years to come”.

World’s Greatest Card Shop is located at 1803 Post Road East, see worldsgreatestcardshop.com for more information.