Solomon Alam, the co-owner of Cardboard Heroes, said he has been an avid sports card collector since he was 7 years old, and he once sold a football card for $144,000. However, he emphasized that finding cards of that value is extremely rare.

Alam said while sports card trading can be an expensive hobby, at Cardboard Heroes his goal is to help others build their collections while creating a community centered around sports with cards starting at $3.

The background

Co-owners Alam and Brent Shook opened Cardboard Heroes in August 2023 to offer a space for collectors to relive their childhood days of buying and trading baseball cards with affordable cards that could some day hold more value, Alam said.

Sports cards collecting is a hobby that dates back to the 19th century, but at the time there wasn’t much value in card trading, Alam said.


Alam said in 1960 hundreds of unsold Topps baseball cards were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean because they were clogging the company warehouse.

Amongst those cards was one featuring Mickey Mantle, a rare card that is now considered the most desirable card, and is worth thousands of dollars depending on the condition, he said.

“There's probably not as much of a chance to hit as valuable of a card as that, but that's what we see a lot of people here doing, is hoping to find the next treasure or the next big card,” Alam said.

Alam said some factors that determine the value of a sports card include the player on the card, the year the card was made and whether the card is autographed by the player.


While Alam said sports cards can hold value, today sports card collecting is a hobby that family members, such as fathers who collected cards back in the day, can share with their children and future generations.
Cardboard Heroes Gabriel Garcia stands besides store manager Courtney Roark and owner Solomon Alam. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Cardboard Heroes employee Gabriel Garcia stands besides store manager Courtney Roark and owner Solomon Alam. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
What they offer

Cardboard Heroes buys, sells and trades various sports cards, including cards for baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey. The business also offers PSA, or Professional Sport Authenticator, grading to determine the value of a card.

Aside from the in-store offerings, Courtney Roark, Cardboard Heroes’ manager, said the business often holds community events where families can gather, trade cards and share a common interest.
Cardboard Heroes customers camped outside the shop prior to the grand opening event. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
Cardboard Heroes customers camped outside the shop prior to the grand opening event. (Jovanna Aguilar/Community Impact)
“Our biggest focus is bringing the community together,” Roark said. “A lot of times we have these events, and it's just great to see families come in, friends come in and enjoy the hobby together.”

During the most recent event, the card shop hosted card manufacturer Topps for a trade card show on Sept. 14. Other events Cardboard Heroes participates in include local sports card shows, Little League events and small-business event gatherings. Roark said they often collaborate with Jets Pizza, located next door, to offer free pizza at their events.


Alam said in the near future the store is having a mystery professional athlete visit Cardboard Heroes to hold a meet and greet with attendees.