Where Cards, Community, and Childhood Magic Collide

A local mom’s love for her kids—and her own nostalgia—sparked Las Vegas’s most heartwarming trading card haven.

Trading Card Garage isn’t just a shop; it’s a passion project built on family, fandom, and a mission to create a space where everyone belongs.

A Familiar Feeling, Rekindled
The scent of fresh card packs, the weight of a prized binder, and the soft rustle of sleeves being flipped—all of it felt like home the moment Ivy stepped into her first card shop in decades. She wasn’t there for herself, not at first. She was helping her son and daughter dive into the world of Pokémon, a childhood obsession she’d quietly tucked away in her memory. But as soon as she walked in, that old spark reignited.

“I told my husband, wouldn’t it be amazing to open a shop like this one day?” she recalls, a smile in her voice. “Somewhere clean, welcoming, with room for everyone.”

What started as a day out with her kids quickly grew into something much bigger. Less than a year later, Ivy turned that fleeting wish into a bold new business: Trading Card Garage, one of Las Vegas’s few woman-owned trading card stores.

From Mom Moments to Entrepreneur Moves
The idea didn’t come with a business plan, just a genuine love for the hobby and a mother’s drive to create something meaningful for her family and her community. Ivy had been buying and selling cards online since her kids fell in love with Pokémon and sports collectibles. It was a way to support their interests—and quietly rediscover her own.

Eventually, the family’s card inventory outgrew the garage, then the living room. Soon, they were storing cards in bins around the house, cataloging them on Excel sheets, and waking up to packages on the doorstep almost every morning. Ivy realized they weren’t just building a collection. They were building a business.

In 2023, she took the leap, opening a storefront in a quiet corner of Las Vegas. “At first, I was so nervous,” Ivy admits. “I didn’t know how the community would respond. I was this mom with no prior retail experience, just a dream and a lot of card sleeves.”

That dream quickly gained traction. Locals appreciated the friendly vibe, the family-friendly setup, and Ivy’s refreshing presence in a male-dominated industry. The store became a hub not only for trading cards but for real conversations, laughter, and learning.

Creating a Space Where Everyone Feels Seen
In an industry where shops can sometimes feel intimidating or exclusive, Ivy’s mission was the opposite. “A lot of card shops feel like they’re not meant for kids or newcomers,” she says. “I wanted something different. Clean, open, organized. A place where families could hang out, where women and girls felt welcome, too.”

It’s not uncommon to walk into Trading Card Garage and find Ivy chatting with a young collector about Charizards, teaching a parent how to price-check their kid’s cards, or helping a first-timer navigate the world of Pokémon or sports breaks.

The shop is bright, intentionally tidy, and designed to feel approachable. From the thoughtful layout to the well-lit display cases, everything is done with care. Ivy even makes sure to stock items that appeal to different age groups and budgets, knowing that not everyone is hunting for a thousand-dollar pull.

“This isn’t about selling the most expensive card,” she says. “It’s about connection. It’s about memories.”

"It’s Still Me, at the Core"
Despite the rapid growth, Ivy remains deeply involved in every part of the business. She and her husband pack and ship every online order themselves. She still answers DMs on social media, runs the website, and greets nearly every customer who walks through the door.

“My husband jokes that I have a superpower,” she laughs. “I can remember what people collect and what their kids are into. Even if it’s been months, I’ll say, ‘Hey, your son was looking for that Pikachu, right?’ People love that. It shows we actually care.”

She cares deeply. You can hear it in her voice when she talks about the kids who visit weekly, about the single moms looking for birthday gifts, or the nervous newcomers who feel at ease in her store. “This isn’t just a job,” Ivy says. “It’s personal.”

What Makes the Garage Special
Trading Card Garage offers a wide array of modern and vintage trading cards, focusing on Pokémon, sports cards, and accessories. Ivy is especially proud of how the store supports both in-person and online customers. With a growing web store and a loyal Instagram following, she’s been able to expand her reach beyond Las Vegas, sending cards to collectors across the country.

She also recently started hosting breaks—live streams where people buy into a box of cards and share the fun of discovering rare pulls together. Ivy’s breaks, however, feel different from the rest. “It’s calm, it’s clean, it’s friendly,” she explains. “We don’t do yelling or hype. It’s a chill vibe, so even kids can join.”

They’ve also recently added a feature that lets customers check card prices through the website, helping newcomers learn what their collections are worth. For Ivy, education is as important as entertainment.

“We’re here to grow the hobby, not gatekeep it,” she says. “That’s the heart of what we do.”

The Voice of a New Kind of Shop Owner
As a woman, and especially as a mom, Ivy knows she stands out in the trading card world. And she embraces it fully.

“Sometimes people walk in and ask for the owner, and they don’t expect it to be me,” she shares with a shrug. “But once they talk to me, they realize—I really know my stuff.”

That confidence has come from countless late nights sorting cards, building spreadsheets, shipping orders, and talking with other collectors. It’s also come from the countless young girls who walk into her shop and light up when they see a woman behind the counter.

“If I can show one little girl that she can be into this hobby, that she can run a business, that she belongs here—that’s enough for me.”

Why Las Vegas is Cheering Her On
Ivy isn’t just building a business. She’s creating a legacy of inclusion, family, and fun. Her shop has become a safe space for kids after school, for parents looking to connect with their children, and for longtime collectors hoping to rediscover that childhood wonder.

Customers rave about the store’s honesty, organization, and Ivy’s kindness. Many of them found Trading Card Garage through Instagram or word of mouth, and now they’re loyal regulars. “People tell me all the time, ‘I’ve never been to a card shop like this,’” Ivy says proudly. “That means everything to me.”

Looking Ahead With Heart and Hustle
As Trading Card Garage celebrates over a year in business, Ivy isn’t slowing down. She’s got plans for community events, card education nights, and maybe even a larger space someday. But for now, she’s focused on doing what she does best—creating joy, one card at a time.

“You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to be part of this hobby,” she says. “You just need to show up, be curious, and have fun.”

And in her bright little corner of Las Vegas, plenty of people are doing just that.

Follow Trading Card Garage on Instagram @tradingcardgarage, shop online at www.tradingcardgarage.com, or visit their cozy storefront to experience the magic in person.

This feature is part of The Business View Journal’s Local Spotlight Series — your trusted source for discovering the best small businesses in your community.