Cards HQ
1 known investors
Atlanta-based sports and trading card retailer, live breaker and auction house combining retail, e-commerce, media and pricing data.
Also known as Card HQ · Cards HQ · CardsHQ
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026CardsHQ is an American retailer and auction house focused on sports trading cards, Pokemon cards and other trading card game products, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its flagship location, which opened on February 1, 2024 at 3101 Cobb Parkway Southeast in Cobb County, spans about 14,000 square feet and includes a retail showroom with vertical display cases, streaming studio space, "box break" bays and event space used for live auctions, card shows and trading nights. The company also buys entire collections for cash and operates an online platform that lets collectors nationwide take part in auctions and card breaks.
The product and service range covers sealed boxes, packs and single cards across baseball, basketball and football, Pokemon and other TCG products, card grading submissions through third-party graders, and live and online auctions for rare and high-value cards. Following a June 2026 merger with Sports Card Investor, the combined company operating under the CardsHQ name spans retail, e-commerce, breaking, live selling, content, data and technology, including the Sports Card Investor content network and the Market Movers pricing and collection tracking platform. Live selling and breaking channels are run in part through Whatnot.
The company is co-owned by Geoff Wilson, Ryan Van Oost and Carter Musgrave. Wilson, known online as "The Sports Card Investor," serves as CEO of the merged company.
Founding story
CardsHQ was founded in Atlanta, Georgia by Geoff Wilson, Ryan Van Oost and Carter Musgrave with the stated aim of creating a central hub for trading card collectors in the southeastern United States. Wilson, a University of Florida graduate, has said his interest in the hobby dates to childhood and that he worked in a baseball card shop at age 14. The original Atlanta flagship, co-founded by Wilson with Carter Musgrave, opened February 1, 2024 and was billed in opening coverage as the world's largest card shop.
Business model
CardsHQ sells sports cards, Pokemon cards and other TCG products through a physical flagship store and online, runs live card breaks and live selling, conducts live and online auctions, buys collections for cash, and facilitates third-party card grading submissions. Following the Sports Card Investor merger it also operates a digital media network on YouTube and social platforms and the Market Movers pricing and collection tracking platform used by collectors for card research and valuation.
Revenue sources described in sources include retail and e-commerce sales of sealed boxes, packs and single cards, live breaking and live selling, auctions, collection purchases, grading submission services, and the Market Movers subscription-style pricing and collection tracking platform, alongside digital media content.
Traction
The Atlanta flagship opened February 1, 2024 at roughly 14,000 square feet with thousands of cards in stock. Sports Card Investor, started by Wilson in 2019, had more than 450,000 YouTube subscribers as of June 2026 and over a million social followers. The June 2026 growth investment from Shamrock Capital and EnOne Ventures is intended to fund additional retail locations, with the next store expected later in 2026 and further flagships planned in major U.S. markets.
Latest developments
On June 1, 2026, CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor announced a strategic growth investment led by Shamrock Capital with participation from EnOne Ventures, a platform co-founded by OneTeam Partners and EnTrust Global. Terms were not disclosed. The transaction merges the two businesses into one company operating as CardsHQ, with Geoff Wilson as CEO. Proceeds are earmarked for new retail locations, expanded breaking and e-commerce, more live events, broader inventory, growth of the Sports Card Investor media platform and further development of Market Movers.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
The company describes the merged CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor as the largest commerce, media and technology platform in the sports card and TCG ecosystem, and its Atlanta flagship was promoted at opening as the world's largest card shop and the largest trading store in metro Atlanta. It operates in a sector attracting institutional capital, alongside players such as CardVault, Whatnot and Fanatics.
Sources point to the combination of experiential physical retail, live breaking and live selling, e-commerce, a large digital media audience and a proprietary pricing and collection data platform under one company, described by its investors as a media, data, retail and commerce flywheel. The flagship's vertical display cases, streaming studio and break bays, and the Sports Card Investor audience, are cited as distinguishing features.
Technology
CardsHQ operates a collector-facing technology stack that includes the Market Movers pricing, valuation and collection tracking platform, consumer mobile apps, an online auction and breaking platform enabling nationwide participation, and in-store streaming studio and box break bays.
Go-to-market
The company combines a destination physical store in metro Atlanta with online commerce, live breaking channels on Whatnot, and a large owned media presence. Geoff Wilson appears frequently in online video and social media streams, and the Sports Card Investor content network on YouTube and social media, along with mobile apps and the Market Movers platform, drives audience into commerce. In-store events including card shows, trading nights and charity auctions support community engagement.
Sports card, Pokemon and trading card game collectors and investors, ranging from beginners attending in-store educational sessions and trading nights to buyers of rare and high-value single cards, plus online participants in nationwide auctions and breaks.
Geography
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with its flagship store at 3101 Cobb Parkway Southeast in Cobb County. Online auctions and breaks reach collectors nationwide, and additional flagship locations are planned in major U.S. markets.
History
The business began as a local card shop in Atlanta and later added live card breaks, online auctions and in-store events drawing collectors from across the region. The Cobb County flagship opened February 1, 2024 with roughly 14,000 square feet of retail, streaming and breaking space. In July 2025 CardsHQ was reported alongside PSA in connection with a Graded Grails Repack Certification service aimed at repack scams. On June 1, 2026 the company announced a strategic growth investment led by Shamrock Capital with participation from EnOne Ventures, merging CardsHQ and Geoff Wilson's Sports Card Investor into a single company operating as CardsHQ, with Wilson as CEO.
Risks & controversies
The financial terms and valuation of the June 2026 Shamrock Capital investment were not disclosed. Commentary accompanying the deal noted that consolidation backed by institutional capital may increase competitive pressure on smaller shops and independent breakers. The "world's largest card shop" claim originated in opening marketing coverage rather than an audited measurement. The company's Wikipedia entry carries maintenance notices regarding possible AI-generated text and unverified claims.
Compiled by commissioned research from 17 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 10
launches, deals, and filingsThe transaction merged CardsHQ and Geoff Wilson's Sports Card Investor, the media company behind the Market Movers pricing and collection tracking platform, into a single company operating under the CardsHQ name.
CardsHQ received a strategic growth investment led by Shamrock Capital, with participation from EnOne Ventures. Terms and amount were not disclosed. Funds are earmarked for new retail locations, expanded breaking and e-commerce, more live events, broader inventory and development of the Market Movers data platform.
Following the merger of CardsHQ and Sports Card Investor, Geoff Wilson serves as CEO of the newly formed combined company.
CardsHQ's next retail location is expected to open later in 2026, with additional flagship locations planned in major U.S. markets.
Shamrock Capital lists Cards HQ in its portfolio with an investment date of 2026 and status 'Current'; no amount disclosed.
Shamrock Capital's portfolio page records an investment date of 2026 in Cards HQ, with status listed as current. No amount or round type is disclosed.
Reported effort by PSA and CardsHQ to curb repack scams through a new Graded Grails Repack Certification service.
CardsHQ opened its flagship shop at 3101 Cobb Parkway Southeast in Cobb County, Georgia, featuring roughly 14,000 square feet of cards, streaming studio space and box break bays; it was billed in coverage as the world's largest card shop.
Cards HQ, described by owner Geoff Wilson as the world's largest card shop, opened a 14,000 square foot facility in Atlanta that sells cards, streams card breaking on a 24-hour YouTube stream, runs auctions and ships worldwide.
Cards HQ opened a 14,000 square foot Atlanta facility, described by owner Geoff Wilson as the world's largest card shop, selling cards, streaming card breaks and shipping worldwide.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 17
primary sources listed
- A $7.4 Billion Media PE Firm Just Bought Into Card Retail. CardsHQ Merges With Sports Card Investor. | Nerdbeaknerdbeak.com · web
- Geoff Wilson's Card HQ is Going National. Corporate Card Shops Take Over? - YouTubeyoutube.com · web
17 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Cards HQ do?
- Atlanta-based sports and trading card retailer, live breaker and auction house combining retail, e-commerce, media and pricing data.
- Who founded Cards HQ?
- Cards HQ was founded by Geoff Wilson.
- Who are Cards HQ's investors?
- Cards HQ's investors include Shamrock Capital.