Thursday, December 5, 2024
With a fresh deck of possibilities, Texas Trading Cards is ready to deal an exciting hand from its new location.
Formerly known as The Card Shop Games, Granbury’s No. 1 store for Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer has officially relocated to a new venue at 220 S. Morgan St., Suites 220 and 222 — near Taco Delight.
Since 2010, the shop has been a beloved staple for trading card enthusiasts and fans of tabletop games alike. By fostering a vibrant community, players can connect and compete with others through their favorite games, all while immersing themselves in their own unique fantasy realms.
Under the stewardship of former owner, Jonah Baca, and now Sheldon Hughitt, the shop has continued to thrive, bringing fresh energy and exciting events that keep the community engaged and passionate about gaming.
Hughitt, who purchased The Card Shop Games in November 2023, officially rebranded to Texas Trading Cards — but after only a year of ownership, Hughitt realized that the shop desperately needed to expand.
With 20 to 30 regulars visiting each week, along with five to 20 newcomers, the shop had since outgrown its 1,300 square foot location — prompting Hughitt to seek a larger space that could accommodate the growing community.
"It's more playing space so that we can have bigger events, and we can advertise more to Fort Worth (residents),” Hughitt told the Hood County News. “Hopefully, I can start being a part of standard showdowns and start having big tournaments where a lot of people from Fort Worth will start coming in.”
At 2,400 square feet — and combining two vacant shops — Hughitt has been able to essentially double his previous space.
“It's the same width, but it's two locations,” he explained. “I'm getting a place the same exact size, and a little bit shorter in length, but two of them.”
Hughitt explained that this expansion will allow for a wider selection of singles for Magic: The Gathering and provide ample room for various groups, including Commander, Legacy, Modern and Standard players. He said his goal is to engage with the Magic: The Gathering and the trading card game tournament scene, so that he can be “on the map” for major events to allow players from the metroplex to join.
At its core, Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game where players cast spells and summon creatures to defeat their opponents, creating an ever-evolving landscape of strategy and competition that thrives within this vibrant community.
Despite efforts to attract more Pokémon and Star Wars fans to the shop though, Hughitt acknowledged that Magic: The Gathering continues to be the strongest draw.
“I go through card games like it’s a style,” he said, adding that the shop’s once popular trading card game Disney Lorcana will potentially be put on sale, due to its low demand. “Any new card games, I try to get in to see if it's worth getting. Altered is the only one that has been worth it for now, and it might just die off in six months. Flesh and Blood was our number two for the longest time, and then Warhammer took it over, and then nobody started playing Flesh and Blood after three years of people playing it up here competitively — but it doesn't mean the games don't exist; it just means that they're not popular here.”
While Magic: The Gathering is by far the most popular game at Texas Trading Cards, Warhammer comes in at a close second, Hughitt said.
Warhammer is a tabletop wargame where players collect, build, paint and battle miniature plastic models of armies. With two main universes — Age of Sigmar and 40K — players can opt for more of a fantasy setting (AOS) or science fiction (40K).
“We’re having a special 40K event to try to get more 40K players to show up,” Hughitt said. “They’re our second margin.”
Self-described as a “nerd collectible shop,” Hughitt encourages game enthusiasts of all ages to come to the new location and try their hand at a variety of trading card games or a tabletop battle — as they may just enjoy it.
"Our doors are always open,” he said. “For anybody new that is interested in getting into any trading card game, I know how to play all of them that are here, and I can sit down and teach anybody.”
For those familiar with the previous location, the hours of operation will remain unchanged — for now, that is.
“We’ll still be open from 2 to 10 p.m. (and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays),” Hughitt said. “I’ve thought about opening up at 12 p.m., and then maybe trying to open up on Tuesday, but it’s still just not enough people (to warrant the change).”
With a dedicated office in the back for sorting and trading, along with a potential partnership with White Box Games, Hughitt believes the new location will provide a fresh experience for both newcomers and regulars. He also expressed excitement about the collaboration, noting that White Box Games is developing a new website that will eventually feature his products.
As Hughitt looks to the future, he’s officially ready to level up the shop — proving that with the right cards in hand, the possibilities are endless.
