Card Shack relocates to new space in Lynbrook
Steve Cardi at Card Shack, his sports trading cards and memorabilia shop in Lynbrook. Credit: Steve Cardi
Four decades after entering the arena, the sports-themed collectibles and memorabilia shop, Card Shack, is still in the game.
Last month, Steve Cardi opened his trading-card specialty store in a new space three storefronts down from its prior address on Atlantic Avenue in Lynbrook.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” says Cardi, 56, who has a 15-minute commute to work. “I’m now in my fourth location.”
In 1987, Cardi was just 17 and deep into collecting baseball and hockey cards when he launched his business on Hempstead Avenue in Lynbrook. As the venture grew, he moved it to Valley Stream, his hometown, and then Lynbrook — twice.
“My mom is a big antiques collector. A lot of appreciation for collecting comes from her,” says Cardi, who studied business in college. “I promised my parents I’d go to school if I could open the shop when I was 17.”
Card Shack sells, trades and buys cards. It currently carries about 4 million individual cards, packs and supplies, primarily across baseball, hockey, football, basketball and soccer. Women’s professional basketball and hockey cards are also in the mix. Pokémon cards account for around 20% of the business.
Prices range from three cards for $1 to high-value cards, including Michael Jordan rookie cards priced above $30,000. Cardi stocks Topps complete baseball card sets from 1970 through 2026. Sets can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on condition.
Cardi has three sons. He runs the store with his eldest, Andrew. His youngest, Nicholas, is a big card collector finishing college. Middle child Matt, a teacher, helps out with graphics and social media. “We post about three times a day on product lines and customer programs,” Cardi says.
In 2001, he launched the Good Student Program, which rewards students with Card Shack dollars based on grades. “It’s like Monopoly money,” says Cardi. “The harder they work, the more they'll be rewarded.”
Over 40 years, Cardi has worked overtime to build multigenerational relationships through customer service, trade nights and monthly giveaways.
He described sports cards collectibles as a “cyclical, speculative market.” Prices respond to player performance, injuries, market size, demand and internet chatter.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart’s card prices dropped by 30% following his knee setback. The 1994 baseball strike reduced business by 40-50%.
“Those intangibles and variables can create hoopla and hysteria around a certain player or sport,” he says. “It’s all part of the conversation.”
Card Shack, 3 Atlantic Ave., Lynbrook, 516-561-5100, thecardshack.com, Instagram: @card_shack
