Wanting to provide the community with equal access to various trading card games and good prices, Gators Card Den, located on North Main Street in Souderton, opened its new in-person location on September 14.
According to owner Jarrat Gellman, he got into trading card games as a kid.
“When I was a little kid, I was very much into Pokémon. I was an avid collector from probably the time I was 5 or 6 years old until I was around 9,” Gellman said.
Gellman had the idea to start selling online, being frustrated with the lack of card shops in the local area, as well as wanting to be able to shop in person and online.
“When I got into collecting, it was kind of frustrating that all the shops around here were either too far away or they were very overpriced. I just thought to myself, there are all these shops that exist across the country, great card shops that not only exist in their community, but also have a large presence online,” Gellman said.
According to Gellman, some of the difficulties in starting his business were the long hours and finding the right distributor.
“I started selling Japanese cards, buying in bulk and selling them on Facebook Marketplace, and from there I moved into card shows,” Gellman said. “I’d wake up at 5 a.m., load up my car, drive to the venue, and be there all day. You’re constantly interacting with people, and you can’t even step away because if you leave your table unattended, anything could happen.”
Gellman had the idea to open a brick and mortar store after various customers suggested the idea to him.
“I got a lot of requests, and I just started looking into it. At first, it was really just out of curiosity, just to see what pricing looked like and to set a goal for myself. I ended up reaching out to Souderton Connects, and they were really helpful. I live right down the road, so the location already made sense to me,” Gellman said.
After landing on a suitable unit to house his card shop in, Gellman eventually hosted the grand opening of the store on September 14, 2025.
“When we opened, [I didn’t know what to expect], but there was a long line out the door,” Gellman said.
According to sophomore Camron Ettwein, one of his favorite parts about Gators Card Den is the welcoming and open atmosphere that the community brings.
“I asked if somebody could teach me how to play, and someone reached out to me and said they could teach me and gave me a bunch of cards for free,” Ettwein said.
For sophomore Crowe Kilborn, they really enjoy the weekly events that the shop holds.