A new trading-card and collectibles shop is opening its doors in Cohoes this weekend, bringing singles, sealed Pokémon product and a place for local collectors to trade and compete. Higgnation, located at 301 Ontario Street, holds its grand opening Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with special deals and raffles planned for the day.
Higgnation is owned by Matthew Higgins, according to NEWS10 ABC, which reports the new store will carry an array of trading card singles, sealed products and game accessories, with an emphasis on Pokémon. The shop will also host trade nights and card tournaments, giving local collectors a regular spot to buy, sell and compete beyond just the grand-opening weekend.
Higgins described the milestone in personal terms, saying the shop has long been his dream and has now come to life, per the station's report. He added that a new adventure is ahead, and trainers, collectors and Pokémon fans should get ready — a nod to the franchise that anchors much of the store's planned inventory.
From Planning Board to Open Doors
The path to Saturday's opening ran through Cohoes city government earlier this year. The Cohoes Planning Board approved a change-of-use application for a specialty trading-card shop at the Ontario Street address, also referenced as 94 Remsen Street, on Aug. 11, according to a report from citizenportal.ai. That filing proposed operating hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, initially without employees and relying on on-street parking.
Notably, the planning-board application identified the applicant only as “Jackie,” while NEWS10 identified Matthew Higgins as Higgnation's owner — a discrepancy the available records do not resolve. A later filing, covered separately by citizenportal.ai, described the only exterior change proposed for the storefront as a replacement mailbox, with Matt Higgins characterizing the planned business as a high-end trading-card shop.
Part of a Regional Collecting Boom
Higgnation's debut follows a string of card-shop openings and events across the Capital Region this year. Deez Cards celebrated its own grand opening in Altamont, located at 103 Park Street and offering sports cards, trading cards and memorabilia, per NEWS10's coverage of that store. The Altamont shop's inventory ranges from Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and One Piece to baseball cards, basketball cards and autographed football helmets, and owner Cochran has said 5 percent of its sales will go to the Epilepsy Foundation, according to the Altamont Enterprise.
Collector interest has also shown up at larger regional gatherings. The Capital Region Card Show, held at the Albany Capital Center in April, drew children and adults browsing, buying and trading cards and collectibles, according to the Times Union. Pokémon cards were among the items changing hands at that event, the paper reported, underscoring the franchise's continued pull with both longtime collectors and newer fans heading into Higgnation's opening weekend.
