Trading card retailer CardsHQ is throwing open the doors to its first Midwest location in Orion Township on Nov. 14-15, with former NBA star and University of Michigan Fab Five member Jalen Rose scheduled to stop by and open packs of cards for fans. The grand opening festivities run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, bringing PSA grading, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and an outdoor block party to the new shop.
According to DBusiness, the store marks CardsHQ's second location nationally, following its Atlanta flagship, and its first in the Midwest. DBusiness lists the address as 4846 S. Baldwin Road in Orion Township, at the northwest corner of I-75 and Baldwin Road, while What Now Detroit reports the address as 4826 S. Baldwin Road at the Baldwin Commons Shopping Center. The outlets also differ on size: DBusiness describes a 13,000-square-foot store, while property owner Lormax Stern lists the space at 12,905 square feet.
Whatever the exact footprint, CardsHQ describes itself as a community-first trading card retail and experience center, offering sports cards, trading card games including Pokémon, high-end memorabilia, and collecting supplies in what it calls an interactive collecting environment. The shop is pitched as a spot for area collectors, families, and sports fans alike, DBusiness reports.
Jalen Rose Headlines a Weekend Built for Collectors
Rose is set to appear Saturday at 4 p.m. to open packs of cards and meet fans, part of a weekend packed with doorbusters, door prizes, and a free trade night on Saturday. CardsHQ also plans to make a donation to Operation Graduation in support of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, the same report notes.
Sunday's lineup shifts toward football, with a tailgate and outdoor block party featuring local food trucks, games, vendor booths, covered seating, kids' face painting, outdoor heaters, and big-screen TVs for weekend games. An official ribbon-cutting and welcome ceremony is also planned as part of the two-day celebration. CardsHQ says the complete grand opening schedule is available at cardshq.com/detroit.
CEO Points to Metro Detroit's Collecting Culture
CardsHQ founder and CEO Geoff Wilson framed the new location as more than a retail outlet, calling it a destination for the collecting community and a place where friends and families can spend time together, per the same account. Wilson said metro Detroit was a natural fit for the company's second store because the area has one of the most passionate sports and trading card communities in the country.
The Orion Township opening arrives amid a broader surge in the hobby. The Athletic reports that Card Ladder tracked more than $900 million in trading-card sales across online marketplaces in August, topping a previous high of about $695 million in June, alongside more than 8.7 million online transactions that same month. GemRate separately recorded a monthly record of 3.6 million cards graded in July, following 3.5 million in June, and Card Ladder has tracked 59 publicly known trading-card sales of at least $1 million in 2026, surpassing the prior annual high of 43 set in 2021.
CardsHQ's first store, the Atlanta flagship, was reimagined in February 2024 into a 14,000-square-foot shop selling sports and Pokémon cards, according to The Athletic's reporting. The Orion Township expansion gives the company a toehold in a region executives describe as having an especially devoted fan base for cards and collectibles.
