Leader of the Pack
By Chris Wadsworth
Every former and current trading card collector likes to think that they are sitting on a small fortune with that stack of old baseball cards, “Pokémon” cards or “Star Wars” cards stuffed on a shelf in the basement.
While most times, it’s probably not true, every once in a while it is.
“We had a lady whose husband passed away and he had never done anything with his baseball cards and they were just in storage and she was hoping they were worth a few hundred bucks,” said Patrick Nuckols, owner of Continental Cards in Ashburn. “It turns out there were multiple cards valued at over a thousand dollars each, with one – a Mickey Mantle card – worth over $7,000.”
Nuckols – who has a background in the corporate world – launched Continental Cards online in 2022. It started out as a side gig, but then it continued to grow. This led to him opening his store in 2024 off Loudoun County Parkway just north of Gloucester Parkway. It may seem like an unassuming little shop for hardcore hobbyists – but it’s actually on the cutting edge of a multibillion-dollar industry.
According to a recent report from ResearchAndMarkets.com, the trading card industry was valued at $7.8 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $11.8 billion by 2030.
The two biggest segments in the trading card world right now are sports cards – baseball, yes – but also football, hockey, golf and more. And gaming cards – titles such as “Magic: The Gathering,” “Riftbound” and the aforementioned “Pokémon.”
“‘Pokémon’ is currently our biggest seller,” Nuckols said. “It is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. ‘Pokémon’ is the number one IP [intellectual property] in the world worth over $100 billion – $40 billion more than the second most valuable – Mickey Mouse and friends.”
For enthusiasts, Continental Cards is more than a store. It’s a home for a growing community in Ashburn and greater Northern Virginia that shops together, discusses card history, plays in tournaments and even opens card packs with others looking on – called “breaking – and then celebrating when a rare or valuable card is found.
And that last part is no joke. Recently, on the national scene, an “Alpha Black Lotus” card from the game “Magic: The Gathering” sold for more than $3 million. A Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch 1 of 1 autograph card recently sold at auction for more than $1 million. The buyer – the Dick’s Sporting Goods company.
“Opening a pack can feel a bit like the lottery because you never know if you’ll pull something rare,” Nuckols said. “The difference is even if you don’t hit a big card, you still walk away with collectible pieces you can enjoy, trade, or play with.”
Nuckols’ business has grown so fast that he’s currently expanding, nearly tripling his space in order to create a larger retail area and add a gaming center for trading card tournaments.
Sven Wrage and his sons, Niko and Henry, are originally from Germany, but live in Fairfax County now. On a recent December afternoon, they were busy shuffling through stacks of sports cards at Continental Cards.
“It’s a nice hobby,” Wrage said. “The boys like to collect cards with German players and it’s helping them to learn English as well.”
Jamaine Johnson lives in Lovettsville and made his first trek to Continental Cards just before Christmas. A card collector since elementary school, he’s into the sports cards.
“Baseball, football, basketball. I like to see if I can find my favorite players, to see if it’s a limited edition or a special card,” Johnson said. “That’s what it was all about when I was younger. But now, it’s also about the money a little bit too.”
And believe it or not, the same day Ashburn Magazine spoke to Johnson, he opened a pack bought at the store and discovered a card worth roughly $8,000.
Stories like Johnson’s and the Wrages’ are music to Nuckols’ ears. His goals for the shop are simple: to be a centerpiece for the community and to offer a place that people can learn and participate in a fun – and sometimes lucrative – hobby surrounded by friends new and old.
IF YOU GO
- What: Continental Cards
- Where: 21240 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Suite 135, Ashburn
- Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week
- More details: continental-cards.com or 571-707-8074