New Mansfield business plays its cards right

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Jimmy Mahan started collecting trading cards when he was 8 years old. After becoming a teacher and principal, it was a trading card that changed his life. And now he’s bringing his cards and his passion to Mansfield.

In 2019, Mahan, a proud University of Kentucky grad and fan, opened a pack of trading cards and pulled out an autographed rookie Panini NBA card for Duke University’s Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, the only one of its kind in existence. An avid sports collector, Mahan knew immediately what he had.

“I wound up on CNN and in the Wall Street Journal,” Mahan said.

Mahan auctioned the card for $15,000 and donated the funds to a foster care home in North Carolina.  

“I have a passion for the hobby and a desire to help the community and people collecting cards,” Mahan said. “There’s a lot of money in this and we want to use the money to do good things.”

In November 2019, Mahan opened Jimmy’s Kentucky Roadshow Shop in Lexington, Ky., and in June he opened his second trading card store in Mansfield, the Texas Roadshow Shop at 1836 Cannon Drive, Suite 300. After working together at Panini Cards, Cody Crim of Midlothian signed on as manager and Tracy Hackler of Flower Mound came on as marketing director.

“I started looking for spaces in the area,” Crim said. “Mansfield is booming. New shopping centers are popping up everywhere. I thought this was the perfect feel for Mansfield. I think Mansfield is one of the best cities in DFW.”

The new store boasts an 11-foot-tall and 44-foot long wall of trading cards with the Dallas interstate as a background. Customers can shop for $3 Fortnite trading cards or a box of National Treasures football cards for $4,000. The shop boasts baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, golf, football, tennis and collegiate trading cards, as well as Pokemon, Marvel and Star Wars cards.

People can trade or buy cards and memorabilia.

“I want people to feel like they can come in and they don’t have to buy $100 of stuff,” Crim said. “You can just hang out.”

Mahan says trading cards are special because they bring back memories.

“Cards are the perfect intersection between sports and history,” he said. “I was a history major and a history teacher. It’s a memory. It’s nostalgia.”

Texas Roadshow Shop

1836 Cannon Drive, Suite 300

Roadshowcards.com; 682-400-8017

Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

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