In an office building on Ingleside’s Ocean Avenue medical row, Eryk Lewandowski sells all kinds of hot-ticket collectibles, from Pokémon to Magic: The Gathering.
The Marin County resident founded Sords Card Emporium in 2020 after seeing a long line of eager customers mobbing a Target for collectible trading cards.
“Some people that I met in that line I'm still friends with to this day,” Lewandowski, 25, said. “They showed me what they were doing, but then I was like, ‘How can I become Target?’”
Lewandowski, an avid card collector, opened his shop in 2021 after navigating the wholesale distributor system. He said business has been steady at his appointment-only shop and tries to sell his merchandise below market price. His shelves are stocked with, among other collectible items.
Lewandowski expressed extreme gratitude for the privilege that has allowed him the opportunity to be his own boss. His mother, Marie Lewandowski, who owns the office building and operates her medical practice there, provided seed money and favorable leasing terms.
Though Sords Card Emporium has been a big part of his life, he is also graduating from Sonoma State University with a degree in finance. He wants to be an investment advisor representative.
“My ultimate goal in life, just like anybody, is financial stability,” Lewandowski said. “It doesn’t solve all of life's problems, but it solves a good chunk.”
The Ingleside Light caught up with Lewandowski to learn more about the card-selling business.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What does a typical appointment look like?
A customer calls me. We schedule something. They tell me what they're looking for. I tell them if I have any of it, or if I have the items, and then the price point and we agree on a date and time. Genuinely, right now, I take appointments by call. I group them together just so I'll make it efficient. They're typically in the mornings at like 10, 10:30 ish, and I'll take payment on pickup. I don't ask for money beforehand. Some are recurring customers. They trust me.
Why did you get into card selling?
Partially, why I started this was because of the idea of the people in the Gold Rush, who made money were the people selling shovels. Sure, you had some people who actually found gold and got rich that way, but the people who sold shovels, maybe didn’t get as rich, but they were secure. That was my mentality. People are looking for Pokémon. Instead of just flipping items from Target, be Target. Sell the shovels.
What is one piece of advice you have for someone who wants to open their own store?
It’s a lot more work than people realize because a lot of it is out of our control. Nowadays, distributors won’t even take applications unless you have a brick-and-mortar store. They won’t even take online store applications or anything like that. It’s very difficult, but if you’re tenacious and you believe in yourself, go for it.
