Trading card headquarters: Austin man opens Rail Yard Sports Cards
Published on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 18:30
- Mike Cunningham recently opened Rail Yard Sports Cards near Todd Park. Photos by Rocky Hulne/[email protected]
Mike Cunningham of Austin has always been an avid sports card collector, and now he’s making his collection available to the public in the form of Rail Yard Sports Cards, a store where customers can buy, sell or trade sports cards and sports memorabilia.
RYSC opened in July 2024 and will host a trading event on August 30th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
“It’s still very early days,” Cunningham said. “We’re just trying to get the word out and let people know about it online.”
Mike Cunningham displays his personal collection of sports cards at Rail Yard Sports Cards. Rocky Hulne/[email protected]
The store is located at 2205 11th St. NE, next to the railroad near Todd Park. The property was owned by Cunningham’s father, who worked for the railroad for nearly four decades. Before that, the property was a saloon.
“This was my dad’s man cave and he died two years ago,” Cunningham said. “When I inherited it, I thought I’d better do something with it.”
Cunningham has created a cozy space with brightly lit display cases in the foreground. Signed jerseys from players Deion Sanders and Justin Jefferson hang on the wall and other sports memorabilia from days gone by line the shelves.
The conditions are more than Cunningham could have ever imagined when he was a young boy in Austin looking for and buying tickets.
“I’ve built up a good collection,” Cunningham said. “All the cards here are mine and we buy, sell and trade cards.”
It’s been a long time since there was a sports card store in Austin, and Cunningham was excited to fill that void.
Cunningham graduated from Austin High School in 2000 after an illustrious wrestling career that included two All-State selections and second and third place finishes at the state championships.
He also played football for the Packers and then wrestled at Augustana and RCTC, where he was named an All-American.
Cunningham has always been active in sports and now works as a coach for HUSH, where he works with kids, teenagers and Bruins players. He has been able to get cards for some Bruins players who have turned pro and is now very interested in the career of former Bruin Sutter Muzzatti, who was drafted by the Nashville Predators in 2023.
“I’ve collected some Bruins cards in the past and I’m really looking forward to getting one of Sutter’s soon,” Cunningham said. “That would be super cool since I’ve worked with him personally.”
Cunningham said he is trying to increase the story’s online presence as much as possible, but the store will be open Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. He will try to host shows in the future as well.
For more information about the shop, visit its Facebook page.
