Cardboard Shuffle With Store Owner, Mark

In episode 10 of The Match Slip podcast, we're talking with store owner, Mark of Cardboard Shuffle located in Kingsport, Tennessee. Based in a factory town, the store originally started at Mark's house where he was only selling singles. As time went on the amount of single cards he was collecting to sell exceeded the space in his house. At that moment, Mark realized a retail location would be needed.

Cardboard Shuffle has been in business since 2019, however, the retail store didn't come to exist until its second year. With sales quadrupling every year since opening, Mark has been able to employ five full-time employees. His employees are guaranteed two consecutive days off a week and each specializes in a particular area of expertise further bringing value to the store.

While being a store owner requires a lot of time and attention, Mark is also a school teacher. After teaching, he normally will head straight to the store afterward. These two endeavors consume a good chunk of Mark's time so his days of being a Magic: The Gathering grinder for 8 years in the SCG tournament circuit are behind him. However, he still enjoys playing the Pauper format as well as Modern for fun.

With a store full of players that foster a positive play group, Mark is recognizing that a bigger space to accommodate those players and their product offerings is needed. However, he maintains that the store will remain in the area the current location is in.