Southwest Card World

Aggie-owned since 2020, this Tower Point shop splits nearly evenly between Pokemon and sports — with a signed Babe Ruth baseball behind the counter.

James Huggins and Wes Kilcrease had been friends for close to forty years before they turned a shared collecting habit into a business in 2020, opening the retail storefront in April 2021. It is Aggie-owned and operated, and Huggins — a father of six — is candid about who actually walks in the door. "It's probably about 40% to 50% of our business," he said of Pokemon. "We get Pokemon collectors from little kids all the way up to middle-aged men and women."

The other half is sports, and it is comprehensive: baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf and racing, plus UFC and wrestling, Star Wars and entertainment sets like Topps Marvel and Disney. Sealed hobby boxes, blasters and mega boxes sit alongside a singles bin that mostly runs $2 to $20 a card. The memorabilia case is where it gets serious — signed jerseys and, at various points, a signed Babe Ruth baseball.

Customers consistently describe the same two things: the store is clean and genuinely well organized, and the owners will negotiate. "The store is clean and everything is well organized," one recent reviewer wrote; another called it "an absolute gem for collectors and hobby enthusiasts." Prices skew toward the higher end, which shows up in reviews as a fair trade for selection and condition.

Beyond the counter, Southwest Card World buys collections and individual cards — email [email protected] for an assessment — runs live breaks on Whatnot and a Facebook break page, and operates a web store with local in-store pickup. Orders over $250 ship with signature confirmation. All sales are final, so inspect before you buy.

Finding it: the shop is in Suite 503 of Tower Point, the HEB center on the Highway 6 frontage road in south College Station, roughly 200 yards behind the IHOP. Hours run 10AM to 7PM weekdays, 9AM to 5PM Saturday and noon to 5PM Sunday — though the shop's own FAQ has at times listed Monday as closed, so call first if Monday is your only option.