Long Island's first Replay Sports Cards shop coming to South Shore this month

Memories of childhood trips to trading card shops are colored by outdated esthetics, disorganization and unfriendly proprietors for South Shore native Rob Ansalone.

Even today, card shops are not always welcoming environments, Ansalone said. Often, he said, customers buy a product and leave.

But on Nov. 21, Ansalone will open his own trading card venue,  a   Replay Sports Cards franchi se, he confirmed on Tuesday. And his place in Bellmore, he said, will be different.

"My place will be very inviting," he told Newsday. "Tables and comfortable chairs for the kids to hang out and do different events, and really kind of stay and trade with their friends and open cards."

The goal, Ansalone said, is to foster a friendly atmosphere where customers can do more than just make purchases. Replay Sports Cards shops offer buying, selling, trading and grading services.

"I want kids to feel comfortable or safe," said Ansalone, who has two sons, ages 4 and 9. "If they want to sell a card, at least educate them on how we do it and the right pricing."

The Bellmore Avenue location will be the first Replay Sports Cards in New York State, Ansalone said. The franchise, which did not immediately respond to request for comment, has stores in Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee, according to its website.

Card sales broke $1 billion in October for the first time, according to a Sports Illustrated story that cites CardLadder data. CardLadder did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Ansalone's space, which he chose after looking at approximately 10 places, was previously a dance studio, he said.

"It’s on a busy street, there’s good visibility," Ansalone said, noting that the storefront is neighbored by a Domino’s Pizza and across from a CVS pharmacy.

Ansalone said he recently sold a fitness business he owned as a franchisee to move into trading cards. He estimated he would start with six employees.

In opening a Replay Sports Cards on Long Island, Ansalone also is making a career transition. Though he maintains his licenses and connections, he left a job as an insurance broker amid a changing market, he said.

"I always admired people that do something that they love," Ansalone said. "You’re at work every day, and you want to put passion into it."

By Arielle Dollinger

arielle.dollinger@newsday.com@aridollinger

Arielle Dollinger joined Newsday as a staff reporter in 2022. Previously, she covered local and national news as a freelancer for The New York Times, Newsday and other outlets.