Art of Play

What Art of Play does

Art of Play is a privately held, Brooklyn-based specialty retailer and curiosity shop operating both a flagship physical store on Atlantic Avenue near Brooklyn Bridge Park and a worldwide direct-to-consumer e-commerce site built on Shopify. The company began as a playing card business and has expanded into a multi-category emporium spanning puzzles, games, home goods, books, toys, and gift products, with price points ranging from under $25 to over $1,250. Its proprietary 'Art of Play Originals' line — including Mystery Decks, Seeing Stones, Tarot de Marseille, and Rule of Three — along with exclusive artist collaborations, differentiates the catalog from mainstream retail. Behind the shop, the company operates 69 Atlantic, a 26-seat intimate magic theatre that hosts close-up magic performances weekly, and produces the Magic Up Close podcast.

The business generates revenue from four streams: unit-priced DTC product sales (the largest), magic show ticket sales at 69 Atlantic, B2B services (custom playing card design, fulfillment, and corporate gifting), and wholesale distribution through the Faire marketplace. Distribution combines a single experiential retail location, global e-commerce shipping, and Faire-based wholesale to other retailers. Marketing is primarily organic and content-driven through the Magic Up Close podcast, YouTube, an email newsletter, and SEO, with no evidence of paid acquisition scale. The technology stack is composed of third-party SaaS platforms (Shopify, Ticket Tailor, Faire) rather than proprietary systems.

No funding rounds, headcount, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and the company operates as an independent, privately-held entity with no parent company or disclosed investors. Operational evidence indicates active operation with new product releases and theatre programming through at least 2024-2025.

Name

Art of Play

Legal name

Art of Play

Website

https://artofplay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Art of Play is a Brooklyn-based specialty retailer and Shopify-powered DTC e-commerce company that curates premium playing cards, puzzles, games, home goods, books, and gifts, complemented by a 26-seat magic theatre and the Magic Up Close podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Retail — Curated Games, Puzzles, and Gifts

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Toy Stores (CRALAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming) (CRALAFAH), Party Games & Family Entertainment Games Retail (CRALAFAJ)

Keywords

• Curated playing cards
• Artisan puzzles
• Specialty gift retail
• Novelty games
• Magic entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Art of Play generates revenue through direct sales of curated products including playing cards, puzzles, games, home goods, books, toys, and their proprietary Art of Play Originals line. Products range from $10 to over $1,000, with pricing across multiple gift tiers.
2. Magic Show Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for intimate close-up magic performances at 69 Atlantic theatre in Brooklyn. Shows feature different artists weekly, with tickets selling out weeks in advance.
3. B2B Services: Wholesale distribution through Faire marketplace, custom playing card design services, fulfillment services for other businesses, and corporate gifting programs.
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase, allowing customers to give the gift of curiosity and wonder.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Art of Play is a curated specialty retailer that sells playing cards, puzzles, games, home goods, books, and gifts through its e-commerce site, its flagship Brooklyn, NY retail store, and a wholesale channel. The assortment combines novelties from independent artists and historic makers with a proprietary "Art of Play Originals" product line, and is anchored experientially by 69 Atlantic, an in-store magic theatre hosting live performances.

Product overview

Art of Play is a modern wonder emporium and curiosity shop that began as a playing card company and has expanded into a diverse retail platform offering curated collections of games, puzzles, home goods, books, toys, and magical experiences. The product portfolio centers on three core pillars: Beautiful Playing Cards (including Mystery Decks, Tarot decks, Premium Cards, and exclusive artist-designed decks under the Art of Play Originals line), Ingenious Puzzles (spanning puzzle boxes, mechanical puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, pocket puzzles, and brainteasers crafted by artisans worldwide), and Magical Home Goods (including kinetic sculptures, ambient lighting, designer furniture, and decorative objects). The company also operates a physical Brooklyn retail location and 69 Atlantic, an intimate 26-seat magic theatre hosting world-class close-up magicians. Additional offerings include curated book collections, specialty gifts, and limited-release mystery products. The business operates on Shopify e-commerce infrastructure and offers wholesale, custom playing cards, fulfillment services, and corporate gifting programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 69 Atlantic: An intimate 26-seat theatre located behind the Art of Play curiosity shop in Brooklyn, designed to showcase close-up magic performances. Different artists perform each week and the venue has been praised by The New York Times.

Products and services

• Curated Playing Cards

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FaireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArt of Play offers wholesale distribution through Faire marketplace, enabling other retailers to purchase and resell their curated products including playing cards, puzzles, and novelty items.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theory11: Theory11 designs and sells premium, artist-designed playing cards and magician products directly to collectors and magic enthusiasts. Closest direct competitor in the premium/artisan playing-card and magic culture category.
• Ellusionist: Ellusionist produces high-end playing cards, magic tricks, and tutorials for cardistry and magicians. Directly comparable to Art of Play on premium decks, magic culture, and gift-tier pricing.
• MoMA Design Store: MoMA Design Store sells curated design objects, books, puzzles, home goods, and gifts with a similar art-meets-curiosity positioning. Strong overlap on premium home goods, design books, and gift-buyer target audience.
• EeBoo: EeBoo produces art-driven puzzles, games, and children's toys with a similar artist-collab, premium-materials approach. Comparable product aesthetic and gift-channel positioning.
• Areaware: Areaware designs and curates playful home goods, puzzles, and design objects from independent designers. Highly comparable on the home-goods/puzzle intersection and artist collaboration model.
• Uncommon Goods: Uncommon Goods curates unique, handcrafted, and unusual gifts across multiple categories. Directly comparable on the gift-buyer segment and unique-object positioning.
• Ten Thousand Villages: Ten Thousand Villages retails artisan and fair-trade gifts, home goods, and accessories. Comparable on curatorial gift positioning, premium pricing tiers, and physical retail + e-commerce omnichannel.
• Smithsonian Institution Store: Smithsonian stores sell curated curiosity-style merchandise including puzzles, books, home goods, and educational toys. Similar in-store 'wonder emporium' concept and broad gift appeal.

Broad incumbents

• Ravensburger: Ravensburger is a major global puzzle and games manufacturer and retailer. Comparable on premium puzzles and games category, though at much larger scale and broader mainstream positioning.

Emerging players

• Cardboard Instruments / Curiosa (curiosity-retail): Curiosa-style online curiosity shops curate unusual gadgets, puzzles, and magical objects for a similar gift-buyer audience. Niche but emerging in the same online discovery/gift category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/artofplay
• Xx.com/artxplay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Art of Play