401 Games, Toys & Sportscards

What 401 Games, Toys & Sportscards does

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards is a privately held Canadian specialty hobby retailer operating two physical stores in the Greater Toronto Area — 431 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto and 7700 Keele Street in Vaughan, Ontario — alongside a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront (store.401games.ca) that ships across Canada and the USA. The company sells a broad portfolio of hobby products organized across five primary categories: trading card games (Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited, Digimon, Cardfight Vanguard, and others), board games, sports cards (hockey, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, racing, golf, tennis, combat sports), tabletop wargames (Games Workshop lines, Battletech, Infinity, Malifaux, Marvel Crisis Protocol, Star Wars Legion), and role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Warhammer Roleplay), with scale models, LEGO, Gunpla, and hobby supplies as secondary lines. Distribution covers both sealed product and individual singles for collectors and players.

The business model combines transactional retail product sales with three fee-generating service lines: PSA card grading submission services, a buylist/buyback operation that purchases collections for resale, and tournament entry fees from organized play. GTM is hybrid, anchored by community-led engagement (daily in-store tournaments and casual play spaces across multiple game systems at both locations) and direct-to-consumer e-commerce, supported by owned social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube) and email marketing. Customer segments span hobbyist personas across all five verticals — TCG enthusiasts, board gamers, sports card collectors, wargamers, and RPG players — with no enterprise or B2B customers identified. Authorized retailer relationships with Wizards of the Coast and Upper Deck provide distribution access to flagship franchises, and a tiered loyalty program plus pre-order price-protection policy are the principal retention mechanisms. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public ownership; operational status is active with no reported M&A, leadership changes, or regulatory actions in the input data.

Name

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards

Legal name

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards

Website

https://401games.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards is a privately held Canadian hobby retailer operating two GTA stores (Toronto, Vaughan) and an e-commerce site, selling trading card games, board games, sports cards, tabletop wargames, RPGs, and scale models to hobbyist consumers, with PSA grading, buylist, and tournament services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hobby Gaming Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRALAFAI

Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Toy Stores & Games Retail

SECONDARYCRALAGAB

Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Collectibles, Trading Cards & Memorabilia Retail

SECONDARYCRAMAOAA

Sports Trading Cards Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail

SECONDARYCRALAFAH

Hobby Games & Miniatures Retail (Tabletop RPGs, Wargaming)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Toy Stores & Games Retail

SECONDARYCRALALAH

Miniatures Games & Tabletop Skirmish Games Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Board Games and Puzzles

Keywords

• Trading card games
• Board games retail
• Sports cards collector
• Tabletop wargames
• Role-playing games supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Physical and online retail of board games, trading card games, sports cards, tabletop wargames, role-playing games, scale models, and hobby supplies. Sells both sealed product and individual singles (cards).
2. Card Buylist: Purchases trading cards and sports cards from customers at negotiated prices, then resells them for profit.
3. Grading Services: Provides card grading submission services through PSA (Professional Sports Authenticators), earning fees for submission handling.
4. Event Entry Fees: Charges entry fees for tournaments and organized play events at both store locations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards is a Canadian hobby retailer that sells trading card games (Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited, Digimon, and others), board games, sports cards across multiple sports, tabletop wargames (Warhammer, BattleTech, Infinity, and related), role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Call of Cthulhu), scale models and toys (LEGO, Gunpla, Nendoroids), and gaming supplies. The company operates two brick-and-mortar stores in the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto and Vaughan) plus a Shopify e-commerce platform, and offers complementary services including PSA card grading submission, a buylist/buyback program, and daily in-store tournament and event hosting.

Product overview

401 Games, Toys & Sportscards is a Canadian hobby retailer operating as a unified e-commerce platform alongside two physical store locations in Toronto and Vaughan, Ontario. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into distinct but integrated categories: trading card games (Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Star Wars Unlimited, and other TCGs), board games, sports cards, tabletop wargames, role-playing games, scale models and toys (including LEGO and Gunpla), and gaming supplies. The business also provides complementary services including card grading submission (PSA), buylist/buyback services, and event/tournament hosting. The product offering includes both sealed products (booster boxes, starter decks) and singles for collectors and players, supported by pre-order capabilities and a loyalty program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trading Card Games (TCG) Extensive selection of trading card games including Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Star Wars: Unlimited, Riftbound: League of Legends, Digimon, Cardfight Vanguard, Dragon Ball Super, Weiss Schwarz, Metazoo, and other TCGs. Products include sealed product (booster boxes, booster packs, starter decks, bundles, fat packs, commander decks, prerelease packs), singles, and collector's corner items. Sold to individual hobbyists and competitive players.
• Board Games Wide variety of board games including new releases, restocks, best sellers, Theory11 and Bicycle playing cards, and poker cards. Targets families and social/casual strategy gamers.
• Sports Cards Sports trading cards across multiple sports including hockey, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, racing/F1, golf, tennis, and combat sports/wrestling. Features Upper Deck products and non-sports trading cards. Sold to individual collectors and hobby investors.
• Tabletop Wargames Miniature wargaming products including Games Workshop (Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, The Old World, Horus Heresy, Middle Earth), BattleTech, Bolt Action, Infinity, Malifaux, Marvel Crisis Protocol, Star Wars Legion, Kings of War, and associated terrain, gaming mats, paint, and hobby supplies.
• Role-Playing Games (RPG) Role-playing game products including Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition), Pathfinder (1st and 2nd Edition), Starfinder, Traveller, Warhammer Roleplay, Call of Cthulhu, Emberwind, miniatures, pawns, and dice.
• Scale Models & Toys Scale models and toys including LEGO, Gunpla (Bandai Spirits), Nendoroids, figures, Pokémon Plamo, RC cars, blind boxes, plushies, aircraft, cars, ships, and WWII models.
• Supplies & Accessories Card game supplies including sleeves (standard size, small/Yu-Gi-Oh size, board game size), deck boxes and storage, binders and pages, playmats and tubes. Features brands like Dragon Shield, Ultra Pro, Ultimate Guard, Gamegenic, and Perfect Fits.
• Grading Services (PSA) Card grading submission service through PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), including grading prices, submission forms, and submission tracking, for individual collectors and investors.
• Buylist Services Buyback service for trading cards and sports cards where customers can sell their collections to the store at negotiated prices, which are then resold.
• Event Hosting & Tournament Services Weekly and daily gaming events, tournaments, and community play spaces at both Toronto and Vaughan locations for multiple TCGs and tabletop games (Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, One Piece, Disney Lorcana, Digimon, and tabletop wargames).

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wizards of the CoastcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized retailer for Magic: The Gathering products, displaying official Wizards of the Coast retailer badges at both store locations.
• Upper DeckcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized internet retailer for Upper Deck sports cards and gaming products.
• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffers card grading submission services through PSA, allowing customers to submit cards for professional authentication and grading.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Game Knight Games: Canadian hobby retailer (Western Canada-based) selling TCGs, board games, miniatures, and RPGs with events. Comparable assortment and community model, but operates in a different Canadian region than 401 Games' GTA footprint.

Direct peers

• Miniature Market: Large US online hobby retailer carrying tabletop games, miniatures, board games, and sports cards. Closely comparable breadth of product across hobby categories, with similar e-commerce plus physical retail footprint.
• Dave & Adam's Card World: Long-running US sports cards and TCG retailer combining a flagship retail store with a large online store, break services, and grading submissions. Comparable to 401 Games' combined sports card + TCG + grading-service offering.
• Face to Face Games: Toronto-area hobby retailer operating multiple GTA locations with a strong tournament/events program for Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and other TCGs plus board games and miniatures. Highly comparable to 401 Games in geography, product mix, and community-led GTM.
• Card Kingdom: Major online hobby retailer based in the US with deep MTG singles inventory, sealed product, and board games. Direct competitor on 401 Games' e-commerce channel for Canadian and US online customers.
• Cool Stuff Inc. US hobby retailer operating online plus physical stores selling TCGs, board games, miniatures, and hobby supplies with tournament programs. Direct comparator on multi-category hobby assortment and event-driven retail.
• Mox Boarding House: Multi-location hobby retail chain with a strong in-store dining/gaming space model and broad TCG/board game/wargame inventory. Closely comparable to 401 Games in combining community play space with retail across multiple hobby categories.
• Star City Games: US-based TCG retailer and tournament organizer running major events and selling singles, sealed product, and hobby supplies. Comparable in combining retail + competitive event infrastructure with broad TCG selection.

Broad incumbents

• Games Workshop: Miniature wargame publisher (Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, etc.) operating its own branded retail stores and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Competes with 401 Games' wargame retail and event business vertically and can disintermediate independent retailers on its own IP.
• TCGplayer: Marketplace platform owned by eBay that aggregates TCG singles pricing and seller inventory across thousands of hobby stores. Functions as a broad incumbent competitor on the singles/secondary-market side of 401 Games' business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/401_games
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZTneIFq-Yw9Maw2-62iFVw
• Facebookfacebook.com/401games
• Instagraminstagram.com/401games
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/401-games-toys-&-sportscards

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 401 Games, Toys & Sportscards