What Mintink does

Mintink is a privately held Canadian specialty retailer headquartered in Woodbridge, Ontario, focused on trading cards and collectibles. The company operates two physical retail showrooms in Vaughan and Ajax, with a third Oakville location announced, alongside a Shopify-powered e-commerce website (mintink.ca) that ships across North America. Mintink sells a comprehensive catalog spanning sports cards (Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Racing, Wrestling), trading card games (Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Disney Lorcana, One Piece, Dragon Ball, VeeFriends, Gundam TCG, Riftbound), non-sports IP cards (Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars), LEGO, Funkos, action figures, plush toys, and card supplies.

The company's business model is primarily unit-based retail with no subscription required, with prices ranging from under $10 to over $1,000 (e.g., Upper Deck The Cup Hockey Hobby Box at $1,105.73). Ancillary revenue streams include grading services through CGC and PSA-style partners, sell/trade services including the Topps Buyback program, and live event programming (Pokemon tournaments, Trade Nights, Golf Invitationals, Kids Collector Days). Distribution is omnichannel: Shopify website, Whatnot live streaming, eBay marketplace, plus physical retail with next-day pickup. The company maintains an active community presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Discord, and Twitch.

Mintink employs approximately 6 people, is structured as a private Ontario entity with the registered trademark MINTINK®, and has no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds. Its go-to-market motion is product-led growth combined with event-driven community engagement, leveraging live streaming commerce as a primary differentiation lever against pure e-commerce competitors.

Name

Mintink

Legal name

Mintink Trading Cards & Live Experience

Website

https://mintink.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mintink is a privately held Canadian specialty retailer operating physical stores in Vaughan and Ajax (with Oakville planned) and a Shopify-powered e-commerce site, selling trading cards, TCGs, LEGO, and collectibles to hobbyist consumers across North America through omnichannel retail and live streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trading Card & Collectibles Retail

NAICS

Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Collectible Card Games (CCG/TCG) Retail (CRALAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Trading Cards Retail (CRALAGAA), Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment) (CRALAGAB), Pop Culture Collectibles Retail (Figures, Statues, Funko, etc.) (CRALAGAK), Collectibles, Trading Cards & Blind Box Toys Retail (CRALAFAI)

Keywords

• Trading card retail
• Sports cards
• Collectibles shop
• Trading card games
• Live card shopping

Headquarters

HQ city

Vaughan

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Trading Card Retail Sales: Primary revenue from selling trading card products including sealed boxes, hobby boxes, blasters, boosters, packs, graded singles, and individual singles across sports cards (Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, Racing, Wrestling) and trading card games (Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, VeeFriends, One Piece, Dragon Ball).
2. Collectibles and Toys: Sales of LEGO products, toys, games, Funko Pops, action figures, plush toys, and trading card game supplies (binders, sleeves, deck protectors, storage).
3. Grading Services: Card grading services offered through partnerships with major grading companies (CGC for non-sports, PSA-style grading for sports cards) to add value to customer collections.
4. Sell/Trade Services: Customers can sell their collections directly to Mintink or trade cards, with Topps Buyback program mentioned as a specific service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mintink operates a multi-channel trading card and collectibles retail business, selling sealed boxes, hobby boxes, blasters, boosters, packs, graded singles, and individual trading cards across sports (Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Golf, etc.) and trading card games (Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, One Piece, Dragon Ball). The company complements card sales with LEGO products, toys, Funko Pops, action figures, collectibles, memorabilia, and card supplies, and offers grading services, buy/sell/trade programs, live in-store events (tournaments, Trade Nights, Kid's Collector Days), and live-stream shopping through Whatnot.

Product overview

Mintink is a multi-channel trading card shop and live experience retailer operating both physical retail locations (Vaughan, Ajax, and upcoming Oakville) and an online e-commerce store (powered by Shopify). The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of trading card products across sports (Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Hockey, Racing, Soccer, Tennis, Wrestling), Trading Card Games (Pokemon TCG, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana, One Piece, Dragon Ball, VeeFriends), and Non-Sports categories (Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars). The product lineup centers on sealed products (Boxes, Blasters, Boosters, Bundles, Packs) and singles (Graded and Ungraded), complemented by LEGO toys, general Toys & Games, and Collectibles. The company differentiates through live events (Play Pokemon, Trade Nights, Golf Invitational), live stream shopping on Whatnot, grading services, and a community-focused Collector Days program. The core value proposition combines physical retail experience with online accessibility and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Trading Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• 1-3 business day fast shipping, next-day pickup available at retail locations

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WhatnotcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLive streaming sales partnership through whatnot.com/user/mintink10. Mintink conducts live auctions and product demonstrations on the Whatnot platform, reaching collectors nationally and enabling real-time purchasing during live shows.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Big Kids Cards: Canadian trading card store and break operator selling sports cards and TCGs through e-commerce and live shows. Comparable business model combining retail with live-streaming/break culture.
• Sportscard Galaxy: Canadian trading card retailer (Vancouver-based) specializing in sports and TCG products via e-commerce and live breaks. Comparable in product mix (sports cards, TCGs, singles, sealed product) and Canadian market positioning.
• Hairy Tarantula: Toronto/GTA-based hobby retailer carrying TCGs (Magic, Pokemon), board games, miniatures, and tabletop hobby products. Comparable specialty hobby retail positioning with physical store and live event programming.
• 401 Games: Toronto-based specialty hobby game retailer offering board games, TCGs (Magic, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!), and accessories. Operates both physical and online channels in the same GTA market as Mintink, with overlapping TCG and hobby product mix.

Broad incumbents

• GameStop: Mass-market video game and pop culture retailer that increasingly carries trading cards and collectibles alongside Funkos, LEGO, and accessories. Represents the scaled omnichannel pop-culture competitor with greater brand reach.
• Blowout Cards: Established online sports card and hobby retailer with extensive inventory of sealed product and singles. Sets the price-discoverability benchmark for online trading card retail that Mintink's e-commerce channel must match.
• Dave & Adam's Card World: One of the largest U.S. hobby retailers, carrying sports cards, TCGs, and collectibles across a massive catalog with strong online presence. Represents the scaled specialty hobby incumbent Mintink competes against on selection and pricing.
• Steel City Collectibles: Long-running U.S. hobby retailer with strong TCG and sports card catalog plus live break programming. Comparable mix of sealed product, singles, grading services, and live events at greater scale.

Others

• eBay: Global online marketplace where Mintink operates an eBay storefront alongside many competing trading card sellers. Functions as both an enabling channel for Mintink and the dominant price-discovery venue for singles and graded cards.

Emerging players

• Whatnot: Live-stream marketplace for collectibles that hosts Mintink's live sales. Functions as both a sales channel and a competitive ecosystem where other sellers (including large hobby retailers) reach Mintink's same buyer pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mintink10
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBeT8hlDdHEUHccx3ceR8jg
• Facebookfacebook.com/mintink10
• Instagraminstagram.com/MintINK10
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mintink

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 Mintink