Cowzah Cards is hosting a grand opening on Saturday in downtown Peru.

Mike Lock and Justin Forbes are opening the card store at 1801 4th St.

Lock said he’s been collecting cards since 2019 and a little over a year ago began selling them. He started streaming on Whatnot, an online social marketplace, with a team from North Carolina and attended his first Collect-A-Con, a trading card and pop culture convention in Orlando, Fla.

He attended many shows and eventually started selling at shows and Whatnot on his own. At the beginning of the year, he started selling at shows in Peru and Ottawa.

Lock enjoys collecting and the community that comes with it.

“Over time, I realized how rewarding it is to help others find the cards they’re searching for, especially kids who might not always have the chance to get what they want. Seeing their faces light up when they get a card, or when I surprise them with one, means the world to me,” he said. “On top of that, I’ve loved meeting so many different people. Real connections through something we all enjoy.”

Cowzah will buy, sell and trade cards and will be hosting Trading Card Games, such as One Piece, Magic The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Union Arena.

“We want to keep expanding and adding on as the store grows, and by the end of our first year, we want to be fully educated on all the primary TCG games and even sports.”

The grand opening is 11 a.m. Saturday and will include open play, PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) submission drop-offs, open TCG play, and Pokemon league signups, which is a two-and-a-half-month season with a final tournament based on standings.

Hours will be noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

The Times / NewsTribune / Bureau County Republican is committed to keeping readers up to date with business happenings in the area. Much of our reporting relies on what we see and hear, but we’re also reaching out to readers for tips on business items. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email newsroom@mywebtimes.com.