The Card District Opens Sault Ste Marie Collectibles Shop After Break In

The Card District opened its new card and collectibles shop in Sault Ste Marie after a break in nearly disrupted the launch, with owners Austin and Hunter Ralph reopening the Queen St. E. store after repairs and cleanup.

According to SooToday, the shop at 372 Queen St. E. lost approximately $3,000 to $5,000 worth of merchandise when thieves entered the store before its grand opening.

The owners said the stolen items included Magic the Gathering products. Austin Ralph described the damage and missing inventory while discussing the incident with SooToday.

"Some people broke through the door, and they cleared out some of the Magic the Gathering stuff — just scooped a bunch of stuff and then ran off," said Austin Ralph.

The Ralph brothers renovated and decorated the store with help from family members after receiving access to the commercial space. They completed cleanup efforts before opening day despite the theft.

"When I first heard about it, I was stressed out," said Austin Ralph.

The owners reviewed the missing merchandise and organized the remaining products before welcoming customers. Austin Ralph said additional security measures were arranged after the break in.

"But luckily, we grinded it out yesterday — got everything cleaned up, organized some more stuff, went through what really went missing — and look at us, we're all prepared and ready for today," said Austin Ralph.

The Card District continued with its opening plans after addressing the damage and securing the business premises.

"We got that all figured out," said Austin Ralph.

The brothers said their interest in opening a local card shop developed after they began collecting cards and were inspired by another Sault Ste Marie collectibles business.

"We started collecting cards about a year ago, and we thought why not go local and open a card shop?" said Austin Ralph.

Austin Ralph also explained how the idea developed from seeing another local store succeed before they decided to create their own business.

"We really got the idea from One of One Cards & Collectibles — we just decided to shoot the bullet on it and go and open a store," said Austin Ralph.

The grand opening attracted customers who visited the shop to view merchandise and meet the owners. The store operates weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"Amazing. Everybody's been nice," said Austin Ralph.