Business
BY ANDREW CREELMAN
Gizelle Whelan said she always had a passion for Pokémon while her husband had been a fan of Magic: The Gathering for most of his life. Putting two and two together, Whelan said she wanted to take a leap of faith and open a card shop of her own. “I was like, let’s just follow the dream,” Whelan said. Thus, The Goblin’s Den was born in 2024— located in the heart of North San Antonio at 14415 Blanco Road. Respecting the craft The store o ers several brands of trading card games, or TCG, for customers. Whelan said the store is “mainly focused” on Magic: The Gathering packs and standalone cards, plus buying and selling services. Additionally, the shop has new and graded Pokémon cards, plus a smaller selection of Yu-Gi-Oh! options as well. “We stand out because we’re honest and I’m here every day,” Whelan said. Aside from just cards, the shop has Dungeons & Dragons accessories, a few tabletop games like Warhammer and more. What is there to do? Every week, The Goblin’s Den hosts a variety of events, according to Whelan. Every Thursday, the store hosts Dungeons & Dragons, while Pokémon games are held each Tuesday. “It’s a good time for people to dip their toes into the community,” Whelan said. For those looking to get into the hobby, Whelan said she recommends players try games rst and then get into collecting. “It can be overwhelming at rst, but it’s a good rst step,” she said. Looking ahead In the future, Whelan said her main focus will be expanding her business beyond its original brick- and-mortar location. “We want to add a second location over [in Stone Oak],” Whelan said. Additionally, Whelan said she plans to expand the main location o Blanco Road. “We need to be able to t more than 52 people in here for events,” Whelan said. “Basically, we outgrew this space in the rst three months of business.” The Goblin’s Den brings cards, magic and more to North San Antonio
The shop mainly specializes in Magic: The Gathering trading cards, plus a selection of Pokémon cards, Yu-Gi-Oh! decks and more.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW CREELMAN COMMUNITY IMPACT
Owner Gizelle Whelan and her husband, Brian, opened The Goblin’s Den back in 2024.
The shop hosts weekly public events like Pokemon tournaments and Dungeons and Dragons games.
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14415 Blanco Road, San Antonio www.thegoblinsdenlgs.com
Aside from TCG, The Goblin’s Den also o ers a selection of collectibles and Dungeons & Dragons gear.
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NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION
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