Roadshow Cards to Open Shop in Bogotá, Colombia
Layout design of Roadshow Colombia
Jimmy Mahan — the owner of the successful Roadshow card stores franchise with four locations in Kentucky, Texas, New York, and California — is ready for his next big venture.
He is bringing The Hobby to South America.
Mahan will be opening a store in Bogotá, Colombia. Slated to open around the beginning of December, it will make history as the first hobby shop in South America.
“I can’t even describe how exciting it is,” Mahan told RIPPED. “I know the grand opening will take it to a different level. It’s like, man, I wish I could go back and watch Star Wars for the first time and remember how cool that was. With this, it’s like getting to see The Hobby hit a community differently for the first time.”
Mahan believes the new hobby shop, which will be named Roadshow Colombia, will introduce The Hobby to passionate fans and hopefully pique their interest in collecting.
Mahan and his staff have already been connecting with the Bogotá community. A big part of their work is using cards for a bigger purpose. In the first three years of having a presence in Bogotá, Mahan has given away close to 2,000 pairs of cleats to kids who may not be able to afford them.
Jimmy Mahan will be opening his fifth hobby shop, Roadshow Colombia, around December. (Photos Courtesy of Jimmy Mahan)
Why Bogotá?
Mahan was the staff director for a YMCA camp in North Carolina. He hired people from all over the world, including Bogotá. Mahan and his wife developed close connections with several families and ended up helping them financially through college.
During a trip to Bogotá a few years back, Mahan asked if trading cards were available there. He was told access wasn’t easy, but there are soccer sticker collectors.
“I always wanted to do an international shop, but let’s go somewhere and do something where nobody is. If we think it will work — it’s got to have sound business practice,” Mahan said. “But I’ve got the perfect guys and girls to run it. They’re awesome.”
One year ago, Mahan started a breaking operation in Bogotá called Fútbol Roadshow. As @futbolroadshow, these breaks have been taking place from a local office and an apartment Mahan rents. Interest in the breaks was off the charts, and individuals wanted to buy products from the breakers for themselves, which paved the way for the hobby shop.
“The goal was always to elevate The Hobby,” Mahan said. “We talk about it in our little company meetings. It was, ‘We’re in this for the long haul, guys.’ This isn’t about opening a lot of breaker studios and making a lot of money, and selling it and getting out. No, no, no, no. I want great shops that I can pass to you guys and go on and be around for 50, 100 years. To do that in another place with an entirely different language is exciting; it’s terrifying.”
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
When Juan Pablo Duarte met Mahan, he knew nothing about cards or collecting. That quickly changed. Now, Duarte is a breaker for Fútbol Roadshow and will run the day-to-day operations at Roadshow Colombia.
“We love it. People here are excited,” Duarte said. “We haven’t told everyone yet, but the people who know are very excited. We can’t wait to have our shop in a physical space now.”
Mahan has built a team of five workers for Roadshow Colombia — three full-time and two part-time staffers.
Mahan, who signed a lease for the shop on September 17, feels like he found a great location in Bogotá. It’s in a bustling commercial district with a mall across the street and an adidas store, coffee shop, and sneaker boutique. There are also a couple of high schools and one university within a few blocks.
“We’ve done the hard part, we think, because it’s introducing the hobby where no one knew anything about it and then selling and teaching and building a community,” Duarte said. “Now we have a strong base to be like, OK, let’s open a shop. We’re excited that they will enjoy it, go to the shop, and share it on social media because there’s nothing close to that here.”
The 2,000-square-foot shop will feature singles and wax from various sports, along with memorabilia, jerseys, and other apparel.
“We’re definitely going to carry every Topps soccer product I can get because it’s just wild down there,” Mahan said. “It’s a different level of fanaticism. It’s interesting. I’ve been going down there for four or five years, and Colombia is huge into basketball. There are courts everywhere. Tennis is huge in Colombia, too. So, all these new tennis products will be fantastic there.”
The farther north you go in Colombia and the closer you get to the Caribbean Islands, the more interest you get in baseball. Mahan plans to have baseball product available. Mahan has also realized that Star Wars and other entertainment cards sell really well in Colombia.
Living in Bogotá, Duarte has a great grasp of the sports popular in the country. He has seen a rise in popularity in the NBA and NFL—especially for big events like the Super Bowl—and Formula 1 racing. But soccer is the clear-cut king.
“Selling soccer cards down there is like selling basketball cards in Kentucky or football cards in Green Bay. Forget it. Hand over fist,” Mahan said. “Down there, it’s about education. OK, this is a hit because it’s a refractor. Customers get so excited about even the littlest things. They’re like, ‘That’s so awesome. I got a piece of Luis Diaz’s jersey. Oh my God.’ Then you hit a Pelé autograph. Hitting a Pelé down here is like hitting that Curry/LeBron/KD 1-of-1 for us. It’s just mind-blowing.”
Growing The Hobby in South America
Mahan believes interest will shoot through the roof once word gets out that a hobby shop will be up and running in Bogotá by the end of the year.
“I think it could spread quickly within Colombia because of what it’s done in a very short amount of time with very limited resources,” Mahan said. “OK, now we’ve got the resources, and we’re building a place.”
If sports fans and collectors from neighboring countries such as Brazil and Venezuela latch onto The Hobby, look out. Mahan says Colombia isn’t into soccer nearly as much as Brazil and Argentina.
“I feel very confident about expansion in Colombia, but baby steps,” Mahan said. “Do it intelligently; do it smart. But I feel very good — and I wouldn’t do it otherwise — about this shop in Bogotá.”
