MIDDLEBORO — Bulldog Sports Cards envisions becoming the place to be in Middleboro.

A haven for fans of anything and everything pop culture, the store at 321 W Grove St. sells sports cards,  LEGOs, Funko Pops and Pokemon cards, among other items. Less than a month into its existence, owner Richard Pelley is already thinking about adding more storage areas.

Pelley wants to bring as many people in not only as customers, but as collectors, traders, and gamers, too.

“I just love collecting,” Pelley said. “The hobby brings people together.”

With this business, Pelley wants to provide the space he never had when he grew up. His parents divorced when he was young, and he said that he did not have safe places to go where he could develop positive interests and interact with friends.

“I come from a troubled background, but I’ve made some strides in my life to be a better person,” Pelley said. “I want this to be the spot where you can come, be yourself, and nobody’s going to judge you or look at you in any kind of different way. This is just an all-inclusive place.”

Speaking of inclusion, Pelley’s bulldog, Banner, the store’s namesake, spends lots of time at the shop to greet customers. Some customers look for Banner before looking at any inventory, according to Pelley.

“People come in here looking for my dog,” Pelley said. “They’d rather talk to him than me most of the time. And I say, ‘you know what dude, I get that a lot and that’s totally fine. He’s way better looking than I am.’ So, it is what it is.”

The store is planning a grand opening event later in January with giveaways and snacks. 

Pelley also plans to have snacks and sodas on hand when people visit the store.

After he began selling sports cards on eBay from his home in early 2020, Pelley said business boomed to such a degree that he decided to move into a physical location. Plus, a storefront allows him to carry a larger inventory.

With the store located on a busy road and directly across from the state police barracks, Pelley said the location had the ideal combination of busy location and safety.

“We want this to be a place where anybody can come and find something that’s interesting to them,” Pelley said. “So far, it seems to be working.”