Cooper Flagg shares his love for trading cards with opening of card shop
BANGOR — The city’s most prominent athlete has turned a longtime hobby into a downtown enterprise. Cooper Flagg, the former No. 1 draft pick who captured the NBA Rookie of the Year award last season, opened Flagg Trading Co. on Friday night after roughly a year of planning.
The new shop, located in Bangor’s central business district, is a partnership between Flagg and his cousin Tyler Flagg. The pair had considered placing the store in Cooper’s hometown of Newport, but ultimately chose Bangor for its higher foot traffic and visibility. Tyler Flagg said the decision was driven by a desire to give back to the community and to create a gathering spot that offers something different from the bars and entertainment venues already in the area.
“Our biggest thing was adding to the community. We see a lot of potential in downtown Bangor,” Tyler explained during the soft opening. “It’s a place where people can all hang out, just chill and bring positive vibes.”
Cooper Flagg, who has been collecting sports cards since childhood—starting with Pokémon and later focusing on basketball—described how his involvement with the memorabilia market revived his interest in opening packs. He said that while on the road with the Dallas Mavericks, he and a teammate would often stop at local card shops to explore new finds.
“I was a Celtics fan growing up, so I tried to pull Celtics cards. Now when I’m opening packs, I’m trying to get teammates or people I know,” Cooper said. He added that the attention surrounding his own rookie card—currently up for auction until Sept. 24 and estimated to fetch more than $5 million—had not dimmed his enthusiasm for the hobby. “My girlfriend says why would anyone spend that kind of money on a piece of cardboard, but I understand it. I’m in the hobby and I know what the chase is like,” he noted.
Flagg Trading Co. officially opens to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday. The display case already features several high‑priced Flagg cards, with prices ranging from $12,000 to $14,000. Both brothers emphasized that the store is not meant to be a shrine solely to Cooper’s name; rather, it is intended as a resource for collectors of all experience levels.
“We don’t want it to feel like a Coop shrine in here, but we also want to make sure that anyone new to collecting or a longtime fan can find what they’re looking for,” Tyler said.
Cooper added that when he returns to Maine during the offseason, he expects to spend time at the store. He indicated that if a young fan pulls a Flagg card while he’s there, he might sign it. “Probably,” he said, which would, in his view, be a memorable moment for the child.
The store’s opening marks a new chapter for the NBA standout, who aims to use his visibility to benefit the state beyond his on‑court performance. Local officials and community members gathered for the soft opening, expressing support for a project that promises to diversify Bangor’s commercial landscape and offer a niche destination for sports‑card enthusiasts.
