You can add a new entry to Cooper Flagg’s remarkable resume which already includes NCAA Division I Player of the Year when he was Duke, first overall NBA draft choice and NBA Rookie of the Year.
Entrepreneur!
The 19-year-old phenom from Newport and the Dallas Mavericks and his first cousin, Tyler, are opening Flagg Trading Co. in downtown Bangor on Saturday morning at 10.
The Flaggs addressed the media at a press conference and get-together on Friday night in the collectibles store located at 35 Main St.
Cooper Flagg explained that he used to collect Pokemon cards and sports cards when he was young. When his basketball career took off and he began signing cards for Fanatics Collect, it rekindled his love of collecting cards and “chasing stuff.”
His 30-year-old cousin also got back into collecting recently.
They began talking about it more and more, and Cooper said “we thought it would be cool to be able to do something like this.
“I was already enjoying chasing cards and opening them and we thought it could really be beneficial to this area and the people. It was the best of both worlds for me: business, personal interest and my love for my home (state).
“There aren’t a lot of places like this. We will have a pretty good outreach and distribution. We will have a lot of product and will be able to fulfill the needs of a lot of people,” said Cooper Flagg. “I felt that struggle before (as a collector). Not being able to find certain things. You go to Walmarts and certain stores like that and stuff flies off the shelves.
“This will be a place where people can go and know they will be able to find some good stuff,” he said.
Tyler Flagg said the shop will cater to newbies and longtime collectors alike. “I have some guys who scored some stuff that is really hard to come by. It will be cool to see it in one spot rather than just on social media. They can come in and see it in person,” he said.
They will also soon launch an online store and they intend to keep a steady procession of different products so the business doesn’t get stale.
“We want people to come in because they will never know what they might come across,” said Tyler.
The Flaggs looked at some buildings in Newport, but Cooper explained that with Bangor offering considerably more foot traffic, “this seemed like a perfect location.”
Tyler Flagg, who lives in Levant, said they “saw a lot of potential in downtown Bangor and wanted so much to be down here. It will be a spot where people can hang out, chill and relax and bring a positive vibe to the community. Downtown Bangor was missing something, and adding this was the right call.”
“This whole thing is investing and taking a risk,” said Cooper. “We both love the hobby and we’re hoping that we can make something really special and it can be long-lasting and can continue to develop and grow.”
The store will have everything from autographed cards that cost tens of thousands of dollars to low-cost cards without autographs. There will also be T-shirts and other collectibles.
Cooper intends to spend time at the card shop when he gets a break in his busy schedule.
“This is different from the lot of card shops I’ve been to around the country as far as the environment and being very welcoming … kind of cozy. It’s a spot where you can kind of hang out and if you do buy stuff, you can open it and have a good vibe,” he said.
“It’s somewhere I will be able to open stuff and hang out with my friends,” he added.
Autographed Cooper Flagg cards are in huge demand. A 1-of-1 NBA Rookie Debut Patch Autograph card is being auctioned off, and the bidding has already reached $1 million. There is a game-worn patch from his debut.
It is his most expensive card ever.
“It’s really cool for me to have one of my cards sell for that much money and be life-changing,” said Cooper. “It’s funny. My girlfriend (Duke University basketball center Arianna Roberson) always says she doesn’t understand why someone would pay that much money for a piece of cardboard.
“But I understand it. I’ve been in the hobby and I know what the chase is like.”