Need to know

Southport shop says 'we have to trust customers have the right intention'

Co-owner Levi Bailey spoke to the ECHO about potential scalpers at his new shop

[Levi Bailey and Keira Reid outside their Southport shop]

Levi Bailey and Keira Reid outside their Southport shop

Everything you need to know:

• Trusting customers is central to a new Southport shops approach. Owners Levi Bailey and Keira Reid say they do not have a strict policy against scalpers at Gawtos TCG, instead choosing to trust customers to be honest about their intentions and not simply buy stock to resell online.
• Gawtos TCG opened in Southport after inspiration from Amsterdam. The couple visited the Netherlands in late 2025 and were impressed by the number of card and Pokmon shops, prompting them to ask why Southport could not have something similar.
• The pair quickly discovered there was strong local demand. After initially selling at card shows, including the Southport card show, they realised customers were actively asking for a dedicated shop, and that interest locally matched what they had seen in Amsterdam.
• The Post Office Avenue shop offers a range of Pokmon products. Customers can buy individual cards and sealed products, as well as trade collectables at the store, which opened in mid-July in the former Dog Haus unit.
• Building a community has been one of the biggest rewards. Levi says Pokmon brings people together through its artwork, fandom and social side, with regular customers forming friendships and conversations around the hobby.
• The response since opening has been overwhelmingly positive. The shop has already developed a community of regulars, with Levi saying it has been rewarding to see people invest their time in the store and interact with one another.
• The owners are aware of tensions within the collecting community. Levi says the hobby has increasingly divided between people who genuinely collect and enjoy Pokmon and those who buy products primarily to resell them online.
• For now, the shop is choosing trust over strict restrictions. Levi says they have not encountered any major issues with scalpers yet, but they are discussing how they would handle the situation if it becomes a problem.

You can read the full story here.