The Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 14, for PokaBears in downtown Gridley. Pictured from left are Joan Clark, Cathy Mills, Jacob Buckhammer, Sara Buckhammer, Ezekiel Buckhammer (front), Garth Mayberry, Cindy Mayberry, Lisa Van De Hey and Rob Haeberle. Photo courtesy of the Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce helped welcome a new business to Gridley on Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for PokaBears, the newest addition to historic downtown Gridley.

PokaBears specializes in Pokémon trading cards, figurines and collectibles from the popular franchise featuring anime-style characters.

In addition, the family-friendly PokaBears shares pack-opening videos and “real pulls” on its online platforms.

“We also have Magic: The Gathering ... just a little bit of everything,” said store owner Jacob Buckhammer of the other items in stock.

The family shares a passion for collecting cards and sells extras from its personal collections, along with other memorabilia, figurines and collectibles in the same genre.

Buckhammer said one of the reasons the family decided to expand to a brick-and-mortar storefront was to share its passion for collecting with other card-collecting enthusiasts and potential customers.

“We want to bring kids and families together through Pokémon,” said Buckhammer, who has instilled a love of Pokémon card collecting in his wife, Sara, and son, Ezekiel.

Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce member Cathy Mills said the store carries a lot of items for youth and that she is excited to see PokaBears join the Gridley business community.

“PokaBears is a fun business to add to the community, especially for gift giving. You don’t have to drive to a specialty shop or take your business online,” said Mills, who added that she prefers supporting local businesses.

Although the store opened quietly a little over two weeks ago, the family is already looking toward the future.

Buckhammer hopes to expand PokaBears' offerings to include additional gaming interests, such as Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), a wider selection of memorabilia and gaming cards, and potential gaming nights.

The Gridley Area Chamber of Commerce’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, held Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m., marked a warm welcome to the local business community as PokaBears begins establishing its place in Gridley.

PokaBears is located at 1051 Hazel St. in Gridley and is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. The store is closed Sunday and Monday.