Have ya ever day dreamed about opening a Shop?

Stone193 · August 21, 2014 4:05AM

Hi everyone

I really enjoy collecting - the curiosity, nostalgia, love of the game...

A key employee quit and am annoyed. That got me to thinking how around 1990 I used to daydream what it would be like to walk into a shop every day. Sell stuff. Talk sports. Talk collectibles. Organize and reorganize inventory. Happy days!

Sit/stand around and reminisce about the good ole days. Talk about the "fish that got away...." Have people "gladly" pay for an item and not begrudge me as if I'm taking the very food out of junior's mouth.

Now I know I'm pipe dreaming.

There's brick and mortar costs - rent - accounts pay/receivable - unforeseen expenses - internal/external marketing - sales - inventory concerns/considerations - taxes - license fees - insurances - accounting fees... Now I'm tired.

That notwithstanding, who else thought about opening a shop?

For me? Daydreaming's over. Time to roll up my sleeves and find a new employee.

WhiteTornado · August 21, 2014 4:08AM

Bummer on losing a good employee

. Best of luck on the new search.

Never have seriously thought or even daydreamed about opening a shop. I have occasionally sold, but nothing high stakes and typically it's for recycling the funds into other cards or my other hobbies.

charrigan · August 21, 2014 4:11AM

<< Time to roll up my sleeves and find a new employee. >>

You hiring?

cpamike · August 21, 2014 4:13AM

Hiya Mike, I agree with everything you said except the "accounting fees". Those are necessary and add value to your business.

MantleFan23 · August 21, 2014 4:21AM

I was just having this conversation with my wife the other day (Yes, I'm still married, after the conversation

)

While it would definitely be a losing proposition for a while (and maybe forever), I told her that if I won the lottery (a big jackpot), I would quit my job and open up a baseball card shop. Maybe not in my town I live in presently, but somewhere else. My dad and I would work there, and I'd probably have to hire a modern card guy since I don't know much about modern.

The overhead would kill me, but with winning the lottery, I probably wouldn't care all that much in the beginning. I'd love going to work everyday and getting a chance to hang with my dad, meet all sorts of people and just talk cards and the hobby with people. I'd try to get the kids involved as much as possible and have some giveaways based on how well they do in school...etc.

My dad and I have done a few local shows over the past six months and its just great being "behind the table" talking cards with people and just not caring much about selling stuff, so that definitely has made me think of that more. The only problem is I need to win the lottery, and since I don't play, that's a bigger problem, right???

Okay, I'll get out of fantasy land now, and go back to balance sheets...

Jeremy

Stone193 · August 21, 2014 4:31AM

<< Hiya Mike, I agree with everything you said except the "accounting fees". Those are necessary and add value to your business.

>>

ndleo · August 21, 2014 4:48AM

I thought about it, but when I visit shops during my business travels, the word that comes to my mind when I meet most owner is "morbidly". I don't know if they were that way all their life or if the "sportscards as a business" lifestyle did it to them.

esquiresports · August 21, 2014 4:56AM

Definitely thought about it. I feel like my "sports room" is a lot like a shop already and I could just transfer everything. But then if have to sell. Nooooooo! What makes it a difficult proposition for me is the gross margins in particular. They just don't seem to be there, which is likely due to the ease of obtaining most items online. The required turnover would be pretty huge, and I believe internet sales would have to be a key component of the overall business plan.

qualitycards · August 21, 2014 5:02AM

I had a full time card shop for 13 years and seen the good, the bad & the ugly.
Met my wife in there, guess that's a good thing, had some cards stolen incl a break-in at night.
Was inundated daily w/ new card order forms from Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Score, Upper Deck etc...
But mostly got to play with cards every day & that was great.
So no regrets.
Now I'm mostly an on-line seller via the website & eBay store w/ an occasional set up at a card show.
No regrets now either.

Mike, if you ever get serious again about opening a store, shoot me a call & I can give you the low down.

VictorLaszlo · August 21, 2014 5:28AM

Around late 1991 - early 1993 myself and two of my friends had several conversations about opening one in a small town in northwest North Carolina that didn't have one at that time. I had some experience in owning a business thanks to my Dad starting up his own Landscaping business while I was a teen. I got to see first hand what it takes, the type people you need, the type of contacts you need, funding etc. As far as people goes, between the three of us we had that covered. What we did not have to make it work to the level we wanted in the different business plans I considered was a big enough base to sustain and for the lack of better terms, not go broke in the process. Could we have made it a go, maybe. I'd honestly say the odds would have been 30 - 70 not in favor however. For me, and my buddies, it was just too much risk. Mid 40's now, I don't regret the decision to just consider it, and not actually do it.

Dboneesq · August 21, 2014 5:34AM

Mike ... and you thought it would be like pulling teeth to get some responses!!!!!

MikeyP · August 21, 2014 6:33AM

I hope to open a shop when I retire in ten years. I do not plan on it being a sports card shop though. I plan on it being a comic shop with a sprinkling of sports memorabilia.

CDsNuts · August 21, 2014 6:36AM

Mike- you have amazing stuff and haven't sold a card or piece of memorabilia since the Carter administration. I'm thinking this might not be the right path for you.

Stone193 · August 21, 2014 7:50AM

Thanx Jay - you know that will never happen. A shop is not in my cards. Get it?

Doug - you're a funny guy.

<< Mike- you have amazing stuff and haven't sold a card or piece of memorabilia since the Carter administration. I'm thinking this might not be the right path for you.
>>

Now that's funny Lee!

BigRedMachine · August 21, 2014 9:36AM

Sure did, back in the day.

Even had the name picked out... "Rounding Third and Heading for Home", in honor of the late, great Joe Nuxhall.

That would've been one fine way to make a living.

Shawn

tsalems1 · August 21, 2014 9:48AM

That is a great picture.

I had a store for about 10 years. Had some great times when things were good in the early 90's and some not so good times in the late 90's.
The baseball strike also hurt (I think it was 1994?) Ebay starting up made it to where you didn't have to leave the house to find what you wanted.
It also killed the card shows.

I learned that you can't specialize in 1 area. Just sportscards wont cut it. You need to have other items like memorabilia or get into game cards,non sports etc.

I will say buying direct from Topps, UD etc was nice. The only problem was that there was just too many items. Every week I would get order forms for new product.
It was just too much!

The best part of having a store was the surprise factor. As they say on Pawn Stars, you never know what's gonna walk in the door.
I remember buying 50's and 60's Topps sets. Vintage Hockey, boxing etc. 1952 Topps Mantle rookies, t206 cards and I could go on and on...

Those were the days...

elsnorto · August 21, 2014 3:58PM

I hear you, Mike, and on the surface it sounds great... but it's a tough business to rely on a B&M shop for income these days. Card shops, like the hobby itself, have changed a great deal since the late 1980's and early 1990's.

While I didn't own a B&M store, I did dabble with selling as a side business for a few years. I found it sucked a lot of enjoyment from the hobby and sport for me personally.

I've heard it said many times that most dealers aren't collectors and I'd rather be a collector.

Snorto~

Stone193 · August 21, 2014 8:58PM

<< I've heard it said many times that most dealers aren't collectors and I'd rather be a collector.
>>

+1

Dodgerfanjohn · August 21, 2014 11:58PM

For Los Angeles...metro pop of 10 million plus...

I believe there's only a handful of card shops left.

Off the top of my head:

Burbank Sportscards
South Bay baseball cards
Beverly Hills baseball cards

I think there's a small handful of others....

BH had changed hands at least once, South Bay has a heavy inventory of memorabilia, and Burbank is almost entirely online business.

And there's Frank and Sons which is great for new material at near wholesale cost, but not worth the $20-30 in gas it costs me to get there and back.

There used to be well over 100 card shops in Los Angeles area including some epic ones...Kenrich in Temple City...and I forgot the name of the place that was next to Woolworths in the shopping center at Beverly Bl/Montebello Bl., but that was the first card shop I ever went to and one of the few that had really decent vintage cards.

Anyway, all of them went out of business.

As others cited, eBays cost structure and traffic level has made the old card shop concept extinct. South Bay is about a ten minute drive from where I live, and I've driven by at least 10 times without stopping in. I will eventually, but it's almost a hassle to do so.

So if a hardcore collector won't bother dropping in a shop that by all accounts is a fantastic place, I really don't know what chance a small card shop has.

Stone193 · August 22, 2014 1:12AM

<< So if a hardcore collector won't bother dropping in a shop that by all accounts is a fantastic place, I really don't know what chance a small card shop has. >>

This is so true John.

That's not just a card issue IMO. Stores like Sears and Penney's have had to enter the on-line business due to the lack of foot traffic.

And I'll confess. There's a shop near my house and I never go there - my bad.

MULLINS5 · August 22, 2014 1:26AM

I have close to 10,000 books and hope to open a brick and mortar used bookshop after I find a teaching job (and also sell antiques...which would include a small bit of sports cards).

I live in a great area (relatively low rent, high demand for used books and antiques).

But, until I find a full-time teaching position somewhere, I can't even consider signing a lease to a place.

Patrick

LarkinCollector · August 22, 2014 1:42AM

I have 3 shops within a 30 minute drive of my house and have visited all. For all 3, their primary business model seems to be renting display space to consignors + a percentage of sales from those consignors. The only thing the staff is knowledgeable on is the card supplies and the 15 or so boxes of new product they are selling by the pack and recommending I go to eBay for deals.

I would love to find an old-school card shop, but agree with what other have said that it can only work in conjunction with something else more profitable.

Stone193 · August 22, 2014 2:05AM

<< it can only work in conjunction with something else more profitable >>

I was thinking Stone's Pizza Parlor and Sports Card Emporium?

LarkinCollector · August 22, 2014 2:08AM

<< 

<< it can only work in conjunction with something else more profitable >>

I was thinking Stone's Pizza Parlor and Sports Card Emporium? >>

As long as you sell Stone's Grease Remover - Secret Slab Formula, I don't see why not

TNP777 · August 22, 2014 2:10AM

<< 

<< it can only work in conjunction with something else more profitable >>

I was thinking Stone's Pizza Parlor and Sports Card Emporium? >>

What do you have on tap?

Man, a card store/pizza shack would be amazing.

vintageinvestments · August 22, 2014 2:34AM

working on one right now. Input appreciated!

Stone193 · August 22, 2014 2:56AM

<< working on one right now. Input appreciated! >>

OK - here's the menu:

The Athena

Roasted garlic olive oil, fresh spinach, red onion, mushroom, whole roasted garlic cloves

The Medusa

Roasted garlic spread, caramelized onion, bacon, blue cheese

The Cyclops

Tomato sauce, pepperoni, white onion, feta cheese

The Zeus

Roasted garlic olive oil, bacon, fresh spinach, fresh tomato, fresh milk mozzarella

The Spartan

Tomato Sauce, green bell pepper, white onion, fresh garlic, aged, parmesan, red pepper flakes

The Helen

Roasted garlic olive oil, fresh tomato, sundried tomato, fresh basil, fresh milk mozzarella

The Pegasus

Cilantro pesto, chicken tossed w/ spicy buffalo sauce, red onion, banana peppers, blue cheese

The Apollo

Roasted garlic spread, fresh spinach, mushrooms, artichokes, kalamata olives, herbed ricotta

The Agamemnon

Cilantro pesto, chicken tossed w/ Salt Lick bbq sauce, red onion, jalapenos

The Hades

Tomato sauce, Italian sausage, green olives, herbed ricotta, red pepper flakes

Have ya ever day dreamed about opening a Shop?

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