Is your childhood card shop still open?

craig44

So I was driving downtown the other day and went by the empty storefront where one of my favorite card shops used to be and realized that now all of the card shops I frequented as a kid are all closed. Got me feeling kind of nostalgic. Are any of the shops you frequented as a child still open? The last one of mine to go was downeast coin and collectables in bangor maine. Had been open since 1983. I started going around 1989.

UncleTwoPillow

Interesting question. I'd be amazed if more than a handful of our members were still frequenting the same shop as when they were yoots. Mine was a toy store which ultimately succumbed to local economic pressures and closed down in favor of an ice cream shop. Which wasn't the worst thing.

49ersGuy

Last year when I was getting back into collecting after 20+ years I went to a card show. As I was walking around I saw a huge table layout and started to look and quickly realized that the guys operating the table were the same guys that ran the comic/card store I went to as a 7 year old kid. The store might be gone but they were still at it.

VintagemanEd

I had one in fort smith Arkansas that was actually over a bookstore. There was a spiral staircase you went up to get to the shop. As a kid of 10-12 it was better than Disneyland

GoDodgersFan

My childhood shop in Van Nuys (on Sherman Way), CA is long gone. Man, what great memories of buying packs from the early 1980s.

Dboneesq

Childhood card shop? The only card shops that were around when I was a kid sold Greeting Cards!!! Lol

llafoe

There's currently only 1 card shop in Indianapolis, 3 within 75 miles south of Indianapolis and 2 within 75 miles north of Indianapolis. So a total of 6 shops serving almost 4 million people! The square footage of all 6 stores combined is less than the square footage of my house! :-(

Of course we're only 150 miles from BBCE, so that helps!

TNP777

My first card shop wasn't really a card shop at all, but like most LCSs, it is long gone. I bought a LOT of 1978 Topps baseball at the J.J. Newberry's in Astoria OR as a yute. As far as I know, it closed down probably 25 years ago.



None of the shops that existed where I live now have been open for a long time, either. Our last shop, which also was the major comic supplier, closed down in 2009 when the owner passed away. I miss that place much more for the relationship I had with Lonnie as I do for what he had for sale.

MrNearMint

There were a few shops I went to as a kid, none of which are still open. There was a card shop near me that I frequented the last few years which just closed a few months ago because the owner passed away. So as of right now I have no access to card shops.

mrmopar

The only shops I can confirm that are still open are both located in the Pike Place Market in Seattle. When I was there in 2014, one no longer had anything sports related and the other probably still has their inventory from 1982, based on some of the prices I saw! However, rent can't be cheap at the market, so maybe they do OK being able to survive all these years! Any other hobby shop that I bought from as a kid are long gone and most that I shopped at after getting back into it as an adult are gone as well.



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pjb103183

The owner of my childhood card shop("home plate", closed in the late 90s)in charleston, wv now owns a local pawn shop in the area...according to her, there isnt much interest in sports cards in this area anymore...i happened to notice a framed newspaper photo of mickey mantle at watt powell park(our former minor league park in charleston wv) signed and dated "best wishes, mickey mantle" august 20th, 1974 sitting behind the counter with some other random stuff...i asked if she planned to get it authenticated by psa, and she responded "hell no, i dont need to pay someone else to tell me what i already know"...apparently she met mantle at the charleston charlies game that day and had it signed in person...needless to say it wasnt for sale

Dodgerfanjohn

Kenrich in Temple City went down probably 20 years ago. That place was great...a couple of brothers that worked there were bat boys for the Dodger in the mid 80's.



There was also a card shop in the shopping center in Montebello thats at Beverly Bl/Montebello Bl next to Woolworths. My grandfather first took me in there in 1981 when I was 9. I think almost all my early cards(79-83 Topps) came from that Woolworths, the Thrify's that was there, and the Sav-on and Crawfords that were at Montebello Bl/Whittier Bl.



I really loved the rack packs once they came out with the glossy all star cards inserted....I think 1983.

pclpads

Prolly not, since the last time I was in either of two on Mimico Blvd in Toronto, CAN., was 1952. But, I do remember buying at least one pack of '52T high #'s and a few '52 Parkies hockey packs. Most of which I still have, but in lousy cond. due to gluing into a scrapbook 64 years ago. Who knew??

mrmopar

Wish more people took shots like this and shared them. I love this one. Never went, but ordered through the mail when I was a kid!



https://www.flickr.com/photos/beardenb/sets/1664748/

Porkins

Wow was I shocked when I read your post VintagemanEd!



That was my shop too!!



I remember the anticipation building as my Dad would lead my brother and I up that metal spiral staircase every Saturday afternoon.



The best memories of my youth.



Small world!

1all

I'm guessing that I'm going to be one of the only members to answer this question with a Yes.



The "House of Cards" in Wheaton MD was in the back of a used book store when I started going there as a kid in the late 1970s. They eventually moved into their own storefront and at one point thought it was a good idea to completely cover their exterior windows with 1960 Topps baseball cards. It looked awesome at first (HOFers mixed throughout the 1000s of cards). Needless to say, the glass wasn't UV protected so it wasn't long before they faded away almost completely. The storefront has since moved but it's still within 10 miles of it's original location. Oh, yea, and the owner - Bill Huggins - also runs a little auction house.



1all

slum22

There were two card shops I went to in my youth. F&F Sports Cards in Daly City, CA which was within walking distance of my home and Lefty's Sports Cards in Burlingame, which was a 15-20 minute bus ride away IIRC. Obviously, I frequented the one within walking distance more frequently. I bought a 1986 Fleer MJ RC at F&F that I still own now and graded a BGS 9 (with all 9 sub grades)! I bought a Magic Bird RC from Lefty's that I also still own. F&F came in with the card boom of the late 80's/early 90's and folded when the bubble burst not too long after. Lefty's is still around and from what I can tell is something of a big deal in the industry.