Just received "Word" the only shop in my area is closing!

HoustonTeams4Me · Apr 28, 2009

Well I just got off the phone with my local shop dealer (he's a real good guy) and he's informed me that Thursday is the last day he'll be openned!

I didn't expect this day to come (I realize the sky is not falling but this is the ONLY card shop anywhere close to my house) & I have to admit it has left me with somewhat of a depressing feeling...
For the most part I think the day's of card shop's are coming to an end, and we will only have online store's & Ebay to purchase our card's from (no more "Boxe's/Pack's on demand or at your fingertips, we're pretty much all destined to have to order online & wait out delivery). To be completely honest I don't know how far off BG's/Razor's distribution method's are, as it seems the era of "brick & mortar" shop's are all but extinct! :?
I know I am probably over-exaggerating due to the realization that "My" local shop will no longer be there, but it is something for everyone to think on (not that there is much we can do about it unless everyone boycott's Ebay & buy's primarily from thier local shop's...& I just don't see that happenning)! :|
Later all & take care.... Have you hugged your cardshop owner today or told them how you feel about the establishment they run??? If not, then do so today as you never know when the next day may be thier last to be open!

:lol: (So tell that cardshop that you love, just what you're thinkin' of, if tommorrow never comes)

chuckbartowski · Apr 28, 2009

It's nice to know that the shop I go to most only has sports card as it's secondary business (mostly comics and those RPG card games)

The_ReverendAct2 · Apr 28, 2009

it's hard to stay in business when most shops have to price at guide and not at the going rate. I know why they do it, but with the internet it does not make sense to pay more then you have to. I like my LCS and give them business, just not as much as I use to.

Tomlinson21RB · Apr 28, 2009

Mine closed within the last week.

mredsox89 · Apr 28, 2009

Mine closed down about 8 years ago and saw the owner working at radioshack a few years back

RZimm11 · Apr 28, 2009

I know exactly how you feel. My local card shop closed a few years ago. I had been going there for 15 years and the owner became my best friend and will be the best man at my wedding next week. I met all of my friends there and we basically lived there for years. We'd all hang out til after midnight after he closed every night and weekend. He eventually got in things like a ping pong table, bubble hockey, and video games for us to play during and after hours. That place was the best and I still can't believe he had to close. The saddest part was, that he was paying most of his rent for the place with sales from eBay at the end! Traffic really died off the last few years and once the majority of us regulars got different jobs and most moved, he just couldn't sustain the place!

Oh the memories!!!

brouthercard · Apr 28, 2009

HoustonTeams4Me said:
Well I just got off the phone with my local shop dealer (he's a real good guy) and he's informed me that Thursday is the last day he'll be openned! I didn't expect this day to come (I realize the sky is not falling but this is the ONLY card shop anywhere close to my house) & I have to admit it has left me with somewhat of a depressing feeling...
For the most part I think the day's of card shop's are coming to an end, and we will only have online store's & Ebay to purchase our card's from (no more "Boxe's/Pack's on demand or at your fingertips, we're pretty much all destined to have to order online & wait out delivery). To be completely honest I don't know how far off BG's/Razor's distribution method's are, as it seems the era of "brick & mortar" shop's are all but extinct! :?
I know I am probably over-exaggerating due to the realization that "My" local shop will no longer be there, but it is something for everyone to think on (not that there is much we can do about it unless everyone boycott's Ebay & buy's primarily from thier local shop's...& I just don't see that happenning)! :|
Later all & take care.... Have you hugged your cardshop owner today or told them how you feel about the establishment they run??? If not, then do so today as you never know when the next day may be thier last to be open! :lol: (So tell that cardshop that you love, just what you're thinkin' of, if tommorrow never comes)

How close it the next closest shop for you?

After mine shut down, I had to drive 40 minutes to my next closest shop, but fortunately, it's a better one!

HoustonTeams4Me · Apr 28, 2009

brouthercard said:
HoustonTeams4Me said:

Well I just got off the phone with my local shop dealer (he's a real good guy) and he's informed me that Thursday is the last day he'll be openned! I didn't expect this day to come (I realize the sky is not falling but this is the ONLY card shop anywhere close to my house) & I have to admit it has left me with somewhat of a depressing feeling...
For the most part I think the day's of card shop's are coming to an end, and we will only have online store's & Ebay to purchase our card's from (no more "Boxe's/Pack's on demand or at your fingertips, we're pretty much all destined to have to order online & wait out delivery). To be completely honest I don't know how far off BG's/Razor's distribution method's are, as it seems the era of "brick & mortar" shop's are all but extinct! :?
I know I am probably over-exaggerating due to the realization that "My" local shop will no longer be there, but it is something for everyone to think on (not that there is much we can do about it unless everyone boycott's Ebay & buy's primarily from thier local shop's...& I just don't see that happenning)! :|
Later all & take care.... Have you hugged your cardshop owner today or told them how you feel about the establishment they run??? If not, then do so today as you never know when the next day may be thier last to be open! :lol: (So tell that cardshop that you love, just what you're thinkin' of, if tommorrow never comes)

Click to expand...

How close it the next closest shop for you?

After mine shut down, I had to drive 40 minutes to my next closest shop, but fortunately, it's a better one!

I think there's one somewhere in downtown Houston- but I CANNOT STAND going into downtown Houston, if you make a wrong turn onto a 1-Way street (as there are MANY 1-Way street's in that jumbled up mess called Downtown Houston) you can end up in the WRONG part of town real quick! :? I've done it on several occassion's & it is ridiculous the stuff you'll see (not too shabby if you dig prostitutes though...pretty tempting when you've got a pocket full of money meant for the box or 2 of card's you're planning on getting) :lol: Anyway, it's probably a good 45 minute+ drive to the next closest shop (though I'm sure they do not trade, which was a HUGE plus considering my shop owner gives 50% Beckett value when trading & that adds up quick- I've gotten many things off Ebay for $.99 + $2.50 s/h & turned around & traded to him for a good $20+ in trade- UGH, that will be missed!!!

tramers · Apr 28, 2009

nearest shop for me is 30 miles. i did end up with most inventory of in town shop that closed years ago 500,000 cards. i don't miss being out of $100.00 every couple weeks.

predatorkj · Apr 28, 2009

HoustonTeams4Me said:
brouthercard said:

HoustonTeams4Me said:

Well I just got off the phone with my local shop dealer (he's a real good guy) and he's informed me that Thursday is the last day he'll be openned! I didn't expect this day to come (I realize the sky is not falling but this is the ONLY card shop anywhere close to my house) & I have to admit it has left me with somewhat of a depressing feeling...
For the most part I think the day's of card shop's are coming to an end, and we will only have online store's & Ebay to purchase our card's from (no more "Boxe's/Pack's on demand or at your fingertips, we're pretty much all destined to have to order online & wait out delivery). To be completely honest I don't know how far off BG's/Razor's distribution method's are, as it seems the era of "brick & mortar" shop's are all but extinct! :?
I know I am probably over-exaggerating due to the realization that "My" local shop will no longer be there, but it is something for everyone to think on (not that there is much we can do about it unless everyone boycott's Ebay & buy's primarily from thier local shop's...& I just don't see that happenning)! :|
Later all & take care.... Have you hugged your cardshop owner today or told them how you feel about the establishment they run??? If not, then do so today as you never know when the next day may be thier last to be open! :lol: (So tell that cardshop that you love, just what you're thinkin' of, if tommorrow never comes)

Click to expand...

How close it the next closest shop for you?

After mine shut down, I had to drive 40 minutes to my next closest shop, but fortunately, it's a better one!

Click to expand...

I think there's one somewhere in downtown Houston- but I CANNOT STAND going into downtown Houston, if you make a wrong turn onto a 1-Way street (as there are MANY 1-Way street's in that jumbled up mess called Downtown Houston) you can end up in the WRONG part of town real quick! :? I've done it on several occassion's & it is ridiculous the stuff you'll see (not too shabby if you dig prostitutes though...pretty tempting when you've got a pocket full of money meant for the box or 2 of card's you're planning on getting) :lol: Anyway, it's probably a good 45 minute+ drive to the next closest shop (though I'm sure they do not trade, which was a HUGE plus considering my shop owner gives 50% Beckett value when trading & that adds up quick- I've gotten many things off Ebay for $.99 + $2.50 s/h & turned around & traded to him for a good $20+ in trade- UGH, that will be missed!!!

A few things:

1. Who is closing down?I have not heard of any shops shutting their doors.
2. There is no card shop close to down town from my knowledge.
3.Down town is easy to navigate as long as you know where you are trying to get there.I worked down there for years on a bunch of lease spaces and I ended up finding a place that has a map of downtown with all of the streets and the direction with which traffic is supposed to go on them.Nab you one and you'll never have a problem again.
4.Do not stray around south of down town.At all.To the west or the east.Trust me on that and I am not talking prostitutes.Those would be the least of your worries.
5.What side of town do you live on?There are a handful of shops and I am betting your semi close to one of them?There is Howards out there off of Westheimer, there is Larry's off of Beechnut and Bellaire, there is a couple in Katy, there is one in Alvin, and there are two up in the woodlands/spring and there is also a few shops in traders village.I think there is also supposedly one in Pasadena.I think there is another somewhere in Channelview as well.

JEA2880 · Apr 28, 2009

I hate hearing about shops closing down. I can only imagine the inventory that's out there sitting idly in someone's attic or storage unit from their now-defunct shop. There was a tiny, hole-in-the-wall shop I used to go to in Erie, PA when I would visit my relatives there and he had some great stuff. Last time I was in town the place was gone. This guy, a bit older, clearly had no idea how to use the internet and it makes me think that he's probably just sitting on his stuff wherever he is now.

predatorkj · Apr 28, 2009

JEA2880 said:
I hate hearing about shops closing down. I can only imagine the inventory that's out there sitting idly in someone's attic or storage unit from their now-defunct shop. There was a tiny, hole-in-the-wall shop I used to go to in Erie, PA when I would visit my relatives there and he had some great stuff. Last time I was in town the place was gone. This guy, a bit older, clearly had no idea how to use the internet and it makes me think that he's probably just sitting on his stuff wherever he is now.

I can assure you quite a few of the guys who used to be in business did that.Or they sold all of their inventory to other dealers for pennies on the dollar.One of the dealers I trade with a lot has gotten most of his stuff from previous buyouts so to speak.

Terry · Apr 28, 2009

The shop I used to go too closed down a few years ago. I don't remember exactly how many but it's easily 5, maybe 6-7. It was called Ace Sports Cards.

I remember calling up on afternoon to ask something and remember Kevin (the owner) saying " _______ before we close next week".

It never crossed my mind he meant closing for good until I went in a few days later and everything was more or less packed up and everything was marked down dirt cheap.

17ROCKIES12 · Apr 29, 2009

Was it Houston Sports Connection?

G $MONEY$ · Apr 29, 2009

HoustonTeams4Me said:
I've gotten many things off Ebay for $.99 + $2.50 s/h & turned around & traded to him for a good $20+ in trade- UGH, that will be missed!!!

Probably one of the reasons why he couldn't stay in business

muchuckwagon · Apr 29, 2009

The problem is hobby shops are run by collectors turned owners. In my experience over the years, I have yet to run across a hobby shop owner with a high business acumen or the same level of drive that I see in other small business owners.

A collector will never be a successful shop owner. Cards are inventory to a business, not part of your collection....collectors have an emotional attachment to their cards. Inventory needs to turn in order generate an adequate cash flow for the business. Many shop owners have the same worthless inventory from 5, 10 or even 20 years ago.

I have worked with many small business owners in the past and the successful people are working 10 or 12+ hours days to grow their business. Owning a shop is business venture. Walk into any shop and the owner is sitting on his butt and busting a case (for fun), watching tv or just sitting there generating body odor. Why? That is the perfect time to list slow moving inventory on ebay and generate additional cash flow.

Again, owning a shop hobby is a business....if you want to keep the doors open you need to take advantage of all opportunities to make a sale and turn inventory. If you want to hoard cards, don't open a shop.....sit at card shows and show off your collection and ask 3x book value so nobody buys your precious cards.

predatorkj · Apr 29, 2009

17ROCKIES12 said:
Was it Houston Sports Connection?

No.I can vouch for that much.

theplasticman · Apr 29, 2009

That sucks. We haven't had one around here for years now.

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