Ever walk into a card shop...

[ChasHawk]

I went to a shop in around 2004 and the owner asked me if I was a new collector cause he had never seen me before. here is the ensuing conversation

me: no, ive been collecting since i was about 5
lcs: got a big collection?
me: its allright
lcs: what you collect
me: Braves and HOF/retired vintage and autos
lcs: where do you buy your cards then, cause ive never seen you in here before
me: mostly ebay
lcs: I dont sell my cards for f@%^king ebay prices, you should go back to your computer
me: allrighty, have a nice day

and that is a seriously true story

I have been to multiple shows and shops in the last three years since coming back to collecting, where I have heard a bunch of ****** old men sitting around complaining about ebay and how things don't "book" for what they should anymore, and don't sell for what they "book" anymore.

We literally need a whole genration to die off for people to be able to "collect" cards again, without getting ***** for them in the process.

I actually had one shop owner tell me that cards sell so cheaply on ebay because there's only a few people who see them and bid on them.

I **** you not.

 

[DeliciousBacon]

There's a place in my area that has singles priced at circa 1999 Beckett prices. Want to pay $3-$4 for late 90's base Frank Thomas and Juan Gonzalez cards? Go see this guy! Want to play $8 for 1998 Topps Stars semistars #'ed /9799? Go see this guy! Want to buy a 1996 Select Registered Gold Darin Erstad for $18? Go see this guy (got mine for 10¢)! I do feel bad for him, he's clearly in terrible health, carrying around an oxygen machine as he goes from counter to table and back. Doesn't excuse the horrible prices, and he doesn't seem to know/care that his prices are 100X average current SV.

He did sell me a ton of 80's Topps and Fleer boxed sets a while back for $1 each, so I guess the place did once have some value.

 

[timfsu2k]

Wow, your tale is so similar to my experience at Baseball Card Warehouse in Lexington, Ky that it is eerie! That place was exactly like that, couldn't even tell where the counter was. Then the guy had the nerve to tell my daughter to get out from behind his sales counter! Believe me, if she could have distinguished the sales counter from the other piles of junk then she would have never ventured back there. To this day it makes my blood boil thinking of that *******.

 

[Eamon]

I went to a show one time like this in a WFV... people actually had some nice stuff. It was this past summer when Topps chrome just came out. I bought a few boxes of Topps chrome and pulled all the big guys excpet for harper... kimbrel, pineda ect... I had like $200 in autos pulled (according to current ebay).... Tried to work out a trade for a strasburg redemption that was about $100 card... the guys had no clue they didn't even want to talk. Trying to tell me they had bought chrome too and had plenty of comparable autos. Their comparable were J.P. Arencebia, Ivan DeJesus Jr. and Mike Minor... Basically called me crazy.

 

[rainmanesq]

:lol: we have 2 of those shops (at least) near me. Both shops have these creepy dudes who remind me of those To Catch a Predator episodes haha Creepy comic book guy, creepy Magic guy, creepy card collector guy, creepy guy driving the van...yes, these shop owners fit ALL the stereotypes + then some. 1 shop doesn't even turn on the lights on + the dust on the boxes is so bad that I hack up a lung every time I go in there- + I DON'T have allergies/rarely get impacted by dust, so we're talking MAJOR dust on the boxes, floors, windows, counters, + every surface imaginable. It's as if the boxes have not been touched in 20+ years + dust mop/broom/vacuum? Foreign concept :lol:

Both shops have sweet deals w/the landlords (basically the rental market's so bad here that it's better to have some tenants than no tenants), so they stay. I don't know how they make $ as their singles prices are insane- basically anything- literally anything- angels/dodgers/clippers/lakers is marked up @ FULL beckett + then some- even if it's a 24th year cheapo card of Michael Jordan. On VERY rare occasions, you may get a good deal or even a steal, but frankly, you'd have a better shot at hitting the lottery. Box prices are about 2-4x ebay/blowout prices. When I've mentioned this, they go on about how they have to "pay rent, taxes, etc." (like I don't know that) + say "someday, someone will buy it at that price." LOL "someday" has been going on for 5+ years. How they think ripping customers off will help them "pay rent" is beyond me. Mention eBay + they go on about how "ebay ruined everything" + how "book value is where you start for selling."

There are a few decent card shops near me, but singles are usually overpriced + box/case prices aren't anything to write home about. Add in CA's gouger tax rate + shops that open products first (+ magically seem to get the "big hits") + I'll just buy online, thank you very much. I basically now just go to card sharps only when I need 5000 count boxes/my supply orders haven't come in yet.

 

[blanning71]

The traditional shops are quickly dying off. I think one of my local shops is going to go under soon and it saddens me. I really enjoy stopping in and looking at all the stuff he's got. Nothing major but every once in a while you can find a deal. His box prices are very reasonable. He doesn't do anything mid/high end though. So no Sterling or packs for more than about 10 bucks.

The other shop around here has a fairly large inventory of junk. Cards under glass, cards on walls, all amount to a bunch of crap. Many of the autos have faded off due to the harsh lighting. Any good pulls immediately see ebay and are gone for good. His wax prices are fairly steep. 110 for a box of 2010 EEE, 110 for a box of 2011 EEE. Bowman Chrome and Draft see the mid 80's. Contenders baseball is at 140 as well as Contenders Football. Still a nice place to go talk shop in.

 

[cgilmo]

Msrp on contenders is 150

 

[Super Mario]

I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

 

[cgilmo]

I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

I meet one of your criteria.

 

[Super Mario]

I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

I meet one of your criteria.

Overpriced autographed Hulk Hogan shirts!!!!

 

[cgilmo]

[quote="Sam Banks":2nmi3xzl]I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

I meet one of your criteria.

Overpriced autographed Hulk Hogan shirts!!!![/quote:2nmi3xzl]


$100 isn't overpriced for a hogan PSA shirt

 

[Super Mario]

[quote="Sam Banks":z80puk4e]I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

I meet one of your criteria.

Overpriced autographed Hulk Hogan shirts!!!!

$100 isn't overpriced for a hogan PSA shirt[/quote:z80puk4e]

I'd like it, but in these days, with the sad state that Hogan's life and career are in, him toiling in TNA, I honestly wouldn't pay $25 for it, and I'm probably the biggest wrestling fan you know, lol.

 

[Pine Tar]

Haha a local shop around here is run by an Asian man and his wife who think $20 for a Bryce Harper BCP1 is a good price. They do not take best offers either. I asked her how much for a throwback Harper and she looked it up in a Beckett and took $1 off the BV.... :lol:

Are you talking about Galaxy Stores? I have been buying from them for 15 years, know them really well. Yes, some things are definitely over priced, I will give you that. BUT, they have hands down the best selection of singles and wax in all of the chicagoland area. If you buy in quantity wax wise, you can get a much better deal, and I never get charged tax. Definitely the best shop in the area.

Hell yes I love this place. I have gone there about 15 times over the years. I even took Eric (thosebackpages) there and I pulled a nice card from SP Authentic Some kid name Griffey and then I went back the next year and pulled a dual Auto of Jeter and Ripken. I even bought a few packs from UD legendary cuts from a few packs he had left and got a cut redemption card. Sold most of my hits I got from that place to fund more buying there.

 

[michaelstepper]

Thetes two i know of in Des Moines. ones a really nice organized store but really high prices. everythings at beckett high or more than another smaller shop with boxes on boxes all over the place no organization and the dude looked like he wanted to throat punch me when i walked in. asked for griffeys and he pulled a bunch out and turned out pretty nice. all inserts were .25

 

[cgilmo]

[quote="Sam Banks":2j5ozui4]

[quote="Sam Banks":2j5ozui4]I can say this with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE card shop I have EVER been to have had overpriced singles and packs. It's what card shop owners do for the most part. The majority of them are all fatass crooks. It's a sad thing, but I've never walked into a card shop and thought I could trust the person working. Their always out to screw you. Just my experiences.

I meet one of your criteria.

Overpriced autographed Hulk Hogan shirts!!!!

$100 isn't overpriced for a hogan PSA shirt[/quote:2j5ozui4]

I'd like it, but in these days, with the sad state that Hogan's life and career are in, him toiling in TNA, I honestly wouldn't pay $25 for it, and I'm probably the biggest wrestling fan you know, lol.[/quote:2j5ozui4]

I've already sold it btw.

 

[OnOnUofK]

Wow, your tale is so similar to my experience at Baseball Card Warehouse in Lexington, Ky that it is eerie! That place was exactly like that, couldn't even tell where the counter was. Then the guy had the nerve to tell my daughter to get out from behind his sales counter! Believe me, if she could have distinguished the sales counter from the other piles of junk then she would have never ventured back there. To this day it makes my blood boil thinking of that *******.

The same thing happened to me the first time I walked in!! I was trying to get to the other side of the store and took the wrong route through the piles of random crap and ended up behind the sales counter. I asked him if he would take $5 for a Grady Sizemore RC he looked it up in the Beckett and told me that it booked for $8 and going down, but he'd take $10 for it. I stick to the LCS in Richmond, KY if I'm up that way now.

 

[MansGame]

lol That is a classic story.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I needed to vent it... :lol:

This is a great story! I would have done the same when he tried to counter with "this is a firm offer" lol... guy had NO clue what he had or that those cards even were in his store. It is sad but I'm sure there are shops or store fronts like this all around the country and god knows what cards are laying around in boxes or bins to never be uncovered lol

 

[gogosox40]

Im not suprised. It's Rockford. One of the biggest dumps in the midwest.
Sorry if you are from there. :lol:

 

[Super Mario]

Im not suprised. It's Rockford. One of the biggest dumps in the midwest.
Sorry if you are from there. :lol:

Stopped in there one time to get gas on my way to Chigago, and didn't want to get out of the car. Place was scary.

 

[Pine Tar]

Im not suprised. It's Rockford. One of the biggest dumps in the midwest.
Sorry if you are from there. :lol:

Stopped in there one time to get gas on my way to Chigago, and didn't want to get out of the car. Place was scary.

Not really.....now, most of the parts of the City of Chicago can be down right scary even in the day time people all around.