If a card shop were to open up in your area...

[HPC]

When I managed a card shop about 2 years ago, people still ******* and complained and asked for money off wax all the time.

You couldve had Ultimate Collection for $100 a box and people would still try to offer $75

It's the way card shops are, regardless of the convenience.

Personally, I like walking in, seeing the box I want to buy, and getting it right there, rather than waiting and wondering if the box will be tampered with online. (not that they cant be tampered with in shops either, but its less likely to happen in a shop than online.)

 

[jdpreas]

You should learn how to quote properly. Especially if you're going to insult people. I'm not going to bother to read your response, because the little bit I saw was loaded with insults and stupidity.

I have always had trouble writing or editing my point. It wasnt meant to be insulting. Just a op. Sorry if I have offended you.

 

[predatorkj]

You've made some good points, but how is buying at a show any different than at a hobby shop? What's to stop them from searching your wax before you buy it?

The show dealers don't search their wax.

[quote="Card Magnet":lx8u6gu7] Are they going to turn down somebody with money buying packs until they get a hit?

I don't buy loose packs unless they are coming from a freshly opened box. I just tell the dealer what I want to buy and he packs it out.

Retail boxes are starting to get one hit guaranteed. I think it's going to be the start of a downfall in hit prices. It's going to start flooding the market.

Going to? The market was flooded years ago.

Remember how jersey cards used to sell nice when they were new and rare, or even when inserts were so hard to pull in the Pacific days? Then they were inserted more often. Now you can pick up a jersey for $1 on ebay or at a show. You can still pull good hits from retail, even without a guaranteed hit. I've pulled something better from retail than many will in years of hobby box breaking.

I do much better at retail than I ever did in hobby stuff.

Money was always an equation dictated by the collector's. A hobby shop is just a card show open X days a week instead of once every month or whatever.

Money wasn't a factor until stores started opening.[/quote:lx8u6gu7]


I know a show dealer that searches his wax.In fact...make that two.They are at Tristar every year and one of them does all the local shows from here to San Antonio.I am not saying that the majority of them do it but it is done.Besides...all they have to do is tell you they have had a new box since the show started and a few people have bought packs and they are not sure what was pulled because the packs were not opened at their table.


Not every dealer will open a fresh box for you.In fact a lot of the times I have noticed, unless its already open, they prefer to sell the box as a sealed deal.The legit guys are afraid if they open it and sell a handful of packs then people will be less inclined to buy any more from it because of the potential that it was in fact, searched.

I agree about the market being flooded but I think it will get worse as retail outlets try to gouge the card companies for exclusives and whatnot to make the companies help them if they want their business.I mean...they are already doing it with the topps updates and highlights.You couldn't even get a hobby set of 2007 and 2008 was a crapshoot because you could only buy packs.So they are trying to even it out.Walmart and Target especially can really push the issue.You think a lot of hobby wax is sold yearly?Think about every Walmart and Target(just these two stores) in the country and you know every single one has cards at it.They buy way more just by themselves than any other entity in the entire market.So I would like to think they have some stroke.Especially since the hobby shop itself is becoming a dinosaur.In fact...pretty soon I expect ebay and retail to outweigh hobby shops as a whole(the probably already do) and I expect a lot of the remaining shops to close down.Pretty soon that comraderie is going to be more than its worth $$$ wise to customers.

I hate to say this but if you do much better at retail than hobby then one of three things occurred...
You were going to shops that searched heavily.
You buy way more retail than your average collector and you got very little hobby.
You were buying the wrong products.

Other than that I cannot think of any way you would do better in retail when your chances are way better in hobby.I mean...you are guaranteed hits in hobby and have a great chance of pulling "big hits" whereas retail...you may pull a few jersey or auto cards here or there but its hard to pull any low numbered autos or nice patches from retail and the money you spend always far outweighs not only what you pull but even the chances of you pulling something to begin with.

Money started to get to be more of big deal when shops started opening but now its not like it was back then.Back then(by back then I mean anywhere from 1980-1997) unless you had some serious collectors who got together and traded...a shop was the only place to go for nice singles or to complete sets or to find things that were produced a few years back.I mean...your only other option was retail and they don't hold everything forever and even though a few here and there have carried a small selection of singles over the years(mostly a dealer asking if he can set up inside the store...I saw this at walgreens and eckerds and k-mart) it was still very little help.Even a show...well...a lot of those guys have or had shops.Shops took retail's power away and added availability and networking to the hobby.