You just won the LOTTERY!!!

[smapdi]

This is something I actually think about at about 5:07 every day as I drive home past the billboard that tells me what the lottery is up to ($72 million this friday). I'd open a combo sports-magic-comic book-rare collectible music-cool design stuff store. You could walk in and pick up a PSA 9 1956 Topps Koufax to admire while you listen to a first pressing Dave Brubeck or Misfits records while relaxing on your vintage deco couch, all delivered from my shop. Basically everything I like, but only carry the best things and not get bogged down with the dreck. Well, the comics and cards sections would be pretty full-service for new material, but there would be little in the way of crap back issues and monster boxes of commons. Only choice items for non-riffraff prices. And the staff would all have master's degrees or better in art history, music, and/or kinesiology. They'd all be hot chicks and it would be an adults only store because I'd run it like the crackhouse in New Jack City (or American Gangster). I'd also open a Chik-Fil-A and Chipotle (and maybe Freebirds) in the building next store because I'm a big fan of both and would still maintain a connection to my roots. I'd also have Gino's East pizza flown in from Chicago for weekly staff meetings/****** parties. The comics and music section would also have classes taught by local and national artists. There would be a batting cage in the baseball section. The heliport on the roof allows me to fly back to Stately Smapdi Manor, bypassing increasingly ridiculous traffic, and getting away to my box in Arlington or Houston when the mood strikes. Depending on if I can get the location I want, there might also be a submarine base.

 

[rehmus]

so, if the OP won the lottery he would be cgilmo?

 

[bozemanbreaker]

I would not open a card shop, what a pain in the arse that would be to run the rest of my life.

I would buy a lot of cases of every release to fulfill my rip-cravings. And probably play golf the rest of the time.

 

[Lifelongfan]

Biggest and Baddest indoor softball/baseball complex known to man.

 

[D-Lite]

Floors would be lined with '88 Topps. Walls constructed of '81 Fleer vending boxes. The front steps would be '87 Sportsflix cases.

Hourly drawings to win random Score packs.

I'd buy as much Bowman Chrome as I could and sign the unsigned cards myself.

And a glass case in the front window full of cards I outbid Wossa on. All sunfading away...

 

[bouwob]

I definitely would not open a card shop. Seems like a lot of work.

I would invest $100 million and buy a company for $30 million. I would then proceed to turn that $30 million dollar business into a billion dollar business. Might be a lot more work than running a card shop, but it would be much more gratifying as well.

I would also buy a $90,000 lexis with $1 bills. It would be great to drive up in my pos car completely filled with $1 bills and buy a car on the spot.

 

[Tom Oates]

I've always thought it would be cool to have a super high end card shop with a back room that catered to high rollers. Leather couch, nice coffe table, sports memorabilia, big screen TV. Let the big spenders bust their high end cases in a semi classy sports bar type atmosphere, and part of the service is to place their hits in proper cases, sort their commons, etc. Make them feel like their business is appreciated and treat them like high rollers.

Tom

 

[predatorkj]

I wouldn't mind doing it but I'd keep my shop well stocked. I guess my biggest beef is going to shops and they will have everything you need except something dumb like rookie card toploaders or something oddball like 75pt toploaders.

I'd have every type of supplies on hand every day and I'd also have the biggest selection of singles. I'd do like most of the stores do and keep them in alphabetcial order seperated by sport but unlike those other stores, I wouldn't have 200 of the same damn card in there. I'd also make a point on having tougher parallels available. Most places I go, I run into a mountain of 1992 leaf Jeff Bagwell cards. My shop would have stuff like Crusades and Skylines as well as 93 finest refractors, autos, and a ton of gu. Not necessarily of just Bagwell but of all players. I'd make a point of having good cards. Not just cannon fodder.

Speaking of Bagwell, I'd have a ton of cards of different local players. That is something you just can't seem to find around here. I'd also have a ton of in store signings. Instead of paying the athlete a ton of money, I'd charge something small(no more than $20) a pop for the auto and then agree to donate 50% to any charity of his choice, and then split the remaining 50%(only the money made off of his autos) with him while reaping a little bit off of selling items to patrons for them to get signed. That way I don't have to worry about paying the guy up front, and even though it may not churn out a huge profit, it will certainly draw people. I'd also make sure to have a variety of athletes signing. And not always local guys.


And yes, having a big screen with sports playing around the clock is a must. I love it when I go to the shop close to my house because if it's Saturday, you can bet he has a college football game going so I can leave the house, and between the radio and his shop television, I don't miss a minute of the game.

 

[JoshHamilton]

Predatorkj, how old are you?

I have a reason for asking

 

[predatorkj]

One other thought. On the in store auto sessions, one of my ideas I spoke to some friends about was the whole Choose your athlete idea. They were wanting to do private signings as a way to start a business a while back. Now, most of the small run shops and businesses that do this will usually select a person they know they can easily get to agree to appear, and then see if they can garner enough interest. My way would be to get several connections established(gotta get your name out there) and then have a list of about 10 athletes at a time. I'd keep the list in my shop(and on my website) and allow people to vote. I'd also make an 11th choice which would be labeled "other".

As an autograph collector, you are kind of at the mercy of people like Tristar, or any free IP signings. So I just always thought it would be cool to be able to choose what you wanted. An example is I'd needed Warren Moon to sign some stuff for a long while and finally got lucky enough to have that chance at the Fan Fest they had at the Reliant Center a while back. But sometimes you never get that chance. Or there are some players that never seem to sign even though they are locals, and some that only sign once in a blue moon. I always thought it would be cool to help collectors clear that hurdle. Good things is, if there is equal footing on two different players as far as votes go, you can always try to get them both in there at the same time or follow them up back to back.

 

[DeliciousBacon]

I'd have a great shop, that's for sure. But who cares about that? As a multi-millionaire who runs the place, I could run it how I want and not care about offending people! Some scumbag tries to sell me fake patches? Hell, I'll pull the fake patch pieces right out of the cards and throw them on the floor in front of him! Dirtbag trying to search packs? I'll ban him, take his picture, and sent it around to every shop and retail outlet in the area. Some idiot who doesn't understand the concept of BV vs SV when trying to sell/trade their cards? BAM Beckett enema. Probably have a 'no Yankee hats/shirts' policy as well, just to piss off the bandwagon fans that overpopulate my area!

 

[Lancemountain]

I would have no card shop.

I'd build the monster, complete some awesome vintage sets......but no shop.

I'd be too busy surfing.

 

[VizquelCollector.com]

Several thoughts...

1) But my parents a new home.
2) Buy the local minor league team.
3) Build a craft brewery next to the ballpark.
4) Hire several of my friends to work for the team and brewery.
5) Contact the few Vizquel collectors I know and buy them out.

 

[zach]

I would NOT open a card shop if I won the lottery ...even if I could afford to lose $25k + a year. I just won money, why would I want to start losing it like that?

It would be time to start checking off things on the bucket list.

 

[rehmus]

if i won the lottery id buy 12 cards from burbank. then id be broke again, though, so let's make that 9 cards instead.

 

[jrinne]

Move up to Eagle River, WI and retire. Just open high end boxes 2 or 3 times a year for fun.

 

[90FTaway]

I would buy 30 cases of Allen and Ginter, then I would hire a couple of Geeks to work around the clock until they cracked the code.

Then I would buy my own minor league baseball team and sell a few cards at one of the concession stand.

 

[boomo]

rip wax and hire an assassin to murder all the people who have fcked me over in my life.