LA cards shop recommendations

[Higgo84]

Hi all.
Hoping for some advice. I'm heading to LA in December and looking for some cards shops to visit. Any recommendations?

[cardmole]

Hi all.
Hoping for some advice. I'm heading to LA in December and looking for some cards shops to visit. Any recommendations?

Try and get to Frank & Sons warehouse, Walnut, Ca. - hours are something like Wed. 3-9pm, Sat 9-6 every week, more often around Xmas time.
Don't collect hockey myself, but you'll find some nice cards there and maybe some bargain boxes too.
Other good one is Valley Sports Cards, Woodland Hills. Alex is very fair on all his stuff. Good luck!

[Higgo84]

Thanks!

[pokerdealer86]

the bull pen right by lax is a nice shop and the owner Mitch is a super nice guy

[FuriousD82]

the bull pen right by lax is a nice shop and the owner Mitch is a super nice guy

The Bullpen should be the only place you should go in LA. Tons of hockey too.

[ilovethelakings]

I second the Frank and Son recommendation if you want boxes, but not if you are looking for singles. Not a whole lot of hockey to choose from for the most part. Average Joes in Buena Park is pretty decent, too.

[charnick]

South Bay Sports Cards in Lomita, about 30 mins south of downtown LA has an excellent supply of hockey wax and singles. Great store that I would visit more often if my wallet and my wife would let me!

[Higgo84]

Thanks to all. Good selection of options.

[JeffG1954]

I can echo what others have said....but it just depends on how much driving you want to do.

Average Joe's in Buena Park is right by Knott's Berry Farm just off of the 91 Freeway. Joe is a great guy, knows his sports, knows what he has in inventory, and is a HUGE hockey guy.

Baseball Cards Plus is in Huntington Beach, just off of the 5 Freeway on Edinger near Beach Blvd. Brian is a 2nd generation shop owner, and like Joe, knows his inventory.

3J's is in Anaheim very close to Disneyland. Joe is a 2nd generation owner and knows his stuff.

All 3 of those shops are within maybe 1/2 hour driving time......you could do them all in 1 day and still hit Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, or make it out to Frank & Sons.

South Bay in Lomita is by far the biggest store around. Tons of memorabilia and higher end singles, plus a good selection of wax. Ian is the owner and his son also works the shop. These are the people who make the Super Break products. A little out of the way, and not much else around it to do.....could be tough to do multiple shops in same day, but could be done.

There are a few shops further south, just not sure how much driving you want to do. LMK if you are going as far south as San Diego and I can give you a few more recommendations.

[cardmole]

South Bay Sports Cards in Lomita, about 30 mins south of downtown LA has an excellent supply of hockey wax and singles. Great store that I would visit more often if my wallet and my wife would let me!

Nice people, but box prices are way too high!

[Stat Monsters]

Hands Down, the best family owned business if SOUTH BAY SPORTS CARDS in the South Bay of the LA area between Santa Monica and Orange County, in the South Bay Beach Cities area of Lomita.

The owners are super nice.

The prices might not compete with some of the internet deals you find on Blowout or eBay, but you get the in-store experience of talking with some nice people who want to earn your business through customer service.

I've pulled many good if not great cards from packs and boxes, so they don't do the shady stuff other stores do by cherry picking "hits" and creating boxes of highly probable dud packs that won't contain any great inserts.

In fact, a story I tell many people is that once I was there and the owner flipped a pack of cards to a customer to open up to see how the new release looked like and check out the card design, and the customer pulled out an Albert Puljos autographed card that I would guess was worth hundreds of dollars. The guy tried to give it to the owner, Scott, and Scott told him to keep it and it was his, no charge for the card nor even the pack itself. After seeing that, I knew this was a business run by folks who cared about long term relationships.

[cardmole]

Hands Down, the best family owned business if SOUTH BAY SPORTS CARDS in the South Bay of the LA area between Santa Monica and Orange County, in the South Bay Beach Cities area of Lomita.

The owners are super nice.

The prices might not compete with some of the internet deals you find on Blowout or eBay, but you get the in-store experience of talking with some nice people who want to earn your business through customer service.

I've pulled many good if not great cards from packs and boxes, so they don't do the shady stuff other stores do by cherry picking "hits" and creating boxes of highly probable dud packs that won't contain any great inserts.

In fact, a story I tell many people is that once I was there and the owner flipped a pack of cards to a customer to open up to see how the new release looked like and check out the card design, and the customer pulled out an Albert Puljos autographed card that I would guess was worth hundreds of dollars. The guy tried to give it to the owner, Scott, and Scott told him to keep it and it was his, no charge for the card nor even the pack itself. After seeing that, I knew this was a business run by folks who cared about long term relationships.

That's a nice story. If only they would come down with prices on their new boxes I would be there a lot more. I don't expect them to try and compete with internet prices, but they sell what should be $80-90 boxes for $120+

[ilovethelakings]

Nice people, but box prices are way too high!

I agree with this statement. The prices are the only reason I don't go there more often. There are sellers with better box prices at Frank and Son.

[CardBoard4Life]

I got a killer deal on a Bob Gibson from Burbank Sports Cards. My go to shop is Average Joe's in Buena Park, cause Joe is super cool and they have a good singles selection.

[cardmole]

I agree with this statement. The prices are the only reason I don't go there more often. There are sellers with better box prices at Frank and Son.

I totally agree.
That card guy at Farnksnon on the first main cross isle to the right when you go in is awesome. Best box prices in L.A., imo...plus all his (cash) box/case deals are marked as "price out the door". Love it, and this is from a guy who lives 2 miles from SouthBayCards. Money you save is worth hour trip. Plus always see that great supplies guy too!

[banosd]

Went to South Bay Sports Cards for National Baseball Card Day. They had an interesting selection of 99 cent cards all in top loaders. Wax prices are too high. I don't know if you can consider someone nice if they are selling things at high prices. I love pizza but I wont buy it if it is $4 a slice.

The Bullpen is a cool place but Chrome was quoted at $125 per box when it was new. It will be awhile before I can get that out of my mind.