The only way to make money from this hobby...

[ShaqEatsThat]

First of all let me say I am new to this forum, and I am very impressed because people really know what they are talking about. I like it around here.

Anyway, lets all be honest, this is a dying hobby, it is. Lockout/Offseason/Recession combo is killing the SV of all current NBA players' cards and although it doesn't affect retired players as much there still is a noticable drop.

So, I must admit I am a collector first, always. But in the process I have slowly been obtaining my PC more or less for free, by buying then selling and trading my way to the cards I want.

But with the hobby at the lowest point its been since the 90's, how can we still make any money at all? Well I have been using just one method and right now it seems to be the only way to really gain a profit, or have the money the buy the cards you want to keep.

Let me break it down this way: Generally a Book Value card of $10, is selling for generally $1-2, and a lot of times it doesn't sell it all. Yet one $60 card still sells for $30-$40. So regardless of Book Value, 10 cards =$100< 1 card =$60. I don't rely on Beckett Values too much because really it should only be used as a guide. The value of a card = what someone is willing to pay for it.

So what I've done over the last couple months is really working, that being said it goes on principal that sometimes "you have to spend money to make money."

I've gone around eBay picking up cards, and I mean regular old cards, for example today I bought a Paul Millsap Totally Certified Jersey #d 99 for $1 with free shipping. The Beckett Value of the card is $8. So i paid less than %15 for its value, although I generally try not to spend more than 10% of the cards value.

So generally after two weeks of buying, I accumulate roughly $500 Book Value worth of cards for around $40-60 shipped. I always try for free or cheap shipping, it adds up, believe me.

Now I am lucky because I do have a good relationship with my LCS owner, so we worked out a deal where I trade 50% book value to him. So my $500 Book Value gets me $250 store credit in return.

He has tons of nice stuff in his showcase, priced from 20-1500 bucks. So I look around and pick a product for around 250-275, he usually lets me go if its like 20 bucks more.

Here's another example, last time I went in I brought $650 BV into the store. I traded it for $325 store credit. I picked out a Cam Newton rookie auto that he had priced for 300. In addition he gave me a LeBron James jersey that he had priced for $40 bucks (which I kept for myself.) I do not collect anything but basketball, but I try to stay aware of what is "hot" in the hobby. I took the Cam Newton knowing I would resell it.

I sold the Cam Newton already for $226.42. After ebay takes their 9% i am left with $206 and change + a LeBron card that I will keep for my PC. And only spent $62 on the last trip.

If you want to try this I have to big tips. Always keep your eye out for the "hot" player/cards and always write down EVERY penny spent and EVERY penny received.

It will vary week-to-week, I had a Curtis Painter card sell for $25.?? that i spent 2 dollars on.

Also remember it's not bad to hold a card for a while. Kobe, Lebron, etc. values will go back up as soon as the lockout ends, even if its 2 years from now. Right now it is a buyer's market when it comes to the big name guys like that.

[pastmyshades]

Im definitely buying as much stuff as I can right now. I watched the football lockout and what happened to card prices then. Stuff that was selling for $15-20 has gone back up to $40-60. I'm just hoping they can reach an agreement and not lose too much of the season.

-James

[Frankp2311]

Very interesting and welcome.

[ShaqEatsThat]

honestly this is the best time to buy BIG NAMES, remember the prices for mid-stars wont really change that much. But you can pick up big names for 20-30% of what theyre worth, then wait til the lockout ends and ull sell for generally %40-60 of what the book value says..

it takes patitence, trust me, but it works...

if you didn't sell or your jason terry and dirk cards after the finals you wont get anything close to what you would have, especially jason terry, i was able to move like 50 base cards of him for 20 bucks which is amazing, because most of the time i use base cards when i run out of TP.

[paul06901]

The real way to make money is to have a good grasp on what WILL be "hot".

Take for example the 90's inserts, anyone who stockpiled at the BEGINNING of the craze, is now sitting on a gold mine with only a small % invested on a huge return.

Even some new released sets. Take for example any exquisite cards, they are all at all-time HIGHS for value.

For example, the set I'm currently working on, 10-11 Panini National Treasures HOF autographs. There are 30+ HOF autographs, they are all ON-CARD (stickers are dropping in value and on-card are increasing) and they are limited to /25 or less (with a few /49).

And to top it off, Panini has put out a ton of HOF sticker sets as well.

The sticker cards are ugly and impersonal, can be replicated and reproduced. Anyone who says they dont mind the stickers compared to on-card, is lying!

People right now are hating on Panini. Well, UD won't be putting out any NBA licensed cards anymore, and its apparent everyone is already getting sick of the overproduced college NCAA uni cards. One MJ auto in a UNC jersey is enough!
So, this HOF set with the incredible checklist and limited production of on-card autographs is sure to only gain value, as Panini does not have any releases in the near future, and UD will only be able to put out the same old NCAA autos. Jordan and Lebron, Bird & Magic, who cares ... they're in college uniforms! blah!

Without the season happening, current rookie and recent rookie stuff is going to drop to lows. Legends and HOFer cards will increase, as will 90's insert stuff.

It's like a stock market, only a bit more predictable if you know where to look, and have the funds/ability/timing to make the right purchases/sales!

[sucram]

Now if only I had a card shop that gave me 50 percent book cvalue for store credit :eek:... where is this card shop locateD?

[Orangejello727]

I think there are a ton of ways to make money from the hobby. Each person has their individual ways of going about it.

I like how you go about flipping to make money. But I personally couldnt do it. Its to time consuming for me. It involves more time than I can afford and brings down the percetange of risk you take.

I still like the more you spend the more you make method. I much rather take $1000 and turn it into $10k rather than $10 into $100. Depending on budget, its worth the risk, but isnt for everyone!

I think the economy is playing a larger role in why the hobby isnt as actively traded these days for good prices. Demand is dropping and some people are willing to forgive much of their margin just to make back any return. The lockout does affect pricing but in my opinion not as much.

I think one of the reason we have seen such a hot demand on older stuff especially for players like Rodman, MJ etc (90s inserts) is not just based on old collectors filling sets and new collectors turning back to older issues, but also the current currency exchange.
I mean if I was buying a $1000 MJ auto 2 yrs ago (in Canada) I would have paid $1250 CDN. Something just as compariable for an australian. In recent times (Last 6 months or so) I would have paid $940 CDN. Which leaves me with enough change to spend elsewhere. THe piss poor greenback has really helped out international collectors to buy up at decent prices.

[bigcwd2000]

Now if only I had a card shop that gave me 50 percent book cvalue for store credit :eek:... where is this card shop locateD?

This is what I was thinking. I don't think there are that many card shops out there that will give you 50% credit on BV of cards. You have a very nice card shop if that is the case. Welcome to the forums Shaq!

[ShaqEatsThat]

The real way to make money is to have a good grasp on what WILL be "hot".

Take for example the 90's inserts, anyone who stockpiled at the BEGINNING of the craze, is now sitting on a gold mine with only a small % invested on a huge return.

Even some new released sets. Take for example any exquisite cards, they are all at all-time HIGHS for value.

For example, the set I'm currently working on, 10-11 Panini National Treasures HOF autographs. There are 30+ HOF autographs, they are all ON-CARD (stickers are dropping in value and on-card are increasing) and they are limited to /25 or less (with a few /49).

And to top it off, Panini has put out a ton of HOF sticker sets as well.

The sticker cards are ugly and impersonal, can be replicated and reproduced. Anyone who says they dont mind the stickers compared to on-card, is lying!

People right now are hating on Panini. Well, UD won't be putting out any NBA licensed cards anymore, and its apparent everyone is already getting sick of the overproduced college NCAA uni cards. One MJ auto in a UNC jersey is enough!
So, this HOF set with the incredible checklist and limited production of on-card autographs is sure to only gain value, as Panini does not have any releases in the near future, and UD will only be able to put out the same old NCAA autos. Jordan and Lebron, Bird & Magic, who cares ... they're in college uniforms! blah!

Without the season happening, current rookie and recent rookie stuff is going to drop to lows. Legends and HOFer cards will increase, as will 90's insert stuff.

It's like a stock market, only a bit more predictable if you know where to look, and have the funds/ability/timing to make the right purchases/sales!


i dont wanna say ur wrong because ur not but honestly i cant stand Panini and swear off buying their products, but its my own personal opinion not the right one.

panini already has killed kobe bryants newer stuff, i mean you can get his auto #25 for 80 bucks EASY, this guy is supposed to be on of the all-time greats, imagine getting a MJ auto for around 150-200, if MJ signs with Panini its possible.

although it helps consumers collect their favorite players easier, it kills me because it takes away from what a Kobe auto should really be.. once again just my opinion not the right opinion

[Orangejello727]

This is what I was thinking. I don't think there are that many card shops out there that will give you 50% credit on BV of cards. You have a very nice card shop if that is the case. Welcome to the forums Shaq!

Its actually not a bad way for a LCS to operate. Usually LCS have a huge markup on prices of wax and single. They offer you 50% of book value or even ebay value. Then you take that money and use it as store credit or product/cards marked up by say 30 to 50%. Its a win win situation for a LCS.

[ShaqEatsThat]

Now if only I had a card shop that gave me 50 percent book cvalue for store credit :eek:... where is this card shop locateD?

its called wrestling universe, on francis lewis blvd in Queens. also if you want to take base cards there he gives you %5 of BV. I have sold 20 kobe base cards worth 100 bucks for 5 and loved it.. its almost impossible to sell base cards so any return at all is a good one

[Orangejello727]

i dont wanna say ur wrong because ur not but honestly i cant stand Panini and swear off buying their products, but its my own personal opinion not the right one.

panini already has killed kobe bryants newer stuff, i mean you can get his auto #25 for 80 bucks EASY, this guy is supposed to be on of the all-time greats, imagine getting a MJ auto for around 150-200, if MJ signs with Panini its possible.

although it helps consumers collect their favorite players easier, it kills me because it takes away from what a Kobe auto should really be.. once again just my opinion not the right opinion

The same happend with MJ autos with new releases. MJ autos from ATG sells for $350 to $450. His older autos sell for much more. Same with kobe. His older autos still command decent dollars vs his panini autos.

[paul06901]

i dont wanna say ur wrong because ur not but honestly i cant stand Panini and swear off buying their products, but its my own personal opinion not the right one.

panini already has killed kobe bryants newer stuff, i mean you can get his auto #25 for 80 bucks EASY, this guy is supposed to be on of the all-time greats, imagine getting a MJ auto for around 150-200, if MJ signs with Panini its possible.

although it helps consumers collect their favorite players easier, it kills me because it takes away from what a Kobe auto should really be.. once again just my opinion not the right opinion



I'm not saying Panini is great, I'm saying a select few sets they are putting out are VERY undervalued, such as this HOF set. A set that is on-card and contains all HOF players. One of the best checklists of any auto set ever created IMO.

Kobe autos, MJ autos ... blah, except for really rare and really old ones (MJ in bulls uni) they're all going to tank and lose value.

[bigcwd2000]

Its actually not a bad way for a LCS to operate. Usually LCS have a huge markup on prices of wax and single. They offer you 50% of book value or even ebay value. Then you take that money and use it as store credit or product/cards marked up by say 30 to 50%. Its a win win situation for a LCS.

Well if that is the case I wish mine would operate this way.

[Orangejello727]

Well if that is the case I wish mine would operate this way.

Remember they dont buy everything. Only things they want and are looking for.

[PackAttack419]

its called wrestling universe, on francis lewis blvd in Queens. also if you want to take base cards there he gives you %5 of BV. I have sold 20 kobe base cards worth 100 bucks for 5 and loved it.. its almost impossible to sell base cards so any return at all is a good one

wow. for a year, i lived on 200th st , (literally like a minute walk from wrestling universe) and i never walked into it cuz i thought it was all wrestling stuff. i only went to 'who's on first' around the corner

[coolz]

I think your LCS owner is crazy of valuing your lot of small value cards 50% of it's BV

[bigcwd2000]

Remember they dont buy everything. Only things they want and are looking for.

True. I think the only cards my card shop buys are vintage cards and even then it is very limited.

[jeff152380]

This hobby is not all about making money... but If you buy the right stuff the economy doesn't matter...I will argue that high end basketball is hotter now then its ever been..... Ive been doing this hobby for over 20 years and there has been ups and down in the card market the entire time...but if you buy quality cards and sell when you making 150-200% what you paid for an item you will be fine.. the people who lose money buy at the wrong times and sell too late... they get greedy..... Most Card shops lose money for very simple reason.. they don't use all the resources available to move cards, they don't keep up their hobby knowledge and they are greedy...

[XARZY]

Now if only I had a card shop that gave me 50 percent book cvalue for store credit :eek:... where is this card shop locateD?

+1 only reason OP made money. Not applicable to other people in cities/towns with business oriented shop owners. No shop owner in my area would be crazy enough to do this.

[MI Rob]

Cards are a hobby... You aren't going to make much money at all if any. Too many fools think that.

[ShaqEatsThat]

its called wrestling universe, on francis lewis blvd in Queens. also if you want to take base cards there he gives you %5 of BV. I have sold 20 kobe base cards worth 100 bucks for 5 and loved it.. its almost impossible to sell base cards so any return at all is a good one

not to mention as someone said before, all things considering almost all LCS do charge a lot more for there cards than anywhere on the internet

[Orangejello727]

+1 only reason OP made money. Not applicable to other people in cities/towns with business oriented shop owners. No shop owner in my area would be crazy enough to do this.

Atleast you have shops in your area! :(

[ShaqEatsThat]

wow. for a year, i lived on 200th st , (literally like a minute walk from wrestling universe) and i never walked into it cuz i thought it was all wrestling stuff. i only went to 'who's on first' around the corner

lol we were probably close then, i live down the block from who's on first, im on jordan

[ShaqEatsThat]

Atleast you have shops in your area! :(

lol yea def lucky in that aspect, i have 10 shops within 20 minutes, and 25 shops within 30 minutes

[XARZY]

Atleast you have shops in your area! :(

I have only 1 shop in my area that carries basketball and its only got 2 boxes of panini stuff and zero singles. alot of baseball tho but thanks to these damn yankees I stopped buying baseball, bunch of failures this year.

[jr24ai3]

Now I am lucky because I do have a good relationship with my LCS owner, so we worked out a deal where I trade 50% book value to him. So my $500 Book Value gets me $250 store credit in return.

.

Was Curious how long your LCS has been in business. If you bring him $600 BV of common jerseys and he gives you a $300 Cam Newton autograph, he is a moron and most likely won't be in business very long. No one is willing to pay him 75% of book on the jerseys. Why take 50 cards that book at $600 total and give up a fairly easy $250-$300 sale on a Newton auto? It will take forever to move 50 Jerseys at even 60% of book. So say he sells all 50 jerseys for $360 (60% of book), he made an extra $60 instead of selling the Newton. But then he has more time into selling 50 jerseys, because no one will pay 60% of book if they are buying in bulk.

If he does it, i'd take advantage of it while you can. I'd love to hear how he moves your stuff and makes a profit.

[paul06901]

Was Curious how long your LCS has been in business. If you bring him $600 BV of common jerseys and he gives you a $300 Cam Newton autograph, he is a moron and most likely won't be in business very long. No one is willing to pay him 75% of book on the jerseys. Why take 50 cards that book at $600 total and give up a fairly easy $250-$300 sale on a Newton auto? It will take forever to move 50 Jerseys at even 60% of book. So say he sells all 50 jerseys for $360 (60% of book), he made an extra $60 instead of selling the Newton. But then he has more time into selling 50 jerseys, because no one will pay 60% of book if they are buying in bulk.

If he does it, i'd take advantage of it while you can. I'd love to hear how he moves your stuff and makes a profit.


The Newton was only a $200 sale value card apparently.

$600 worth of common jerseys could equal a lot if the guy sells common jerseys at $5 a piece consistantly to local buyers.

And he could only have $100-150 into the Newton buying it from a customer who pulled, or getting it via trade-in.



These shops have many ways of making money, in much easier ways than we do as individuals.

Problem is, if you don't have the buyers or a great financial plan, you wont be in business long either way!

[ShaqEatsThat]

Was Curious how long your LCS has been in business. If you bring him $600 BV of common jerseys and he gives you a $300 Cam Newton autograph, he is a moron and most likely won't be in business very long. No one is willing to pay him 75% of book on the jerseys. Why take 50 cards that book at $600 total and give up a fairly easy $250-$300 sale on a Newton auto? It will take forever to move 50 Jerseys at even 60% of book. So say he sells all 50 jerseys for $360 (60% of book), he made an extra $60 instead of selling the Newton. But then he has more time into selling 50 jerseys, because no one will pay 60% of book if they are buying in bulk.

If he does it, i'd take advantage of it while you can. I'd love to hear how he moves your stuff and makes a profit.

lol hes told me this a bunch of times... the sports stuff just recycles itself and he makes a lot making his own packs. hell put a jersey card in an envelope with 9 base cards of stars and sells it for 5 bucks and he said like 1 of 20 of those "grab bags" as he calls it he puts a 100 dollar card into

how does he stay in business? according to him its sad to say but its mostly wrestling/ufc/pokemon and yugioh

also, you got to remember he has a lot bigger customer base than we do, there are 3 schools within 5 minutes of his store AND he refuses to sell on the internet because he said hed rather fill the store and sit on it because eventually someone will pay 20 bucks for what he would sell on ebay for 2

[jr24ai3]

The Newton was only a $200 sale value card apparently.

$600 worth of common jerseys could equal a lot if the guy sells common jerseys at $5 a piece consistantly to local buyers.

And he could only have $100-150 into the Newton buying it from a customer who pulled, or getting it via trade-in.



These shops have many ways of making money, in much easier ways than we do as individuals.

Problem is, if you don't have the buyers or a great financial plan, you wont be in business long either way!

Say its $600 worth of jerseys that book at $8 each. He gets $5 each, so thats $375 he takes in. He gave up a Newton that sold for $226 on ebay. I'm sure in his shop he could have pulled $250-$275 on that card. Plus another $25 on the Lebron, that nets him $275-$300. So he could sell 2 cards for $275, or wait to sell around 75 cards at $5 each to make an extra $75-$100? Like I said earlier, maybe he has a way to move jerseys quickly at a solid price. But from my experience in the card shop biz, common/semistar jerseys do not move very quickly at $5 each.

[coolz]

Even if the LCS owner can move those jersey cards and make profit,
he should've buy those himself...
heck just post on some forums to buy big lots at $.70 - $3 per card

[jr24ai3]

lol hes told me this a bunch of times... the sports stuff just recycles itself and he makes a lot making his own packs. hell put a jersey card in an envelope with 9 base cards of stars and sells it for 5 bucks and he said like 1 of 20 of those "grab bags" as he calls it he puts a 100 dollar card into

how does he stay in business? according to him its sad to say but its mostly wrestling/ufc/pokemon and yugioh

also, you got to remember he has a lot bigger customer base than we do, there are 3 schools within 5 minutes of his store AND he refuses to sell on the internet because he said hed rather fill the store and sit on it because eventually someone will pay 20 bucks for what he would sell on ebay for 2

So based on the info you gave, he is getting $5 per jersey. So see my example in the post above. If he is willing to sit on a $2 ebay card and wait for $20, I don't know why he'd trade off a hot Newton card for common jerseys.

It does seem like a lot of younger kids are more into the nonsport stuff right now. As long as the jerseys aren't a major part of his business he should do fine.

[MavsRChamps]

That seems like you got a great thing going on OP! I've stopped considering book values when buying cards because like you said sell value is what matters.

I used to buy really High Book Value Lots for REALLY Cheap (Like 5% book Value, maybe less) on Ebay - all Rookies/Serial #ed cards from 2001-2007 - and I regret some of the Buys even if I basically stole them because common rookies from that era sell for practically nothing now (2-5% BV or maybe more if sell individually), but it has just gotten ridiculous. For ex., How does Beckett still price 2003-04 Bowman/Topps Chrome Rookies at like $5-8 for a common when they don't sell PERIOD - No one is buying Rick Rickert or Matt Carroll or Nnudi Ebi, etc... , even a guy like Chris Kaman from that year sells Real Cheap ...

[coolz]

That seems like you got a great thing going on OP! I've stopped considering book values when buying cards because like you said sell value is what matters.

I used to buy really High Book Value Lots for REALLY Cheap (Like 5% book Value, maybe less) on Ebay - all Rookies/Serial #ed cards from 2001-2007 - and I regret some of the Buys even if I basically stole them because common rookies from that era sell for practically nothing now (2-5% BV or maybe more if sell individually), but it has just gotten ridiculous. For ex., How does Beckett still price 2003-04 Bowman/Topps Chrome Rookies at like $5-8 for a common when they don't sell PERIOD - No one is buying Rick Rickert or Matt Carroll or Nnudi Ebi, etc... , even a guy like Chris Kaman from that year sells Real Cheap ...

Exactly why I don't use BV
They are just ridiculous in putting the numbers

[paul06901]

Say its $600 worth of jerseys that book at $8 each. He gets $5 each, so thats $375 he takes in. He gave up a Newton that sold for $226 on ebay. I'm sure in his shop he could have pulled $250-$275 on that card. Plus another $25 on the Lebron, that nets him $275-$300. So he could sell 2 cards for $275, or wait to sell around 75 cards at $5 each to make an extra $75-$100? Like I said earlier, maybe he has a way to move jerseys quickly at a solid price. But from my experience in the card shop biz, common/semistar jerseys do not move very quickly at $5 each.

The Cam Newton is a big risk card, he gets injured...price plummets. The jerseys cards are pretty much always going to stay around the $1-5 range. If he does make grab bags, those are the hits he'd put in. If he makes 75 grab bags and they all sell in a week, he makes $75/100 that week doing nothing, plus more if his grab bag cost is $5+. There are ways to make money as a card shop, but it seems like most owners have horrific business sense. Start purchasing crazy products that dont sell, get stuck with a ton of overhead that will not sell, don't know how to market their store. Market for the younger children, which will not generate revenue in the long run. And/or do not use eBay as a crutch when the store is hurting. Not to mention a lot of store owners are miserable a-holes, and the main reason for store survival is local buyers. With bad attitudes, there is NO chance at profiting or even existing.

[jr24ai3]

Even if the LCS owner can move those jersey cards and make profit,
he should've buy those himself...
heck just post on some forums to buy big lots at $.70 - $3 per card

Exactly. You can buy jersey lots with stars for less than $1.25 per card. 75 jerseys for around 100 delivered. I don't care what he has into the Newton, because that card is an easy $200 in your pocket. So he paid $200 for $600 worth of jerseys, when he could have paid $100.

[Orangejello727]

I think its clear from the OP that a majority of this guys business is not defined by sportscards. Im sure he is staying afloat from the other aspect of his bsuiness like wrestling and non sports cards / hobby. Either way, the guy is still in business, he must be doing something right!!

[coolz]

I think its clear from the OP that a majority of this guys business is not defined by sportscards. Im sure he is staying afloat from the other aspect of his bsuiness like wrestling and non sports cards / hobby. Either way, the guy is still in business, he must be doing something right!!

He is still profitting, but he didn't maximize his profit
He 'paid' $250 for the lot, when he could pay $100 or less if he bought it from other sources

[jr24ai3]

The Cam Newton is a big risk card, he gets injured...price plummets. The jerseys cards are pretty much always going to stay around the $1-5 range. If he does make grab bags, those are the hits he'd put in. If he makes 75 grab bags and they all sell in a week, he makes $75/100 that week doing nothing, plus more if his grab bag cost is $5+. There are ways to make money as a card shop, but it seems like most owners have horrific business sense. Start purchasing crazy products that dont sell, get stuck with a ton of overhead that will not sell, don't know how to market their store. Market for the younger children, which will not generate revenue in the long run. And/or do not use eBay as a crutch when the store is hurting. Not to mention a lot of store owners are miserable a-holes, and the main reason for store survival is local buyers. With bad attitudes, there is NO chance at profiting or even existing.

All he had to do was throw the Newton on Ebay, get his $200, and buy a jersey lot on ebay for $200. Instead of getting 75 jerseys, he would have 150 jerseys for the same price.

[coolz]

jr24ai3, we are definitely on the same page
LOL :D

[paul06901]

All he had to do was throw the Newton on Ebay, get his $200, and buy a jersey lot on ebay for $200. Instead of getting 75 jerseys, he would have 150 jerseys for the same price.

Yea but he has to implement programs in order to keep his local buyers interested. If he was just to put everything on eBay, what's the point of having the store? (Hence the reason I don't own a store lol :D )

[coolz]

You know what....I'll call this LCS and tell him about this



.....j/k ShaqEatsThat :devil:

But really, maybe now since you're telling your secrets, many people that lives nearby will try to sell lots to this LCS owner...and then he will stop accepting to value 50% of BV....and then there goes away your profit!

[Frankp2311]

But really, maybe now since you're telling your secrets, many people that lives nearby will try to sell lots to this LCS owner...and then he will stop accepting to value 50% of BV....and then there goes away your profit!

This was what I was thinking. I have 3 solid ways to profit in this hobby and I don't share those tips with anyone. Sorry.

[Orangejello727]

Yea but he has to implement programs in order to keep his local buyers interested. If he was just to put everything on eBay, what's the point of having the store? (Hence the reason I don't own a store lol :D )


Paul is right. He needs to keep a way of retaining engagement in his store. Walk ins need someting to buy. His oppurtunity costs on losing a few bucks from maximizing his profits is a drop in the bucket if it brings in more customers who might buy other product. Its general marketing schemes at work here.

If he wanted to make money purely off flipping then maybe a B&M shop isnt the way to go. Some people invest time into a B&M shop to kill time. Its their way of "keeping busy" while making some money. Maybe a part of his wealth comes from the enjoyment of owning a B&M shop rather than making the most money!!

[DrJ Converse]

The real way to make money is to have a good grasp on what WILL be "hot".

Take for example the 90's inserts, anyone who stockpiled at the BEGINNING of the craze, is now sitting on a gold mine with only a small % invested on a huge return.

Even some new released sets. Take for example any exquisite cards, they are all at all-time HIGHS for value.

For example, the set I'm currently working on, 10-11 Panini National Treasures HOF autographs. There are 30+ HOF autographs, they are all ON-CARD (stickers are dropping in value and on-card are increasing) and they are limited to /25 or less (with a few /49).

And to top it off, Panini has put out a ton of HOF sticker sets as well.

The sticker cards are ugly and impersonal, can be replicated and reproduced. Anyone who says they dont mind the stickers compared to on-card, is lying!

People right now are hating on Panini. Well, UD won't be putting out any NBA licensed cards anymore, and its apparent everyone is already getting sick of the overproduced college NCAA uni cards. One MJ auto in a UNC jersey is enough!
So, this HOF set with the incredible checklist and limited production of on-card autographs is sure to only gain value, as Panini does not have any releases in the near future, and UD will only be able to put out the same old NCAA autos. Jordan and Lebron, Bird & Magic, who cares ... they're in college uniforms! blah!

Without the season happening, current rookie and recent rookie stuff is going to drop to lows. Legends and HOFer cards will increase, as will 90's insert stuff.

It's like a stock market, only a bit more predictable if you know where to look, and have the funds/ability/timing to make the right purchases/sales!

Don't get me wrong, your HOF set is nice, but I do not see it appreciating anymore than the products UD used to put out in Exquisite that are even nicer (and actually have appreciated). Knowing Panini, they will begin flooding the market with similar releases without stickers and drive the price down further.

Nice set, but it's value is probably close to peak right now.

[jr24ai3]

Yea but he has to implement programs in order to keep his local buyers interested. If he was just to put everything on eBay, what's the point of having the store? (Hence the reason I don't own a store lol :D )

He would be putting one card from his shop ( a Cam Newton Autograph) on ebay to get 150 jerseys for his store. He obviously sells the jersey grab bag/pack pretty well since he gave up the Newton. He is not losing his customers interest when he is adding 150 jersey grab bag packs to his store inventory. An owner has to have a good balance of online and in store sales to be successful. This is a way to profit quickly by selling online and putting the money back into inventory that sells well in your store.

[jr24ai3]

I'd like to add that if the OP is one of those customers that busts a ton of wax (like $1,000-$2000/month), it would make sense to give him a little extra in trade compared to other customers.

[cdub6238]

I dont see why anybody is so surprised an LCS would do this.

Its interesting that he takes pretty much any card (gu..base etc) from any team/player.

My LCS in Nashville does this, offers store credit at 50% BV. But only usually for Titans stuff he knows he can sell quick and make money on.

Unlucky for me, Locker isnt exactly cost productive for this approach.

And also why does it matter what he used his store credit for? You expect the LCS to give him store credit and then say "oh sorry you cant use it on this Newton Auto".

[gomiamigo]

lol at UD not producing NBA again.

[jr24ai3]

I dont see why anybody is so surprised an LCS would do this.

Its interesting that he takes pretty much any card (gu..base etc) from any team/player.

My LCS in Nashville does this, offers store credit at 50% BV. But only usually for Titans stuff he knows he can sell quick and make money on.

Unlucky for me, Locker isnt exactly cost productive for this approach.

And also why does it matter what he used his store credit for? You expect the LCS to give him store credit and then say "oh sorry you cant use it on this Newton Auto".

The only items you take at 50% of book is local stuff or items you know you have sold. It's insane to take any and all common jerseys at 50% of book. A LCS may take your singles in trade and only allow trading towards other singles. Typically there is a much larger markup on single cards compared to wax. Some shops may mark up boxes only 25% (example costs $100, they sell at $125). Single cards may be marked up to 200% (example: dealer pays $45 for a card, marks it $125). Reason being that wax normally moves faster than single cards. So if you have $125 in trade for singles you traded in, if you take the wax box, its like the dealer paying you $100 cash. If you take the $125 single, its like the dealer paying you $45. You normally don't take slow moving items in trade for items that sell within a few days.

[Cheken]

wow your store is very generous giving you half store credit for the bv.

[SportsItUpCards]

The only way to make money from this hobby...

is to go in a time machine.

[coolz]

The only way to make money from this hobby...

is to go in a time machine.

dang....time machine huh
anybody could be rich if you know what will happen :)

[bballcardkid4]

The only way to make money from this hobby...

is to go in a time machine.

and bust hundreds of 86/87 Fleer boxes