Baseball card shop experience

soey10 · 12-20-2020, 08:44 AM

I went to a card shop out of town yesterday that I have to been to once before. The shop is partially blocked off with empty boxes and 5,000 count boxes so you can’t see in one of the display cases which was annoying. The shop does the majority of their business selling sealed boxes. They do not have any boxes opened to sell by the pack, you have to buy the whole box, this seems like you could do this online from your house and save the overhead. My last complaint is that the shop had older wax on a shelf in the front of the store, less desirable older wax, like 1990 Fleer and Donruss. No prices on any of the boxes so I take 3 boxes up to ask the guy how much they are. He looks at the boxes and then proceeds pull out his phone to look up the sold auctions on eBay to give me a price, took him about 5 minutes to look up each box which meant I am standing there staring at him awkwardly for 5 minutes. I passed on all three boxes due to the fact that the prices seemed rather high. I checked after I left the store and I found the box selling on eBay with a buy it now with shipping for less than he quoted me and I also checked the ended auctions and his price was still high. I understand it is his shop and he can do business the way he wants but if your going to run your business like an online store wouldn’t it make more sense to do it that way. I want a shop where I can have a personal experience and be able to buy a couple of packs. Is this the new wave of shops and I am just too old school? Ok I am done, thanks for letting me get that off my chest

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hairysasquatch · 12-20-2020, 08:58 AM

Sounds like you don't need to ever go back.

Foo3112 · 12-20-2020, 09:05 AM

Best thing to do when you walk into a card shop is to find items you are familiar with on the pricing. That should tell you what to expect with the rest of their store prices. If its close in price, perhaps you can ask for lower price (never hurts), but people who price unfair and unreasonable from the start don't get my money.

Nooba · 12-20-2020, 09:14 AM

I quit going to the card shop near me. The prices were all on sticky notes that changed daily and if you called to ask about a price, they refused to give it to you until you came into the store.

MiamiMarlinsFan · 12-20-2020, 09:25 AM

As soon as he pulled out his phone to check eBay I would said, “Don’t worry about, I’m fine,” and left. If he wants to go off of eBay pricing, I’ll just buy it on eBay. He has the right to price things however he wants, and I have the right not to buy them.

tonedef2oo8 · 12-20-2020, 09:29 AM

It’s funny when children dont understand how brick and mortars work.

soey10 · 12-20-2020, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hairysasquatch

Sounds like you don't need to ever go back.

This

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MiamiMarlinsFan · 12-20-2020, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonedef2oo8

It’s funny when children dont understand how brick and mortars work.

I think everyone here, children and adults, understands how brick & mortar stores work. We also understand there are other options.

DoubleD · 12-20-2020, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

As soon as he pulled out his phone to check eBay I would said, “Don’t worry about, I’m fine,” and left. If he wants to go off of eBay pricing, I’ll just buy it on eBay. He has the right to price things however he wants, and I have the right not to buy them.

So you want a brick store to not reference online pricing? Have you ever owned and operated any business? Prices on cards or wax can change daily, why not have a reference to help with pricing? When you want to sell a card either here or to a store, do you not check pricing for it online? You can’t expect a brick and mortar store to have the exact same pricing as a online. They need at least 20-30% markup to keep the lights on. That store allows a customer to come in and have their card fix instantly instead of having to wait days or weeks to have something shipped to you. So by you saying I will just go on eBay to buy it, tells me you are someone that is a difficult customer that will never be pleased at any store.

monkeymcgee · 12-20-2020, 10:22 AM

The squeezing every dime has been the slow death of hobby shops. They know what they paid for the wax, have a price and then review it every week if you have a crippling fear of underselling. What other shopping experience requires buyers with product in hand to wait for the clerk to look up comps and come up with a price on the spot? Be like an actual store instead of half-assed retail efforts that are fronts for buying for other channels.

MiamiMarlinsFan · 12-20-2020, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleD

So you want a brick store to not reference online pricing? Have you ever owned and operated any business? Prices on cards or wax can change daily, why not have a reference to help with pricing? When you want to sell a card either here or to a store, do you not check pricing for it online? You can’t expect a brick and mortar store to have the exact same pricing as a online. They need at least 20-30% markup to keep the lights on. That store allows a customer to come in and have their card fix instantly instead of having to wait days or weeks to have something shipped to you. So by you saying I will just go on eBay to buy it, tells me you are someone that is a difficult customer that will never be pleased at any store.

I understand how it works. I understand they need to have that markup. I worked at a comic shop for three years back in college. I wish nothing but success for B&M shops. And yes, you’re right, I probably wouldn’t be pleased with a store, which is why I buy online.

KD35Russ0 · 12-20-2020, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleD

So you want a brick store to not reference online pricing? Have you ever owned and operated any business? Prices on cards or wax can change daily, why not have a reference to help with pricing? When you want to sell a card either here or to a store, do you not check pricing for it online? You can’t expect a brick and mortar store to have the exact same pricing as a online. They need at least 20-30% markup to keep the lights on. That store allows a customer to come in and have their card fix instantly instead of having to wait days or weeks to have something shipped to you. So by you saying I will just go on eBay to buy it, tells me you are someone that is a difficult customer that will never be pleased at any store.

For me I think what I’m picking up on from the OP is that you would like that experience to not be awkward. The shop that I go to will hold a conversation while checking pricing (what are you looking for in these boxes, what have you been up to, hey I just got a great box of quarter cards why don’t you thumb through while I look these up). I totally agree that brick and mortar are going to have to charge a bit more but the point is they need to work for that up charge. If the service is bad, I personally wouldn’t pay the higher price - I don’t need to get my wax fix healed instantly that badly.

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JustRachel · 12-20-2020, 10:36 AM

It's not surprising most card shops struggle.

dodgerfanjohn · 12-20-2020, 01:21 PM

Hi OP, seeing you are from Bakersfield, maybe this will help you if you are down in LA:

1.) Frank and Sons. I haven't been there since they moved to the new location, but it’s where I’d buy my wax in person from. A few booths sell by the pack.

2.) South Bay Sportscards in Lomita. I don’t like their prices but they are friendly and helpful to a fault. That is, they will help someone and simply focus on that person. So if all you have is a simple question, you still might get ignored for a length of time. But if you wait around long enough until they are not busy, they will help you every bit as much as the previous customer. They actually have a huge selection of mid and low grade vintage and a ton of nice memorabilia. Some packs and boxes as well.

3. I’ve never been to the Bullpen in Westchester but it’s been highly recommended here. Not sure if they sell by the pack though. Their Yelp pictures show only boxes. Come to think about it, seems that this is the place you visited.

Triple B · 12-20-2020, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoubleD

So you want a brick store to not reference online pricing? Have you ever owned and operated any business? Prices on cards or wax can change daily, why not have a reference to help with pricing? When you want to sell a card either here or to a store, do you not check pricing for it online? You can’t expect a brick and mortar store to have the exact same pricing as a online. They need at least 20-30% markup to keep the lights on. That store allows a customer to come in and have their card fix instantly instead of having to wait days or weeks to have something shipped to you. So by you saying I will just go on eBay to buy it, tells me you are someone that is a difficult customer that will never be pleased at any store.

No, I think what ANYONE expects is for the owner to have his sh*t together.

I'm a guy who goes around looking for dealer mistakes. If you don't know what the hell you're doing as a dealer, I'm not going to educate you. If I walk into your brick and mortar and you don't have prices on ANYTHING and when I ask you for a price, you have to consult eBay...I'm going to assume you're clueless and walk away.

We ALL know how B&Ms work, sometimes it's the idiots that run B&Ms don't know.

LVDan · 12-20-2020, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

The squeezing every dime has been the slow death of hobby shops. They know what they paid for the wax, have a price and then review it every week if you have a crippling fear of underselling. What other shopping experience requires buyers with product in hand to wait for the clerk to look up comps and come up with a price on the spot? Be like an actual store instead of half-assed retail efforts that are fronts for buying for other channels.

Agreed. You mark it based upon what you paid. If it’s been sitting long enough to become a bargain or even a steal then that should be the customer’s reward for coming in. If you have big qty then the owner should be monitoring prices online and adjusting after hours if it’s that significant at the very least. Or sell for the new price online. Waiting for a customer to ask them running to eBay to give a price is very off putting to most potential buyers. Be prepared to have instant pricing on anything in your store when someone asks. If you aren’t up to date on what you should be charging then close the doors for a few hours or days and do your research.

NYRE2PECT · 12-20-2020, 02:14 PM

My LCS will match Blowout - that’s their barometer.

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Eric1285 · 12-20-2020, 02:23 PM

I patronize my local hobby shops because I appreciate the relationship. I don't ever expect to get the best possible price from a local shop. However, the ones that I frequent will always give me competitive pricing that's not too far off. I'm plenty happy to let them make a bit of money. In return, they often keep an eye out for things I'm looking for and will occasionally find me a really great deal.

If all I wanted was the lowest price, there's no reason to leave my desk. Good hobby shops will foster a relationship and share their knowledge with you.

discodanman45 · 12-20-2020, 02:45 PM

Card shops have always done things like this, however wax is being treated as a card these days. I remember as a kid going to the LCS and getting prices on cards. The owner would get the Beckett price guide and calculate the price. It would take a few minutes for him to do this. The same thing is happening for wax these days. It is treated as a card that fluctuates in prices daily. Opening wax is also riskier for the owner to do. In the past you got a discount for buying a sealed box of packs. The opposite is true today. Unopened boxes carry more value then selling the packs individually. There are ways to search packs by weight and many buyers will stay away from individual packs. It is a completely different hobby than it was in the 90's.

MoreToppsPlease · 12-20-2020, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

The squeezing every dime has been the slow death of hobby shops. They know what they paid for the wax, have a price and then review it every week if you have a crippling fear of underselling. What other shopping experience requires buyers with product in hand to wait for the clerk to look up comps and come up with a price on the spot? Be like an actual store instead of half-assed retail efforts that are fronts for buying for other channels.

Sounds like most online sellers as well.

discodanman45 · 12-20-2020, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

The squeezing every dime has been the slow death of hobby shops. They know what they paid for the wax, have a price and then review it every week if you have a crippling fear of underselling. What other shopping experience requires buyers with product in hand to wait for the clerk to look up comps and come up with a price on the spot? Be like an actual store instead of half-assed retail efforts that are fronts for buying for other channels.

You do realize that if LCS's did the the same thing as Walmart and Target that flippers would buy out all the supply and would sell online anyways. Card shops are basically an online seller at this point. If you were a LCS and sold at retail you would be making a stupid business decision and would have flippers threatening your life for selling retail wax.

DoubleD · 12-20-2020, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triple B

No, I think what ANYONE expects is for the owner to have his sh*t together.

I'm a guy who goes around looking for dealer mistakes. If you don't know what the hell you're doing as a dealer, I'm not going to educate you. If I walk into your brick and mortar and you don't have prices on ANYTHING and when I ask you for a price, you have to consult eBay...I'm going to assume you're clueless and walk away.

We ALL know how B&Ms work, sometimes it's the idiots that run B&Ms don't know.

I agree the owner or employees have to have their #@#@#@#@ together. But would you rather have an owner tell you a realistic price based on online sales, or just throw out a random number that might insult you and make him look bad? We all are after deals, absolutely! But prices can fluctuate and why not use tools available to find a fair price for both parties? Can you know current prices on hundreds of cards and products in a split second? On some more common products, sure. But don’t look at an owner in the wrong way for referencing a tool he can use to give you an accurate price. Just my two cents.

monkeymcgee · 12-20-2020, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by discodanman45

You do realize that if LCS's did the the same thing as Walmart and Target that flippers would buy out all the supply and would sell online anyways. Card shops are basically an online seller at this point. If you were a LCS and sold at retail you would be making a stupid business decision and would have flippers threatening your life for selling retail wax.

I have faith that shop owners are more tuned into the hot products and pricing, which should allow for either an easy to reference price list or put a post-it on the box to say something to the effect that they need to check on pricing for this item.

I don’t think they need to use up-to-the-minute pricing for all of their wax.

employee8 · 12-20-2020, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foo3112

Best thing to do when you walk into a card shop is to find items you are familiar with on the pricing. That should tell you what to expect with the rest of their store prices. If its close in price, perhaps you can ask for lower price (never hurts), but people who price unfair and unreasonable from the start don't get my money.

Same tips regarding a card show. Find a fairly common card where value fluctuates very little and get a quick price quote. If dealer is way off, walk away.

LIONS RULE! · 12-20-2020, 05:02 PM

I believe everybody is entitled to an opinion & mine is this - the OP's complaints seem pretty small to me.

1) The prices were higher than the internet? I would expect that from a B&M store. He doesn't say how much more x2, x5 x10?

2) Boxes in front of a case? it's a Card Store, There will be cards. If you are really interested, Why not ask politely if they could move them for you?

3) OP had to spend 5 mins waiting while the shop worker was looking up prices. 5 min? Really? If you can't spend 5 min in a Card Store looking around while someone is helping out, I don't know what to tell you...

Basically the OP says he wants a personal experience, but he doesn't want to wait & doesn't want to communicate either.

12-20-2020, 08:44 AM	#1
soey10 Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Bakersfield, CA Posts: 1,595 Soey	Baseball card shop experience I went to a card shop out of town yesterday that I have to been to once before. The shop is partially blocked off with empty boxes and 5,000 count boxes so you can’t see in one of the display cases which was annoying. The shop does the majority of their business selling sealed boxes. They do not have any boxes opened to sell by the pack, you have to buy the whole box, this seems like you could do this online from your house and save the overhead. My last complaint is that the shop had older wax on a shelf in the front of the store, less desirable older wax, like 1990 Fleer and Donruss. No prices on any of the boxes so I take 3 boxes up to ask the guy how much they are. He looks at the boxes and then proceeds pull out his phone to look up the sold auctions on eBay to give me a price, took him about 5 minutes to look up each box which meant I am standing there staring at him awkwardly for 5 minutes. I passed on all three boxes due to the fact that the prices seemed rather high. I checked after I left the store and I found the box selling on eBay with a buy it now with shipping for less than he quoted me and I also checked the ended auctions and his price was still high. I understand it is his shop and he can do business the way he wants but if your going to run your business like an online store wouldn’t it make more sense to do it that way. I want a shop where I can have a personal experience and be able to buy a couple of packs. Is this the new wave of shops and I am just too old school? Ok I am done, thanks for letting me get that off my chest Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

12-20-2020, 08:58 AM	#2
hairysasquatch Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the Woods, Central NY Posts: 36,612	Sounds like you don't need to ever go back. __________________ I am going signature-free

12-20-2020, 09:29 AM	#6
tonedef2oo8 Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 7,335	It’s funny when children dont understand how brick and mortars work. __________________ *“ I am very good at calculating stuff. 160+60=210 “*

12-20-2020, 02:14 PM	#17
NYRE2PECT Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: San Antonio Posts: 8,275	My LCS will match Blowout - that’s their barometer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Primarily retired from collecting, but doing a Greatest Sho-man binder thing. I do love California Angels baseball.

12-20-2020, 02:45 PM	#19
discodanman45 Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: CA Posts: 9,892 danch27	Card shops have always done things like this, however wax is being treated as a card these days. I remember as a kid going to the LCS and getting prices on cards. The owner would get the Beckett price guide and calculate the price. It would take a few minutes for him to do this. The same thing is happening for wax these days. It is treated as a card that fluctuates in prices daily. Opening wax is also riskier for the owner to do. In the past you got a discount for buying a sealed box of packs. The opposite is true today. Unopened boxes carry more value then selling the packs individually. There are ways to search packs by weight and many buyers will stay away from individual packs. It is a completely different hobby than it was in the 90's. __________________ Always looking for rarer Rik Smits cards and cards from the 2014-15 Spectra Global Icons set. Send me a message!

12-20-2020, 09:05 AM	#3
Foo3112 Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: N/A Posts: 837	Best thing to do when you walk into a card shop is to find items you are familiar with on the pricing. That should tell you what to expect with the rest of their store prices. If its close in price, perhaps you can ask for lower price (never hurts), but people who price unfair and unreasonable from the start don't get my money.

12-20-2020, 09:14 AM	#4
Nooba Member Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 79	I quit going to the card shop near me. The prices were all on sticky notes that changed daily and if you called to ask about a price, they refused to give it to you until you came into the store.

12-20-2020, 09:25 AM	#5
MiamiMarlinsFan Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Florida Posts: 13,901	As soon as he pulled out his phone to check eBay I would said, “Don’t worry about, I’m fine,” and left. If he wants to go off of eBay pricing, I’ll just buy it on eBay. He has the right to price things however he wants, and I have the right not to buy them.

12-20-2020, 10:22 AM	#10
monkeymcgee Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: VA Posts: 10,974	The squeezing every dime has been the slow death of hobby shops. They know what they paid for the wax, have a price and then review it every week if you have a crippling fear of underselling. What other shopping experience requires buyers with product in hand to wait for the clerk to look up comps and come up with a price on the spot? Be like an actual store instead of half-assed retail efforts that are fronts for buying for other channels.

12-20-2020, 10:36 AM	#13
JustRachel Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 5,663	It's not surprising most card shops struggle.

12-20-2020, 01:21 PM	#14
dodgerfanjohn Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Torrance, CA Posts: 5,539 sternroolz	Hi OP, seeing you are from Bakersfield, maybe this will help you if you are down in LA: 1.) Frank and Sons. I haven't been there since they moved to the new location, but it’s where I’d buy my wax in person from. A few booths sell by the pack. 2.) South Bay Sportscards in Lomita. I don’t like their prices but they are friendly and helpful to a fault. That is, they will help someone and simply focus on that person. So if all you have is a simple question, you still might get ignored for a length of time. But if you wait around long enough until they are not busy, they will help you every bit as much as the previous customer. They actually have a huge selection of mid and low grade vintage and a ton of nice memorabilia. Some packs and boxes as well. 3. I’ve never been to the Bullpen in Westchester but it’s been highly recommended here. Not sure if they sell by the pack though. Their Yelp pictures show only boxes. Come to think about it, seems that this is the place you visited.

12-20-2020, 02:23 PM	#18
Eric1285 Member Join Date: Nov 2020 Location: Southern California Posts: 783 mistasupreme	I patronize my local hobby shops because I appreciate the relationship. I don't ever expect to get the best possible price from a local shop. However, the ones that I frequent will always give me competitive pricing that's not too far off. I'm plenty happy to let them make a bit of money. In return, they often keep an eye out for things I'm looking for and will occasionally find me a really great deal. If all I wanted was the lowest price, there's no reason to leave my desk. Good hobby shops will foster a relationship and share their knowledge with you.

12-20-2020, 05:02 PM	#25
LIONS RULE! Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 88	I believe everybody is entitled to an opinion & mine is this - the OP's complaints seem pretty small to me. 1) The prices were higher than the internet? I would expect that from a B&M store. He doesn't say how much more x2, x5 x10? 2) Boxes in front of a case? it's a Card Store, There will be cards. If you are really interested, Why not ask politely if they could move them for you? 3) OP had to spend 5 mins waiting while the shop worker was looking up prices. 5 min? Really? If you can't spend 5 min in a Card Store looking around while someone is helping out, I don't know what to tell you... Basically the OP says he wants a personal experience, but he doesn't want to wait & doesn't want to communicate either.