Has Grading Hurt the Local Store?

JaxSportsHub · 07-13-2023, 02:19 PM

For years, you went to your local card shop to see and hear as well as buy. The internet came along and gave us the chance to find millions of other options, all the while giving that same local store a chance to sell their goods.

One caveat always was condition was not always easy to see in photos.

Along came grading and while subjective, has been viewed as objective to the market place in terms of pricing. You can buy slabs, no exactly what you are getting and never have a need to go to a local store.

Has that hurt the local store? If wax dried up, would local stores even exist?

Jolten Joe · 07-14-2023, 12:48 PM

I think most smart store have adapted to grading and never skipped a beat. Most do some kind of group submissions for their customers and I'd venture to say outside of $1 boxes 99% of their invetory is sealed wax and graded cards in the showcases.

discodanman45 · 07-14-2023, 12:54 PM

I hate to give this a link, but it is worth a view. Burbank Sports Cards interview is great. Geoff Wilson can't refute anything Rob says and even makes Geoff's arguments on how "important" investors, flippers, and breakers to the hobby seem idiotic. This is how you run a store and place the importance on collectors. As Rob says, the silent majority actually are the most important people in the hobby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOOVCuOk0yg&t=1139s

MavsRChamps · 07-14-2023, 02:11 PM

I don’t really see the connection much at all actually. The vast majority of cards sales are still non-graded cards. And if anything it’s the opposite. Grading has highlighted the importance of card’s condition whereas before for some people it was an afterthought. And therefore given condition is more important now than say 20 or 40 years ago, the desire to inspect cards in person is HIGHER instead of LOWER. Therefore, the need to go to a card shop is greater due to grading.

Now of course the internet exploding & card sales has hurt card shops a ton, but grading hasn’t at all in my opinion.

07-13-2023, 02:19 PM	#1
JaxSportsHub Member Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sunshine State Posts: 188 JaxSportsHub	Has Grading Hurt the Local Store? For years, you went to your local card shop to see and hear as well as buy. The internet came along and gave us the chance to find millions of other options, all the while giving that same local store a chance to sell their goods. One caveat always was condition was not always easy to see in photos. Along came grading and while subjective, has been viewed as objective to the market place in terms of pricing. You can buy slabs, no exactly what you are getting and never have a need to go to a local store. Has that hurt the local store? If wax dried up, would local stores even exist?

07-14-2023, 12:54 PM	#3
discodanman45 Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: CA Posts: 9,819 danch27	I hate to give this a link, but it is worth a view. Burbank Sports Cards interview is great. Geoff Wilson can't refute anything Rob says and even makes Geoff's arguments on how "important" investors, flippers, and breakers to the hobby seem idiotic. This is how you run a store and place the importance on collectors. As Rob says, the silent majority actually are the most important people in the hobby. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOOVCuOk0yg&t=1139s __________________ Always looking for rarer Rik Smits cards and cards from the 2014-15 Spectra Global Icons set. Send me a message!

07-14-2023, 12:48 PM	#2
Jolten Joe Banned - PBM Join Date: Dec 2022 Posts: 1,666	I think most smart store have adapted to grading and never skipped a beat. Most do some kind of group submissions for their customers and I'd venture to say outside of $1 boxes 99% of their invetory is sealed wax and graded cards in the showcases.

07-14-2023, 02:11 PM	#4
MavsRChamps Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 3,054 purple3252	I don’t really see the connection much at all actually. The vast majority of cards sales are still non-graded cards. And if anything it’s the opposite. Grading has highlighted the importance of card’s condition whereas before for some people it was an afterthought. And therefore given condition is more important now than say 20 or 40 years ago, the desire to inspect cards in person is HIGHER instead of LOWER. Therefore, the need to go to a card shop is greater due to grading. Now of course the internet exploding & card sales has hurt card shops a ton, but grading hasn’t at all in my opinion.