Why local card shops go out of business

[Archangel1775]

I understand brick & mortars can price what they want, how they want. I'll do my best to support local small businesses also. When you have a small business and a hobby I'm passionate about, I'm a motivated buyer. However, when you start out really high, it really makes it hard. $5.49 for a 2015 Bowman Pack, $7.49 for a 2014 Bowman Draft Pack. $99.99 for a Topps Wax box. A faded Bryce Harper Chrome Auto for $300 that's been sitting there for 2 years, then increase it to $400 based on his performance....my other issues include, a box loader you can't see through for $9.99 but notice a small part of it opened on one end.....VG HOF rookie cards at Near Mint prices..... all the late eighties and early nineties junk wax for $15 to $20 per box. 1999 Foil boxes that are typically $25-$35 prices at $79.99.......this is my rant!!!!

[HOFAutoRookies]

Because of Ebay. All shop prices are high I've noticed, waaaaaay higher than the Bay

[trixstar]

You should write a business plan on how to succeed owning a hobby shop and deliver it to the owner.

[kyle1707]

Ya I never understand that... I have been in business 4.5 years.. im 20% mark up of my cost...

2015 Bowman I sold 4-5 cases a 70 a box
Chrome comes out this week im 70

But I hear this same story over and over...

But IMO Card shops will be almost gone in another 10 years...

It will be Ebay Blowout Dave adams and a bunch of online group breakers....

It is impossible to compete...

Topps and Panini have giving up caring a all about card shops... When Layton and Firehands are opening 250 cases of a product... Not bashing them... just a fact

Boxes are being sold under cost for weeks before every release on ebay also

[jlzinck]

Gee my LCS sold a Gypsy Queen Trout mini book patch auto for $350 this last weekend. More than any have sold on Ebay.

He is also not carrying Ginter because the price is too high.

He's been in business for almost 20 years and is the last on Cape Cod

[poppincurbs]

I try and support my LCS, most new releases I will go grab some packs or a box if it's decently priced. They are usually around a $10 markup per box. The problem is they NEVER "clearance" them out...there's 2012 Prizms sitting there at $6/pack... I just don't get it. So in that case I will just buy online. And yeah, very rarely do I pick up single cards unless it's a trade.

[rutgersjpm]

Shops just need to get with the times. If the owner provides a better experience than a breaker does, guess who gets the business. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all need to be a part of your business plan. Way too many shops being run by clueless old guys who complain too much about how great the card industry was back in the day. Quit griping and get back to work.

[dasiegel]

I'm lucky that many of the LCS's in Jersey are pretty knowledgeable and have been around the game for a while. There are a ton of shops that have closed that were doing what you said in the OP... amazing how they don't last:/

A good LCS is buying direct or from a reliable distributor where they don't have to overprice their stuff too bad and can usually be right around ebay. The convenience of not having to wait for/pay for shipping, the in store experience (if the owner is a good guy) and other B/M perks and incentives should be enough to keep a well located store around if the owner enjoys the business.

[centereacan06]

Yep, very overpriced in my experiences. I remember seeing a Bryce Harper 2012 Draft paper RC for $20. Even after his tremendous season this year, it's only about a $2 card.

Shame, too, because the guy is a great person. He gives kids a "pack" of recent base cards with every purchase and is just a good guy to chat with.

[Doublexthebeast]

Originally Posted by rutgersjpm

Shops just need to get with the times. If the owner provides a better experience than a breaker does, guess who gets the business. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all need to be a part of your business plan. Way too many shops being run by clueless old guys who complain too much about how great the card industry was back in the day. Quit griping and get back to work.

Yup, pretty spot on. The main thing that gets them in the long run is not keeping up with the market. When a product/player gets hot then they should go up but when they decrease in value or popularity then the prices should go down. The most frustrating thing for me is how long some of the cards stay in their displays. I would move cards online if they sat on the shelves for more than a few months and replace them with something different.

[glen87]

Originally Posted by jlzinck

Gee my LCS sold a Gypsy Queen Trout mini book patch auto for $350 this last weekend. More than any have sold on Ebay.

He is also not carrying Ginter because the price is too high.

He's been in business for almost 20 years and is the last on Cape Cod

because he has YOU to keep him in business

[crazy4kinsler]

I'm like most people I believe in that I would love to help out my LCS. I do from time to time just to itch a habit scratch, but even the benefit of having in hand (over buying online and then waiting to receive) isn't worth the higher amount I'm having to pay.

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

I understand brick & mortars can price what they want, how they want. I'll do my best to support local small businesses also. When you have a small business and a hobby I'm passionate about, I'm a motivated buyer. However, when you start out really high, it really makes it hard. $5.49 for a 2015 Bowman Pack, $7.49 for a 2014 Bowman Draft Pack. $99.99 for a Topps Wax box. A faded Bryce Harper Chrome Auto for $300 that's been sitting there for 2 years, then increase it to $400 based on his performance....my other issues include, a box loader you can't see through for $9.99 but notice a small part of it opened on one end.....VG HOF rookie cards at Near Mint prices..... all the late eighties and early nineties junk wax for $15 to $20 per box. 1999 Foil boxes that are typically $25-$35 prices at $79.99.......this is my rant!!!!

[christianfriend]

There's a few local card shops here in the Milwaukee area, but only one or two carry enough product that draws in customers. I'm surprised that some of the other smaller shops are still around, but they offer other things like Yu-gi-oh and Magic too. Some of the shops will be competitive with their box prices, so they'll have it around the same price as Blowout. It's tough when you see card shops close down though.

[DetectiveChrome]

Here in Toronto, a strictly card shop doesn't exist. The shops combine Magic, comics, memo or all 3 to stay afloat.

The ones that opened and have closed down didn't stay current with times. That is key in any industry.

Offering box breaks, trade nights, magic tournaments or adding whatever the new hype is in the industry are relatively new to shops and have increased traffic into their shops and hence increased revenue.

[death2redemptions]

The local card shop in my area just recently went out of business when he got an offer from a sports player to buy his store. the guy just needed the space to put up his own business there although I'm not sure what it was because I don't go down to that area anymore but I did know the owner and he was a good guy. He was rich and all his life was a sports card enthusiast so he only started the shop because of his love for the hobby and he was retired so he had nothing better to do. He always told me that he didn't make a dime from the place, in fact if anything he lost money towards the end.

His opinion was that ever since ebay came around it became impossible for them to make profits since they couldn't compete with the prices. The prices for his wax was always so much higher than it would be on ebay or an online store like Blowout. I used to buy from him just to support my local LCS but it's no longer around anymore.

[Archangel1775]

Originally Posted by trixstar

You should write a business plan on how to succeed owning a hobby shop and deliver it to the owner.

I'd rather keep my business plan to myself

I'd rather learn the easy way.

I do agree that they shouldn't keep all their eggs in one basket. I do recall my old shop back in grade school having all of the above. Comic, cards, gaming, action figures and model kits. They are still in business to this day.

[Ashes]

[Twinsfan33]

Originally Posted by death2redemptions

The local card shop in my area just recently went out of business when he got an offer from a sports player to buy his store. the guy just needed the space to put up his own business there although I'm not sure what it was because I don't go down to that area anymore but I did know the owner and he was a good guy. He was rich and all his life was a sports card enthusiast so he only started the shop because of his love for the hobby and he was retired so he had nothing better to do. He always told me that he didn't make a dime from the place, in fact if anything he lost money towards the end.
His opinion was that ever since ebay came around it became impossible for them to make profits since they couldn't compete with the prices. The prices for his wax was always so much higher than it would be on ebay or an online store like Blowout. I used to buy from him just to support my local LCS but it's no longer around anymore.

Which shop was this? Are you talking about that card shop in Tempe or Scottsdale? Looks like you'll have to join the dark side and join us on the West Side! AZ SportsCards my Friend, AZ SportsCards...

Originally Posted by Ashes

Are there any shops around you any more?

Will you go further out to support local shops?

For me, I am looking at (at least) an hour drive (plus a $5.00 toll) just to get to one (on one side of me).
An hour drive to get to any on another side of me.
Plus (in my state) the gas tax will soon be hiked even higher than before.

You either have to really love what you're doing or be rich (to own a shop).

Ya there is. There is one on the west side called AZ SportsCards. It's the best shop I've found. Don is super nice and use to be on the distrubiter side of things. Prices are usually always at or near BO prices and he does raffels and such.

[CoEnt85]

We have one good old school card shop that doesn't hike their prices too much but it's a good drive from my house. He does in store group breaks, sells on facebook, twitter, etc. so he's definitely keeping up with the current trends and he's been there for 20 years I think now. Still puts Beckett values on singles though.

There's a second shop but their stuff is way overpriced ($120 for 2015 A&G, pre-tax) and they have a huge selection of other stuff like apparel, memorabilia and other collectibles that I think keeps them in business more than anything.

[KD35Russ0]

To me, the "can't compete with prices" excuse is invalid.

As many others have said, you need to make being in the card shop an actual experience. This can include social media, selling online, etc. But more importantly, I would try to get people to my shop at the same time with different promotions or trading nights, whatever works.

I think of a card shop a little like a sports bar. It should be a place where you can go and meet with other fans, shoot the #@#@#@#@, and spend some time. For me, I know that I am much more likely to buy more beers and wings when there are people in the bar hooting and hollering and talking about the game and it feels like a communal experience than a quiet night at the bar where you just sip on one or two and casually watch the game. That experience carries over to card shops to me where you see someone busting packs and having a good time. Urging in shop pack and box busting would be HUGE to me. Obviously the longer you can keep someone in the shop the more potential money they will spend, but it also sets up that community that I'm talking about. If you can make busting wax an event rather than solely a business transaction I think you're on to something. Have a man's night where you have a little food and drink and a bunch of people around the table busting wax and trading. What could be better?

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Archangel1775

I understand brick & mortars can price what they want, how they want. I'll do my best to support local small businesses also. When you have a small business and a hobby I'm passionate about, I'm a motivated buyer. However, when you start out really high, it really makes it hard. $5.49 for a 2015 Bowman Pack, $7.49 for a 2014 Bowman Draft Pack. $99.99 for a Topps Wax box. A faded Bryce Harper Chrome Auto for $300 that's been sitting there for 2 years, then increase it to $400 based on his performance....my other issues include, a box loader you can't see through for $9.99 but notice a small part of it opened on one end.....VG HOF rookie cards at Near Mint prices..... all the late eighties and early nineties junk wax for $15 to $20 per box. 1999 Foil boxes that are typically $25-$35 prices at $79.99.......this is my rant!!!!

Try opening and running your own card shop.

[bedot]

I've never understood the "support your local LCS" statement. So, support the majority of these shops by willingly giving them more of your money just so they can keep offering product at the same level. If you run am LCS, it has to be competitive just like any other business. What benefits are there supporting an LCS? Most shops I've been to are not good, and the claim of community is not existent at most of the places. I'd rather buy off ebay, another online retailer, walmart, etc... and just share online. That is where the new card community is.

[IronMonkey415]

Have game night, provide customer with pizza and soda...MAKE IT FUN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

[abcd1234]

Anybody remember when sams club or Pace or K-mart used to carry unopened hobby boxes of cards? Those were the days......

[trixstar]

I don't think you can succeed today in a LCS unless you're doing Magic/Ughioh along with multiple other things that aren't sports cards. I also think if you're not online group breaking and making an impact through social media you're missing the boat.