Question to Canadian Members (Please help)

[MasonRaymond0320]

Good luck! You're going to UBC in Vancouver, right?
If so, why not opening up a buisness downtown? Where all of the excitment and all of the hockey fans are located? I think u would do well there, compared to a small city like Richmond (where I live) and hockey isn't that popular here, (The Chinese mostly live in Richmond) compared to Vancouver. But the thing about renting in Vancouver is that the rent is really expensive. I say, maybe start a buisness in a city like Surrey.
Surrey is actually very nice. I enjoy going there a lot. Because the city is getting a "make-over", with a lot of new buisnesses and houses down in that area.
I also know of a hockey equipment shop that is doing pretty well down there. And I think that u would do well there. Just my opinion.

But if you don't want to rent in Vancouver, I think u should stay located in a city near an NHL city. I mean, no one will buy hockey cards in PEI. Maybe in a place in Ontario where people go crazy over hockey. But if u wanted to work in Montreal, u would have to speak french, and if u dont already know the language, it will be tough opening a buisness in Quebec.

I say Ontario for my first choice, and then Vancouver :)

[30ranfordfan]

Why they closed down? I think lack of business was part of the problem. I moved here in 1995 (comming from a town in Nova Scotia... with 2000 people.... and we had two card shops there) and I was under the impression that all three of them were doing well leading up to then.

Late 90s, hobby bubble burst.... and 3 was too many for the market, IMO. If two had closed down right away..... other one probably would have been okay..... but they all shut down within 6 months of each other.

As for Real Estate, it's expensive. We're about an hour out of Toronto.... and it's really become a commuter town (certain areas, especailly). A 3 bedroom town house will run you close to $225,000 these days. I suppose expensive is relative though.

thanks sean! This is one of the things I was looking for. Do you by chance know why those shops closed? Was it a lack of business? High real estate prices? No demand? you'd think in a city of over 100,000 there would be at least one shop.

And what IS the real estate like there? Is it an expensive city?

As for the one customer thing, I think I've made enough friends to get a few customers - plus I could use this site to gain more!

More advice please

[cnshockey]

Why they closed down? I think lack of business was part of the problem. I moved here in 1995 (comming from a town in Nova Scotia... with 2000 people.... and we had two card shops there) and I was under the impression that all three of them were doing well leading up to then.

Late 90s, hobby bubble burst.... and 3 was too many for the market, IMO. If two had closed down right away..... other one probably would have been okay..... but they all shut down within 6 months of each other.

As for Real Estate, it's expensive. We're about an hour out of Toronto.... and it's really become a commuter town (certain areas, especailly). A 3 bedroom town house will run you close to $225,000 these days. I suppose expensive is relative though.

hahaha I can't help but laugh at $225,000 being expensive. My instant reaction is "wow! thats cheap!". Thats what I get for living in California my whole life...especially since for most of my life it's been in a rich town where a DECENT house was a $1,000,000 before the recession. (Not trying to brag. It's just the environment I've been raised in)

Well if they closed due to the bubble burst, then a shop could be successful there now possibly. Thanks for the info Sean!

[game8]

Personally i think a hobby shop could do well in any city in Canada with out one. I am in St.john's and we have 1 full shop, 1 combo shop(hockey with a decent selection, Magic, Video games), 1 evening shop and a weekly Flea market with a decent amount of tables and we are far from any hockey city. I think the big key part is getting your name out there. I know of a good few people here who did not know all of these places here existed. However when i lived i Calgary i could not find a decent hobby shop

[30ranfordfan]

Yep, I know. California vs Ontario isn't much of a matchup. I think more people in your state than in this country.

5-7 years ago, you could have bought that same house for $175,000. Maybe less. Prices have boomed here over the last few years.

hahaha I can't help but laugh at $225,000 being expensive. My instant reaction is "wow! thats cheap!". Thats what I get for living in California my whole life...especially since for most of my life it's been in a rich town where a DECENT house was a $1,000,000 before the recession. (Not trying to brag. It's just the environment I've been raised in)

Well if they closed due to the bubble burst, then a shop could be successful there now possibly. Thanks for the info Sean!

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

Thanks for all the great info guys!

Also please remember that this is at the earlier occurring in 4 years time so don't expect me to be coming to your town any time soon ;)

Anyone got any info on the Vancouver shop situation? I had heard it was weak but I wasn't sure about that.

It is horrible and the problem is Upper Deck!!!!! The reason it is horrible is everyone buys online or at the monthly card show where boxes are cheaper. Buying in a card store the box prices are more expensive because Upper Deck doesn't sell directly to any store in Canada but instead to only 2 distributors! Those distributors then sell to the stores who then sell to the customers. That is why it is cheaper to buy online for most Canadian collectors unless you can buy direct from a distributor. Could use a good one in Vancouver but real estate prices are through the roof and still climbing. Not going to be profitable. Stores are closing or have already closed. Wish it wasn't so but it is.

[RGM81]

Heh, that honorary Canadian citizenship I granted a few weeks ago may be a real one soon, eh? Coming from a UBC alumni, really cool to hear that you'll be attending one of the best universities not only in Canada, but the world. Top-notch faculty in every department.

[Craig2]

What would overhead costs be like in Vancouver? Their housing market is even crazier than ours in Fort McMurray, so I'm sure retail space there is equally expensive. I'm just thinking that you'd need do some serious volume, and you may not be able to get prime space.

It's great that you have a plan, though, for what you want to do after graduating. I know MBAs who are still kind of just floating along still trying to figure out where they want to go.

[Orfew]

hahaha I can't help but laugh at $225,000 being expensive. My instant reaction is "wow! thats cheap!". Thats what I get for living in California my whole life...especially since for most of my life it's been in a rich town where a DECENT house was a $1,000,000 before the recession. (Not trying to brag. It's just the environment I've been raised in)

Well if they closed due to the bubble burst, then a shop could be successful there now possibly. Thanks for the info Sean!

I hear you. I live in Ontario, but my brother-in-law lives in Glendale CA. I visited him a few years back and the average price for a house on his street was about 1.2 Million.

[cnshockey]

I hear you. I live in Ontario, but my brother-in-law lives in Glendale CA. I visited him a few years back and the average price for a house on his street was about 1.2 Million.

Yeah at the peak of the market, our house hit around 1.35 and its old with little amount of updated. It's part of the reason I vowed I'd get out of here right after high school.

Heh, that honorary Canadian citizenship I granted a few weeks ago may be a real one soon, eh? Coming from a UBC alumni, really cool to hear that you'll be attending one of the best universities not only in Canada, but the world. Top-notch faculty in every department.

I really hope I get in right away. I'm going to some seminar thing in San Francisco today so that should be fun. You know anyone high up at UBC? Wanna pull some strings for me?

It is horrible and the problem is Upper Deck!!!!! The reason it is horrible is everyone buys online or at the monthly card show where boxes are cheaper. Buying in a card store the box prices are more expensive because Upper Deck doesn't sell directly to any store in Canada but instead to only 2 distributors! Those distributors then sell to the stores who then sell to the customers. That is why it is cheaper to buy online for most Canadian collectors unless you can buy direct from a distributor. Could use a good one in Vancouver but real estate prices are through the roof and still climbing. Not going to be profitable. Stores are closing or have already closed. Wish it wasn't so but it is.

Ahh I see. Hehe maybe I can open two. One in seattle and one in Vancouver and buy all the boxes in the US and drive them to seattle