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  1. #31




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    Man, I'm coming from the perspective of collecting as a teenager in the 1980's and then returning last year. What a change!! In the 1980's I'd go to a sports card store. It was the only option unless you wanted to go through mail ordering or something. Wow, nowadays everything comes down to one word: eBay - love it or hate it. Instead of the annually updated "Beckett Brick" you can search recently closed listings on eBay and get it down to the second. Wow. And you can get on Google and search for the cheapest cases and boxes of cards. Everyone gives free shipping over like 75$ now. And case breaking? You can do that all online now too. There are tons of blogs with people teaming up. In a nutshell, the internet is the dream that noone would have believed in the 80's or before.

    Concerning opening a store? I am a 1/1 opinion, but why in the world would I want to go to store to do any of the above when I can sit in my pajamas, get everything shipped to me, pay the Paypal/ebay gods their chunk of flesh, to access the world with my stuff with next to nothing in overhead from my home office?

    All I know is that if you want to be really successful, you're going to have invest big money up front, be in the red for a considerable amount of time, and strive to compete with the online sportscard "Walmarts" that have prices that just can't be beat.

    Brick and Mortar stores are dead for this customer. But like I said, I'm a 1/1 opinion.

  2. #32




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    The question that no one ever addresses, as it's all personal preference, is what constitutes a "good living"...

    Are there dealers that travel to shows, flipping inventory, and make enough to live? Sure.
    Are there stores that are open that have enough business to stay in business and allow people to pay their bills? Sure.

    So it all comes down to what you expect to live on. Would you have more fun making a "decent" living if all it meant was doing card shows every weekend? or would you prefer to work in a differet career field, make more money, but obviously not do what might be your favorite thing on a daily basis?

    Of course all this goes hand in hand with the massive expense list I started earlier as far as what you'd have to sell to make a decent living with a shop.

    Everyone has a different definition of "a good living" - and that factors into these posts - just no one ever talks about it.

  3. #33
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    The question that no one ever addresses, as it's all personal preference, is what constitutes a "good living"...

    Are there dealers that travel to shows, flipping inventory, and make enough to live? Sure.
    Are there stores that are open that have enough business to stay in business and allow people to pay their bills? Sure.

    So it all comes down to what you expect to live on. Would you have more fun making a "decent" living if all it meant was doing card shows every weekend? or would you prefer to work in a differet career field, make more money, but obviously not do what might be your favorite thing on a daily basis?

    Of course all this goes hand in hand with the massive expense list I started earlier as far as what you'd have to sell to make a decent living with a shop.

    Everyone has a different definition of "a good living" - and that factors into these posts - just no one ever talks about it.

    Thats a good point, what i was saying in my last post, i dont know his profit margin so its hard to say how good off he has it, but i'd imagine the person who i was talking about lives comfortably since he's been doing shows for years upon years.

    I think its important though to enjoy your job, if you make alittle less doing something you enjoy more i think the factors offset each other.
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  4. #34




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    Sell online

    I agree that the internet is where its at to buy and sell. I mean you can do so many things online that you cant do through a card store or at least wont have to waste gas to do.

    I think that sites like Sportsbuy and Check Out My Cards are gaining strength and are beginning to contend with ebay. If I was interested in selling or opening a shop I would definitely start up an online presence first. Develop a clientele list that I could send offers too. It would be too much of a hussle to have a brick and mortar store, maybe once the economy picks up. Right now I am enjoying the buyers market we are currently in, and i don't need to travel anywhere to enjoy it either.

  5. #35
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    I don't think so, plus no way I can compete with blowout, DACW, etc. I'd have some of the cheapest prices for a LCS, but not online.

    You can beat online price Cheryl. As the gibraltar show has prices that veat anything online on certain products. The reaons why (no overhead or brick or mortar stores). It all about connections and it something that will not happen overnight.

    Why would you open a store when you can do a show twice a month for the whole year compared to one month of rent at a shop. You will have foot traffic and a great way to build up your repeat customer base if you give them something they cannot get from other dealers.

    Why not drop by and talk to Dan and I when we set up at the Gibraltar show over the Holidays. Get to know about the guy he talking about who makes a living flipping cards. I can point you out to the 3 dealers who can offer better prices on boxes, Shaun who been doing 8x10's since the 80's, John who does nothing but travel to shows every month east of the Missippi. All 5 of the guys I mentioned been doing this since the 80's with many of the other dealers who are repetitive. There nothing better than talking to the vets if you want to know how to survive in these economic times.

    With a unemployment rate of close to 20 percent I think even thinking about opening a brick and mortar store is a Insane idea. Of course that my opinion.
    I think the route to go would to be buy collections and flip them online and at the show while you build up customers who are looking for pc items.

    To be honest, I know everyone says do online, you might have better success doing card shows and travel doing so, if you ever decided you didnt want a storefront. when i set up at shows, i talk to one guy who makes a living off of it..he's buys out card collections sometimes from cardshops on the cheap and resells, he apprantly has a warehouse full of inventory..and he doesn't even touch ebay, he's making thousands of dollars without any online sales..

    I know its a hard business, but even I make a solid profit when i do shops, i'll buy from sites like this and resell at shows, i paid $25 for 3 Austin Jackson Topps Chrome RC Autos and 2 Scott Sizemore Topps Chrome RC Autos and i have the 5 of them priced at $68. I know at the minimum i'd get $50, and pretty sure I could get the full $68 asking price, if you can do that alot, you can make some solid profit..

    Its not an ideal way to make a living, but thats why you travel, you'd build up a client basis while making a good living

    Your not talking about John are you lol?

  6. #36




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    Someone said you'd have to add another dimension, and I agree.

    You'd almost have to make it a hobby shop, and not just a card shop. Add the comic books, figurines, etc. Add the supplies (toploaders, sleeves, etc.) and then you'd see a better profit.

    Heck, there's people on eBay that sell ONLY bubble mailers, and they make more than the guys selling cards lol.

  7. #37
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    Your not talking about John are you lol?

    Yea I am...

  8. #38





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    You really would have to make it a hobby shop like was stated before. I live in New Mexico, population overall is tiny compared to most states. In the biggest city of Albuquerque there are several shops but they are hobby shops(minus one really old stubborn guy). They sell everything from games to comics to tshirts to cards. The two I frequent most had to change to survive. They were once only sports cards and they had to shift to the gaming cards, to CDs and DVDs, etc to survive. I doubt you can really survive in most places on a card shop alone. There is one shop in albuquerque that the owner refuses to change, he relies solely on his customer base to buy new stuff and has a hard time getting new customers because of his insane prices on older stuff and he sticks to beckett values over all. Make it a hobby shop and keep a bit of everything around. Expect to make almost nothing over the first year at least. When doing something like this you have to have enough money to live while being in the red in your shop.

  9. #39
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    Well I love talking to him. Should be fun to chat with him over the holidays lol. I figured!!!

    DON

  10. #40




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    So I am in position to obtain my Business Degree..

    And how come turning a profit will be that hard?

    If you need to ask the question in red after the statement in black maybe you shouldn't do this.

    One of the pro's, which will also be a con at the same time, is that the economy sucks and rents will be rock bottom right now.

    A conservative estimate of cash reserves to open this business would be 75K.

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