my wife is scaring me!

cmixer

Bench Warmer
She's having trouble finding a job she likes, and she asked me tonight if we could open a card store. I was like, "WHAT?"

She said I have the knowledge, so I could stop by & price everything when I get off work at 5pm, and she'd run it during the day.

So tell me ... let's say I get the perfect location & rent. How's the market for a store front? Are they profitable? Can someone really run a store with MINIMAL knowledge, just priced product?

I know I own enough old junk to fill a store, it would just be about ordering new product.

Any advice appreciated.
 
From going to my local shops new location I have learned a few things....


1) its all about location

2) At first it will be very hard until you establish regular customers coming in and spending cash.

3) Wax is king ! When starting a new buisness singles are not what keeps youu afloat it is wax so you have to put your money out on a wire .

4) After all that is established a Cardshop can be a very profittable buisness but as you know there will be off days/weeks .

So all in all its about whether or not you are willing to take the chance and stick to it.
 
Can someone really run a store with MINIMAL knowledge, just priced product?
No, and you can't run a store on singles alone. You'll need wax, mags, and supplies if you want to profit. PLus, you'll have guys that come in who want to sell or trade what they have. If your wife has little knowledge, she'll get ripped off - if she says, "we don't buy or trade", you'll lose buisness.

In your scinario, it might be better for you to buy into another local shop. You'll have an existing customer base and suppliers and the wife can work with the other owner to get some experience.
 
This just seems like a bad idea. I think your wife is frustrated.

You have to have knowledgeable people running it. It can be a real turnoff to me when that is not the case. Not only that, but from a business perspective as well.

This is not the kind of thing you can afford to do "when you get off work." My opinion, you go for it full throttle or not at all.

Wax, supplies, mags.
 
like everyone else said its not something to do in the spare time
shop owners should be more than just register jockeys(not to insult your wife), but i dont go places where the people arent cool and knowledgable
i usually hang out and talk cards/sports etc... i dont know anybody that just picks up a few singles or a box and goes about there business like they are buying bread from the store
 
LOCATION is very important

You need newest wax AND the money to sit on it (think in terms of 100k credit line)

You HAVE to sell on ebay for consignemtn and yourself

You need to keep your expenses down

You need to carry sports related memorabillia and apparel (jersys, kids jerseys, games, etc...)

IF I open a store, I want to have a couch, tv, such installed for people to hang out and watch sporting events :D


Ultimately, depends on your area. how many card shows are there? How many card shops? What is the interest in the hobby, etc.
 
LOCATION is very important

You need newest wax AND the money to sit on it (think in terms of 100k credit line)

You HAVE to sell on ebay for consignemtn and yourself

You need to keep your expenses down

You need to carry sports related memorabillia and apparel (jersys, kids jerseys, games, etc...)

IF I open a store, I want to have a couch, tv, such installed for people to hang out and watch sporting events :D


Ultimately, depends on your area. how many card shows are there? How many card shops? What is the interest in the hobby, etc.

Please open a card store Brett. :pray:

As for the idea, it can be a good one but I just worry about what the others said about someone with little knowledge behind the counter and the money it would take to fill the store with supplies, wax, mags, etc....
 
the place i go to is sort of off the beaten path, but it is down the street from the bar. we only have 2 real stores in town. 3 technically that is in a mall but they are more geared towards comics and it's owned by a guy that sells sports stuff too, so they are side by side.

i would probably spend more time in my card shop if they had a small tv even broadcasting sports or espn all day. they have this old grandfather radio that plays baseball games and unless you know all the players on the teams, you are confused and they don't broadcast football games up here on the radio.

she definately needs knowledge and she needs to realize how to care for the cards and how to handle them. if she can't talk the talk than she will get hosed. is she even into sports? like watching them or a sport that she enjoys that she can really get into?

reason i ask is cause there are certain people i can talk football with at the card store and some that i can't cause they don't know anything about football but they are the baseball masters. so if she can at least talk shop about one or a few of the sports it might give her some leway with people, plus if she's cute she will most likely get marriage proposals.
 
LOCATION is very important

You need newest wax AND the money to sit on it (think in terms of 100k credit line)

You HAVE to sell on ebay for consignemtn and yourself

You need to keep your expenses down

You need to carry sports related memorabillia and apparel (jersys, kids jerseys, games, etc...)

IF I open a store, I want to have a couch, tv, such installed for people to hang out and watch sporting events :D



Ultimately, depends on your area. how many card shows are there? How many card shops? What is the interest in the hobby, etc.


My cardshop has a 37 or 42 inch plasma but no couch:boohoo: just some stools and stuff
 
This is what my local shop includes, and they have been in business for 25 years now.


New wax for all sports. Not so much hockey since WI isnt a hocky state, but lots of new basketball, baseball, and football. The only thing I havent seen them carry is Exquisite.


Singles from all sports. But most of them are local team cards, with a mix of other stars and superstars.


Fan apparel and souvenirs. Everything from jerseys, to t-shirts, to helmets, to pencil toppers.


Loads of memorabilia. Most of it is football memorabilia, but all the major stars are displayed on the walls and in showcases.


Custom framing. Thats where I went to get my AJ Hawk jersey framed, and I alot of other people get other things framed. Anywhere from 8x10s to game used jerseys.


Monthly or bi-monthly player signings. They have had players from Brett Favre, Prince Fielder, AJ Hawk, Greg Jennings, JJ Hardy, etc, come in. Some of them are private signings, however 90 percent of them are in person signings. Thats the major draw for me. I will buy a ticket, plus a mini helmet or picture to get signed. And they are all reasonably priced. Greg Jennings was only 20 at the time, and JJ Hardy was 25. They sell out fast, and its always popular.


Experience employees. All of them have knowledge about cards, and each of them have their own area of expertise, whether its vintage, modern, high end, etc.
 
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