Business model
I always felt like I was bothering the guy in my local shop, especially if I asked to see something that required him to get up. I brought my young son, and the owner would blare R rated movies, sitting watching TV. He couldn't wait for me to leave. All the cards in cases were sun bleached. I doubted he would sell more than $200 of vintage a week. I couldn't understand his business model. Then, I noticed two things. First, 3+ people an hour buying packs of magic cards (I thinks that what they were). Second, 2 people an hour walking in with boxes of cards to sell. He doesn't seem to buy anything after 1980, but it helped me realized that the card shop may not be there to sell at all. It is a focal point for low information or desperate sellers to come to and him to buy and flip on eBay or at local shows.
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