Burbank Sportscards and others

[lentel]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Prior to their website coming into existence, BBSC was one of the top 5 card stores in the country. I feel like I can make that declaration based on my visits to hundreds of stores all over the country. The other top 5 were in St Louis, Grand Rapids, Denver and I forget the other.

They had thousands of boxes of cards, most sorted by number for every imaginable year of all the major issues. They were by far the best store for trying to find weird Topps baseball variations, especially when it involved the backs, because they had so many cards. And they were up the street from my house, so they were the perfect store.

Then they started their website, and moved their building, and made it so only their staff could look in the boxes. Even when you went into the store, they had you enter the cards you were looking for on a computer set up in the small public area, then they would bring you a selection of that card for you to choose from.

They instantly went from by far the best, to not even on the list, and they didn't care at all. Happy to sell to the online purchaser who took what he was given, as opposed to a local walk in customer who had opinions.

And every picture on their website was stock.

After spending thousands of dollars with them for cards and supplies, they basically told me they didn't need me as a customer. So I have never been back, preferring to pay shipping for supplies than to give my money to a local business who don't care about my money, because it's small potatoes compared to their internet sales.

They don't care that they are clogging up your ebay searches, because some people buy their items because of it, so they win, and the real baseball collector loses.

Doug

yep totally agree...loved that store bought a lot of topps sets when they were burbank coins and sports cards.. they let you go through the boxes and pick the cards you wanted..when they move across the street thing changed drastically...also went in once and told myself never again

[clydepepper]

Just to be devil's advocate for a moment- This is a general statement, not specifically directed at Burbank specifically.

Once the online market got to a certain point, it becomes necessary to have an always-current online inventory.

That is impossible to maintain if you are still set up to do business in brick and mortar.

I have had occasion to try to deal with someone who did not set that as a high priority and they quickly lost my business.

Obviously, the online market is much larger than even the most loyal walk-in buyers...and so it goes...

The use of stock card photos is something I avoid on vintage cards, but have no big issue with using them for the modern cards...as long as the seller accepts returns.

This, of course, is common knowledge - just stating a reminder.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Once the online market got to a certain point, it becomes necessary to have an always-current online inventory.

That is impossible to maintain if you are still set up to do business in brick and mortar.

I respectfully disagree.

They obviously keep track of their inventory via software on a computer, so they could easily remove from inventory purchases from their brick & mortar store the same way they do it for an online customer. Card by card. As they sell. Easy.

They made a business decision that dealing with a customer such as myself in person, who wants specific cards in specific conditions, with specific variations, isn't worth their time for the money I would spend.

I wasn't happy about their decision, so I stopped spending any money with them.

I am speaking about Burbank specifically, but my point is still valid as a general statement.

When I have the option as a customer to not do business with a company who I believe doesn't treat me with the minimum amount of respect that I deserve, I then stop doing business with them.

That is why I haven't been in Dodger Stadium for more than seven years (and counting), even though I'm a life long Dodgers fan, and former season ticket holder, who doesn't get the right channels to watch them on TV. I root for them to win, but have given them none of my money since 2010, and plan on giving them the same amount during upcoming seasons.

I'm typing this while sitting on a United Airlines flight, running the risk of being dragged from the plane, if I piss them off, but they were the only airline that flies the route I need at the time I need, so I'm keeping my head down and praying for my checked bag to be waiting at the other end.

Doug "ranting" Goodman

[seinbigd]

Quick Question: Who are your "Top Five" that carries a similar level of inventory as Burbank?