The Further Decline of Brick & Mortar...

[beachhead2]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

I think this post is spot on, and I have had many of the same thoughts in recent years. I just turned 40, and I wonder how much the lack of interest among younger people is the perception that it is a shady hobby. Obviously, I am not painting everyone with the same brush and there are many wonderful and ethical collectors and dealers out there.

But it does seem at times like everywhere you turn, someone is trying to perpetrate a scam or rip buyers off.

I'm 41 and your post resonates with me. While third-party-grading has its limitations, on some level that is what gave me the confidence to re-enter this hobby (especially for online transactions). I'm not sure that I ever had a good experience at a card shop. I grew up in south St. Louis and I remember card shops in the 80's-90's having no use for kid's small change. The operators were almost always surly a-holes. I do not bemoan their demise. I do love card shows. Between shows, web sites like this, and web auctions, I'm not sure I need anything else.

[BruceinGa]

Originally Posted by beachhead2

I'm 41 and your post resonates with me. While third-party-grading has its limitations, on some level that is what gave me the confidence to re-enter this hobby (especially for online transactions). I'm not sure that I ever had a good experience at a card shop.

+1
I'm 64, collected as a kid but gave them away when I lost interest. I picked it back up in 1987 when in training for work in Chicago and then Denver. I got some semi-star card from the 50's and 60's at great prices, giving them to my sons.
We went to a card show here in Marietta in 89 and would visit a shop in Chattanooga. The shop in Chattanooga always had 63 fleers for a good price.
In 1991 we got out of collecting and a couple of years ago my younger son tells me about graded cards. I like the idea. I visited a card shop locally and asked the owner what he thinks about third party graders and you would have thought I had insulted him. I believe that graded cards shows some dealers that they have been over grading for years. This shop owner still is over grading.
Sylbry, I'm going the National this year and I hope I don't find what you did at the Sun Times show. If I do, it will be my last show.

[CW]

By the way, the 2014 Topps pack I bought had a vintage insert in it...first one I have ever found in a pack. So there...

Thanks for sharing the story, Andy. It must be hard enough for these types of stores to survive, let alone when a douchebag like that is running one of them. You would hope that would be the exception, not the norm, but you hear so many stories about pro card dealers lacking in social and customer service skills.

[mattsey9]

Originally Posted by CW

Thanks for sharing the story, Andy. It must be hard enough for these types of stores to survive, let alone when a douchebag like that is running one of them. You would hope that would be the exception, not the norm, but you hear so many stories about pro card dealers lacking in social and customer service skills.

I'm sure we've all come across the "Comic Book Guy" store owner stereotype at least once in our hobby existence. I know that I have, and it's a turnoff. I just don't choose to patronize those tables when I go to a card show.