How to run a good card shop

[Cmount76]

American Legends on Central Avenue in Scarsdale, in Westchester County is great. Shiny Stuff, Vintage, and Pre-War coupled with cool people. If you ever go to the shows at County Center in White Plains; it's a 10 minute ride down the block.

Originally Posted by TistaT202

I do wish there was a shop around me. I am getting sick of eBay! Anyone know of one near Fairfield, CT that sells more than just the shiny stuff?

Thanks
Mike

[Kco]

Originally Posted by Cmount76

American Legends on Central Avenue in Scarsdale, in Westchester County is great. Shiny Stuff, Vintage, and Pre-War coupled with cool people. If you ever go to the shows at County Center in White Plains; it's a 10 minute ride down the block.

He is still open? Good to know

[mooch]

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.

[TistaT202]

Originally Posted by Kco

He is still open? Good to know

I buy stuff from him on occasion on eBay (Amerlegends) and have always had the intention on stopping in to his shop at some point. I know he has been easy to deal with on eBay and accommodating on price on a few things.

Mike

[Rhotchkiss]

Great article and topic. In my experience, few card shops have anything out worth buying and most vintage stuff is ungraded; they may have stuff "in the back" that they have on their ebay store and would show you (once you prove you are not an idiot). Let me qualify -- I collect high-end/rarer cards, so maybe I am a bit biased, but it seems to me that the advent of grading and ebay have really hurt the sticks-and-bribks shop.

As far as DC/MD/NVA -- House of Cards is great. They have been there since at least I was 10 (and I am 42); although moved locations. They are old school and very friendly. My kids love the place. And Huggins/Scott is there so you can generally see stuff in their auctions (some of the good stiff). Sports Card Heroes in Laural is decent and there is a shop in Westminster (owner John, who is a great guy), which my bro-in-law loves. DC has nothing and NOVA has a few random places, but nothing special.

I have been to the ship in Westchester County (I think its in Scarsdale). Great people but nothing of particular worth. When I was there, the people working the shop were all women and they knew their stuff -- nothing coller than a woman who can talk cards!

[jlehma13]

All basic, common sense stuff in that article. Unfortunately, the businesses that should be reading things like that, simply don't.

[seanofjapan]

If you really want to run a good card shop you have to do it the Japanese way. One shop here (Mint, in Shibuya Tokyo) has an actual bar in the store, so you can have a beer at the counter while flipping through cards. I haven't been to it yet, but THAT is a killer idea.

This is their website (its in Japanese but you can see some pictures of the shop and its bar)

http://mint-web.jp/?pid=39086084

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

If you really want to run a good card shop you have to do it the Japanese way.

Wow! But I'd expect no less from the nation that sits beneath Mount Fujiyama. (I was pretty thick with the Japanese in Hawaii for twenty years; excellence is a foremost virtue for them). Back in North America most card shops I have been in are dumps, and the nice ones are still pretty shabby compared to this Tokyo establishment. If I ever make it to Japan I will definitely check out the joint. And I'm a teetotaler so I'll keep my fingers crossed that they stock Dr Pepper.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Cmount76

American Legends on Central Avenue in Scarsdale, in Westchester County is great. Shiny Stuff, Vintage, and Pre-War coupled with cool people. If you ever go to the shows at County Center in White Plains; it's a 10 minute ride down the block.

Mark, Donna and their staff are good people. I miss them