What’s the secret to selling cards on a large scale?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I wasn't being sarcastic either. I was actually trying to be helpful. When I am being a smart ass I usually say I am or try to make it obvious.

I just figured I would throw up a few realistic numbers. I understand how businesses work. I run an extremely successful one that let me retire in my early 40s.

I believe the OP is just looking for a get rich quick scheme. He kept being very unrealistic and for some silly reason gave a list of sellers that sell all price ranges of cards and somehow wanted to focus on selling cheap garbage.

You are correct about hiring a CPA. I complained all the time about their beyond silly bills. Then I got audited by everyone in the same year and was very happy I paid those silly fees. Not sure who I pissed off but seriously everyone who could audit me did.

I never thought you were being sarcastic in the least Ben, and not sure why you got jumped like you did for merely trying to be helpful. Sorry about that. In pretty much every kind of business idea/venture, there really is/are no secret(s). As I had said, you either start out small and build up till you can get big, or just buy someone that is big already and go from there. Not sure what other "secrets" there really can be, besides being dedicated and working your ass off, and being lucky as hell! And that is pretty much true for virtually every business someone may ask or think about.

As you pointed out with your analysis, trying to start out from scratch as a big-time seller will not be cheap, or easy. You'll need a ton of money, and even more luck. If you instead decide to start small and build up, you may not need as much money, at least initially up front, but you eventually will start needing a lot more, and you're still going to need a heck of a lot of luck to succeed and grow. And if you're extremely lucky enough to already have tons of money, or a large enough credit line, you can just go out and try to buy a big-time dealer/business that you want to be like. But you again have to be extremely lucky, and also hopefully not dumb enough to screw things up. There's a very good, and relatable, current business example we're all pretty much aware of right now out in the business world, that demonstrates exactly how having all the money in the world and just going out and buying the company you think you want, may not always work out as you originally hoped and planned, and some of the decisions you make after such an acquisition can end up seeming to be really stupid. LOL

Hang in there.

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobC

I never thought you were being sarcastic in the least Ben, and not sure why you got jumped like you did for merely trying to be helpful. Sorry about that. In pretty much every kind of business idea/venture, there really is/are no secret(s). As I had said, you either start out small and build up till you can get big, or just buy someone that is big already and go from there. Not sure what other "secrets" there really can be, besides being dedicated and working your ass off, and being lucky as hell! And that is pretty much true for virtually every business someone may ask or think about.

As you pointed out with your analysis, trying to start out from scratch as a big-time seller will not be cheap, or easy. You'll need a ton of money, and even more luck. If you instead decide to start small and build up, you may not need as much money, at least initially up front, but you eventually will start needing a lot more, and you're still going to need a heck of a lot of luck to succeed and grow. And if you're extremely lucky enough to already have tons of money, or a large enough credit line, you can just go out and try to buy a big-time dealer/business that you want to be like. But you again have to be extremely lucky, and also hopefully not dumb enough to screw things up. There's a very good, and relatable, current business example we're all pretty much aware of right now out in the business world, that demonstrates exactly how having all the money in the world and just going out and buying the company you think you want, may not always work out as you originally hoped and planned, and some of the decisions you make after such an acquisition can end up seeming to be really stupid. LOL

Hang in there.

Bob, you're spot on.

Just remember, everyone, what the best thing is about owning your own business:

You get to choose which seventy hours you work every week.

[Exhibitman]

Burbank Sportscards is my LCS; been going there for over 20 years. They started out as a small family enterprise in a small space. Family was the initial labor pool. As they got bigger, they bought out other dealers and expanded their holdings, moved to a mixed space that was primarily warehouse with a showroom front. They now have a warehouse that handles fulfillment, and the retail storefront down the block (very nice place, BTW, if you are in town). In other words, it grew organically as their business grew. They got the inventory then built the infrastructure to turn it out, not the other way around.

[Bcwcardz]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Burbank Sportscards is my LCS; been going there for over 20 years. They started out as a small family enterprise in a small space. Family was the initial labor pool. As they got bigger, they bought out other dealers and expanded their holdings, moved to a mixed space that was primarily warehouse with a showroom front. They now have a warehouse that handles fulfillment, and the retail storefront down the block (very nice place, BTW, if you are in town). In other words, it grew organically as their business grew. They got the inventory then built the infrastructure to turn it out, not the other way around.

I’ve been there a few times. They are ok. Years ago I had to sit on a computer select the cards I needed for a set I was working on then they went and pulled from somewhere else. The cards weren’t exactly as described but they spent the time and I already paid. But they did GROW into the business they are now. You just don’t start out as a gigantic card business. You build and find what works for you. Even on EBay over the years you can see how they have gotten larger. It just comes with time and success.


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[Bigdaddy]

There's a LCS near me that has been in business since the 1980s and just recently changed ownership for the first time. I thought they had a lot of cards in their store (you would have to turn sideways to pass someone in the walkways they were so narrow) and then I found out that there were two more storage units full of product. And I believe they had a very small online footprint and never really got into the graded card business.

Will be interesting to see how the new ownership tackles this. They've moved the store across the street into a new storefront. A much different feel than the previous store. Will be interesting to see how they tackle the huge inventory.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Bob, you're spot on.

Just remember, everyone, what the best thing is about owning your own business:

You get to choose which seventy hours you work every week.

Eric, only 70 hours a week?!?!?!? LOL

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by BobC

Eric, only 70 hours a week?!?!?!? LOL

I turned 50 recently. Guess my stamina isn't what it used to be...

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Bob, you're spot on.

Just remember, everyone, what the best thing is about owning your own business:

You get to choose which seventy hours you work every week.

LOL, I wish I could have chosen which 70+ hours a week I worked. I would get calls from 6am till 11pm every day of the week. The real early ones and the really late ones got a slightly higher bid/bill than the others usually.