Today I picked another LCS to go to in the Portland Metro area that I had not been to yet. I was hoping against hope that I would go and find a reasonably priced store with people who knew what they were talking about. Right.....
First off, many people around the country would think that I'm lucky to live in a metropolitan city that has numerous options for card shops. Really, if I put my mind to it, I could take a twenty minute drive and wind up in one of several card shops. Lucky guy, right?
Wrong. So so so wrong.
The place that I went to was a Beckett Mecca (that's my term - I plan on copyrighting it). Upon first walking in, the first and ONLY thing you see is a rack full of every Beckett for every sport. You can't even see a glass case or a box without first looking at Beckett. Who am I to judge right? What do I care what they sell? I don't have to buy it, right? But I would like to buy something. Yet right away I knew that this was going to be one of those places that dealt in "book value".
And I was right.
Upon entering the store, the owner came up and actually met me and engaged me. Good start. I told him specifically that I was looking for any Bowman Batum RC's and any Murad relics or autos. He told me that he did have Murad packs and a box to sell and that he did have some Bowman Batum cards. He went straight away to pull out the Batums he had. And that's when my jaw dropped. He had two refractors and three chrome base. And they were priced at BOOK VALUE (capital letters added for emphasis).
Obviously the owner hadn't checked what these cards sold for online. Or maybe he had - and he just prefers to pretend that the price people ACTUALLY PAY for these cards didn't apply in his little shop. The chrome base cards (I said "base" cards) were priced at $5 a piece firm. The refractors, numbered to /499, were priced at $8. Yeah, those refractors, I tell you they are pretty. But I usually pay about half of that. And I've never paid more than a buck for a base card. Ever.
Ok. Swing and a miss on the Batum stuff. So I went over to check out the Murad. I'm not kidding that this shop wanted $4 a pack for Murad. And he wanted $89 dollars for a hobby box. The same hobby box that I can buy online for $50. Does he think that I have no self-control? That I'm incapable of waiting a week for a box of cards to be shipped? Well, he doesn't know the current consumer very well now, does he?
I'm a consumer who went into a hobby shop looking to spend between $20 and $40. I had cash to spend, and knew exactly how I wanted to spend it. And thanks to "book value", he gets to keep his cards and I took my family out to lunch. A good lunch.
My wife was pleased.
9 comments:
that's too bad, but he sounds like a good guy. or at least, interested in his business. not too many guys make a point of coming out and introducing himself, finding out what you're looking for..... maybe a few more visits, some coversation... develop a raport... find out why he prices like he does. Maybe it'll lead to something...
Yeah, he was nice up until he saw that I wasn't going to take the Batum stuff off of his hands. After that he just kind went back behind the counter and didn't say much.
I looked past the Batum pricing initially because it is the Blazer's home market, so you can get away with bumping the price up a bit, but not two-fold of actual value.
I understand that not all shops can compete with prices like Blowout. But does that give them lisence to not even TRY to compete? If a box is priced 10-15 dollars over open-market value, I'd probably buy it. But $39? Hell, I could nearly buy another box for that.
It's just a shame that the state of the hobby is such. But there are still more shops in my area that I haven't tried. I guess, I'll keep trudging on...
yeah, i hear ya. there are 4 or 5 shops in Calgary. only 1 worth the time of day. I have to drive 45-50 minutes in light traffic just to get there. But he gets my money.
He knows his stuff, remembers you and your interests, and his box prices are just on that high edge where I will spend the extra to support the local guy.
his single prices are out to lunch.... but I think that's everywhere in Canada, maybe the world....
It's true. In fact, as I looked at the cards in his case I couldn't help but to think that I would have a broader collection of players if they just priced their cards at market value.
Oh well. I was in Calgary some years back and didn't have enough time to look for a shop. But we went to the Edmonton mall with the family and I spent all of my funds at a card shop there.
Sooo many cool things to do in the mall and I bought cards...
I'm surprised the Batums were at book value, honestly. I usually see current Blazers stuff priced at well above book value around here, except for Greg Oden.
Is there really such a thing as a decently priced brick & mortar card shop? I've never seen one. It seems difficult for any retail businesses with such a fringe clientele.
Really, the Sports card shop needs to be a PART of a successful business.
Can you imagine how cool it would be to go to your favorite sports bar and see boxes of sports cards for sale at a decent price? They could sell them for market value because they're making money hand over fist with the booze.
People just don't know how to incorporate the tastes of all their customers.
Was that Hoopla in Beaverton by chance? They have a rack full of Becketts, too.
How much do hobby packs of Murad usually sell for?
nice post.. also very nice suggestions you all people gives here. check it out for discount squash rackets
Great post... I try to support the local card shops. However, supplies are the only thing I usually pick up. I wouldn't mind paying an extra 5% to support the local card shops for a box, but that's never the case. Card shops around me charge around 10 to 25% more than D&A, Blowout, PGH, Big T's, or ATL.
I wish they could at least compete with Checkoutmycards.com for singles... but I guess they need to make their money somewhere.
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