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Posted By: Mike

About every 2-3 years, I get the itch to visit a card shop much like I did every weekend as a youth. About every 2-3 years, I realize why I don't visit the shops anymore. I am perfectly willing to pay a bit more for a card at a shop than the internet because I realize I'm helping to cover some rent and wages for entertainment of B.S.ing about cards on a Saturday afternoon. I'm also willing to put up with limited selection and little or no vintage cards.

However, what I'm not willing to put up with is the "professional" behind the counter with the personality of a spitting llama. Perhaps I was lucky to have a pleasant dealer at my local card shop growing up. But since then, I've lived in many different locations, and nearly every shop owner was a spitting image of the comic book shop character from the Simpsons.

Yes, the internet has put a few shops out of business, but I believe many owners simply need to look in the mirror to see why they are struggling. Card shops generally need the older-than-average collectors to keep them in business. Collecting allowance money from the local kids generally doesn't keep a business afloat.